Big Rubber Gorilla

2010-10-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

Found! Charlton Comic's "The Comic Book Guide for the Artist Writer Letterer" in pdf form.

I've looked for this particular booklet since I was a kid, I had missed the boat on it back then by about 5 years. I had collected the bagged 3-pack Charlton comics in the late '70's, the comics had been bundled after sitting around for a long time. The booklet rarely shows up on eBay. Originally offered in1973 the booklet was so popular it went into a 2nd printing.

Here is some nice history on the booklet, as well as jpeg pages and a pdf version.

http://diversionsofthegroovykind.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-make-comics-charlton-way.html

2010-10-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

New old art from the files!

Found some stray scans from the Nat Geo 2008/2009 Kids Calendar I worked on.

I had half the monthly illustrations and one main illustration to do for it. The project had to be done in 20 days, pure craziness of a deadline and little room for revisions.

I started with 2 rounds of sketches, one whole batch of ideas were rejected. The second batch of sketches were approved with little changes. The pencil art was scanned and revised in photoshop. After sketch approval I ink-lined in Photoshop and coloured.

About 8 months later a nifty calendar showed up on my door!

As a bonus, here is an Iggy Arbuckle comic strip sample I was asked to do for Nat Geo Kids....I had pencilled up 5 full pages, but only had time to colour a daily page.

Found! Giant Play Zoo animal collection!

2010-05-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

While cleaning up my box of items destined for eBay I ran across a bunch of plastic animals I picked up years ago in a mixed bag of PEZ and such.

I instantly recognized them from the mid-70's comic book ad and stashed them away until I could find a copy of said ad. I'm not sure which comic or company the ad is from, Gold Key or Charlton.

They are all pretty guady and badly painted. When I was a kid I thought they were really GIANT size as stated in the ad, but sadly they are only about an inch high.

Way back when I was collecting comics....

2009-05-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

In 1983 I was dreaming about the comics I could only read about in Comics Scene magazine. It was the first magazine I had seen that covered comic books in such depth and seriousness as a "real" magazine. I discovered a lot of the comics and artists that I have enjoyed and have influenced my own work through this magazine.

But it wouldn't last....the first run of Comics Scene ran 11 issues, and without any idea when it would reappear I quickly forgot about it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comics_Scene_(magazine)

I had entered a contest in one of the issues to win a Spider-man prize package....I am not sure of the exact details of the contest.

To my surprise, about a year later this showed up in my mailbox.

I must have read Star Raiders about a million times and have a few copies on my shelf, including my original.

The Discovery Train Programme 1978

2008-10-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

One of the weirdest things I experienced as a child was the The Discovery Train Programme. During the summer of the late '70's The National Museums of Canada put trains loaded with Canadian culture on tour.

I can't remember how many times we saw the Discovery Train, it could only have been once, but it did have a direct effect on my current occupation. They had an afternoon of NFB animated films onboard for anyone to see.

One of the non-animation films they showed was "Paddle to the Sea". That one has haunted my dreams for years! http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=10584

According to the Freedom Train website the trains were appropriated from the American Freedom Train program. The Freedom Train ran from the 40's to the 70's. More can be found on their website. http://www.freedomtrain.org/html/whereabouts.htm

Development Design "Simon's Shoes"

2008-03-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

Development design for a show called "Simon's Shoes".

Basically a science-geek kid with time-travelling shoes.

Promo postcards

2008-03-07T11:34:00.001-08:00

These pieces are from a series of postcard designs I did for promo pieces.

MORE Asleep!

2008-02-22T12:13:00.000-08:00

Some Sunday pages cartoon strip for the Creators Syndicate.

Asleep At the Wheel

2008-02-22T11:31:00.000-08:00

Way back before the internet I developed a daily cartoon strip for the Creators Syndicate.

From what I remember it was well recieved, but I didn't want to pay the fee they asked for

to start distribution.

Random sketches from the slushpile!

2008-02-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

Robin sketch from a pile of
Teen Titans commission pieces.

Illo piece for a magazine.

The Gavinator.......

Bakshi Style!

The Rubber Gorilla Collection!

