Fierce Fun Toys Kid's Club

Fierce Fun Toys is starting a Kid's Club. Pictured below is a sneak preview of a maze based on my artwork (others will be coloring pages, connect-the-dots). Print and let the kids have fun! It is a simple maze geared for younger dudes, although it took me about 75 minutes to get through it.

Memorial Day.

Enjoy the rest of your Memorial Day weekend folks. I spent the day taking copious naps and now I'm off to work!

Toon Challenge: Space Invader: In Color

A few posts ago, I showed the line art for the Space Invader from Toon Challenge on Facebook. Here he is in color.

Kathy's Band Awards

Last night, Kathy attended her school band's awards ceremony.

She received a Certificate of Participation,

the award for Mastery of Seven Scales for trumpet,

the award for Solo and Ensemble,

and the most improved section.

Congratulations Kathy! You're hard work and dedication paid off. Keep it up, I'm proud of you!

Out and about with Jett

Several times a week (and in many cases every single day of the week) we need to take Jett to his various appointments. We have a vast army of therapists, doctors and other specialists that are helping us keep him "on track". Yesterday for example we took him to his Chinese medicine expert Dr. Loi. She's been helping him with his basic development and has made remarkable progress. This current visit focused on his teething. He has a TON of teeth coming in and is in incredible pain. Jett was no less feisty, but considerably less crabby after she worked with him.

AFTER Dr. Loi and BEFORE his swimming lesson, we went to one of our favorite Chinese restaurants. Jett demanded to sample some our miso soup as usual and especially enjoyed chewing the broccoli and carrots.

They felt good on his aching gums.

"Whoa Jett, calm down! We're in a restaurant!"

"Oh boy. Look at that floor! Guess I'd better tip the waiter a few extra bucks. I'M not cleaning that mess up! Good thing your next appointment is at the pool so we can clean YOU off!"

Toon Challenge: Space Invader.

Over on Facebook, there is a monthly contest for artists to participate in called Toon Challenge. Last month, I won the King Arthur challenge. This month, the subject is "Space Invader".

This is my entry so far. I'll be coloring it next. Tune in soon for the final piece!

Sisyphus slipping.

Sometimes the big ball of stuff becomes overwhelming. This is one of those moments. Too much to do and not enough time to do it. But I'll recover, regroup, adapt and overcome and soon I'll be pushing that ball up the hill again.

Happy Birthday Alex!!

My son, Alexander Xavier Durkin turns 15 today. Happy Birthday Alex!!

The Kenny Durkin Show

I ran into Oprah Winfrey at Disney's Hollywood Studios and I pitched an idea for a new show starring me on her new Oprah Winfrey Network.

She was completely unresponsive.

Star Wars Weekends 2011

After missing it the past couple years, Alex, Kathy and I returned to Star Wars Weekends at Hollywood Studios. This year the park was celebrating the grand opening of the updated version of Star Tours.

We were able to ride the attraction twice. The lines both times were about 40 minutes long. Because of the random ride sequences that are built into the attraction, there are 54 different ride scenarios possible. The experience is so full of humor and little details that even if you repeat your journey, you'll always see something new. I have to say that the Star Tours update is outstanding! What a fun ride.
Star Wars weekends is a great opportunity to meet and greet the characters from the Star Wars Universe. Kathy, being the musician she is, clowned around with the Cantina Band.

All that was missing was the fifth member...

There he is. Musicians can be such divas sometimes.

Although he was willing to share the spotlight.

Alex and Kathy never pass up the opportunity to goof around.

...or strike a pose.

Star Wars Weekends is so much fun, and Alex and Kathy make it doubly so.

Star Wars Weekends wiped me out!

Alex, Kathy and I went to Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios today. My intention was to come home and report on the day's events but...

...I'm completely exhausted. So look for the recap tomorrow. I'm going to bed!

A few faves

Here are a few of my favorite caricatures from last night.

Lindsay wanted to be on the $100 bill.

Old school Batman and Robin.

13 pirates.

Here is the final inked versions of the pirate picture I showed you the other day. Look for the color version soon!

Busy busy busy...

...which is a GREAT thing!

One for fun: Pirates-W.I.P.

Here's a work-in-progress shot of a picture I'm working on just for fun. The kids and I are going to see the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie opening this weekend, and I've got pirates on the mind.

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Seventeen year old infants

I've been encountering a strange phenomenon lately: teenage guests wanting to be drawn as babies. Here's an example from last night.

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Caricature from the other night

Here's a caricature I drew a few nights ago. She was a fan if the group Parramore, and wanted me to reflect that in her caricature.

I love drawing singers and musicians...

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Star Tours Preview

I remember the first time I rode Star Tours. It was 1989, the year Disney's Hollywood Studios (then MGM Studios) opened. I loved that park, which was a working television, motion picture and animation studio. The attractions were based on some of my favorite things, Star Wars, Indiana Jones and the Muppets. But Star Tours had a special place in my heart and I must have rode it a dozen times during that trip.

