The Studio Bueno Studio Blog-O!

Favorite Movies of 2011

2011-12-30T22:27:00.004-06:00

It's time once again for my incredibly dorky, incredibly pointless list of personal favorite movies for the year. Two things of note before we begin:

I can obviously only rate the movies I saw. If I’d seen every movie I wanted to, the list might look a little different. Also, I didn’t see nearly as many movies this year in general compared to recent years, so that gave me far fewer things to pick from for this list.

Also, I'm not necessarily ranking this based on what is supposedly the most finely crafted, amazing movie (though I think a few of them are). These are simply the movies I had the most fun watching, out of what I saw.

1. The Muppets (November 23, 2011)
Maybe it wasn’t perfect, but it was darn near close. And maybe I’m biased since I’m a lifelong Muppet fan, but who cares? Jason Segel and crew successfully breathed new life into these beloved characters, bringing them closer to their original, Henson-era antics than they’ve been in a while. Full of humor and with heart to spare, no movie in 2011 put a bigger smile on my face.

2. Bridesmaids (May 13, 2011)
Easily one of the best comedies I’ve seen in some time (yes, I know The Muppets, which I ranked above this one, is technically a comedy, too, but I’m referring here to movies that fit exclusively into the comedy genre). Kristin Wiig does a phenomenal job leading a phenomenal cast in one of the most entertaining movies of the year.

3. Hugo (November 23, 2011)
I was surprised by how much I liked this movie--I hadn’t even intended to see it until the positive reviews and word-of-mouth piqued my curiosity. Scorsese has crafted a film that engages both dramatically and visually (even the 3D was beautiful and well-used, and I’m no fan of that gimmick). I especially enjoyed how we were given, through fictional narrative, a sort of history lesson about one of the original pioneers of movies.

4. Young Adult (December 16, 2011)
A great story with a great cast under great direction. Really enjoyed this simple, darkly funny downer of a tale.

5. War Horse (December 25, 2011)
I know nothing of the novel or the stage play, but I thought the movie was very well executed. It’s pure Spielberg-ian melodrama right from the beginning, but I found I didn’t mind letting myself be taken in by it. The cinematography and intense action sequences add a lot to the experience.

6. Paul (March 18, 2011)
An irreverent and funny, nerd-friendly sci-fi movie. Kristin Wiig’s supporting character manages to steal the show, which is saying something given she’s paired with the excellent duo of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. And you know what? Even Seth Rogen playing basically Seth-Rogen-as-a-raunchy-alien wasn’t so bad!

7. X-Men: First Class (June 3, 2011)
After an abysmal third installment to the original trilogy and a painfully lackluster Wolverine spin-off, it was great (and a little surprising) to actually enjoy myself during an X-Men move again.

8. Source Code (April 1, 2011)
Not as uniquely engaging as Duncan Jones’ debut effort, Moon, but still an entertaining sci-fi thriller.

9. Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22, 2011)
Along with X-Men: First Class, I really enjoyed the retro-40’s romp more than most recent superhero movies. It definitely left me feeling cautiously optimistic about next year’s Avengers project.

10. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (December 21, 2011)
Yeah, I know, Tom Cruise is in it, and it can be bit hard to separate him from the characters he plays in movies. But I’m a huge fan of director Brad Bird’s work in the field of animation (The Incredibles, Ratatouille, The Iron Giant, etc.) and I wanted to see his live-action debut. Story-wise, it’s just your typical big-budget action movie, but the action itself is extremely well-shot and exciting. Looks like Bird has made a successful transition!

Honorable Mentions:
While I’m a bigger fan of the books than the movies, I thought Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was a nicely done conclusion to the film series. Winnie the Pooh, while definitely aimed at a younger audience, was charming and beautifully animated. Kung Fu Panda 2 and Rango were also fun animated fare. I also enjoyed Sherlock Holmes 2 and Thor as light, adventurous fun.

Disappointments and Let-Downs:
I really wanted to love Cowboys and Aliens, but it just sort of fell flat. Not terrible, just a bit of wasted potential. Super 8 was another movie that, while certainly well done, somehow failed to move me. And, finally, we have Cars 2. While I admittedly never expected to like it in the first place—and in that regard was not technically “disappointed”—it was indeed disappointing to see the always-stellar Pixar release something as profoundly lackluster (and profoundly un-requested) as this sequel. The animation was typically gorgeous, at least. Here’s hoping next summer's Brave is a return to form!

2011 Christmas Card

2011-12-14T17:52:00.003-06:00

This is my 2011 Christmas card. It's the first year since I've been doing my own cards that Jenn & Bueno have not been featured on it (I swear those two will eventually resurface from their hiatus)! After my recent "Trick-or-Treating Alligator" Halloween illustration, I couldn't resist trying this idea. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

-Andrew

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

2011-12-05T21:59:00.001-06:00

I couldn't resist this cheesy, Disney-fied spoof of the upcoming movie, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Muppets: I Can Truly See!

2011-11-28T18:01:00.003-06:00

Poor Beaker! He just can't seem to catch a break.

This is the last (for now, at least) in the series of Muppets fan art I've been posting leading up to the new movie (which is, by the way, very good). Enjoy!

-Andrew

Muppets: Rowlf and Lucy!

2011-11-21T18:07:00.002-06:00

Looks like Rowlf has taken temporary leave of the Muppet Theater for a guest gig on Schroeder's piano!

This continues my series of Muppets fan art I'm posting as I wait excitedly for the new movie. (And in this case throws in a little Peanuts fan art for good measure!) Enjoy!

-Andrew

New Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2011-11-15T07:13:00.002-06:00

New Girl with Zooey Deschanel is a really hyped show right now. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a really hyped book/movie right now. This crossover demanded to be done, so I slapped it together last night. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Muppets: What Do Bears Dream?

2011-11-14T17:30:00.004-06:00

Poor Fozzie. At least he gets laughs in his dreams!

This continues my series of Muppets fan art I'm posting as I wait excitedly for the new movie. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Muppets: Gonzo Gets Chopped!

2011-11-07T18:47:00.003-06:00

Uh-oh, looks like Gonzo got a little too flirty with Miss Piggy again!

I'm a huge Muppets fan, and I'm going to be posting a few pieces of fan art leading up to the upcoming new movie. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Commission: Pity the Fool!

2011-11-06T18:49:00.002-06:00

A recent fan commission featuring Parker from the TV show Leverage (which I've never seen), stealing precious gold from Mr. T as B.A. Baracus from The A-Team.

-Andrew

Trick-or-Treating Alligator

2011-10-26T21:04:00.002-05:00

A second Halloween-themed post for your entertainment here at the Blog-O! this week: A trick-or-treating alligator. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Lydia Pin-Up No. 3

2011-10-24T18:36:00.006-05:00

Over the past couple of years, around Halloween, I've done a pin-up style illustration of a slightly older version of Lydia from the 90's animated series, Beetlejuice. I decided to keep with that tradition this year, although this years' may just be more "Halloween-y" than "pin-uppy".

