sammyhappybelly

This website has moved! Tra-la-la!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Dear friends,

Thank you so much for following my adventures through this blog! And thanks to new visitors who have stumbled upon it, too:)

I'm happy to announce that I've moved on to a cleaner and more well thought out online space (in my opinion at least!) and I'd love for you to join me there.

So, what are you waiting for?

Click! WWW.SAMHEPBURN.COM

Collaboration: BO

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 01:17:00 +0000

This is a comic I did about a month back for Bo the Fish. The task was to introduce Bo in an interesting way, and I decided to have him and his friend visit an aquarium. (I was also going to have them eat sushi, but that idea wasn't approved LOL.)

I'm well aware that I don't post often these days, thank you very much, so I hope you enjoy this:)

Do you know Adibah Noor?

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:40:00 +0000

She's quite a big star over here in Malaysia, and I was shooting her for an ad early this month. It got a bit boring watching them change set so many times... my thoughts and eyes wandered to this person who seemed to have just misted her way into my world from TV land! She seemed like such a... character! And she was very funny, lovely and nice. So I decided to draw this little picture of her.

Hope you like it, Adibah :D

Collaboration: Bo the fish

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:39:00 +0000

Some of you might be familiar with Bo the fish, designed by Kamwei. You can see more of Bo the fish there. It was originally a painted/sketched work... Later evolved into clay craft... And now...

Well, I'm not going to give it ALL away... You'll just have to scrutinise this poster and wait for the reveal. Ho ho ho~~~ Merry unChristmas~~

One of the funniest jokes of all time.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:45:00 +0000

Sorry it's mirror-wise! It's a picture of a little ladder saying 'You're not my real father' to another ladder. His stepladder. LMAOOOOOOOOOOOO!

By the way, folks, I'm exiting stage right today.
(Last day at the office. First day of freedom!)

Cross your fingers for me? Thanks! Big hugs!

New work: Jay Louis comics

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 02:29:00 +0000

Hello hello hello :)

I'd like to share a new project in the works. Currently doing a collaboration with some dude I met on the Net. Except he's no 'dude' - he's a puppet! Jay Louis is a puppet from Montreal.

A you can see... He's not just any puppet. He's a A PUPPET GANGSTA!
And he's my newest fwennn on the facebookie~~~ Aww~~~

Here's a picture of the lil' rudie patootie:

I stumbled on his website (his flickr is here) and just fell in love with the cool hip-hop feel. I just really really wanted to do a comic for him - and so I did. But this isn't the whole thing; there's more on the way.

Stay tuned!

Food at its most bizarre. Japan... What can I say? おつかれさまでした -_-;;

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 07:40:00 +0000

This is probably the most wonderful thing I've seen since 2010 began.

Via @kentoikeda's website of fantastic finds.

New work for January: EVIL BLACKHEADS FROM HELL!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 02:56:00 +0000

That's right! Your favourite new comic artist is now doing comics about......... blackheads. Hehe. I don't know. Here's how it came about: I was in the shower (OK I realise you didn't need to know that) and looking at a tube of Neutrogena cleanser (no, this is not leading up to an ad!), I noticed the words 'removes blackheads easily'. I don't know why but it suddenly struck me how we try so hard to get rid of these meddlesome 'creatures' called blackheads. And I thought it might be quite fun to do a comic about that.

This is the first page of it, but I've actually completed about four pages already - and I'm really enjoying it! The only problem I have is that... I can't imagine what client I would be able to sell this thing to. Facial wash brand?? Neutrogena itself?? These 'cleanliness brands' like to steer away from the negatives, so I don't think they'd buy it. Or they might buy it just so they can burn it.

Any suggestions? Or, dare I ask, potential buyers??

First post in a long time - and I don't think you're gonna like it.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:22:00 +0000

Dear lovely readers,
I apologize in advance for this silly, silly post!

This is me and my new partner, Aby-chan. She's a Japanese girl misplaced in a Malay girl's body! (Run for your life!!) She and I share a slight facial twitch, as pictured.

It's quite sad that I'll be leaving her all alone. After all, we haven't even learned to use Photo Booth (Mac) properly yet.

Still, we're very, very good at being silly.

And sometimes not too bad at all that 'normal' jazz, either.

