What's a Zork?

Last May, I was chosen/voluntarily forced by my boss to go visit another Magnet Elementary School in South Carolina. I was the only dude with five other women. I was reluctant to go to say the least. I don't like spending time away from my family ESPECIALLY is school is the culprit. I really don't have a problem leaving if it is comic book/ movie related. BUT TEACHING!? COME ON!

Anyhoo, after the missus advised me to appease my boss, I went. I sat in the back of the van and got myself in vacation mode. It's the tried and tested "mode" I've used to survive vacation since I was a teenager: Back seat, head phones, books, pens, paper.

And that's exactly when we launched into: "Let's-make-this-an -enthusiastic-productive-brain-storming-working-car-trip!"

The team I was with decide to start planning for next school year. One theme that was bandied about was the recycled "Around the World in 180 Days." I'll agree to damn near anything so I can get back to zoning-out. Yeah. Sure. Whatever.

But it didn't end there.

Ooo-ooo-ooo! How about "Seeing the World Through Alien Eyes?"

Great. Super. Another winner.

But then this idea just snow-balled. The next thing that I know, I'm drawing this alien named Zork. I was just trying to look busy. I drew a couple different faces not giving it much thought. They liked the Little-foot/Shrek design. Now, their passing my notebook around the van, looking at this picture, taking iphone photos of it and trying to get price quotes for a costume. Seriously?

When we returned to Tally, I was asked to draw a turn around for some company that specializes in making mascot costumes. I drew the body on a different piece of paper, scanned it in and very crudely married the two in Photoshop. And what you see is what you get. I assumed that if I gave Zork E.T. proportions, that if no one could get in the suit, that this would be the end of ol' Zork.

It wasn't.

Buh-Bye or Uncomissioned Flash Cover Art (Colors)

Uncomissioned Flash Cover Art (Inks)

Black Saturday or Uncomissioned Flash Cover Art (pencils)

Here's a cover I drew of the Flash a few years ago. I'm still pretty happy with the way it turned. The thought behind was that now matter how fast you are, your never quite fast enough.

The Flash disarming bombs isn't the most original idea, but I liked the notion that he made it to the last one a split second too late.

I still think it's s strong portfolio piece.

Thanksgiving post game

You just had to know it was too good to last.

15 Years ago...

So I was one of those teenagers that didn’t really have to start working. As far as my parents were concerned, school was my job, But I learned more about people (customers, bosses, co-workers alike) than I ever did being confined to a classroom. Maybe because of the simple fact that you can apply and choose where you want to work, and that school is just forced upon you. I dunno.

My first job was as an usher at Oak Lake 6. These six movie posters were the six movies we had playing there when I started working fifteen years ago.

Okay, maybe not fifteen years EXACTLY, but it was Thanksgiving weekend 1995.

It was the opening weekend for a little movie called “Toy Story.” I’ve had a deep-rooted connection with that movie and I’ve been fascinated with Pixar movies ever since. (Kids today can’t even fathom that yes, there was a time when feature-length animated movies were only hand drawn. Now, it’s the opposite.)

As an usher, I must have heard the ending to that movie a thousand times. I don’t think I ever got tired of it. I remember not even needing a watch to know what the time was. As an usher, there’s a kind of Pavlovian conditioning at work there: from the lobby, whenever you heard the “BANG/THUD” of the U-haul truck ramp slam on the street, you knew it was time to find the rolling garbage can and find your broom and dustpans. When you opened the door and heard Andy yell, “Oh boy! A Puppy!” you knew it was time to Velcro the stop sign to the theater door and prop them open. Toy Story was a game changer.

Don’t even get me started on SE7EN. That warped my impressionable mind in a different way.

The Oak Lake would close its doors a meager year and a half later. I made a lot of fond memories that I’ll always cherish forever in that small window of time.

The old Oak Lake 6 is currently the WCTV news station. Completely remodeled.

I can always revisit it in the Ashley Judd movie “Ruby in Paradise.” While not the EXACT same theater, the movie has a scene shot in an identical clone theater in Panama City.

The Vacation begins...

Thanksgiving Break begins. I might actually like this break more than the Christmas holidays because all I have to do is eat.

Judging by these character concepts, I was starting to feel great with all of these designs passing muster.