Lydia's school uniform was the last of her three main costumes from the show that I hadn't used yet, so it's featured here. Who knows where I'll go next year! For now, enjoy!

-Andrew
You can also revisit the previous Lydia illustrations along with this one!

Comic Strip From a Dream!

2011-09-26T22:28:00.003-05:00

I don't keep up with modern newspaper comics very closely, though I'll read them if I happen to have a paper in front of me. This weekend I had an extremely vivid dream that I was reading the Sunday comics and I saw this Beetle Bailey strip. I very clearly remember the panels, especially the first one and the last one. It was so weird I woke myself up laughing and decided I had to attempt to recreate the madness. And here it is! Enjoy!

-Andrew

Beetle Bailey © King Features

Setting Up A Room!

2011-09-14T20:52:00.004-05:00

The second post in a single week! How's that for you?

This one was inspired by one of the latest shorts to be riffed by the masters at RiffTrax (the guys from Mystery Science Theater 3000, if you're not familiar), "Setting Up A Room". A 1967 informational reel featuring two personality-free women, working--with apparently little script--to organize a kindergarten classroom. For 27 minutes! Truly one of the most bizarre things the guys have ever done, and for that, I loved it--enough to be compelled to draw fan art!

-Andrew

Here's the link to the RiffTrax page where you can purchase "Setting Up A Room". If you've never done RiffTrax before (and why haven't you?!), you might want to start with another one, as this one is so off the wall as to not be for everyone.

Commission: Rapunzzler!

2011-09-12T17:42:00.002-05:00

Another recent fan commission: Disney's Rapunzel (with Pascal) appearing as Marvel Comics' Dazzler! Rapunzzler, anyone? Enjoy!

-Andrew

Rapunzel & Pascal © Disney
Dazzler © Marvel Comics

DragonCon 2011

2011-09-05T12:16:00.005-05:00

If you'll forgive me a momentary break from the usual art posts, I thought I'd share my pictures from DragonCon 2011 with you.

I only attended one day of the con (Saturday) and, being the Back to the Future nerd that I am, my main reason for going this year was to see Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson and James Tolkan. They were great, but of course the con is a lot of fun in general, and the people-watching alone is worth the price of admission! Below are my pictures and video clips:

Click here for pictures of fans in costumes (I was Marty McFly myself). Even with as many as I took, I didn't get a tenth of all the cool (or simply strange) ones I saw!

Click here for pictures of the Back to the Future Q&A Panel with Thompson, Lloyd and Tolkan:

Individual Video Clips from the Back to the Future Q&A Panel with Thompson, Lloyd and Tolkan (the one link below is the first of twelve clips in a playlist. They'll play straight through if you let them, or you can pick them individually):

Weird Al!

2011-08-16T18:15:00.003-05:00

I'm a (nearly) lifelong "Weird Al" Yankovic fan. I've even met the man, if you'll permit me to brag. Between his recent new album, an upcoming concert in Atlanta, and seeing another artist's recent fan art, I decided it was about time I do my own take on the master of weird. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Doing this reminded me that I used to give Weird Al frequent cameo appearances
in the comics I drew throughout high school ("The Cat", a.k.a., "Moundsville").
I dug out some examples so I could share them here.

My high school days just slightly predated the rise of the Internet (I'm oldish),
so I didn't have the means to share my comics with the world back then. Given that only a tiny
handful of friends would ever really see them, I was content to just sketch them quickly in
notebooks, going more for quantity than quality. Between that and the simple fact
that my art sucked more back then, these aren't pretty to look at.

(Also, I apologize for the poor scan quality. The notebooks these are drawn in
are aging and fading a bit, and the pages are crinkly with the weight of all the pencil!)

Alice Meets Alice!

2011-06-28T21:26:00.004-05:00

A couple of nights ago I watched the brilliant 2010 animated movie, The Illusionist from French director Sylvain Chomet (Triplets of Belleville). After watching, I was inspired to have one of its main characters, Alice, meet the Alice from another one of my favorite animated movies! Enjoy!

-Andrew

Alice & White Rabbit © Disney
Alice & white rabbit © Sylvain Chomet/Sony Classics/Whomever

Fatback & Skinny McLean: 20th Birthday!

2011-06-22T07:17:00.003-05:00

Created on June 22, 1991, Fatback & Skinny McLean are easily my longest-running recurring characters. I was barely starting high school at that point, so maybe I'm not quite so old as that makes me feel!

The characters were used frequently all throughout high school, college, and the early days of my posting on the internet. In the past few years their appearances have become much more sporadic, though I always say I mean to bring them back into the spotlight one day...

I couldn't resist marking the momentous occasion with at least a short comic. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Commission: Bad Girls Dig Me!

2011-06-13T17:38:00.004-05:00

Another recent fan commission, this time of the Asgardian persuasion. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Thor, Enchantress & Hela © Marvel Comics

Commission: Power Girl & Terra: Lunch Break

2011-06-06T17:30:00.003-05:00

A recent fan commission of Power Girl and Terra enjoying a lunch break (I'm sure when you're super powered, you burn enough calories to get away with eating all kinds of fast food while still maintaining your figure!) Enjoy!

-Andrew

One thing that makes this a little different than the usual piece from me is that I put the colors directly on the original sketch. Usually I either ink the original, or redo it with tighter, cleaner pencil lines...but for whatever reason I liked the sketchier effect here.

Power Girl & Terra © DC Comics

Commission: Dazzler vs. Ultron

2011-05-31T17:17:00.003-05:00

Here's another recent commission. The client wanted the look of a book cover, similar to the recent series of "Gotham Girls" Nancy Drew spoof commissions I did, and requested a sort of "Scooby Doo" vibe. So here it is! Enjoy!

-Andrew

Dazzler & Ultron © Marvel Comics

Rapunzel vs. Medusa

2011-05-23T18:03:00.003-05:00

I don't often do illustrations based on random suggestions from viewers. Recently, however, a follower of my deviantART gallery commented on one of my previous Tangled fan art pieces and pondered the possibilities of Disney's Rapunzel and Marvel Comics' Medusa having a mutual bad hair day. I couldn't resist bringing the scene to life. And since Disney owns Marvel, it's not one million percent impossible that this would ever happen! Enjoy!

-Andrew

Rapunzel, Flynn Ryder & Pascal © Disney
Medusa & Crystal © Marvel Comics (Therefore also Disney!)

Sesame Street part 3

2011-05-15T21:06:00.002-05:00

Here are the final pieces (at least for now) in the Sesame Street series! Bert & Ernie, Two-Headed Monster, and Reporter Kermit the Frog (my all-time favorite Muppet, who I know is technically a "Muppet Show" Muppet as opposed to a "Sesame Street" one, but he's been known to make a guest appearance--especially in reporter guise)! Enjoy!