2007-04-30T08:02:00.000-07:00

Yes Kids, I collect Rubber Gorillas.

These guys have been around since the 1940's, sold at dime stores or given away as carnival prizes. A cheap single mold toy, easy to knock out a ton of them at a time. In the 60's there

was a rash of novelty rubber jigglers you could hang from your rear view mirror. That wonderful gasoline-smelling rubber pal! There are many, many different Gorillas in this form.

I have found at least 20.....all different.

The one rubber gorilla that seen the most is the 1970's Imperial Kong. There are 2 versions, the common 8" and the harder to find 5". They came tagged with a gold stretch elastic on the wrists.

There are 1960's and 1970's gumball machine prizes, like rubber gorilla keychains, rings, and pencil toppers. The pencil topper I have pictured doubled as Chewbacca's son or brother when my Brother and I created our "Star Wars" universe.

The 1980's Imperial Kong resembles the 1933 movie King Kong more than other versions.

It has that familiar gait and elongated arms.

I have found them all over the place.......mostly at toy conventions for less than $3.

As far as I have seen they stopped making them in the 80's, so hopefully my collection will be finite at some point. I was going to start collection some of the Japanese King Kong Vinyl kits since they are so damned cool!

Four 1970's Gorillas of varying sizes!

1970's Gumball Gorilla 1970's Pencil Topper

1970's Imperial Kong 8" version

1940's Carnival Prize 1970's Imperial Kong 5" version

1960's Kong Novelty Jiggler

For hanging from your rear view mirror.

1970's King Kong Bank Movie Tie-in

1970's King Kong Bubble Bath Movie Tie-in

1970's Big Jim Jungle Adventure Gorilla.

Most often confused with a King Kong toy,

but clearly labelled as a Mattel product.

1960's King Kong Animated series playset.

Cheap Vinyl/Plastic playset, yet considerably

rare. I don't own one of these and I probably

won't since it looks like hell!

Finally

2007-04-13T19:23:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Dave is now preparing to relax.....after a stint on laying out a 2D animated show in Photoshop for almost a year.
I can get some projects on the go and pick up some happenin' freelance gigs.
First on the list is the second installment of Gretchen Schlesinger's Send Me the Soap series.
The roughs are done and approved.....and I will be posted some of the published and unpublished stuff soon.

I am now involved in the Ralph Bakshi book due out next year.....My main focus is Ralph's 60's tv projects.....including Rocket Robin Hood. I offered to provide my research for use to the authors of the upcoming bio-book.

The compiled Rocket Robin Hood DVD set will arrive soon from a source who has 11 DVD's of RRH shows. I will be assembling an art of DVD for inclusion with the set.

That is all.....

What Star Wars!?!

2007-02-25T16:12:00.000-08:00

The influence of Star Wars on my 1970's mind.

I scribbled this on my Grade 4 report card.

And sadly it still continues......this painting is from the mid 90's.

A commission for a crazed SW collector.

Some custom Star Wars figures I made up for another collector.

Turnip Boy the short film now on Youtube

2007-02-02T22:43:00.000-08:00

Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-48a8PIKIA

Yes I am a fan of Rocket Robin Hood

2006-12-22T07:40:00.000-08:00

I've been a fan of Rocket Robin Hood since it aired (syndicated) in the 70's.
Strangely enough I received a pile of original RRH art a few years ago and have
been hawking a RRH fanzine on eBay.

I was originally researching a book on Ralph Bakshi when compiled it
into the 'zine.

The RRH 'zine is compiled of stories from various sources including
Bakshi, Jim Steranko, and Karl Hagen (the camera-man on the show).

So stay tuned for some RRH crap!

2006-12-22T07:18:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

In the field of animated film I have worked primarily as a television and feature animation layout artist, on such shows as Magic School Bus, Ace Ventura, and most recently for Fox TVs The Ripping Friends.

Productions I have worked as a designer include the syndicated Roswell Conspiracies and a Prozzak video for Animation House. Pre-production/Development projects I have worked on include Elliott the Moose for Pictor/Nelvana and Stez and Randy for MTV animation.

I'm including a pile of old sketches along with new stuff!