The Nose Knows

The Nose Knows

Acrylic on Canvas

24" x 36"

2015

For the Giant Robot 2015 Biennale (Hosted by the Japanese American National Museum), I decided to create a painting that has distinct "east meets west" ideas. "The Nose Knows" combines Disney's "Pinocchio" with the Japanese "Tengu". 

My reasoning for bringing the two elements together is simple: They both have long noses. I remember the first time I saw a tengu mask. Asides from the obvious phallic suggestions, my next though was that it reminded me of Pinocchio. Anyways, I thought the Japanese American National Museum would be the perfect venue to debut such an idea.
I consider this the second in a series of paintings I call "East Meets West". The first being my painting "Boba"

Shaved Ice (Bat)

On June 21st, 2014, Giant Robot hosted Ugly Doll's annual Ugly Con.
The feature Ugly Doll this time was Ice Bat, who was celebrating its 10th anniversary.

While I was trying to figure out what to do, I happened to see Sean Chao's contribution.

SHAVED ICE! OF COURSE!

So from there, I was able to conceive my idea for the show:

Shaved Ice (Bat)

12"x 9"

Color Pencil On Paper

2014

Thanks Sean!

San Diego Comic Con 2014

Here's my plans products and schedules for this years SDCC.

For this years SDCC, I got my hands on a limited number of "Decapitated Bear Heads (2014)" from my "Heads" show at Clutter Gallery. I'll be selling them to anyone who comes up and asks if they want one. Extremely limited, these heads were cast by hand, and their features were painted on by yours truly. Original retailing for $150 a piece, I'm planning on selling them at a SDCC for $100.

This year Munky King will have a couple new items for sale. The first is our latest major project: "Bitch" and the very limited "Golden Fleece" colorway (limited to 100 pieces, price to be determined). Along with that, we're also going to debut my self produced shaped pillow (limited to 50 pieces, $85 each).

I'll be signing at the Munky King booth on Thursday 11am - 1pm. 

Giant Robot is debuting our "Headspace Series: Father & Fett" prints. These painting were created for the Super Awesome exhibition at Oakland Museum of California, and are a variation on series I started a couple years ago called "Headspace". The series explores all the things that I grew up with or consider an integral part of my being. ($120 for the set)

Because of the interest expressed in this print, we are splitting the run. Fifty will be available at SDCC, and another fifty will be available on line from the Giant Robot website.

I will be signing at Giant Robot's booth on Friday, 12pm - 2pm.

Shoryuken

Shoryuken

9" x 12"

Acrylic on Wood Panel

2014

This May, I finally created the third installment to my "Street Fighter" series of paintings. Produced for "Game Over", a video game themed group show hosted by Giant Robot.
The foundation for this series comes from one of my more popular paintings: "Possessed". In it, my blood soaked bear is 'possessed' by the devil with a video game controller (Specifically an Atari 2600 controller). The segue between this painting and video game themed narratives seemed only too perfect.
After creating this third painting, it came to me that this might make a fun series of mini figure toys (in the style of Japanese Gashapan/Candy toys). If whoever wants to produce this series wants to do this, then I'm probably going to have to explore another 3 moves. I wonder which ones I should do...

Post It Show 9

On December 2013, I participated in Giant Robot's annual Post It Note Show (number 9). For this show, I started by thinking about how I used post it notes. What I realized was that I mostly used them as grocery lists. From there I illustrated six items I normally purchase when I go grocery shopping.

 

The week after the opening of Post It Show 9, Giant Robot decided to host a second opening since a bunch of artists were late with their contributions. I used this opportunity to create a second set. Sticking with the food theme, I chose to create a series inspired by my love of coffee.
For my coffee series, I decided to feature an animal that I consider the opposite of what coffee stands for: the Sloth.

 

Ugly Love (Featuring Peaco)

Ugly Love (Featuring Peaco)

6" x 8"

Graphite and Ink on Paper

2013

Ugly Love (Featuring Peaco) was created for Uglycon 2013, a show dedicated to Ugly Doll. Hosted by Giant Robot, contributing artists were asked to create something featuring, or was at least related to, the Ugly Doll. For my contribution, I imagined it (in this case, the character Peaco) being loved by my bear to the point of being hurt. 
Because I had little time to do this (with my upcoming solo show looming overhead) I choose to stick with using graphite and pen on paper.

Bartholomew Punchyface Contest

A couple weeks ago, 3D Retro, Scott Tolleson, and I celebrated the release of Bartholomew Punchyface at the Giant Robot gallery. At the party we also had a little contest where we invited attendees to show us how they would torture Bartholomew Punchyface. We started with a simple print out, and let the audience do their thing. Of the contributions, Tolleson and I chose 3 designs as winners, whom we awarded hand embellished prints. (Can you guess which ones we chose?)

