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Found this through Geek Tyrant and I just had to share. It’s no secret that I have an intense love for classic Disney movies. Our hallway is actually lined with framed Disney posters and classic Disney stuffed animals line the canopy of our bed. There’s just something special about those old films. The characters, the stories, and of course the artwork.

I’m not the only one who loves it. Graphic designer Rowan Stocks-Moore was inspired by some of Disney’s most influentional movies to recreate epic movie posters. I couldn’t tell you which one is my favorite – I love them all. But feel free to tell us which is your favorite in our comments!

Check Out More!

• See more reimagined Disney posters on Rowan’s Tumblr page!

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In the wake of his passing earlier this month, many art lovers and Star Wars fans alike have spent time reflecting on the work of concept artist Ralph McQuarrie. McQuarrie, who died at the age of 82, was best known as one of the guiding hands behind some of the sci-fi genre’s greatest franchises including the original Star Wars trilogy, E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Battlestar Galactica.

In fact, it was thanks in part to McQuarrie’s artwork that Star Wars was given the green light early in production. He even designed many of the series most well-known characters including Chewbacca, Darth Vader and the droid duo R2-D2 and C-3PO in addition to many of the set pieces that make up the Star Wars universe and while some of his designs naturally evolved – as often happens in a collaboration of that scale – it’s always fascinating to look back at an artist’s original vision. Here’s to you, Mr. McQuarrie, may the Force be forever with you.

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When he’s not busy breaking intergalactic regulations by building atomic-powered ray guns today’s guest keeps himself occupied by travelling from Tatooine to the Twelve Colonies Of Kobol, forging all sorts of inspired creations along the way.

A concept artist and animator by profession, Richard Livingston’s interests do occasionally diverge into erotic art and ray guns – a mix that brings a gleeful smile to this sci-fi nerd’s face to be sure. And with such a well-rounded repertoire it comes as no surprise that Livingston has worked on an equally eclectic range of projects that include everything from Nelvana’s Care Bears to Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Mobilized.

Fresh off of Aardman Animations’ ARTHUR CHRISTMAS and still hard at work on Animation Lab’s THE WILD BUNCH (working title), Livingston was kind enough to offer a few moments of reflection as well as some exclusive pics at his latest ray gun creation!

So Richard… our sources say that you have a stockpile of atomic rayguns stashed in your garage. Isn’t that against Intergalactic Code #NCC-1701?

Yup…and a few other regs as well.

I thought as much. And what do you do when you’re not busy building lethal weapons of science fiction?

I work at a small game company here in Orlando by the name of n-Space. They’re a great bunch of people. I am a concept artist there. For fun I like to make stuff (rayguns, prototypes of various kinds…that sort of thing).

You’ve admitted to being a “total Star Wars geek” as a kid. If I were to ask you, say, what ship can “make the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs” your response would be…?

That would be the Falcon. Mind you, from what I understand a parsec is a unit of distance, not time so I am not quite sure how that all works.

I’m sure there’s a lot of “space-math” involved. I’ve always hated math. So, how did you go from fanboy to helping build fictional worlds of your own?

Well, I was alloted the ability to draw well enough to be paid for it and I seemed to be a lot less good at regular type jobs and so I figured go with what your good at.

Your work is often very technical and very detailed. Was this always the case or is it something that you’ve adopted over time?

From the get go. I was raised on a farm until age 11. My Dad was a heavy equipment mechanic/operator and I guess I got my love of machines from him. The artistic part of the deal came from my Mother. So, I was very familiar with how machines go together and that has helped me a great deal over the years.

In what way(s) did your time at Sheridan College studying animation influence the your work?

Some of my class mates were pretty intense artists and I always admired those guys attitude. They were my big influences in school, as well as folks like the late Ralph McQuarrie and of course Syd Mead!

University and the “real world” can be two completely different worlds. Can you name at least one of the most important lessons you learned after graduating?

