Giant Sloth Talks

I've been honored to be on two different podcasts on Boing Boing recently, discussing Giant Sloth (now in the last day of its campaign!), animation, and translating work for (and from) one medium to another.

First, take a listen to RiYL, hosted by Brian Heater. Recording in New York at MoCCA, Brian and I had a great discussion about film, comics and the communication between the two.



Then listen to Tell Me Something I Don't Know, hosted by Jim Rugg and Jasen Lex. We get pretty deep into discussing social media and how it impacts the way I make and consume art. Heavy duty, kids.

Kickstarter Love: Giant Sloth, Day 2

I really can't thank everyone enough for their support during day 1 of Giant Sloth's kickstarter campaign. We're at 40% of our goal heading into day 2. Wow. Just... wow!

And I was beyond flattered to learn the film was featured on Kickstarter's "Projects We Love" newsletter. (Right under Reading Rainbow, a show whose theme song I still hum on a weekly basis... I backed that campaign without a second thought).

Let's keep going! As we move forward, new rewards and goals will be announced, so keep spreading the word and keep voting for independent, weird animation!

Giant Sloth Animation Kickstarter

This has been in the works for some time, so I'm ecstatic to finally announce Giant Sloth the animated film I'm making with Paul Giamatti and an amazing cast and crew. Check out the campaign, back it, and spread the word.

And if you need the short code, it's: http://kck.st/1ovGWrC

Anything you do goes a long way to making this film happen. So please accept this, my preemptive mental high five.

Digital Drawing

If you missed it on Wednesday: this week on Forlorn TV, I'm taking a break from the usual animation to show how I rough out a character in Photoshop. I don't typically make process videos, nor do I typically draw superheroes... so naturally, here's a process video of me drawing a superhero.

Subscribe for a new episode each Wednesday!

Watch all the past episodes of Forlorn TV here.

Don the Pith: Prints for Sale

After moving to the east coast and shoveling out of a brutal winter, I've finally launched the prints section of the Forlorn Funnies store. You can now order a print of any of the portraits from Artists Authors Thinkers Directors (a list of all the portraits is here). Or you can purchase art that's popped up on walls in Comedy Bang! Bang! Or you can get a lumberjack punching a hydra. Because you can never have enough lumberjacks punching hydras.

A Fitting Cheese for a Man Like You

If you missed it yesterday: Forlorn TV ep. 12 is live! Enjoy one last casserole.

Subscribe for a new episode every Wednesday.

Watch all the episodes here.

A Giant's Hair is a Slide: Awe-inspiring Playgrounds

There are playgrounds that still live in my head, and always will, because of their design.

It's a difficult balance to strike,... making the playground unique and fostering creativity and play, rather than simply acting out some predetermined story (this is a pirate ship! act like you're on a ship!).

I'm a big believer in letting kids write the story when it comes to playing (rather than spelling it all out, as a lot of toys do these days). And these ingeniously designed playgrounds do an amazing job of reframing reality, destroying scale and the everyday, so that they only suggest the beginning of something much larger (or smaller). Kids can create the rest.

I'm sure they're making powerful memories along the way.

Savant of the Subways

Last week I contributed a few illustrations to a piece on Narrative.ly, all about subway geekery. Give it a read/look.

Spaces and Steeds

Episodes 10 and 11 of Forlorn TV took us to outer space and the island nation of Kua. This week we'll venture into... the exotic world of mass transit.

There Is No Bear: Muppet Camera Tests

The only rule in the world of The Muppets is they never address that they're puppets. Which makes the existential dialog in the first few minutes of these tests all the sweeter.

Also the bit where an actual cow almost licks Kermit.

Sea Creatures

Sea Creatures from Paul Hornschemeier on Vimeo.

We went to the aquarium. We saw some creatures.

Sexual Entrepreneur

If you missed it earlier in the week, be sure to take a drive with the latest episode of Forlorn TV, featuring guest storyteller Joe McAdam.

Everyone who survived the 70s did it their own way. Some did it with cocaine, others with smooth jams. And others rented out their mangina to the highest bidder.

Subscribe for new episodes each week!

MoCCA 2014

It's MoCCA time once again. If you're in New York or the surrounding area, stop by the Fantagraphics table and say hi. I'll be there signing on both days of the convention, with copies of Bygone and other odds and ends in tow.