-Andrew

Sesame Street part 2

2011-05-10T20:19:00.004-05:00

Here are more illustrations in my recent "Sesame Street" series. In this batch we have Oscar the Grouch (and his pet worm, Slimey) receiving a visit from the Cookie Monster, as well as Big Bird and his once-thought-imaginary pal, Snuffleupagus! There will be at least one more Sesame post in the coming days. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Can You Tell Me How to Get to Sesame Street?

2011-05-04T22:28:00.003-05:00

Trying my take on some classic "Sesame Street" characters here. I'm beginning with Super Grover and Count von Count, because they were two of my most favorite as a child. I hope to do a few more of the characters in the coming days, as time allows. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Characters are © Sesame Workshop

Commission: Gotham Girls/Nancy Drew spoofs #3-5

2011-04-25T18:18:00.002-05:00

Here are the final three (of five) installments in a series of commissions a client recently requested in which the girls of Gotham City find themselves recreating classic covers/illustrations from Nancy Drew novels. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Below are the preliminary pencils for these pieces, as well as the original
Nancy Drew illustrations they were inspired by at the client's request.

Click here to see the first Gotham Girls commission in this series.

Click here to see the second Gotham Girls commission in this series.

Fatback & Skinny McLean: Goggle It

2011-04-20T21:52:00.002-05:00

Fatback & Skinny McLean are back! At least for this one comic. And it is utterly and completely pointless. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Peanuts!

2011-04-18T18:16:00.003-05:00

I'm a huge, huge fan of Peanuts/Charles Schulz. Therefore it is a bit odd that I've drawn the characters so seldom in my adult life. Here's a recent, random attempt at bringing them into my own style a bit (actually drawn last year, but I only remembered to finish it up recently). Enjoy!

-Andrew

I also recently had a dream in which I found this Charlie Brown/Doctor Who mash-up T-shirt. I got such a kick out of it in the dream to try drawing it in real life.

Rocky Raccoon

2011-04-11T17:43:00.002-05:00

Here we see Rocky Raccoon, shortly after checking into his room. Inspired, obviously (and quite literally), by the Beatles song of the same name.

I always picture an animated story something like this when I hear the song, so after the song came up in shuffle the other day, I finally decided to capture a moment of it on paper. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Saloon Girl Tinkerbell

2011-04-04T17:34:00.003-05:00

Here we have Disney's infamous pixie, Tinkerbell, as a saloon girl in the old west. Because...why not? Enjoy!

(I'm also including a sepia tone version of the illustration--because everyone knows that everything in the old west was sepia toned--as well as the original ballpoint pen sketch and pencils.)

-Andrew

Misschiff Sketches

2011-03-31T19:45:00.003-05:00

LOOK! I'M ALIVE! A NEW POST!

I'm trying to combat this two-month-plus unplanned vacation to the Creative Doldrums with some sketching. A fellow artistic comrade urged me to draw some more of my pixie character, Mischiff. Since I had indeed not played with this character since her creation last year, I decided to do it.

The following sketches are just me playing the the character, trying to get ideas and learn more about who she might be. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Valentines 2011

2011-02-07T18:04:00.005-06:00

It's time now for the fifth annual Jenn & Bueno Valentine Cards! Once again I've created four pun-tastic designs inspired by the whimsical, cartoony cards kids pass around in elementary school. At the end of this post you'll see links to where you can download a printable template of all four cards in case you wanna disappoint anyone you know by actually giving them a greeting of my creation this year. Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy the cards!

--Andrew

Here are the links to 150 dpi templates you can print.
Just print them on opposite sides of the same sheet of paper
(heavy stock provides the best results, obviously).

PRINTABLE CARD FRONTS
PRINTABLE CARD BACKS

And here are the printable fronts to the cards from the past years (the printable back should fit all of them).

PRINTABLE CARD FRONT 2010
PRINTABLE CARD FRONT 2009
PRINTABLE CARD FRONT 2008
PRINTABLE CARD FRONT 2007

Random Update: Creepy Crap for Cailey

2011-01-31T18:44:00.003-06:00

I apologize for the lack of updates in the past couple of weeks. Next week I'll be posting the annual Jenn & Bueno Valentine's, so that will be something normal to finally show up here again!

In the meantime, please enjoy this little collage. I've developed a new tradition over the past several months when visiting my friends Richard & Jessica and their daughter, Cailey. When Cailey goes to bed, I leave a creepy drawing on her dry erase/chalk board for her to find in the morning. It's because I'm such a sweet, caring "uncle"!

Enjoy! Come back for a "real" post next week!
-Andrew

Commission: Gotham Girls/Nancy Drew Spoof #2

2011-01-10T17:23:00.003-06:00

This is the second in what is becoming a series commissioned by a regular client. The series takes the girls of Gotham City and spoofs old Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew mysteries and the perilous predicaments of the heroes. This particular illustration was inspired by an interior illustration (pictured below) as opposed to the original cover. Enjoy!

Here's a link to the blog post featuring the first in the series.

-Andrew

Batgirl and Poison Ivy © DC Comics

Tangled: Rapunzel, Pascal, and Frying Pan

2011-01-03T18:19:00.003-06:00

I finally got around to doing some Tangled Fan Art. Something I've wanted to do since I saw the movie and got the "Art of" book weeks ago. (Speaking of which, the Art of Tangled book is pretty much not to be missed by anyone with any interest in such things. I have recommended it to you. Avail yourselves.) Enjoy!

-Andrew
PS: This is one of a simultaneous TWO new Blog-O! posts this week, so don't forget to scroll your way down to the other one, or Jenn & Bueno will feel hurt.

Jenn and Bueno: 2011 Calendar!

2011-01-03T18:13:00.002-06:00

Jenn & Bueno are here--only a few days late--to wish you a happy 2011! Here you have a standard J&B illustration, as well as a version that is part of a calendar (complete with printable copy). Enjoy!

-Andrew

CLICK HERE for the printable version of the calendar pictured below!

Favorite Movies of 2010

2010-12-29T18:35:00.006-06:00

UPDATE! I saw True Grit on the 30th and loved it. Therefore I have changed the Top Ten in order to add it to the list and #6.

It's time once again for my incredibly dorky, incredibly pointless list of personal favorite movies for the year. Two things of note before we begin:

I can obviously only rate the movies I saw. There are several things I missed this year that I really wanted to see. And very little of what I did see really impressed me (even most of the enjoyable stuff didn't really floor me). Frankly, it was even hard to round out the second half of this list with anything I felt especially enthusiastic about...but a yearly top 10 is my tradition, so I'm doing all 10 anyway.

Also, I'm not necessarily ranking this based on what is supposedly the most finely crafted, amazing movie (though I think a few of them are). These are simply the movies I had the most fun watching, out of what I saw.

1. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD (August 13, 2010
There is nothing I can find NOT to like about this movie. Edgar Wright has expertly used his unique touch as a director to adapt Bryan Lee O'Malley's one-of-a-kind Scott Pilgrim graphic novels for the big screen. The casting of each character is nothing less than inspired (as are the performances). The special effects and visuals are top notch. And beneath all of the silliness of a world where real life plays out much like a video game and delivery girls travel through subspace, there is a sweet story about the struggles we all face when we dare to have relationships.

2. TOY STORY 3 (June 18, 2010
This one was in very close contention for the top spot. The third installment in the adventures of Woody, Buzz and the gang turned out to be the best. It was great revisiting our old friends, and there were so many equally likable new faces introduced. The story was aggressively entertaining and often hilarious, with moments of seat-gripping suspense and, of course, those touching, near tear-jerking moments. Combine that with Pixar's predictably gorgeous animation and there were very few movies to be found this year that could possibly compare.

3. INCEPTION (July 16, 2010)
Christopher Nolan reminds us he's more than just "That Batman Guy" with this sci-fi gem that was every bit "Summer Blockbuster" fare, while remaining something a little more as well. I personally love dreams and therefore tend to enjoy stories that explore the logic of dreams and the subconscious. I thought that was handled here in an interesting and visually engaging way.

4. TANGLED (November 24, 2010)
This the best non-Pixar effort Disney has offered in ages. I found it to be very much in the spirit of some of the beloved films from their early 90's renaissance. The characters are instantly likable, and their adventure is entertaining and surprisingly funny. The animation somehow manages to evoke the look and feel of the traditionally animated Disney classics even while being computer generated. On a down note, I found the songs to be largely forgettable and thought the story would have done just fine without them...but that wasn't a big enough gripe to hurt my overall enjoyment.

5. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (March 26, 2010)
I was surprised with how much I liked this one! At its core it's a pretty simple story with pretty simple characters, but that doesn't stop it from being a fun ride! And those dragons! So many cool dragons! Toothless, especially, was a scene-stealer, and the flight scenes were gorgeous (and I've only ever watched it in good old fashioned 2D).

6. TRUE GRIT (December 22, 2010)
I guess this is the first true "genre" movie by the Coen brothers and in that respect it felt different, but in other respects it's definitely a Coen brothers movie. The whole film is masterfully done with some stellar performances, but perhaps my favorite part is the dialogue, which just pops all over the place.

7. BLACK SWAN (December 3, 2010)
Natalie Portman is excellent in this dark, appropriately melodramatic little thriller. Who knew ballet could be so disturbing?

8. THE AMERICAN (September 1, 2010)
This tale of an assassin's final assignment is like the love child of an action movie and an arthouse/indie movie. But it inherited most of its traits from the indie parent.

9. ALICE IN WONDERLAND (March 5, 2010)
In a lot of ways this movie just feels like a wasted opportunity. It could have been so much more than it turned out to be. But my longtime love of the original story and many of its previous adaptations perhaps predispose me to be lenient. And if nothing else at all, Helena Bonham Carter's Red Queen is worth quite a lot all by itself.

10. TRON: LEGACY (December 17, 2010)
This movie may be nothing more than eye candy, but it was very pretty eye candy. I'm giving it a spot on the list simply because I had a lot of fun watching it. Not to mention, Daft Punk's score is a good listen as well.

Well...normally this is where I do "Honorable Mentions" of a few movies I really enjoyed that didn't quite make it into the Top Ten. But as I mentioned at the beginning, this year was such a lackluster year for movies that there really isn't that much to mention here (out of what I got to see). I do feel that some of those I've missed in the past few months might give me a little more enthusiasm whenever I finally do see them, though.

Now, what were some of your favorites?

-Andrew

Ramona and Scott

2010-12-27T17:48:00.002-06:00

Here are Ramona Flowers and Scott Pilgrim from Bryan Lee O'Malley's fantastic graphic novels and Edgar Wright's epic movie. I love both incarnations, so I guess a little fan art was overdue. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Into the Grid

2010-12-20T16:10:00.002-06:00

Jenn & Bueno with a little TRON: Legacy-inspired spoof for you. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Minty the Candy Cane that Fell on the Ground

2010-12-16T21:44:00.003-06:00

Minty the Candy Cane that Fell on the Ground! He's here to make Christmas Excellent! Fan art of the weird new holiday character recently introduced on Conan. Enjoy!

-Andrew

You can download Minty's catchy theme song here.

Minty © Team Coco

Jenn & Bueno: Christmas 2010

2010-12-13T17:11:00.002-06:00

The art for this year's Jenn & Bueno Christmas card!

Here's wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season! Not to mention an excellent New Year, etc. etc...

-Andrew

Commission: Gotham Girls/Hardy Boys Spoof!

2010-11-30T17:52:00.003-06:00

This was a particularly fun commission request from a fairly regular client. The image is actually a spoof of an old Hardy Boys book cover, replacing the original characters with various girls from Gotham! (A picture of the original cover is seen below.) Enjoy!

-Andrew

Catwoman, Batgirl, & Black Canary © DC Comics

Commission: Lois Lane Gets Slugged!

2010-11-30T17:48:00.006-06:00

This is, without a doubt, the most unusual commission request I've received in a long time.
Lois Lane gets turned into a slug by an angry witch! Enjoy?

-Andrew

Lois Lane © DC Comics

Halloween 2010 Costumes

2010-11-01T22:05:00.002-05:00

For Halloween 2010 I was the Mad Hatter (my own version, amalgamated from other popular interpretations). Lisa joined me as Alice! Enjoy!

-Andrew

Lydia Pin-Up

2010-10-26T21:20:00.003-05:00

A bonus update for this week brings more fan art from the 90's Beetlejuice cartoon. A couple of years ago I did a sort of pin-up illustration of an older Lydia. That one's gotten a lot of positive response since then, and it was fun to do...so here's another one! Enjoy, and, again, Happy Halloween!

-Andrew
Also, for those who read it, there are new posts in my Dream Journal.
Also a new post over at the Photography Blog

Jenn & Bueno: Getting the Point of Halloween!

2010-10-24T21:40:00.004-05:00

Another Jenn & Bueno Halloween treat comes your way, also featuring one of Heidi's occasional cameos. This one is a reworking of one of the earliest J&B Halloween pictures from a few years back. Enjoy, and Happy Halloween!

-Andrew

Jenn with a Spooky Book!

2010-10-10T23:11:00.003-05:00

Another of this year's Halloween-themed offerings. Jenn (this time without Bueno) enjoys (?) a book of Spooky Tales! The art was originally inspired by an old Halloween pin-up of Betty Grable that I recently stumbled across. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Zombies!

2010-10-03T21:48:00.003-05:00

It's October and as we gear up for Halloween, Jenn & Bueno are getting in the spirit of things with ZOMBIES! More Halloween-inspired Jenn & Bueno illustrations to come throughout the month. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Who Watches Over You?