For your enjoyment, here are the contributions from the Bartholomew Punchyface - "Show Me A World Of Hurt" contest.
Bartholomew Punchyface is now available for purchase from 3D Retro.

 

Thrashlab Interview

This interview I did for Thrashlab has been out for a little while, but I wanted to make sure I mentioned it on my blog.

Interview conducted and filmed by Eric Nakamura of Giant Robot.

Bartholomew Punchyface

Sometime around 2012, my friend & colleague Scott Tolleson and I decided it'd be fun to try collaborating on a toy project. Tolleson, a stylistically eclectic artist, is probably best known for his "Nosellot" plush toy line. A collection of cute stylized characters, almost all of his Nosellot's don his signature glasses and argyle. Taking some of these elements and combining them with my signature bear and tragic narratives, and the end result became "Bartholomew Punchyface".

When we decided to design a plush toy, one of the things we wanted to incorporate was "playability". We accomplished this by giving it underwear from which you could give him a "wedgie". We also incorporated the classic school yard prank, "kick me", sign on his back, and roughed him up with blemishes on his knee and elbow, decked him out in argyle, corduroy, glasses, and topped it off with bowl cut. The coup de gras is a black eye on its right and a tear from his left.
"Bartholomew Punchyface" was three dimensionalized by the London based A Little Stranger and produced by 3D Retro. It will be released on April 13th 2013 with a release party hosted by Giant Robot (Saturday, April 13th 2013 5pm - 8pm). Afterwards Bartholomew will be available for purchase at 3D Retro's online shop.
The original version of Bartholomew Punchyface is limited to 400 pieces.

Crotch Talk - Year of the Snake

CROTCH TALK (YEAR OF THE SNAKE)

Acrylic and Ink on Panel

9" x 12"

2013

On February 2nd, 2013, Giant Robot hosted the "Year of the Snake" themed group show. As the name implies, February 2013 marks the year of the snake on the lunar calendar. 
Since the end of 2012, I've been looking for opportunities to try something different and create something a little more 'experimental'. Unfortunately I ran out of time, so I resorted to a series concept I've been holding onto for a while: the "Crotch Talk" series. 
"Crotch Talk" was going to be the sequel to "Head Space". Where "Head Space" is about the things inside my head, "Crotch Talk" would focus on my thoughts concerning sexuality. My original plan for "Crotch Talk (Snake)" was to incorporate something like the black mamba, or another venomous spitting snake. But for "Crotch Talk (Year of the Snake)", I thought painting the snake red and gold will be a nice nod to Chinese New Year. I guess I'll save the mamba for when I create the series to be displayed as a whole show.
I'm still not sure when I can bring this series to fruition, but I guess this as a preview of things to come.

Ugly Ugly Doll

 When I was invited to contribute a design to Giant Robot's Ugly Doll Remix Project, I simply couldn't say no. Ugly Doll has grown to icon level status, and the shear simplicity of the design makes it one of the few non-platform toys I consider worth customizing.
When it was time to get to work, I deduced that the one thing the Ugly Doll actually isn't, is "ugly". So, I decided to make mine live up to its name.
I started by stripping it of its playful colors and giving it a beige and pink "flesh tones".  I then painted all its horns and bumps to resemble zits and sores. I finished it off by adding some of my own hair to the tips of its "ears". I call the creation the "Ugly Ugly Doll".

SDCC 2012 Signing Schedule

SAN DIEGO COMIC CON INTERNATIONAL 2012 SIGNING SCHEDULE

I've got signings scheduled throughout SDCC (except for on the preview and on Sunday.
Munky King (Booth 4939) will be debuting and releasing "Target", out third major release (Limited to 250). Squid Kids Ink (Booth 5137) will be releasing a limited edition hand customized version of my "Emo Bear Murderworld" 10-doh (Limited to 100), and Hi Fructose (Booth 5137) will be releasing a silkscreen print on wood of my painting "Root Down" (Limited to 50).
I'll also be doing a "Bearing The Unbearable" book signing event on the first day at Giant Robot (Booth 1729). This booth also features "The Ugly Doll Remix Project", a show I co-curated with Giant Robot.

Thursday, July 12:

Giant Robot "Bearing The Unbearable" (Booth 1729)
12:00 - 2:00pm
Hi Fructose "Root Down Print" (Booth 4939)
3:00 - 4:00pm

Friday, July 13:

Munky King "Target" (Booth 4539)
12:00 - 1:30pm
Squid Kids Ink "Emo Bear Murder World" (Booth 5137)
3:00-4:00pm

Saturday, July 14:
Munky King "Target" (Booth 4539)
12:00 - 1:30pm



Almost all of these items should be available throughout the week. Please stop by the booths to check on availability.

www.giantrobot.com
www.munkyking.com
www.squidkidsink.com
www.hifructose.com