The details:

MoCCA Arts Fest 2014
April 5th and 6th
69th Regiment Armory
Tables A20-23

Saturday Signing Schedule:
11am-1pm Dash Shaw & Kim Deitch
1-2pm Chuck Forsman & Paul Hornschemeier
2-3pm Robert Williams & Chuck Forsman & Paul Hornschemeier
3-4pm Joost Swarte & Justin Hall & Leslie Stein
4-6pm Jesse Reklaw & Julia Gfrörer


Sunday Signing Schedule:
11am-1pm Julia Gfrörer & Justin Hall
1-2pm Robert Williams & Chuck Forsman & Paul Hornschemeier
2-3pm Joost Swarte & Chuck Forsman & Paul Hornschemeier
3-4pm Leslie Stein & Kim Deitch & Jesse Reklaw
4-5pm Kim Deitch & Jesse Reklaw

Crucifix Coasters

Forlorn TV episode 8 is live! Sometimes you'll do just about anything for a free trip to an amusement park... including lying to God's face.

Many thanks to guest storyteller C.J. Toledano.

Subscribe for a new episode each week!

Aftermath Iron Man

After a day of being surrounded by far more superhero comics than usual, I felt obliged to post a rejected Iron Man cover.

Thanks to everybody who came out in the rain yesterday for the signing at HUB comics. It was a great time all around, thanks in no small part to store ringleader and pop culture encyclopedia Tim Finn.

Masturbate in the Half Bath with Dave and Clara

Episode 7 of Forlorn TV is live! Meet the world's loveliest couple, Dave and Clara. Listen to their inner thoughts. Than wish you maybe hadn't listened.

Subscribe for a new episode every week.

Watch the playlist of all episodes here.

HUB, Bub

This Saturday, I'll be signing at HUB comics with Charles Forsman and Jesse Lonergan. Stop by. Have us scribble all over your hard earned tree bits.

The details:

Signing from 2 to 6, March 29th
HUB comics
19 Bow Street
Somerville, MA 02143
(617) 718-0987

Eisner Week

If you're in the Boston/Cambridge area tonight, stop by and see me in conversation with Denis Kitchen about Will Eisner. I absolutely promise to bring up the train wreck that was The Spirit movie. There's no way I can help myself. But I also promise to geek out completely about typography and layout, so hopefully it will all balance out.

Mourning Paper

Ironically, while I was drawing this illustration for The New York Times, concerning the failing health of alternative weekly newspapers, I was listening to a podcast about the failing health of newspapers. Or is that tragedy?

Modern Shakes

In case you missed last night's posting: Forlorn TV ep. 5 is live. Join decapitated-floating-robot-body Shakespeare as he gets some things off his metallic chest. Please maintain eye contact.

Subscribe for new episodes every Monday!

Charles A. Hartman Fine Art

The gallery that represents me, Charles A. Hartman Fine Art, has relaunched their site. I believe it would be categorized by people in my Ohio hometown as "right purty." Take a gander.

Post It, Seattle

Tonight in Seattle! Visit some tiny drawings, hang out, wear flannel. Do it.

The details:

Foxing &Friends
7pm at The Fantagraphics Book Store
1201 S. Vale Street (at Airport Way S.)
Seattle, Washington

Night Life of Crime

If you missed last night's late night posting: Episode 4 of Forlorn TV is live. This one's got it all: Batman, Winnie-the-Pooh, theft, thwarted abductions (sort of), pajamas, and unrequited love. Subscribe for a new episode every Monday!

Story Shapes

Via io9: great illustrations (by Maya Eilam) of Kurt Vonnegut's theories of archetypal stories. There's certainly room for argument about these, but they're a compelling, elegantly simple way to think about narrative structure.

Boing Boing, Bolling

Ruben Bolling (creator of the great Tom the Dancing Bug, a lifesaver for me while working a day job back in Columbus, Ohio) gave a nice shout out to Life with Mr. Dangerous on Boing Boing's Gweek podcast! Listen in as two men I respect immensely stuggle with my cumbersome last name.

David's Teatime

I'm not sure when David Matthews started sending me his work. I know it was during his university days. Regardless, it was beautiful work then, and it's only gotten better since.

Treat yourself to some of his gorgeous line art while I look at some of the ridiculously nice prints of his I've squirreled away here in the studio.

Getting Hairy

If you missed it on Monday: this week's Forlorn TV takes us into the future's past, examining one of the greatest inventions we never knew we needed. Many thanks to special guest storyteller (and all around great comedian) Joe McAdam.

Subscribe for new episodes every Monday.

XOXO

Asli Arduman of XOXO Magazine was kind enough to ask me some questions. I answered, apparently in Turkish. Give it a read.

Forlorn Facebook

I finally set up a public Facebook page, because apparently there's this thing called "the internet." Like it. Follow it. Or whatever it is you do. Boop. Beep. Future.

