3
Apr
2013
From the Sketchbook
So I got my self a little brown sketchbook and a couple of white paint markers and have been messing around with them whenever I’m not working on all the other projects I’ve got going. Here are a couple of sketches/potential concepts for a little mini I’ve got on the back-burner.
12
Dec
2012
Weekly Whirly
This week: The Pocket-Copter
While you couldn’t actually fit a pocket copter in your pocket it’s hard to imagine a whirly-bird smaller than this little guy. Pocket-copters are outfitted with a single prop, a movable viewing sensor, and a fin that doubles as landing gear. Typically these copters are sold as toys, but they have been known to be used for surveillance purposes. Though they can’t fly particularly high, they can fit in tight spaces, like through open windows and into your bedroom. They have the added benefit of being very cheap to build as they don’t often last very long, especially considering what happens to pocket-copters when they enter ones home uninvited.
And in case you were wondering I’m still having a sale at my Etsy shop. EVERYTHING is 25% off. Just enter the code: WHIRLY HOLIDAY when you check out.
10
Oct
2012
Weekly Whirly
The Weekly Whirlies are back in action! It’s been almost two months (sheesh!) so today I’m giving you a double dose of mechanical goodness.
May I present The Crow and The Bulldog.
The Crow
This light and fast little number is wonder for personal transport. It can easily reach top speeds of nearly double that of similar size transport craft. Unfortunately that bonus comes at the cost of comfort, as The Crow has some of the tightest single pilot cabins you’ll find and nearly no storage space. But who needs comfort when you get there in half the time. It’s also equipped with exchangeable landing legs which are great when putting down in small pads or out in the field (seen above), or pontoons for the more aquaticly inclined.
The Bulldog
The Bulldog packs some of the largest fuel tanks in the world of whirlies, and it’s capable of flying extremely long distances without stopping for refuel. It’s a favorite for folks making transcontinental flights and even better for the transoceanic travelers. Don’t try and break any speed records or do any fancy flying in this airboat though, the Bulldog moves like it’s namesake.
4
Oct
2012
From the Clouds – In stores now!
From the Clouds
So you missed it at MICE? Have no fear, “From the Clouds” is now in stores all over the Boston area, and available on Etsy. Or get it directly from me below!
I’ll also be at Paint and Pixel in Northampton Massachusetts on October 20th. So if you are in the area swing by and get your copy signed!
It’s the story of strange visitors from another world, visitors that bring the promise of change to a society that may or may not be ready for it. The most epic tale you’re going to get in a mini.
Wide Format, each page opens to a super wide 17″.
10 Pages of strange aliens, lush landscapes, massive crowds, fierce beasts, explosions, and a kind of poetry you wouldn’t expect in a surreal sci-fi epic.
FULL COLOR! Every detail of this comic was painstakingly created with watercolor and ink.
23
Sep
2012
Drabblecast: Judgement Passed
So here is the latest piece of cover art I put together for the wonderfully weird Drabblecast. Episode 257: Judgement Passed. This is a really terrific post apocalyptic tale with an entirely unique take on the concept, I recommend you check it out. It’s by Jerry Oltion, an award winning writer and innovative astronomer.
27
Jun
2012
Weekly Whirly
This Week: KL-51N
Barnstormers are small copter craft that are used in dazzling displays of stunts and piloting prowess. Barnstorming teams will often travel the countryside looking for small towns and villages to set up camp and put on shows. These shows will often incorporate fancy flying maneuvers like loops and dead drops, as well as piloting stunts, like craft or climbing out on the fuselage, hopping from copter to copter, or swinging free from the craft suspended on wires. This doesn’t come without risk, and many pilots have met their deaths doing these circuits, of course that fact tends to draw the crowds even more. The KL-51N, nicknamed “Kellies” are extremely popular in the Barnstorming circles. They are light-weight, can carry a pilot and co-pilot, are durable, are very maneuverable and durable, able to withstand some of the moves that put extra strain on the vehicle.
30
May
2012
Weekly Whirly
I got something special for you this week. Full color whirlies! This is set of 10 whirlies in total. These are all watercolor and ink and vary in size from 3″ x 3.5″ up to 7″x 10″. All of these whirlies are for sale, and are up in my Etsy store!
Featured whirly for the set and this week The Cricket
You probably know by now, that custom built whirlies are everywhere. There is more than enough know-how out there in the world, and it seems like every other block has got a great garage with a full assortment of the necessary tools. The Cricket was built by Professor Penrose to serve as a vehicle to assist in his observational studies of cloud formations and the behavior of light in the upper atmosphere. He made sure this copter had plenty of lift, was exceptionally stable for where the atmosphere is thinnest, and had a nice big window with plenty of visibility. It’s also got just enough room to carry all the various pieces of equipment he needs to make his observations during his voyages. Of course the candy red paint job wasn’t a necessity, but it’s always better to cruise with style.
And below we’ve got the rest of this weeks whirlies. What a week, Enjoy!
14
May
2012
Poetry Broadside: Landscape: Containing Green
11″ x 17″ ink and digital color
Another poetry broadside I did with the Boston poet Roger Hooper. When first looking at the poem and beginning to generate ideas Roger asked me what would happen if thought of “green” as though it were a character moving through the landscape as it moves through the stanzas and the seasons in this poem. I loved the idea and got very excited for the chance to develop a fanciful character, like a magical beast who does his part as the world shifts from season to season.
9
May
2012
Weekly Whirly
This Week: The Peddlecopter
If you’re in good shape, and like a bit of exercise you might just want to take a peddlecopter out for a spin. But don’t be too brazen, a peddlecopter pilot who runs out of steam can quickly find themselves in quite the unfortunate situation. Actually, most peddlecopters are built in tandem fashion for this reason, it’s a bit too dangerous to try flying a any distance on your own, and having an extra pair of legs or two will ease the burden of keeping rigs like this aloft for longer journeys. Typically these birds aren’t used for much more than recreation and a bit of site-seeing, and most folks don’t keep one in their garage, but with a little looking you can find them for rent by the hour at various parks and tourist destinations. What better way to see the wonders of the world than up in the air powered by your own two legs.
8
May
2012
One Android Limited Edition Print Now Available.
My artwork which premiered in Jesse Lonergan’s art book Robots is now available as a limited edition digital print. These prints are 12″ x 15″ and fit comfortably in an 11″ x 14″ frame or mat. Each print is numbered and signed, there are and will only ever be 12 of them available. I’m selling them on Etsy, or you can get them directly via paypal below. Or if you happen to be going to MECAF in a week and a half (May 20) I’ll have them there as well. Woowoo! Below is a little blurb I wrote about the piece which didn’t appear in Robots due to space restraints.
No one knows for sure when and where “One Android” was constructed, or who constructed him. There are some who even speculate that One Android wasn’t built in a traditional fashion. All we do know is that he has the tendency to gravitate toward large and typically ornery beings of one kind or another. Case in point, meet Megabotcopter. Part robot, part copter, Megabotcopter is indeed one of a kind. There have been a few forays into robot/copter hybrid design in the past, a few intrepid souls who dared crossed these streams of engineering bravado, but never has such a conglomeration been braved at quite this scale. No-one is sure who built this monstrosity or even why it was built, perhaps Megabotcopter was made to do battle with irradiated beasts from beneath the ocean, perhaps to punch other giant robots in the nose, perhaps simply to befriend lonely nerdy ten year old boys, we may never know. Sightings of this engineering marvel have declined in recent years, but it’s still out there, walking, talking, flying short distances and towering over almost every robot and copter it encounters.
