How to Trump your Dragon: The 2020 U.S. Election

 

In 2016 the phenomenon that is the Donald Trump presidential campaign came into existence, bright amazing reality, berated in the mainstream media (to this day) but something unique, something amazing and something truly historical... is happening again...

Stay tuned

The Cobb Book some early influences

The copy was a bit beat up but still an awesome book.

For both a wonderful cutting sense of political humour and cynicism coupled with a strong drawing technique Ron Cobb was an early influence on a lot of my concept art. The book, myself and my brother inherited from our dad was a little bit worn but still readable. It contained a lot of the political cartoons (which were produced mostly during the 1970's) were somewhat dated, many, viewer discretion would be advised; we'd never seen such amazingly detailed cartoon work as kids.

Caricature of late entertainer Tiny Tim.

When I discovered this guy not only worked on the original Star Wars as a concept artist but came up the look for the Ithorian. He was also honoured by having one named after him.

Roron Corobb

Early influences and the golden age of the Simpsons

If you can make a living as a caricaturist on $3 a drawing you're doing very well.

The Simpsons episode to feature a live caricaturist was "Lisa the Beauty Queen" which first aired in 1992 in this one I remember how powerful it was and even though the scene itself is only about 15 seconds long it defines the whole episode.

It's hard to describe the kind of impact The Simpsons had on the decade that was the 90's and early 2000's defining an entire generation's humour identity- this was long before the internet was widely available, and even then it was only dial-up. 

The show back then wasn't quite the show it is today, which is more a cumbersome ageing behemoth bloated with random reference jokes and celebrity voice talents in a desperate attempt to stay relevant. Of the show's 25 year run it's had a Bronze age, a Silver age, a Golden age and a Jumped the Shark trying to compete with Family Guy age. But The Simpsons I grew up with isn't The Simpsons of today and I accept that, mostly because television has long been replaced by the internet as my main form of entertainment.

But I do remember with fondness the episodes featuring life lessons intricately layered with relatable wit and just enough cartoon charm to appreciate the writing on the 4th wall much like when you eat Chinese food for the first time and eating your greens becomes your favourite part of the meal, these days if there's any message at all it's delivered like a worming tablet slipped into dog food.

I will still always love the Simpsons circa 1990-2002 (with exceptions here and there) the episodes that truly influenced me are there.

The 90's were weird- a retrospective of my early influences.

Imagination's ammo,  a time when a whole slew of cartoons that came out during this time which were so incredibly cool I had to pay tribute to a few that kept me entertained on Saturday mornings and after school times which, as a kid you live for- the internet was still a ways off.

I LOVED this show, the art direction alone (hiring a team of animators who can draw really well) made this show one of the first interesting takes on the lives of superheroes- there was a short lived live action spin-off from it but I never got around to watching it. 

Though only lasting 13 episodes it had an indelible effect on me as a kid, kind of the punk answer to Captain Planet (there was a LOT of environmentally themed shows aimed at kids during the 90's) brought to you by Troma...yeah. I used to have the Toxie action figure too! ^___O

He was all kinds of glow in the dark awesome, until his head came off, and I for the life of me had no idea how to reattach it.

Earthworm Jim was another massive favourite growing up. The smoothness of the animation, the sweet character design, the kick ass weapons and the random, Mad-libs nature of the game made it a gift basket of awesome wrapped neatly in an old magician's steamer trunk slapped with stickers of exotic destinations that mysteriously arrives on your doorstep. Both video game and cartoon were equally cool.

I remember the first episode of the Ren and Stimpy show I ever watched was on a Saturday morning around 6am circa '92 the staggering weirdness of it all OH THE FREAKISHNESS.  

And this is the first Ren and Stimpy song I remember watching.

When this show first came on television one day after school I thought honestly like everything AWESOME had coalesced into one animated series- and I was right. This is the version of the theme song we got in Australia, the UK and other places.

This is the full animated intro and yes it IS that awesome! In this version he's called "Waldo" because, I'm not entirely sure I suppose "Wally" isn't that common of a name in the states or because his arch nemisis Odlaw and that's Waldo backwards and has a British accent in the animated show but Wally has an American accent even though Wally is an English creation originally and oh no I've gone crosseyed...>_<

More to come soon :)

Some influences

The first song is by massively underrated Aussie band Infusion, the poetry to these lyrics still meanders like a wandering ghost through the lonesome halls of my memories.

33, arguably the most beautiful song from arguably Smashing Pumpkins best album, Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness.

This one is just pure fun.

Things to do while the phone is recharging

I finally got around to making a new caricature of myself for this year. 

This self portrait is my homage to Coop, an artist I've been a fan of since I stumbled upon his work in the 90's and one of my biggest influences. Sydney has hidden pockets of inspiration, I remember discovering Coop's work in a news agency in Hornsby.