Forlorn TV Ep. 2: Expectations

Walking around like you own the goddamn place.

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"It Either Works or It Doesn't"

Splitsider's posted a great conversation with Pee-wee's Playhouse artist Wayne White about his pre-Pee-wee cartooning (among other subjects). Give it a read, and if you haven't seen Beauty is Embarrassing, please correct the error of your ways.

I'm a Mitzvah

Comedy Bang! Bang! director Ben Berman's great short film I'm a Mitzvah just landed on Vimeo and we're all the better for it.

Well written, well shot, well-conceived all around. Plus: penises.

Artists Authors, Strand, AV Club

On February 6th at the Strand, I'll be signing copies of my new portrait collection, Artists Authors Thinkers Directors, of which The Onion's AV Club recently gave a nice review.

The details for the event are rumored to be:

Thursday, February 6th at 7pm
The Strand Bookstore
828 Broadway
212.473.1452

If you're in the New York area, come by, say hello, and have me scrawl your face without looking at the drawing. Apologies in advance for making you look so melty.

Forlorn TV

As was announced on yesterday's episode of Comedy Bang! Bang!, I've launch a YouTube channel, Forlorn TV. This will be an ongoing series of animated monologues, shorts, and occasional bumbling buddy cops. In other words, it'll be a mix of things. But probably a little sad, and a little weird. Seems a safe bet.

So Subscribe! And I'll see you next Monday...

Blobby, Blobby Blobby (Blobby)

I only recently discovered Mr. Blobby from Noel's House Party and I'm sorry that my life has been lacking that particular nightmare.

LAs of the Recent Past

Thanks to everyone who came out to the LA Art Book Fair. And thanks to Boing Boing for the shout out and Secret Headquarters for hosting me. I was blown away by the attendance and scope of that event, and I'll hope to be in town for the next one.

Dragons of Comedy

It was a great pleasure to be on the most recent Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast, especially with two of my my favorite CBB guests, Doug Benson and Matt Besser. Have a listen.

Thanks to Scott for having me on. And more on what I was plugging soon...

Like a Tweet to the Groin

I made the grave mistake of offending the juggernaut that is America's Funniest Videos, saying that (in realizing that they were even still producing the program) they might just possibly be irrelevant in the post YouTube age. Completely disproving my point by taking the better part of three days to respond to the tweet, they seem to take offense. At which point it just got silly and wonderful.

Giant Robot posted about the story, so you can read a bit more there. Thanks to everyone who chimed in. This is why the internet exists. But don't tell AFV. They're busy flipping to side B of that Bananarama cassette.

40 Iterations of Irby

Part of me wishes I'd just found these in a shoe box at some random flea market, having no idea what was going on. The other part of me is really glad I know the story:

Dallas Phys-Ed teacher Dale Irby wore the same outfit for 40 years of school portraits. Starting by accident, building into one of the best, longest jokes ever told. Which should automatically win him either Funniest Teacher of All Time, or a job as spokesman for his local dry-cleaners.

Hats off to you, Mr. Irby. You made me feel nostalgic for high school. For about a minute.

Of the Varied Lines and Lives of JL Hudson

This profile of John Hughes (and his secret writing life as JL Hudson) is nearly as exhaustive as the collective love everyone even remotely aware of the 1980s has for him. It serves as a touching eulogy for the man who made every brain, beauty, jock, rebel and recluse ultimately feel like they had a place they belonged.

Those Eyes

Kemi Mai is well worth following on tumblr. Or you can just stare at this image all day. You could do worse.

Go Retro

I stumbled across Go Retro via this Rankin/Bass post and was hooked. Pam has great taste and can wax curmudgeon with the Rooneyest of Andys. Get thee to the retro!

Frozen Ghosts

Given that most of the country is looking like this at present, it seems a good time to post about these 100 year-old negatives, recently unearthed from a block of solid ice in the Antarctic. Believed to be from the failed Ross Sea Party of Shackelton's 1914-1917 Trans-Antarctic Expedition, the images reveal a chilly glimpse into a bygone age of exploration.

Floating Flora

You may ask yourself: how do I paint a floating, severed tree? This is how.

Mueck's Hyperreality

London artist Ron Mueck creates captivating hyperrealistic sculptures of figures ranging from the massive to miniature. Their jarring detail is akin to a three-dimensional photography, every wrinkle, fold, and pore captured beautifully, often heartbreakingly, in resin and fiberglass. (That he was part of the team who brought us Ludo in Labyrinth doesn't hurt either.)