Well, graduating University would have been great had I been smart enough to go to one. Sheridan is a community college and I dropped out unfortunately. Can’t win ‘em all I suppose. Anywho, I think I can list a few important lessons I have learned over the years. Be diligent. Work smart at what you do so the work doesn’t have to become drudgery and you’ll quickly learn to enjoy it!

And the most important thing, learn how to do the stuff that few others want to tackle or can do and you’ll always have work. An example is environments and vehicles. Lots of folks draw characters. Fewer folks draw the environments and vehicles. Learn to draw those well and you’ve got a good career base and most importantly, less competition.

After Sheridan you worked at Nelvana on several popular 80s/90s cartoon series (Star Wars, Beetlejuice, EEK the Cat, James Bond Jr.). What was one of your favorite projects from that time and what made it so awesome?

I enjoyed drawing foremost and so what ever we were working on was good to me. Nothing really stands out as awesome though.

From there you ended up at Disney in CA working on Feature Animations like Mulan and Lilo & Stitch. That was also the period shortly before the Disney/Pixar merger occured and that division closed. What was it like at Disney prior to Pixar?

Well, I worked at the Florida studio, not CA, and I really enjoyed the time there. The Florida studio was a great “family” sort of atmosphere which I quite liked. I was sorry to see that end and after we finished Brother Bear as the studio began work on My Peoples which was the unfinished project we were on when they pulled the plug. My Peoples was not a happy experience and I was sort of relieved when the plug was pulled.

I actually had the chance to interview Marcelo Vignali, who also worked for Diseny at that time, awhile back. Did you know him at all?

I have met Marcelo briefly but I don’t know him personally. He seemed a stalwart fellow and is a very good artist of course.

You’ve also made the transition into video games and television, most notably as a concept artist for the Battlestar Galactica reboot and Caprica spin-off. How did you get involved with those shows?

I got a phone call while I as still at Disney from a fellow by the name of Eric Chu, who was designing for the franchise. He needed someone to do some minor fleet ships and such and since he and I had worked together at Nelvana way back when he had remembered I liked to draw that sort of stuff and he was able to track me down as it were. It all kinda blossomed from there so to speak.

What sort of projects are you currently working on, anything you can talk about at this time?

Right now I am just doing the game stuff. Theres a couple of things out there I’ll be starting or continuing work on soon but they are secret…for now. MUWAHAHAHAH!

Ahhh!! *laughs* I feel so defeated. Okay, last question… can I have one of your rayguns?

Got $65.00?

Um… lemme get back to you on that. Last question for real: in one word, what “fuels” your illustration?

Illustration for me is “fueled” by inspiration! This boils down to a need to solve a problem I guess. Someone comes to me and says “we need such and such” I then mull the question around in my head a little and usually inspiration strikes and off I go! That for me is the fun part. The rest is just technique applied to obtain a pleasing result which of course must be demonstrative and above all clear to the client…a “quick read” as it were.

BONUS MATERIAL!

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Recently featured on GeekTyrant, artist Sam Hollow’s Star Wars fan art earns points for not only showcasing my two favorite droids in the entire galaxy, but for its technically impressive skill… each piece was completed using one continuous line!

You almost have to wonder if Hollows really did become “one with the Force” to pull off not just one but four equally detailed artworks without lifting his pen (except in between each piece, naturally).

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Our friends over at PLANET-PULP have just wrapped up another month long art celebration, this time in homage to the epic Indiana Jones trilogy (let’s consider Crystal Skull a work of fan fiction, shall we?). The collection of work, which comprises the group’s online gallery showcase, ranges from lifelike pencil work to cartoonish parody covering all three of Indy’s epic adventures.

I thought I would share a few of my favorite selections, with special consideration to Mark McHaley and Mark Raat’s phenomenally impressive contributions. For a look at the entire show or learn more about the group, be sure to pay a visit to Planet-Pulp’s intergalactic space station.