2010-09-19T13:16:00.005-05:00

Here's the artwork for the design that failed the Threadless vote last week. For those not in the know, the art is inspired by the excellent They Might Be Giants song, "Birdhouse In Your Soul".

(And keep scrolling down--there are two other new posts for this week!)

-Andrew

Jumping Girl

2010-09-19T12:44:00.004-05:00

It was a slow day at work. There was a "Back-To-School" sales insert in the paper. I ended up cartoon-ifying one of the kids. Ended up coloring it. Exciting story.

-Andrew

Death Ray Design

2010-09-19T11:54:00.005-05:00

This is something I've been free to post for months now, and I kept forgetting!

Earlier this year, Brian Gubicza commissioned me to design a death ray (in terms of artwork--not an actual Death Ray--breathe easy) to be used as part of a project he and his wife, Jen, were doing for the offices of Etsy.com in Brooklyn, NY.

They created one of the offices to look like a super villain's lair. My Death Ray art was part of a magazine cover hanging on the wall in the office.

Below is the fake magazine cover Brian designed using my Death Ray, and the blueprint he designed from my art. You can see pictures of the final product in this post on Brian's blog. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Magic Show

2010-09-06T21:13:00.003-05:00

Here are Jenn & Bueno performing a magic show, with questionable success. I suppose an alternate title for this post could have been, "I quit!" Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn (minus Bueno) Bookmark

2010-08-22T22:24:00.010-05:00

I made a bookmark featuring Jennifer. Just because. Bueno sends his apologies that he wasn't able to make an appearance this time.

I'm also including a link to a high-res, printable version of the bookmark if, for some unknown reason, you'd like to have one. I mean, it's free, after all. Enjoy! (Oh, and there's a little bonus update this week as well, located right below this one).

-Andrew

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINT-FRIENDLY VERSION OF THE BOOKMARK!

Pointless Trivia: The art on the bookmark is a rehashing of what was the very first ever, debut illustration of Jennifer, back in 2004.

Influence Map

2010-08-22T22:20:00.004-05:00

This is a meme that's making the rounds through the deviantART community at the moment. I couldn't resist it.

Like anyone else, my influences and inspirations are far too numerous to count. This only reflects a small portion of those artists & things that form the DNA of my Muse. Apologies to the hundreds that wouldn't fit on this page. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: JUMP!

2010-08-15T23:56:00.008-05:00

This action-packed image of Jenn & Bueno was whipped up to be a sort of general purpose illustration. Among those purposes, it has (obviously) been used to change the look of the blog again, as well as for some mild updates to the regular Studio Bueno site. Hope you like it and enjoy!

-Andrew

The picture is also being used on T-shirts in my Cafe Press store. Honestly, I'm still waiting to receive my first shirt in the mail to make sure they truly look the way I intended, but if you ever get the itch for a J&B shirt, there should be some now!

Jenn & Bueno: Shark Week!

2010-08-03T23:36:00.003-05:00

A bonus second update this week! Not only do you get beatniks--now you get sharks!

Seems I can't turn around without hearing references to "Shark Week" this week. So I decided I'd do a Jenn & Bueno piece inspired by the theme. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Beatniks

2010-08-01T22:21:00.004-05:00

Looks like Jenn & Bueno are reciting some beatnik poetry. You dig? Enjoy, daddy-o!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Sack Race!

2010-07-25T22:40:00.002-05:00

Jenn, Bueno, and two of their occasional-guest-appearance-making pals, Heidi and Cheer the Squirrel, are all having a sack race! Enjoy!

-Andrew
Also, for those who read it, there are new posts in my Dream Journal.

Carefree Ant

2010-07-20T20:32:00.004-05:00

This quickie illustration of a happy, carefree ant was inspired in the unlikeliest of places. I first saw it in a stain on a public restroom wall, as evidenced in the photograph below. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Not quite a religious vision, but what can I say...

Jenn & Bueno: Cowgirl

2010-07-11T22:21:00.003-05:00

About time we had a new Jenn & Bueno illustration, don't you think? I actually did this one some weeks ago, but never got around to posting it because I was going through the recent "High School Heroes" series. Anyway, here you go! Enjoy!

-Andrew

Easily Distracted Dog

2010-07-06T17:39:00.002-05:00

No regular art update this week (there will be one next week), so I thought I'd use this space to promote my newest blog.

Please direct your browsers to the following link and meet Edd, the Easily Distracted Dog. I'm going to be helping Edd chronicle his many adventures online, because he doesn't pay enough attention to remember very many of them on his own. Edd also has a Twitter feed, @DistractedDog

While Edd was very busy on his first weekend, the frequency of updates from here on out will depend on the frequency of Edd's opportunity for adventures. Please stay tuned and don't miss a single minute of the riveting documentary!

Marvelous Pigs in Satin

2010-06-28T18:24:00.004-05:00

Meet the most rockin' girl band ever, Marvelous Pigs in Satin!

These characters date back to the comics I did in high school and college...though longtime followers will recognize Heidi from her infrequent guest appearances in modern Jenn & Bueno illustrations.

-Andrew

While this is another re-imagining of my past characters, it's not the official start of a new series such as the recent High School Heroes series. (Though that doesn't rule out more of the sort in the future.)

High School Heroes: Rogues Gallery

2010-06-21T17:37:00.003-05:00

The High School Heroes series continues with the seventh and final (at least for now) installment. This week we take a departure from the heroes themselves to have a look at some of their arch enemies. This illustration represents a sampling of of the villains who went up against the varied heroes you've seen represented in the series. (One character, Dr. Buck Buckum, was actually created years later, but he fits in so well, I included him in the group).

Enjoy!
-Andrew

I hope you've all enjoyed this re-imagined look back at the superheroes from my teenage years (and beyond) as much as I enjoyed putting it together! I may tackle a few other past characters later on, or even come back for more visits with some of these others, now that you've met them...

High School Hereos: Saturn

2010-06-07T18:34:00.005-05:00

The High School Heroes series continues this week with its sixth installment. Please meet Saturn! Saturn was easily one of the lamest heroes out of my high school menagerie of heroes. Most of them, as you've seen in this series so far, were openly silly and spoof-y. Saturn just didn't play well to the slapstick, and I didn't play well with non-slapstick superheroes.

-Andrew

And here is an embarrassing sample of how Saturn appeared back in the old days!

High School Heroes: The Cockroach and Cricket

2010-06-01T18:23:00.006-05:00

The High School Heroes series continues this week (a day late due to Monday's holiday) with its fifth installment. Please meet the The Cockroach and his sidekick, Cricket! Obviously the Cockroach was my Batman knock-off. Cricket, while created around the same time, never actually appeared in a comic. I used the Cockroach so seldom, that she never had a chance to debut.