We are also two very glamourous cats. Wherever we go in the office, the wind blows our hair like in those (FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE) shampoo commercials. Everyone turns and stares. Then they notice the table fan in Aby's arms.

Oh, and we'd both cut our finger in exactly the same place the day we did this.. photo shoot. Like, WOW, right?

-_-;;;;;;;;

It's embarrassing how much we laughed about that.

Hi Aby!

My serious story, as read by a child :)

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 07:31:00 +0000

As promised (I think I promised), here's a video of a little boy called Peace Foo (yes, that's his name and I think the pun is intended!) reading aloud a story that I wrote for Project Hope last month.

It was a strange twist to have my sombre story read in a child's voice and demeanour, but definitely a delight and honour :)

Oh, and in case you can't hear what the little cutie is saying, here is the story. A bit deeper and more dramatic than my usual work, I know. Not sure how it happened -_-;;

Still

Have you ever looked so hard into the ocean that you imagined you could see its very bottom? Or gazed up into the skies until you felt your eyes meet the eyes of God himself?

I thought not. And I don’t blame you. After all, there are so many obstacles blocking your way.

That ocean you are looking into – it’s full of dead fish bloated with pollution from the factories and chemical plants of at least three neighbouring cities. That sky you’re gazing up at – it has loomed over acres of destruction from senseless terrorist acts, and millions of unfortunate men, women and children, trapped in the grip of manmade catastrophe.

How can I expect you to see beyond all that?

A flower peering over your left foot is choked by the weeds surrounding it. A butterfly caught in the wind tosses and turns and falters and falls. The sun burns your skin.

How can I expect you to hope?

But wait!

There is still a river.
And there is still a sky.
There is still a flower.
There is still a butterfly.
There is still the wind.
There is still a sun.
And you are alive.

“When all you see around you is disaster and turmoil, there is your time for hope.”

Project Hope - The Book

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:31:00 +0000

I've finally figured out how to use iMovie! Well, sort of... I've been wanting to upload a video of the book for ages. Now I finally can. Sorry in advance about my embarrassing page-turning skills, by the way. My comics are at the back of the book, so please hold on 'til the end :)

Here are a few photos, too :) Just of the comics. I'm going to put the whole piece on my Flickr as soon as I get a bit of time. Gotta rush my next project first - running out of time! But I'm 70% done :)

More pics from my latest collaboration :)

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 03:31:00 +0000

So here are more pictures from the Art4Soul project that I've been working on for a while, with some other writers, doodlers and designers here in Malaysia.

They were selling the package (Hope Project book, t-shirt and poster included) at the actual launch itself (pics in my last post).

Response was pretty good! Of course, I bought three packages myself hehe :) They're selling for RM40 each, or you can buy the book and t-shirt individually. If anyone wants to get a package, you can contact me and I'll pass your message along. If I'm not mistaken, I think they're going to be sold at MPH Bookstores soon, too.

The cover has an interesting concept, which is encapsuled in a TEENSY TINY white dot. Apart from that, everything's black. But as you turn the pages, you find that the white dot is getting bigger and bigger...... And eventually it becomes a balloon, chosen to symbolize HOPE.

I've got another set of pictures to post up about the actual content of the book. Can't wait to show you my illustrations that appeared as a sort of epilogue. But I'm off to work again. Another shift of classes (did I mention I teach English as a Second Language??? I don't think so. Lol. Surprise!) and I'll be home around 7pm.

Will post again then.

Project Hope launches just in time!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 04:54:00 +0000

Hello! So most of you know that I've been working on a certain project for a couple of months now. It's called Project Hope and it just launched last night.

Basically, the project featured a book documenting the voices of different people of all ages and backgrounds, mostly living right here in Malaysia, and what they thought about the subject of HOPE.

3 questions were asked by the interviewers:

1. What is hope to you?
2. What do you hope for?
3. How can you make your hope come true?

Apart from that, there were also stories, poems and artwork submitted for the book. It comes with an interesting t-shirt and inspirational poster. Oh, also it's an initiative by Art4Soul.

At the launch last night, it was a cosy affair, with a lot of the participants coming in to actually read their own stories and stuff. Some interview videos were played as well. Oh and a guy sang 'A Change is gonna come' at the end. It was all very fuzzy and warm :) I took some pics for you.