Artwork by Mark Raats

Artwork by Brett Parson

Artwork by Sam Gilbey

Artwork by Matt Kaufenberg

Artwork by Mark McHaley

Artwork by Mark McHaley

Artwork by Andrew Kolb

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James Burlinson (aka Burlisaurus) is a unique individual. Preferring the safety of his sketchbook over “mean people & scary monsters” the English-based illustrator has a wicked imagination that comes to life through his wild renditions of pop culture icons like Mario, Link (Legend of Zelda), Finn & Jake from Adventure Time and plenty of classic 80s films. Whether it’s deconstructing Mario or recreating the fantasy dance party from Jim Henson’s Labyrinth, Burlinson lends a signature style that blends street art with clever character design. Oh… did I mention he wants to “build myself a castle full of swords and chicken broth?” Yeah, he’s definitely unique.

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Somewhere between the shadows and shades of color lies the work of UK-native Russ Mills. The 31-year-old artist, who graduated from Leeds Met University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Art and Design, focuses primarily on the human form and particularly the face. Beyond that, however, he seeks to “interweave elements from the animal kingdom [that] often reflect the absurdity of human nature.” The results are mesmerizing with washes of abstract color and black and white realism colliding to create an almost ethereal series of portraiture.

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Are you in the need for some stickers for your business, your career or just for fun? Well you can win 1,000 Custom Stickers for Free from 1800Postcards.com!

1800Postcards.com is the retail branch of Circle Press, a high-end commercial printing firm with a roster of Fortune 100 clients that includes Dior, Tiffany, Disney, American Express and most of the world’s leading brands. These companies demand nothing but the best in quality. To be specific, a quality standard called “G7,” which is only granted to printing firms that meet a very strict set of best practices and production quality. These clients sit with pre-press, have color proofs printed for spot color matching, they come in when the job is printed to make color adjustments and watch it run on the press to see the final results, the whole nine yards. They also pay tens of thousands of dollars for this type of service level.

1800Postcards produces your print work in the same facilities, with the same press-men and production staff, and adheres to the same quality standards as high-end commercial jobs. The only difference is that your job is “gang printed” or run together with other 1800Postcard clients, which is the secret of every online printing company and why they can be so cheap in pricing. However, 1800Postcards.com just brought it up to an almost unreasonable level of quality :)

What if you don’t need stickers? Well they’re capable of more than just sticker printing. They offer brochures, business cards, flyers, posters, banners, postcards and pretty much any custom work your creative mind can imagine.

Bottom line, the print results are unbelievable… no one in the online printing space comes even close to this quality and attention to detail. You can see it yourself by requesting free samples.

The Giveaway

We will be selecting TWO lucky winners and each will receive 1,000 custom stickers. The contest ends at midnight, Eastern Standard Time on Thursday, February 23rd. Winners will be chosen on Friday, February 24th.

What you’ll Win

• Size: 3×3”
• Quantity: 1000
• Stock: #60 Gloss Sticker
• Turnaround: 3 business days
• Only open to US residents

How to Enter

• Step 1. Participate by clicking on this link and entering your info
• Step 2. Leave a comment down below telling us why you should win!
• Step 3. If you tweet @1800Postcards a pic of your finished product you will receive 10% off of your next order!

That’s it! Good luck & tell your friends.

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WHEN:
Tuesday and Thursday 4:00 PM-10:00 PM
Saturday 12:00 PM-7:00 PM

WHERE:
OhNo!DOOM
1800 N. Milwaukee
Chicago IL 60647

OPENING:
Super Button Mashers Mega Opening
February 11, 6:00 PM-10:00 PM

Inspired by the classic video games like Mega Man, Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong Super Button Mashers is the latest gamer tribute to assemble an exhibition of incredibly talented illustrators, sculptors and artists. Featuring artwork from over 20 different contributors, the show

addresses the history of gaming culture and its effect on today’s generation. Virtually and physically, the “Arcade” represents the town meeting ground and social arena, comparable to that of the circus, festival and neighborhood fair of their day.

Check out a preview of the show below and if you’re in the Chicago area at all this month, be sure to pay a visit at OhNo!DOOM Gallery and relive your gaming glory days!