-Andrew

Once again, I don't have any sample art from the original comics for this one. Couldn't find any good representations in the old stash that is conveniently available to me.

High School Heroes: Sensational Super Six

2010-05-24T18:26:00.005-05:00

The High School Heroes series continues this week with its fourth installment. Please meet the Sensational Super Six! The SS6 were my resident super-team. These are the characters I changed the most drastically when re-imagining them for this series. I even went so far as dropping two members from the original six (ones that I found entirely boring and pointless now) and replacing them with two of what had been my lower-tier solo characters who seemed in retrospect to be better served rounding out a team than running around on their own. You don't need me to explain to you that these characters were my answer to both the X-Men and the Fantastic Four. Enjoy!

-Andrew

In most of this series, I've provided scans of art from the original comics these old characters appeared in. Unfortunately, I don't a good group shot of the Sensational Super Six that was easily accessible for this. They weren't especially frequently used.

Jenn & Bueno: Farewell to LOST

2010-05-19T21:08:00.005-05:00

Lucky you, here's a second, bonus update this week! (The "High School Heroes" series will resume with next Monday's regular post).

Even though I was a late convert to the show (thank God for DVDs), it's hard for me to believe that LOST actually comes to an end this Sunday! I couldn't resist a quick (and ridiculous) Jenn & Bueno tribute in honor of the occasion. Enjoy!

-Andrew

High School Heroes: Kickin' Fightin' Chicken

2010-05-17T18:26:00.004-05:00

The High School Heroes series continues this week with KFC: Kickin' Fightin' Chicken! "KFC" was just a throwaway joke that turned up in one of my high school doodle notebooks. He ended up taking on a life of his own, making sporadic appearances in comics over the next two or three years. Many of my superhero characters were loose parodies of "real" superheroes. I think KFC, while looking like Rambo, came to be a sort of "Punisher" parody. Enjoy!

-Andrew

And here is a sample of how KFC appeared back in the old days!

High School Heroes: Captain Noose!

2010-05-10T17:33:00.003-05:00

The High School Heroes series continues this week with Captain Noose! Captain Noose is almost certainly the weirdest and silliest of all the superheroes I ever created (which is saying a lot). I don't know what I can say that isn't explained in the art itself! Enjoy!

-Andrew

And here is a sample of how Captain Noose appeared back in the old days!

High School Heroes: The Mighty Mr. Nice Guy!

2010-05-03T18:21:00.003-05:00

This week I'm beginning a new series of posts called "High School Heroes".
In my high school and early college days, I drew comics non-stop. My comics were not typically superhero comics. They were humor-based, revolving around the zany citizens of Moundsville.

Though they weren't the focus, there were a few superhero types inhabiting the city.
Even my superheroes were not to be taken seriously. They were spoofs of the genre, sort of like in The Tick. In some cases this worked okay. In others, they were cheesier even than they were meant to be.

So this new series of illustrations revisits those cheesy superhero characters. I've updated them for the new age! I'll be posting them here over the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy being introduced to them as much as I enjoyed revisiting them!

-Andrew

And here is a sample of how Mr. Nice Guy appeared back in the old days!

And one potentially good side-effect of this whole effort...it's kind of made me want to revisit Moundsville in more depth...what may come of this? :-)

Aubie Whiskavich

2010-04-28T21:11:00.005-05:00

Wow! Busy week here at the Blog-O!

Here's some character sketches and designs for Aubie Whiskavich. He's actually a slight re-design of one of my oldest characters (from way back in the high school days), The Cat. (If you've followed the Blog-O! for very long, you've probably seen The Cat turn up here and there.)

I've been playing with some ideas for some comic shorts featuring Aubie Whiskavich and a mixture of other characters old and new. We'll see.

Beginning next week will be the first post of another project I've been working on, revisiting some of my oldest characters. Should be fun...for me at least! Enjoy Aubie for now!

-Andrew

More Gigglinoggin Sketches

2010-04-28T21:08:00.003-05:00

For no reason: A few more silly sketches and designs of Princess Gigglinoggin, who made her debut in the previous post. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Princess Gigglinoggin and Misschiff

2010-04-25T22:26:00.004-05:00

Princess Gigglinoggin was supposed to just be a quickly sketched throwaway character because I was amused by the name (originally it was going to be two words, "Giggly Noggin"). I was surprised to find out that I actually learned a lot about her as she really came to life when I began sketching her. While I imagine she's a teenager or a young adult, she's got the naive mentality of a young child. A very petulant, spoiled young child. She's painfully silly whenever things are going her way, and just a pain when things aren't. There's more to her, I feel, but who knows if I'll pursue her any further or not. I hope you enjoy her!

-Andrew

I actually went so far as to have a poll so people could pick what manifestation a "Giggly Noggin" would take. Obviously the "crazy princess" option won out (handily). But there was one write-in vote for "pixie", which I hadn't thought of. I liked the idea so much I ended up drawing pixies too. And came up with this character. She came to life more than I expected as well. I dunno about her name, it's just the best I could come up with for now.

New Photography Blog

2010-04-21T23:52:00.002-05:00

So I started a blog for my "photography". I use the term loosely, because it's basically just me having fun with my fancy point-and-shoot camera. If you like purty pictures, mostly of nature, then why not have a look-see at my newest blog's humble beginnings? Enjoy! http://studiobuenophoto.blogspot.com/

-Andrew

Commission: Trouble on the Tracks!

2010-04-19T18:43:00.005-05:00

This was a recent fan commission in which the client's original character, Lady Lawful (the "Golden Age" version) is seen on a cover of her fictional comic book. Looks like she's in a little peril on the railroad tracks there! Ah, you gotta love the classics.

The basic premise was the client's, the design and corny text on the cover are all vintage me. Enjoy!

(And do yourself a favor and don't fail to notice there is more than one new post today!)

-Andrew

TMNT Birthday Bash!

2010-04-19T18:41:00.002-05:00

This was a quick piece I worked up for a TMNT-lovin' friend's recent birthday! Cowabunga!

-Andrew

Bueno 50K Views

2010-04-19T18:20:00.002-05:00

From what I can tell, it's a tradition of sorts on deviantART for people to draw a little sketch or something commemorating milestones in their page view count. So when I reached 50K, I drew this super-quick sketch card of Bueno and gave it away to one super-oh-so-lucky watcher.

-Andrew

(For those astute enough to notice the scanned art looks a little different than usual...I found out too late that the card stock I used when reprinting the sketch to be inked tended to soak up the ink and created a thicker line than ideally wanted or normally have.)

You're Standing On My Neck

2010-04-12T17:24:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite TV shows of the 90's, Daria, is finally being released on DVD next month! Here's hoping it still holds up a decade or so later. And here's a little fan art I recently whipped up in anticipation. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Commissions: Pirate Mermiad & Bleu/Deis

2010-04-05T18:06:00.004-05:00

These are a couple of recent fan commissions from a single client. The first is a pirate mermaid (though I hope that's at least fairly obvious). The second is a character called Bleu/Deis from the "Breath of Fire" video game, which I'm entirely unfamiliar with. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Easter Squirrel

2010-03-28T21:46:00.004-05:00

Well, Easter is almost here, and for Jenn & Bueno that can only mean one thing...

