Still pretty tired.

I feel like there are probably things I should be telling you about Comic-Con, but I can’t remember any of them. It was long. It was fun. It was exhausting.

I talked to a handsome man who I think was named Ricardo, and it wasn’t until he had purchased a print and we had a discussion about it that I realized that he was surrounded by cameras, both video and non, and that he was “someone.” But I don't know who. He was very nice. Knew his comic book history, spoke with an accent, mentioned his girlfriend and when a young woman asked him to pose for a picture as he walked away from me, I heard him ask her if she was “a Latina” and when she confirmed that she was, he spoke to her a little in Spanish, told her that her costume was beautiful and that she was beautiful and then strode away, calling over his shoulder, “Be sure to watch me on....” and then I couldn’t hear him anymore. And I wish I knew who he was, but have you ever tried to good “handsome Latino actor named Ricardo” because while it's a very pleasurable way to spend your time, it doesn’t help.

Ok, so, there was a little bit of new stuff this year, and I am just gonna show it to you because...well, that’s what I do. Ok? Ok.

New Batman charm...

New TARDIS button...

Proof of early man’s cupcake hunts...

And my preferred house of worship...

.

That kind of sums it up, no? 

The Emotional Cupcake.

I was reading the other day about people who lack the ability to recognize emotions in others. Or, I guess, more specifically, lack the ability to recognize the expressions of emotion on the faces of others. Like, have you seen the test where you are asked to identify a smile as real or fake? Turns out that not everyone can do that. I sometimes think I have trouble with things like this, but I am pretty good at recognizing a real smile. And in thinking about such things, I wanted to try and break down emotions into simple shapes and thus we have the emotional cupcake:

Now, clearly there are more emotions to be considered. This is just a beginning. But once I saw all those little cupcake faces stacked up, I couldn't help myself. Also, Emotional Cupcake is the name of my new band.

Angry Birds and Adventure Times.

Last year I did a series of posts for Halloween. This year...I didn’t. And it wasn’t until Halloween day itself that I even felt moved to doodle. And this is what I doodled...

He was inspired by those cupcakes that use Oreos to make the owl faces but I have no idea why he’s so angry. Maybe because I didn’t post him on Halloween. Sorry, birdie, way too busy!

And just because, here’s a girl pretending to be a boy pretending to have an adventure with a dog who is pretending he cares.

When my friend Jason showed me the pilot for Adventure Time, about a year before it finally aired, we kind of got obsessed. The ringtone on my phone may have been Finn yelling “My hat is AWESOME!” for quite some time...it may have been. Maybe. Possibly. Most definitely.

Let them eat...

I wasn’t thinking at all when I posted earlier. Today is Bastille Day and I should have posted this instead:

A few years ago I read an incredible book about Marie Antoinette and I had to draw something referring to her. We all know she never really uttered those infamous words, but there was definitely a baked good involved in the revolution. I'm just gonna pretend it was a cupcake.

Récamier Velvet...and mutant gingerbread.

I’ve been working on this book about cupcakes for a while now. I don’t know if I will ever actually finish it (surprise), but the whole thing that started it was an idea I had about a red velvet cupcake on a Récamier couch.

Have you ever heard of a Récamier couch?  I hadn’t until I was in college and studying theatre history. I fell in love with this painting of Madame Récamier reclining on her couch:

Portrait of Madame Récamier by Jaques-Louis David

...and I filed it away in my tiny brain for future use. And like I said, one day I just had to draw a cupcake on a Récamier couch. Weird. Even weirder? I don’t actually like red velvet cupcakes. Too much food coloring. Although I believe that originally, the red color was only from the reaction of the “un-dutched” cocoa with the acidity of the vinegar and the buttermilk. It wasn’t that crazy red we see now. I make brown velvet cupcakes and just leave out the dye. I’m a rebel that way.

Know what’s even weirder still? Mutant gingerbread men.

I have my hands full being bad.

Ok, so here’s the thing. I MAY have had a crush on Doc Ock well before Spider-Man 2 (Electric Bug-aloo) (…or…The Spidering)…I’m neither confirming or denying that one. But I will most vehemently assert that whatever may have existed before was amplified ten-(nay, ten-thousand)fold with the brilliant performance of one Mr. Alfred Molina as the disturbed doctor (I so want to call him a cephalo-clod but that’s really pushing it). I’d take that cold metal cuddle (cuttle? no? too much?) any day…well…more or less. Still, I have a fondness for the old evil genius and although I probably think every girl I draw is my favorite, Doc’s girl ranks right up there at the top of my list for all time fave. Her actual title is “I have my hands full being bad” but she’s a good girl at heart…I think. I mean, look at her, how evil can you get with a cupcake and a teddy bear?...Please don’t answer that. I totally DO NOT want to know what you get up to on the weekends.

Mellow Cupcakes.

As long as I am posting random cd covers, here’s an old one for a cupcake loving friend.

Cute Little Cupcake!

I’ve been working on a new pin-up girl. She’s not done yet but I wanted to show you how she’s coming along.

I really get a kick out of drawing these pin-ups and I think my favorite part about it is trying to make them demure and sensible. Granted, it’s very unlikely that any semi-nude girl is going to lie down in a giant cupcake, but I am pretty sure if she did, she’s be wearing knickers. Really, it’s just a good idea on all counts.

Back!

Oops. Got a little sidetracked by life there. Sorry! But I am back...from outer space...you just walked in to find me here with that...wait...no...

Well, since I took the week (or so) off I am making up for it by posting a few different things. First up, a rough for my cupcake book.

I am actually not that big a carrot cake fan, but if my carrot cake was delivered by a tiny fluffy bunny, I might change my mind.

Next...

I told myself that I would get a tattoo for my birthday, but I chickened out. Maybe next year. Until then, a very old image, the first of my nekkid ladies, actually. She sports part of the tattoo I have designed for myself...but I am too chicken to get...

And, as a matter of fact, she was an old “Illustration Friday” piece for the theme “Fresh”. She is titled Fresh (Ink).

Speaking of fresh. I did a quick design for a contest a while back. I was attempting to win a year of groceries from Fresh & Easy. To be honest, I think my concept was cute but I didn’t spend enough time on it. When I saw the winning designs I realized that I was so far off the mark of what they were interested in as to be ridiculous. Ah well.

That’s enough for now. Back soon!

Mmm...cupcakes.

It's a cupcake, do I really need to say more?

Angel Food for Andrea.

My friend Andrea expressed concern that there may not be enough cupcakes on this blog. Don't worry, Andrea, my obsession with cupcakes is of both the edible and illustrated variety. Here's a little cupcake for you that will eventually show up in a book. A book about cupcakes. What a lovely thing.

And if you wonder, as people often do, why I am so obsessed with these petite confections...well...I think it's because no one ever expects you to share a cupcake. You get to have one all to yourself. Yay!