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Today’s article is a guest post by artist Jon Westenberg from Sydney, Australia. Enjoy!

—

“I only hope that we don’t lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse.” – Walt Disney

Disney is everywhere!

The iconography of that little mouse with the red shorts and yellow buttons has become relevant to more than just kids. It has a universal appeal that captures the imagination of all age groups, the kid in all of us.  When you spend a little time in the culture and scenes of street art and street wear you begin to see those mouse ears everywhere, from The Hundred’s 2008 direct collaboration with Disney to an endless number of bootlegged unlicensed designs and clever references.

Street Wear T found in Sydney

And it’s something I absolutely love. It’s charming but it keeps a wry sense of humour about it that sums up the playfully cool nature of street wear design.

The significance of Mickey is widely recognized, even itself lampooned. German graffiti artist Tobe, in his illustration of the mouse, brilliantly employs a pop art figure suddenly struck by his significance proclaiming “OMG I’m just a Pop Icon!”

Tobe Mickey Pop Icon Piece

Another artist who effectively and frequently subverts Disney in his work is the Parisian paste-up artist Combo, whose images of serious events, people, and situations are twisted by the addition of Disney’s imagery. His work, like this piece, can be found all over his home city. Combo uses the globally relevant nature of Disney’s art to comment on the violent and darker side of society, in one piece even blending Minnie Mouse with pornographic nudity.

Combo Paris Mickey pop art

That’s not to say there’s no innocence left in Disney. In Japan, Graff artist Suiko has employed Mickey’s look frequently, blending it with his unique and striking style in a way that just seems to celebrate colour and vivid imagery.

Suiko Japanese Graffiti Mickey

It’s not hard to see why these artists and designers would choose to express themselves through the art of Disney. Chatting to the owner of a Sydney based T-shirt store who sported a popular Wu Tang Clan T-shirt with a design of Mickey Mouse’s hands posed in a gang sign, he suggested that the appeal of Mickey in Disney stems from the global nature of street art.

“It’s just universally recognized all over the world…Mickey Mouse, the Disney hands…it’s all through street wear. I guess people just grow up on it and always get drawn to it, and it gives a design an instantly rich layer of pop cultural meaning”.

The Mickey hands are especially popular in designs; apart from the (New York Hip Hop act) Wu Tang Clan, they have been notably used by clothing label Crooks and Castles and by the L.A based artist Slick whose Mickey Mouse LA gang sign hands are one of my favourite Disney influenced pieces of all time.

Slicks Disney Hands

Wu Tang Mickey Hands

This movement in design is something that Disney themselves are obviously aware of. Their own collaborations with a number of street wear brands in the past few years have contributed hugely to the growth of the trend, from their stunning series with US brand The Hundreds, to their collaboration with CLOT. The latter included a series called “Traveling Mickey” in which artists from all over the world (including L.A based tattoo and graffiti artist and illustrator Mr. Cartoon) created their own versions of the distinctive CLOT X Disney three-eyed Mouse vinyl figure which were auctioned off in Pop-up stores.

Clot 3 eyed Mouse

Looking at the wide variety in the pieces that turn up, It’s hard to posit one particular meaning behind the huge body of Disney influenced work. Maybe that’s part of the appeal; Mickey Mouse can be a bit of a blank canvas, a simply designed character that can be modified and redrawn in an endless array of possibilities. Taking his international appeal, every artist makes him their own in a different way.

In the words of a young Graffiti artist I met sketching Mickey in a Sharpie pen while hanging out in an abandoned tram yard here in Sydney ,“The childhood memories that Mickey brings up have always grabbed me. Who doesn’t remember watching Fantasia as a child? I can remember that as being the exact moment that I realized art was more than just drawing. Basically, I think Disney just IS the spirit of creativity.”

As Walt Disney said, a mouse created the Disney legacy. Well, it was the mouse that roared and Mickey’s voice is heard in art and design in print, online and on streets all over the world.