...a visit from the Easter Squirrel?!?!?!

Oh well, enjoy!

-Andrew

They Fight Crime: Mermaid & Boxer

2010-03-22T17:25:00.004-05:00

This one was inspired by one of the random descriptions generated at the amusing website, theyfightcrime.org. I learned by doing this that it's a really fun place to get an idea for a wacky illustration! Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Spring at Last

2010-03-15T17:34:00.003-05:00

...spring at last, thank God Almighty, SPRING AT LAST!

Yeah, I'm pretty happy to see the arrival (at least the first signs of arrival) of Spring this year...so here's a Jenn & Bueno illustration that celebrates that fact. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Sanders Style

2010-03-10T18:51:00.003-06:00

This was drawn for a "Design-A-Character" challenge on deviantART. The challenge was to design a character in the style Chris Sanders ("Lilo & Stitch", etc.)

Rather than designing a new character, I tried to interpret my existing characters, Jennifer & Bueno in his style. The results are iffy, but it was a fun project nonetheless! Enjoy!

-Andrew

Alice in Wonderland

2010-03-01T13:15:00.006-06:00

The fact that Tim Burton's upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie has created a lot of Alice hype of late has only served to stir up my lifelong love of Lewis Carroll's characters. So I thought it was time I gave them the Studio Bueno treatment.

Given the many interpretations of the characters over the years, especially the original illustrations by Tenniel and Holiday, and Disney's very Tenniel-and-Holiday-inspired designs, it was quite daunting to try to put an original spin on the characters.

Also, I added fake aging. For no reason whatsoever. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Neil Gaiman in Alabama

2010-02-24T17:48:00.008-06:00

On February 18, some fortunate friends and I got to see author extraordinaire, Neil Gaiman, on his first trip to Alabama. He spoke at the Bama Theatre in Tuscaloosa, presented by the Creative Campus of the University of Alabama.

There's really no particular point to making a blog entry about this, except to say that it was a very exceptional evening, and I figure at least some of the sort who regularly visit here likely enjoy Gaiman's work. At our event he read three short stories and a few select poems before spending some time answering several of the questions (including mine) from the heaping pile of index cards he'd received. He was personable (as much as one can be so from a stage), charming, witty, and generally entertaining. In addition to said entertainment, the evening was incredibly inspiring from a creative standpoint.

His work alone had earned him my admiration and respect long before this, but now it's increased that much more. If Neil Gaiman ever happens to be in your general area, you should definitely attempt to attend!

Here's a link to Neil's own blog entry about his experience in Tuscaloosa.

-Andrew

(Apologies to Lisa, who took this picture and therefore is not in it, but was very much a part of the evening!)

Jenn & Bueno: Would-Be Book Cover

2010-02-22T17:36:00.003-06:00

I had originally planned on putting together another Jenn & Bueno art book at the end of last year to follow up their first book from late 2008. However, I decided I'd rather put another book on hold until I have more illustrations I'd like to fill it with.

This is a portion of the art that I was planning for the cover. Since it didn't get used there (and may not make it onto whatever future book eventually takes place), I decided I'd at least post it here so it's not completely relegated to the Heap O' Forgotten Art. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Mardi Gras

2010-02-15T17:24:00.002-06:00

With all the Holiday/Seasonal Jenn & Bueno illustrations I've done over the years, I've never done one for Mardi Gras (as was recently pointed out to me). So, here's one for Mardi Gras! Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Valentines 2010

2010-02-08T17:56:00.003-06:00

It's time now for the fourth annual Jenn & Bueno Valentine Cards! Once again I've created four pun-tastic designs inspired by the whimsical, cartoony cards kids pass around in elementary school. At the end of this post you'll see links to where you can download a printable template of all four cards in case you wanna disappoint anyone you know by actually giving them a greeting of my creation this year. Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy the cards!

--Andrew

Here are the links to 150 dpi templates you can print.
Just print them on opposite sides of the same sheet of paper
(heavy stock provides the best results, obviously).

PRINTABLE CARD FRONTS
PRINTABLE CARD BACKS

And here are the printable fronts to the cards from the past years (the printable back should fit all of them).

PRINTABLE CARD FRONT 2009
PRINTABLE CARD FRONT 2008
PRINTABLE CARD FRONT 2007

Zombie Werewolf

2010-02-01T17:21:00.004-06:00

If zombies are kinda scary and werewolves are also kinda scary, then it stands to reason that a ZOMBIE WEREWOLF would be twice as scary...correct? Dun dun dunnnnnn!

Enjoy!
-Andrew

Four Kitties

2010-01-25T12:58:00.004-06:00

This art was a Christmas gift for a close friend, showcasing her four cats in wacky cartoon form. I obviously had to wait until after Christmas to post it, and by then I kept forgetting! It's here now, though, so enjoy!

-Andrew

Here's a photo of the framed final product:

Commission: Neville NIN

2010-01-13T18:59:00.006-06:00

This fan commission was requested as a gift for a friend of the client. It features a scene from a Harry Potter fan fiction in which the client's friend is introducing Neville Longbottom to muggle Walkman technology on board the Hogwarts Express. Enjoy!

-Andrew

)

Old Yeti Loves Hot Cocoa

2010-01-07T21:30:00.003-06:00

This old Yeti apparently loves his cocoa... Just a quick sketch I did today...a very cold and slightly snowy day (the snow part is rather here in Alabama). Enjoy!

-Andrew

-Andrew This picture was actually inspired by a picture of an orangutan I saw in the newspaper this morning. The picture was very dark and when I first glanced at it, I thought I saw a creature far weirder than an orangutan! Here's a Xerox of the original photo, with added pencil lines to show how I thought it was a mythical creature at first glance...

Improvement Meme 2003-2009

2010-01-05T21:03:00.003-06:00

Another meme I found on deviantART and decided to fill out on a whim.

On the one hand, it's fun to see how one's style improves over the years, as well as to observe the ways in which it remains similar. On the other hand, it's a little depressing to me that the last couple of years don't really show as stark an improvement between them as I'd wish.

Enjoy!
-Andrew

Drew's Favorite Movies from 2009

2010-01-05T21:01:00.003-06:00

I shared my annual, dorky "Favorite Movies" list on Facebook and forgot to post it here as I usually do! A few days late, but better that than never:

DREW'S FAVORITE MOVIES OF 2009

It's time once again for my incredibly dorky list of personal favorite movies for the year. Despite the embarrassingly large number of new movies I saw this year either theatrically or on video (54, anyone?), I still missed a couple that I really wanted to see. Naturally this list can only draw from those I did see.

