new web site

check out my new site eriktjohnson.us, where I've been able to get my work indexed and somewhat organized.

Autophobia

Who's afraid..?
NY Times Book Review; Autophobia

Yes, Nozone

Nicholas Blechman began publishing Nozone as an underground 'zine that uses comics and design to speak up about the nation and world's most pressing issues. Now he publishes it with the prestigious Princeton Architectural Press, but it still retains a flavor that many would consider radical.

I would argue that it is not radical, but one of the truest voices you can find in this political climate - (actually more of a chorus of talented individuals finding their voice in print).

I've been lucky enough to contribute to the last several issues of Nozone, and here are a few pages of Weatherman from the latest issue.

It can be purchased now on Amazon and a book store near you.

Check out more work for this issue by Fuchswell and an interview with Nicholas with more art here.

A Poster Idea

I posted this concept sketch to the official Barack Obama web site.

Hopeful Sketches

a few Barack Obama drawings from the sketchbook.

Summer Fun

Philladelphia magazine gave it's readers an instructional guide to having fun this summer. A few topics included go-carting, running through sprinklers and crashing weddings.
Thanks, Michael McCormick.

Chillin on a Hot Summer Day

A fun one for Nick Mag (and another excuse to draw a penguin). Thanks Caitlin Keegan.

Gross Net

A NY Times Op-Ed letters illustration about mosquito net donations to malaria ridden countries. (Link). Thanks to Kim Bost and Brian Rea.

Loose Teeth

Congratulations to Toby Barlow and the release of his fantastic poem/novel Sharp Teeth. It is an ambitiously unusual book about werewolf packs at war in urban LA, and how they intersect with human civilization.

I had the chance to hear Toby read and speak about his book tonight - he was hilarious and enlightening, having put much thought and research into it. Coincidentally, his partner, graphic designer Keira Alexandra, is an old friend of mine from college.

Even more coincidentally, I was asked to sketch cover ideas for Sharp Teeth by the awesome Paul Sahre, who was designing the book a year or so ago (My drawing above). The book switched publishers in the process, and (unfortunately for me) they used great existing art from it's UK edition. The final book can be seen, and bought with high recommendation, here.

Sharp Teeth Updated and Animated

This animation evolved out of the aborted book cover illustration for Sharp Teeth. Toby Barlow, the author, and I discussed an idea I had for the novel - to put a flip book of a beautiful woman transforming into a wolf in the corner of the book.

Toby thought it would be a great concept for an promo which may appear soon. This is an animation test of the idea, tying in the title illustration. Check out the Sharp Teeth web site which contains several amazing finished animations.

Papa-Zow

Written by Brian Frazer, The Krazy Korner Fun Page is a very funny idea brought to me by LA Magazine (for their back page Hollywoodland feature). It includes all sorts of puzzles, mazes and activities that satirize headline-grabbing celebrities. A.D. Joe Kimberling let me throw in the portrait of K-Fed and a Range Rover full of kids, for kicks.

Space Junk

A Week In Review spot to go with this story about arms escalation - and debris - in space.

Petroli-yuck

I am excited to have a 6 page comic story Weatherman coming up in Nozone X: Forcast - the 10th edition of Nicholas Blechman's fantastic ongoing book series. I will save the comic for publication, but this is one version of a divider page I was asked to contribute at the last minute. I think we're calling it Maelstrom - (scary!)

Sopranos duet

GQ needed an illustration to go with a story about the new crop of “slash” fiction - which I understand to be underground fan fiction that recasts male tv characters as gay lovers... and is usually written by women (?). I first heard about the genre as a Star Trek-related phenomenon, and it that it spawned a decade’s worth of graduate sociology theses.

Anyway, this article focused on fiction written about Tony Soprano and Pauly Walnuts. The idea was a little hard to stomache, so I thought a Lady and the Tramp reference might ad the right touch of amore’.

MORE dudes

From a story called “Ten Guys I’m Glad I Didn’t Marry”