Disney’s own Bloc28 project in fact was created specifically to draw out graffiti and street art interpretations of Mickey, bringing together artists like Slick, Suiko and Greg “Crayola” Simkins to add their vision to Mickey’s heritage. This is an especially impressive idea. It shows an open mind that many creative powerhouses should take note of. For Disney themselves to be so open to interpretation is inspiring. With that kind of support, it doesn’t look like the trend will be slowing down!

Overall, through the art, through every new reading of Walt’s work, I like to think he would have been pleased to see that Tugboat Willie is steaming on.

—

Jon Westenberg is an artist and writer from Sydney in the far land of Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts from Campion College NSW, and has studied design, art and semantics through Griffith University. In his waking hours (of which, thanks to an over active imagination, there are many) he can be found blogging at www.paperandstring.com.au or scouting for new sneakers. His preferred medium is sharpie and lots of blank paper and he collects black and white photos. Often of Elvis.

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I know it’s almost 9pm here in Austin, Texas, BUT it’s still Wednesday! So here you go – today’s comics include, well, just about everything. Enjoy! Got a Webcomic you want to share? Comment here or tag us on twitter with the hashtag #WebcomicWednesday.

Bucko

• Bucko, Erika Moen and Jeff Parker
• “Poor Rich “Bucko” Richardson just wants to finally get a job and maybe have another opportunity to talk to that one cute girl he met at that party. A chance case of alcohol-fueled diarrhea at his job interview leaves him desperately running for the bathroom where he discovers a brutally murdered body. Now it’s up to Bucko to solve this case! And just maybe get that threesome after all…”

Battlepug

• Battlepug, Mike Norton
• “Battlepug: The Web Comic was born out of desperate scramble to appease iFanboy. They contacted Mike to create a signature t-shirt for a new line of merch. However, Mike had been working exclusively with DC Comics for 4 years and had no original properties that he could reveal to the world yet. He drew the image you see above and had Allen color it. And lo, a BATTLEPUG was born!”

Octopus Pie

• Octopus Pie, Meredith Gran
• “Eve Ning is a grumpy post-college New Yorker who works at an organic grocery store. She can’t imagine the people in her life being any more annoying. Turns out they can and always are.”

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Italian illustrator and reknowned paleoartist, Fabio Pastori, has one of THE coolest jobs in the world: he brings dinosaurs back to life. Not in the exact same sense as they did in Jurassic Park – there’s no magic DNA machine – but nonetheless just as amazingly rendered and painstakingly envisioned. In fact, many of the creatures that Pastori is called upon to “re-discover” are often nothing more than bones and fossils, which the artist must then take and recreate with one foot in the world of scientific fact and the other in his imagination. It’s the kind of work that some illustrators dream about as children.

Thanks to a common friend (John Carlson, author of Rex Riders), I was able to catch up with Fabio from his studio in Italy. As one of the advocates of the old guard of illustration (everything hand drawn) and advertising the interview proved to be as insightful as it was educational.

Thanks for joining us here at FUEL today, Fabio! How you got started in illustration?

You are welcome Rondal, thanks to you and to the author John Carlson who got us in touch with each other. I always loved to draw from when I was child and I started the High School of Arts with the clear goal to become an illustrator in the advertising field. Thus, when I was eighteen, I had already completed my studies in two schools, one by day and the other by night, and I was ready to start working with many ad agencies and to start teaching in the Superior School of Art of the Castello Sforzesco of Milan under request of the director himself.

That’s a pretty impressive way to kickstart your career! Since much of your experience is in advertising, how has that world changed since you first started as a freelancer in the 80s?

The advertising world is totally changed from 80s. Hyper-realistic illustration by airbrush was the trend at that time; the most popular art directors distinguished themselves using strategies and philosophies that right now are the “story” of the great Italian style. Imagine a world without computer graphics… everything was made by the hands of freelance artists like me; not only for the illustrations, but also for enormous backdrops on photographic and movie sets. Special blue/green screen sets were still sci-fi at that point!