I have a video too, but it's taking forever to upload here! It's of Joseph Foo's (creative director from 3nity design who led the project) son, Peace. Yes, his name is Peace! The project coordinator had asked me if Peace could read my story, and of course, I agreed. How could I not? What a cutie. And having a kid read such a serious piece gave it a very intriguing twist. I must must must try and upload it soon.

To learn more about Project Hope, please visit the site :)

"Ears of wheat mean this movie is good."

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:34:00 +0000

I'm a big Wes fan and I love that this Youtuber managed to capture all the little things that make a Wes movie feel like a Wes movie. I can't imagine if LOTR had really been filmed this way! Would be surreal to actually see it.

Oh, btw, they actually took the music wholesale off the Darjeeling Limited trailer. LOL. Works, doesn't it?!

Handmade Season's Greetings Flaglines

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 17:43:00 +0000

Can we all agree to do some voodoo so my art director doesn't see this post 'til Monday? It's a little present for her:) Don't know why, I suddenly got all sentimental about it being the end of the year and all that... Thought about how I keep saying we'll decorate our cupboard - er, cubicle - for Christmas, but haven't got round to it yet... And then, on the train home, I was strangely inspired to handmake my own Christmas decoration! Soon as I got home, I scribbled down a basic plan and worked on it, well, *glances at clock*, for 4 hours straight.

Back... aching.... Help...

As you can see, the piece follows the common supermarket flagline. But it's unique in one special way (if I don't say so myself), and that is that it is customizable to the season. Scroll through the pictures to see what I mean.

For those who don't know, 'CNY' is the short form for Chinese New Year. Mandarin oranges are a symbol of joy and prosperity for the Chinese and they're given out/eaten by the truckload at CNY.

Raya is a Muslim holiday, and the items pictured are called 'ketupat'. It's like a little rice cake wrapped in pandan or banana leaves (someone correct me, I can't recall, brain's gone to bed) and one of the Raya traditions is to make them together with the family.

Diwali (or Deepavali) is the Hindu festival of lights, hence the oil lamps pictured.

After completing the moving parts... I got a bit itchy to do moving parts for HAPPY, too. So I did a couple more sets :p

And I did a few more doodles for the breakers (example: XMAS has 4 letters, while CNY has only 3, so I have to allow for covering up the S from XMAS). These work out to be fun little surprises :)

Ok that's it! I'm going to drop by the office tomorrow (it's a holiday but I've got to go in for a while anyway) and install my flaglines. Aby, if you're reading this, you'd better pretend you didn't know!

Ladies, children and albums first!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 16:53:00 +0000

So I'm doing my end-of-year cleaning at the office. In that I'm cleaning only my own desk, of course :P Anyway, for those of you who know... It's a little more than just your basic cleaning. I've got to start taking a few items home this Christmas.

The most important things, of course, are the books and CDs! Books were a little too heavy to lug home on the train tonight, but I brought a whole bunch of CDs. (Yes, I still buy CDs!) Felt all nostalgic when I looked at the covers. After all, once I've bought the CD, I stick it in my iTunes and I hardly ever need it again. So then I suddenly got to doodling :)

I've always imagined David Byrne as a professor-ly sort of guy. Above, he explains the complex mathematical equation of flowery shirts.

Velvet Underground. Nuff said. This is actually a simplified and cartoonified version of their 'Best Of' album.

Ahahaha.. Finally, we have the Ramones. This is from a photo off their 'Hey Ho Let's Go' album. It actually really freaked me out when I first saw it. Can't say I really like it much now actually. I guess that's why I'm making fun of it in this picture. The Ramones... I dunno... Give me my Smiths over them ANY DAY.

Ok, so that's my frantic doodling for tonight! Well, not all... I did a lot of other doodles, but I don't think I should show you just yet, because they're for a new illustration job I'm doing. Very excited about it :)

1.30am here now. Time to take off my face (make-up) and catch some of those proverbial Z's.

Goodnight!

Florence + The Coolness Machine

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:13:00 +0000

Here's a little doodle I did the other day. Not even sure why I suddenly thought of Florence et al, they just popped into my head :)

There's actually something else I really want to show you. It's just a silly flash animation, but I think some people out there on the Internet will find it amusing. And if it's going to entertain even one person, there's a fighting reason to put it up!