 Fast forward to 2011. I've been living here in Florida for 11 years and I've probably rode Star Tours over a hundred times. But the ride has become tired and outdated and with the making of the Star Wars prequels since Star Tours' inception, the ride was in need of a massive overhaul. Recently the attraction shut down to make way for an updated version.

 Next week, Disney will unveil Star Tours 2.0 during Star Wars Weekends. Alex, Kathy and I will be attending next Saturday and will get to ride the new Star Tours for the first time on it's debut weekend.

Today Alex and I went to the Florida Mall where Disney was promoting the ride and offering a preview.

 

As usual, Disney went all out. A large kiosk was set up in the middle of the mall. There were video screens everywhere promoting Star Tours.

 

See-Threepio and Artoo Detoo were on hand. I became my seven year old self again when Threepio interacted with me, asking my name and where I was from. I swear Anthony Daniels himself was in that costume!

 

 Minnie Mouse was there dressed as Princess Leia and Alex got his picture taken with Jedi Mickey .

We got free, exclusive Star Tours mouse ears and complimentary access to all of our photos online. Disney sure does know how to put on a show, and we can't wait to go to Hollywood Studios next weekend to see what else they have in store!

Blogger broken.

Blogger (the online service I use to maintain this blog)  is experiencing massive technical issues. The problem is affecting all blogs that use Blogger. They're still figuring things out, but so far they've had to wipe out any posts from yesterday (including mine). Hang tight everyone, it's not over yet!

Alex and the JROTC Awards.

Today was Alex's JROTC Awards Ceremony.

 

Alex won three awards. He won the Academic Achievement award and his Platoon got third place in the Company Level Cadet Challenge Honors and his Company won best Company overall.

I'm proud of you Alex!

Steve Hearn's Sketch Club: The Big Cheese

This week's Sketch Club challenge was of this picture of a Mickey Mouse bobblehead.

 Admittedly, I bungled this one. There are definitely some things that I would change if I were to draw it again. This is the best way for me to learn more as an artist. I have a hard time being taught or shown how to do something, it's best if I just do it myself and keep making mistakes until I figure it out. Can't wait for the next challenge!

...and found.

Two weeks ago, I lost my wallet.

If I only had to endure that stand-alone event I would have been okay, but the loss of said wallet created a snowball effect that proved to be frustrating and time-consuming. I  was pretty stressed out about replacing my driver's license and my work I.D., cancelling my bank card and contacting every single client and institution connected to my account and worrying about what else was in my wallet. Identity theft was a major concern so I had to shut down any opportunity of that happening as well. It took several days and a lot of work for me to recover but I was finally ready to close that chapter of my life and move on.

However, yesterday I received a phone call from a fellow artist telling me that a manager at the hotel where the wallet was lost was looking for me specifically and that my wallet, in fact, had been found!

Last night I retrieved the wallet from the front desk and reviewed its contents. The cash had been taken of course, but everything else was untouched. I was relieved to have the wallet back but the discovery of the lost wallet begs the question: "Why two weeks?'

Where had the wallet been for so long? Was it sitting on a desk in some office? Misplaced in a drawer? Overlooked in a pile of other lost and found items? It had to have been SOMEWHERE for the past 14 days. The manager had no answers except that he had just noticed it yesterday. I filled out a lost item card the second I knew it was lost and even filled out a police report. When it was found I received no direct communication. No phone call, no email, just second-hand information. Completely unacceptable. I really need to get to the bottom of this...

Airsoft Dragon

This is a dragon commission I did for a client. He's into Airsoft, a recreational activity in which participants eliminate opponents by hitting each other with round non-metallic pellets launched via replica firearms.

Fun job for a fun client!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my mom, the mothers of all of these little monkeys and the rest of you moms out there!

Free Comic Book Day

It's Free Comic Book Day today!

 

Support your local comic book store, get some free comics and heck, maybe even buy a few!

SuperJett!

I believe he will.

Blog Button: Elgin "Subway Surfer" Bolling

The next blog button is of Elgin "Subway Surfer" Bolling.

Whew! I'm almost caught up!

Blog Button: Jan Opdebeeck

Jan Opdebeeck is the latest blog button I've completed.

As always, blog buttons can be visited by clicking the blog buttons on the right column.

Blog Button: Joe Bluhm

Here's Joe Bluhm's blog button. 

By the way, I  TOTALLY WANT a Moonbot studios hat...

Blog Button: Patrick Harrington

Patrick Harrington is the next blog button.Check out his and other blog buttons on the right-hand column

Blog Button: Sebastian Kruger

The next blog button is of the king, Sebastian Kruger.Remember, if you would like to be featured as a blog button, you will need to link your blog to mine. If you already are linked, please let me know!