So how did you get into “paleoart?” Were you fascinated by dinosaurs as a kid?

I always been fascinated by dinosaurs and my passion was increased when I started studying them during the end of the 90s. I understood that to love these superb creatures means to love our planet – admire its biology – and realize how small man is in the story of the Earth. We are just a microscopic part of the big puzzle of the Evolution. In fact, this is my real first passion, fed by many readings, starting from my “hero” Darwin to my beloved Dawkins. I started seriously work as paleoartist in 2002, after a terrible car-crash which had “nailed” me to the bed for an entire year.

Is your work based on actual historical references or do they emerge solely from your imagination?

Of course the imagination has an important role, above all if the subject is about a fantasy story as I did for the cover of Rex Riders. But remember, paleoart is a revealing art form which requires lots of responsibility in teaching “how our ancestors were meant to look like,” so is very important to study and follow what the paleontologists are teaching to us. To be a good paleoartist means to find a right balance between scientific knowledge, personal imagination and artistic personality.

Speaking of scientific knowledge, you’ve even been asked to put your skills to use in reconstructing actual paleotological findings before, correct?

Yes, it has happened many times. Just to tell some… Paleontologist Jorge Calvo (Argentina) gave me the honor of reconstructing a giant, beautiful sauropod named Futalongkosaurus; Octavio Mateus (Portugal) gave me the opportunity to do life restorations of his new findings in Angola (Angolachelys and Angolatitan adamastor); Cristiano Dal Sasso (Italy) commissioned me a life restoration of the precious fossil Scipionyx samniticus aka “Ciro.”

What sort of process do you go through when trying to reimagine something that no one has ever seen before?

First of all, I start reading the scientific article regarding the species in question. After that, the internet is the best way to find references to see what other artists have already done regarding the argument. I like to take a look to my books to observe animals living today which have a similar attitude, ethology and ecology. The last bit of inspiration, a glass of a good rhum (rum), can help me find the right idea for a good composition.

And you do all of this work freehand, no computer graphics or clever remodeling programs?

Yep. Absolutely freehand. I study anatomy and comparative anatomy heavily, and of course I use my skill in drawings and techniques. Let others buy on-line models already done with computer programs; fortunately I am still able to use just my ability without any help. I’m really proud about this. I can count on one hand the names of the artists who are able to use programs obtaining as great results as when they were doing everything freehand.

It definitely sounds like a lost art. What’s one of the biggest paleontological projects you’ve worked on thus far?

I’d like to mention my last one that I did under the scientific supervision of Matthew Mossbrucker, curator of the Morrison Natural History Museum in Colorado. I have conceptualized 17 sketches in pencil regarding the species of Quarry 5 in Colorado, and a particular painting depicting babies of Apatosaurus ajax (aka Brontosaurus) which are running on the hind-limbs based on the scene off the biomechanic study done on the prints. It was a greatly satisfying to conceptualize something so different and working with Matt was a great experience!

Many of your pieces seem to capture a specific moment in the life of these creatures. Is there an intenional narrative that you aim to create with each one?

I’m happy you have noticed this, that is [actually] my intention. I like to depict the creature in dynamic postures in order to describe its (or his/her) personality as a real character.

The Ankylosaurus has always been a personal favorite of mine. Something about the armored plates and club tail always thrilled me as a kid. I gotta ask… what’s your favorite dinosaur?

Well, its not so easy to choose just one favorite, but for sure I can tell that I’m in love with Theropods (the bipedal carnivorous), above all the Dromaeosaurids, that include the popular Velociraptor. They are called “non-avian dinosaurs” because they are “brothers” of the avian ones living today (birds). I’m very happy to know that dinosaurs are not really extinct and they are still flying around me every day.

You aim to “make a drawing credible, convincing and nice by using great realism.” How does this hyper-realism differ from photography? What can an illustrator reveal in a picture that a photo cannot?

