Stabs at Sketching

Here is some preliminary sketching for last week's Incompatibles installment. It’s funny how the drawing can lead to finer nuances in the narrative. Originally “Vegan Rituals” was slated to display a knife-toting priestess poised to sacrifice her giant carrot. As I was toying with different blades, the thought hit me: “Why a knife? It should be a peeler.” I think that one edit really added finish to the gag. 

Toothpaste and OJ

This particular cartoon was a revamp of a gag I drew 20 years ago. Above is the second generation rough (you can see the blueline I'm drawing over). Yup, it's that sketchy until I'm satisfied with all the relationships. I started from scratch as the previous version was just a guy standing in a non-descipt background. I thought it would be more compelling to have the setting be a man in his bathroom mirror. Why he would have OJ in there? I have no clue. :)

Blueline of Strange Shopper

Above is the second-to-the-last blueline of my latest cartoon. I wanted to make this character look quirky with an odd fashion ensemble and a pose that reflected a shopping game face. It's not a matter of IF he's going to use the product, he's just weighing the different types at this moment.

Movie Review: Bourne Legacy

Caught the restart of the Bourne saga this last Thursday. It's fairly easy to summarize The Bourne Legacy: Try to imagine one of the earlier Bourne movies crossed with a movie like … say …  Beaches. Man, way too much talking and self-reflection here; not near enough KICKING BUTT AND TAKING NAMES. Lots of guys will go to this movie and walk out shaking their heads. The plot was solid, it just suffered from chronic action deficiency. It made the 2:15 run time feel like an eternity. Jeremy Renner did what he could with the script. He has the charisma and presence to take on this mantle, he just needs better material. Rachel Weisz played her part well too and she looked surprisingly youthful at 42. So no foul in regard to the acting personnel. Nupe, the fault here lay at the feet of the guy in the director chair, Tony Gilroy (coincidentally the co-screenwriter with his brother, Dan Gilroy). My advice to the two bros: do a marathon of Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy, Bourne Ultimatum and sprinkle in a little Rambo First Blood I and II for good measure; THEN write the script for next film. And, ooh, please omit the cheesy violin-cliff hanger riff at the end of the next movie. I groaned audibly when I heard it. I say keep the "legacy" of patootie-kicking action and let this new generation of Bourne find its own footing (and music). "B-"

Movie Review: Total Recall

Here's my brief recap of this remake of the 80s film by the same name: The futuristic earth world created was reminiscent of Blade Runner. The chase scenes and action were awesome. The actors were not easy to engage. In fact, if any character seemed somewhat interesting, it was Douglas (Colin Ferrell) Quad's villainous wife (Kate Beckinsale). She at least had a personality. Perhaps the chase plot gives us less time get to know these characters, perhaps the script and story just under use them. Either way, it seemed flat. On paper it looked like a home run; in reality, it was a double. Schwarzenegger need not fear.  "B"

Background Details

You'll notice in the rough drawing above that I originally had a group of guys running away from the scene, as if they were unwilling participants in this warped game of tag. I elected to go with a playground scene in the background for the final. I found it more funny with boys who seem oblivious to the activity down the hill. You'll also notice the tagged guy's pants and shoes are different in the final.

The Idea is the Thing

Above is one of the baby sketches I did last month during my fam's Utah/Nevada road trip. To me these are the most important sketches to get out of your head. The idea is the thing. I find that most of the time, the scribbly little thumbnail I generate is not far off from the final composition.

Movie Review: Dark Knight Rises

Chris Nolan wraps up his Batman trilogy with the release of Dark Knight Rises this last week. Nolan does usual justice to his finale by weaving a multi-threaded tale that pits newcomer terrorist, Bain, against Gotham's Caped Crusader. Throughout the film, Nolan reveals background details that cleverly frame the culminating final scenes of the movie. I can't describe too much of the movie without giving away spoiler details, so I will simply say who/what I thought worked, and what didn't:

Christian Bale
Bale was much better this time around than in Dark Knight. He really toned down his verbal performance, most notably in his delivery of Batman's gravelly voice. In DK, it seemed like he was spitting out his lines, perhaps feeling a little upstaged by Heath Ledger's Joker. But there was a restraint in his delivery this time that actually blended well with a Bat coming out of an 8-year, self-imposed retirement.

Anne Hathaway
I have to admit, I was really skeptical about Hathaway as Selena Kyle going in, but she made it work. There was a cool quirkiness to her rendition of Catwoman. And kudos to Nolan for really removing the feline caricature—the problem with previous big screen portrayals—in his script. It enabled Hathaway to execute Kyle with more depth and needed subtlety.

Tom Hardy
The role of Bain was handily executed by Hardy. It must have taken hours of gym dedication to get his back and torso in shape for this movie. And Hardy doesn't disappoint in his delivery of the super villain, although some comic enthusiasts might suffer some let down if they go in expecting a 3-D, effects-altered physique. Occasionally, Bain's words are a little difficult to understand through his face mask, but overall, he brings a memorable personality to a calm, matter-of-fact psychopath.

Michael Caine
Caine's Alfred shows a flare of emotion not seen in previous Batman installments. It allows us to see the butler in a more human light, a dimension of Alfred Pennyworth not seen in past incarnations (no disrespect to the late Michael Gough). Although we don't see too much of Alfred in this final installment, his delivery gives a lot of weight to this supporting role, reminding us that Bruce Wayne does have family.

Time
It seems almost part and parcel: if you go to a Nolan film, expect a looooong sit. Fortunately he does an exemplary job of entertaining with a well-crafted story, but even the most accommodating bladder has its limits. This would be my only knock to DKR. There is a powerful march and rhythm to Nolan's films that takes you on an ever-upward roller coaster ride, with tense music always as the backdrop. Sometimes when it is drawn-out too long, the viewer can tire (at least I do—think of how you felt emotionally spent after DK and Inception). To his credit, Nolan does a fine job of tossing in a few valleys here and there to gives us a few respites before the culminating scenes, but 2-hours and 45 minutes is a long haul no matter how you slice it. So prepare mentally for a great movie, but go in knowing it will be a marathon. And do yourself a favor: hit the restroom before the show and sip your soda slowly and prudently.  "A"

Dance Edits

Above is this week's Incompatibles and below is a blueline sheet of the rain dancer. You can see that I was messing around with the different expressions he could make while doing his groove thang. I polled my family on this and they were split, so I finally went with my gut and chose the version of the guy with tightly shut eyes, biting down on his lip (versus puckered lips and wide-open eyes). With either pose, I just wanted to reflect his intense commitment to the artform. Sometimes edits are clear-cut black and white. Sometimes they are good-better-best. And sometimes they are just personal preference. This edit was the latter of the three.

Chicken Wing

A little play sketch of an Indian brave doing some funky chicken wing move (what's the name of this dance move???).  I've been doodling the facial expression and body position of this character this evening. He's going to be the focal point in my next Incompatibles panel. This is a quick ditty using my new Pentel water brush. Love it.