Thing is... I can't find a way to upload '.swf' files. Tried a file hosting site, but recently they've gone down. Some bandwidth issue. I guess I can try another, but I've already got SOOO many accounts and usernames and passwords. I mean, don't you hate that?

If you wanna see my animation, help me learn how to post it up!
And if you don't care to see it, too bad! Sooner or later I'll find a way to do it!

New comic project in the works :)

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 11:55:00 +0000

Hi! Not posting a new drawing yet, although I do have some stored away in my thumbdrive that I gotta lay up here. Will do that later tonight :)

So just a quick announcement: I've been commissioned to do some art for a magazine and will be planning/busy/frantic/in a straitjacket for the next week while I figure out the perfect way to do exactly what I want. It's a wonderful job and I'm very glad to have been invited. Thank you (you know who you are!)

NOLAF: It is so very, very strange.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:57:00 +0000

Odd as it is and even though 'ad people' might argue that there's no 'concept', 'normal people' might not 'get it' or whatever... I love this campaign. (via. Tostitos corn chips)

The weird droning video game music, the deadpan acting, the dull tint of the film, the solemn and no-nonsense way they talk about the disease called 'fun'.. It really brightened up my day.

Putting the F-U in fun! <-- Definitely a keeper of a slogan.

Now, what's the thing you're going to remember most about this ad a while down the line? "Puppy kicker?!?!" LOL. Hilarious. Here's another:

The last one is my die-hard favourite for the following reasons:
- "It's pretty self-explanatory. But if I can explan anything else..."
- "There are no mistakes here, just dumb people."
- "Yes, you in your dorky sweater with the weird collar."

Ah, lovely lovely nonsense. If someone would like to hire me to create nonsense for them, let me just say right now that I'm perfectly open to that.

I miss my faithful Raleigh bike.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:06:00 +0000

It was metallic pink and it had 10 gears - which was a big deal at the time! I used to ride it round the block when I lived in Peterhead (that's in Scotland if you didn't know). On that block, I would pass a very peaceful-looking cemetary and a local veterinarian's. It should also be noted that I was a very good cyclist.

They might be sisters: Recent doodlings this weekend.

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:02:00 +0000

I've been able to do a bit more drawing this weekend :) Here's a couple of somewhat strange girls I drew while sitting on the train.

Illustration Friday - Crunchy!

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:34:00 +0000

I'm posting my illustration a bit early this week! Usually I just catch the tail-end of Friday. Anyway, some of you might recognise this cartoon from my comic, Hepburn Goes Illustrated :) I just thought it would be a cute entry for this week's theme.

OM NOM NOM NOM!

The story so far...

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:49:00 +0000

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

As some of you already know, I host my comic on another blog For the longest time, I've been figuring out the best way to display the comic so everyone can enjoy it easily. There were a lot of problems, like that the order that blogs naturally display backwards from what I want, for example.

Last week, I managed to get a blog archive calendar that seems to serve my purpose. The only thing is that it's a bit inconvenient again because the reader has to click on each individual number for the next comic. SO! The search is back on...

I found this pictobrowser thingy this morning. Looks like it might be a better option. However, I'm not so sure how compatible it'll be. Not everybody uses Flash players yet, do they? What do you think?

Doxology by Michael Langan

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:07:00 +0000

If you can stomach films that don't make an iota of sense, (I can appreciate them from time to time, it depends, really) then give this short film a few minutes of your viewing life. It doesn't seem to have a plot, or even a storyline, but the film techniques and ideas in there are very interesting. I love the part where he romances the car (yes, they actually tango).

Let me know what you think :)

"Yours is the only angel hair I need, baby..."

noreply@blogger.com (Sam) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:28:00 +0000

So for this week's Illustration Friday, I've decided to tell you a story of cannibalism and spaghetti-tainted love.

It took long enough to figure out what to do for 'entangled', but it was a really fun challenge! Who knew that after days pondering string marionettes, clones and even mermaids, I would manage to do this cartoon in a frenzied hour or so. I don't even know what I was doing thinking about spaghetti at 3am...

Anyway, hope you like it! (Not spaghetti. The cartoon. Although, if you do like spaghetti, that's positively wonderful as well. Good for you!)