First off, a photo cannot shoot to a subject like a dinosaur! *laughs* All jokes aside, using hyper-realism I can depict how many details I want in focus and play with the out of focus as I see fit. I can also make a lot of judgement calls that a photo requires using mechanical alterations to pull off. Hyper-realism is more than realism… I can put in whatever details need to be there that don’t exist.

What’s a more recent project that you’ve worked on (paleoart, book, concept art, etc)?

I’m working on concept design for a sci-fi movie; I’ve conceptualized creatures and space-dresses, but I can tell you more right now. I’m so sorry.

That’s quite alright, Fabio. I’m sure we’ll be hearing about when the time comes. To wrap things up, in one word, what “fuels” your illustration?

Ok, in a word: PASSION.

www.fabiopastori.it
paleopastori.deviantart.com

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Way back in 2007 (long before the awesome animated reboot G.I. Joe Renegades) Hasbro’s G.I. Joe toy line celebrated their 25th Anniversary with a commemorative line of newly-sculpted figures. Of course, new figures meant new box art which, being the illustrative nerd I am, has really always been my favorite part of the packaging.

Jarreau Wimberly, one of the artist’s hired by Hasbro for that same 25th Anniversary release has had some of his work floating around recently and I just had to share. Wimberly, a freelance illustrator, has also done much work in the sci-fi/fantasy field for properties such as World of Warcraft, A Game of Thrones, and Magic: The Gathering. Although these illustrations lack the iconic “explosion background” that many of the classic box art cards has they still pack that old school, Real American Hero punch.

From Wimberly on DeviantArt:

Scarlett was the first Joe that I painted and the first one that I saw in stores… it was kind of surreal to see one of my paintings on a G.I. Joe Package. I grew up loving G.I. Joe so for me this was really one of the most rewarding jobs I ever worked on.

Fun Fact

Did you know that back in the late 80s there was a tie-in figure planned for Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky character? It’s true! Although negotiations fell through, the figure was eventually redone and released as Big Boa. “Now you know…”

(via YOJOE.com)

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Do you ever find yourself wanting to ride a “White Pony?” Perhaps you feel like you’re “3 Feet High and Rising” or that you’re trapped on “The Dark Side of the Moon.” If so, then today’s Artist Spotlight is playing your song(s).

Created by British artist Aaron Savage, brick the LP is a limited edition art book in which Savage has re-imagined classic album covers illustrated entirely in Legos. Can you guess which albums they’re all from?

“I had seen people recreate other things out of Lego and I wanted to do something similar. Album covers was an easy choice for me because it combined my two interests. A lot of the covers are iconic but a few are from newer or less known genres.”

For even more Lego covers, be sure to visit Savage on Flickr.

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Winnie the Pooh (or, shall we say, Winnie ther Pooh) was a constant in my childhood and in many of my friends’ as well. Everyone knows the stories, everyone knows the song (you’re singing it in your head right now, I just know it), and everyone knows all about the little bear all stuffed with fluff and his friends of the Hundred Acre Wood. Thanks to my parents and the wonderful geekery that they embraced, Star Wars was also a thing of my childhood. Remember the old Star Wars posters you could get from Pizza Hut way back when? I still have those – they were hung on my walls when I was seven. And I’m pretty sure I was the only girl to partake in lightsaber battles with the neighbor boys (I refused to be Leia). Yes, I had a pretty awesome childhood.

That’s why I am absolutely in love with this book and artwork by artist James Hance: Wookie the Chew: The House at Chew Corner. The thought and detail put into these illustrations is apparent at first glance, as is the wonderful attempts at staying true to A.A. Milne’s feel and E.H. Sheppard’s artistic style. I love these. And what’s even better is that if you buy the special print run of “Off to Save the Princess” all the proceeds will be going to help the artist’s seven year old daughter Maddy (and I know we all love helping our fellow artists).

Here are just a few samples of what you can find at the House at Chew Corner.

Check out more from James Hance here:

• Official Website
• Wookie the Chew
• Tumblr Blog
• Facebook
• Twitter