1. UP (May 29, 2009)
For the third year in a row, Pixar has the top movie on my list. I'm not doing it on purpose--I just find them to be that good. Especially this one. UP had everything one could ask for in a movie: Comedy. Action. Drama (even a couple of bonafide tear-jerker scenes). Fun characters. Beautiful animation. And don't forget the great story. There's nothing more to be said--squirrel!

2. (500) Days of Summer (July 17, 2009)
This was an atypical romantic comedy in every sense of the word, and that's why it's so good. The age-old story of falling in love was told here with a little dose of reality, in that things don't always work out so perfectly as we hope or imagine. The disjointed timeline the story followed was also a nice touch, as were the performances from the actors, especially Zooey Deschanel in the title role.

3. Coraline (February 6, 2009)
Easily the most aesthetically pleasing movie of the year. Henry Sellick's unique style of stop-motion animation perfectly suited this dark tale, adapted, faithfully enough, from Neil Gaiman's novella of the same name. This movie also gave us possibly the creepiest villain of the year. Not for extremely young kids, but great fun for everyone else.

4. Where the Wild Things Are (October 16, 2009)
While potentially enjoyable to people fo all ages, this adaptation of a children's book should hit especially close to home for adults. It thoughtfully explores many of the uncertain and volatile emotions of childhood, all the while providing a unique story and strong, memorable visuals.

5. Watchmen (March 6, 2009)
I know audiences (especially nerds like myself) were divided over this one, but I fall into the camp who loved it. It's certainly an imperfect adaptation of the source material, but anything would be. I think the movie we got--especially in the Director's Cut which later came out on Blu Ray--distills the massive story down in a respectful and workable way. It was great seeing the characters brought to life, most of them, especially Rorshach, with great success.

6. Up in the Air (December 4, 2009)
An engaging and thoughtful comedy with appropriate doses of drama. I really enjoyed this one.

7. Inglourious Basterds (August 21, 2009)
Just as over-the-top a film as you'd expect from Tarantino, this one grabs you early and never lets go. Funny and entertaining, yet consistently tense and unnerving. A uniquely fun ride.

8. Away We Go (June 5, 2009)
A funny and hearfelt story with great performances from all involved. I was even occassionally able to forget that I was watching Jim from The Office!

9. Fantastic Mr. Fox (November 25, 2009)
This movie had every ounce of quirkiness you expect in a Wes Anderson movie, only this time it was set to animation. The highly stylized, somewhat herky-jerky style of stop motion animation, in fact, only added to the movie's charm.

10. Moon (June 12, 209)
Sam Rockwell turns in a great performance in this overlooked gem about a man going stir-crazy (or so it would seem) during an extended solo stint on a moon
base.

A Few Random Honorable Mentions:

Pirate Radio was a surprisingly enjoyable, irreverantly funny little movie. Funny People delivered a dose of typical Judd Apatow humor to a largely (and effictively) dramatic storyline. Ponyo, while not my favorite movie from Japanese animation master, Hayao Miyazaki, this still retains all the charm (both visually and story-wise) that one has come to expect from his films. The Princess and the Frog was perhaps imperfect, but an enjoyable return to traditional animation from Disney. Zombieland was just loads and load of good old fashioned zombie apacolypse fun! And it just happens to feature probably the best celebrity cameo of all time. Drag Me to Hell delievered loads of tongue-in-cheek camp in this fun little "horror" flick. Star Trek was an excellent summer blockbuster, enjoyable even for those, like me, who were previously non-Trekkies. District 9 was a unique and original sci-fi tale, while 9 was an enjoyably dark sci-fi flick in its own right (not to mention gorgeously animated), and Earth was an enjoyable nature documentary with surely some of the most beautiful nature scenery ever!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was likely the most disappointing movie of the year. Not the WORST movie--not even close--as it had its merit here and there But it could have been so very, very much more that it felt like a wasted opporunity.

Now, what were some of your favorites?

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Christmas 2009

2009-12-17T18:20:00.005-06:00

Here's the art for this year's Jenn & Bueno Christmas card.

I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday season! Not to mention an excellent New Year, etc. etc...

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno Book SALE (Plus, "It's a GOAT!")

2009-12-01T20:51:00.003-06:00

When I was a child, I really, really liked goats. I still think they're pretty darn cool animals.

Now that I have your attention: In order to get into the holiday spirit (i.e., get rid of some stock and get a little money), I'm putting my remaining copies of last year's, The Jennifer & Bueno Collection on sale! Just $16.00 plus shipping!

I have about 10 more copies in my possession that I can sign and draw a sketch in before I ship them out to you. Once those are gone, all future copies will be sold direct from the publisher. (If you miss out on those first 10 copies but really want yours signed, contact me before you place your order and we can work something out).

Order Your Copy of The Jennifer & Bueno Collection

The book features every Jenn & Bueno illustration from 2008 (the holidays, the "Colors" series, the movie spoofs, the miscellanea), a select few from 2007, and several of the rough pencil prelims for pieces featured in the book.

$16.00, 50 pages, paperback, full color, 8.5" x 11", perfect binding.

After my supply runs out, copies can be purchased direct from the publisher HERE.

Fire Bird

2009-11-09T21:08:00.004-06:00

Here is yet another recent attempt at the scribbling exercise. Again, the exercise is as follows: I scribbled all over a piece of paper with my eyes closed (the results of which are also seen in this post). Then I examined the scribbles to see what shapes I could make out of them. This time we got a giant, exotic bird (a phoenix, perhaps?) roasting marshmallows over a campfire. Enjoy!

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Halloween Bones!

2009-10-26T20:25:00.004-05:00

I apologize for the long delay since the last post! This artistic drought is still, for the most part, enduring. If she doesn't return of her free will, I have plans to send mercenaries after my Muse any day now to bring her back by force.

In the meantime, enjoy this Jenn & Bueno Halloween piece I managed to get done. It's a reworking of a J&B illustration from a few years back. HAPPY HALLOWEEN, everyone, and enjoy!

-Andrew

Down the Rabbit Hole...Again

2009-09-20T21:10:00.004-05:00

I did this for a "Grown Up Alice" themed Art Jam I discovered on deviantART. Being a fan of all things Wonderland, I couldn't resist participating. Apparently Alice's taste in clothing never changes.

Enjoy, and don't forget to check out the Jenn & Bueno sketch comic that was the bonus weekend update, for those who havent' seen it yet.

-Andrew

Jenn & Bueno: Fan Request

2009-09-18T17:36:00.005-05:00

Here's a bonus update for the weekend!

I have no special desire to see the new movie, Jennifer's Body. Still, every time I see it promoted I can't help but think about the fact that I occasionally use Jennifer & Bueno to spoof current movies...and then all the obvious jokes come to mind. That had to be addressed, so here you have it!

A quick and sketchy comic, just for fun! Enjoy!

-Andrew