MERRY CHRISTMAS

Due to a weird combination of laziness and busy-ness I never got around to doing up a christmas image this year. So instead I'll just post some christmas Images I've done in the past. if you've never  seen them before they're new to you so enjoy and have a Happy Christmas and all that.

Still one of my favorite christmas images

Martians like Christmas too!

What's christmas with out some sex appeal?

Lunar Eclipse coincides with Winter Solstice?

Sounds like sometihng from an H.P. Lovecraft story doesn't it? Why am I talking about it? I did a graphics about it for work today. Go check it out. Its at the National Post website

MEtaluna Mutant

    Little drawing I did of the Metaluna Mutant for my pal Sean.

I was just told about this ...

If you've ever wondered what I do when I'm at work. You know my real job? Not the fun freelance stuff I do or the goofy monsters and comics and pin-up girls I draw for fun (and sometimes work) Swing by The National Post's Tumblr account, You can put my name, Andrew Barr, in the search function and find some  of the illustrations and graphics I do for work. Check it out.

Sorry no art this post you have to go looking for it. I'm hoping to throw some stuff up here soon, so don't worry.

MONSTARS: The War of The Worlds (1953)

So here's my take on the martian from the George Pal version of War of the Worlds I've always liked that movie. I drew this martian from memory, they don't show them very often but I'm pretty sure this is what I saw in those few seconds when they're on screen.

Goddamn photo illustrations.

Sometimes my job entails making photo illustrations. Putting neckties on nekkid maniquins, replaceing the heads of the cast of TRAILER PARK BOYS with the heads of Canadian polititians. This is something I almost never enjoy. I know some people really enjoy doing it, I'm not one of them. Anyway they made me do one today for a story about a pension fund that's selling 65% of it stake in the Toronto Maple Leafs. Once I finished creating it they decided they didn't feel like having an illustration with the story. So I'll post it here so that it wasn't a complete waste of time/effort/whining. Enjoy.

Monstars: Alligator People (1959)

Watched this recently. Strange little flick about a girl searching for her husband who ran away during a train trip. Her searching leads her to Florida I think and the house of some weird scientist who's experimenting with alligators, radioactive cobalt and accident victims (of course). Things go awry, obviously, when Lon Chaney tries to rape her. Not quite as exciting as it sounds this guy doesn't even show up until the last few minutes.

CROWHEAD

So I drew a character created by my buddy Sean "That awesome poster and stuff guy" Hartter. His name is Crowhead and he is awesome. swing by Mr. Hartter's blog and do some snooping you'll find some comics featuring Crowhead, they're pretty rad.

Kubert School: horror assignment 2

So, finally got around to doing the second of the assignments for the Kubert Comic School, Horror correspondence course. Dig it. I'm pretty happy with most of it. not 100% what I was planning on drawing but it'll do.

I kinda forgot how hard it is to do homework when you don't really have a strong idea. At least there wasn't a school/ real world style deadline for it.

Chicks n Monsters

So here's the full series of "chicks n monsters" images I've done so far. The red one and the green one are available for sale in physical form, 11X7 posters $20 each including shipping and stuff. let me know if you are interested in buying one. these have been fun to draw. I don't think I've done the last of them yet.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Happy Halloween

HORROR FRANCHISES

So the National Post once again let me do an entire page graphical thing dedicated to horror. this time the theme was the Saw movies. If you are reading this on Oct. 28 and you have the ability to buy the National Post please pick up a copy. Otherwise, here's a preview of what you'll be missing. 

UPDATE: Here's a link to the whole thing digitally for your reading pleasure: JIGSAW'S PAGE O' FUN!

If you dig it leave comments on that page let them know you want to see more of my silly horror crap. It'll make my job more fun. 

Bloodbath Roughs

Just so you don't think I've abandoned that project. Here's a sneak peek at the next chapter of Beach Blanket Bloodbath. There will probably be another pin-up on that blog before the next chapter shows up, I've got some fan art that I'll use as pin-ups. Anyway here's the art.

As usual Jimmy Calabrese of the band Calabrese will be writing the dialog for these pages, swing by their webpage they've got a comic coming out based on their exploits fighting monsters and playing rock music, its pretty awesome there's even a couple of pieces of art by yours truely in it.

  NEWS FLASH: Pick up the National Post on Friday Oct. 29, 2010, there's an new Andrew Barr Monsterologist Avenue. This one I pretend to be Jigsaw and present a bunch of horrifying puzzles to remind you how great life is.

Doc Savage needs a new shirt! Won't you help?

Just thought I'd post this hilarious thing I saw in the middle of one of the Doc Savage books.
I wonder how well this campaign did. Doc never seems to have a decent shirt on any of the covers.

I didn't bother scanning the part on the next page since it was just an order form and didn't say anything funny on it. Although I wonder if the address listed on the order form is still in existence and what would happen if I did send $2.  I think it would be fun to "shake up a few stiffs" around the office. 

Godzilla!

More news meeting doodles.  just felt like drawing the big G. One of my co-workers pointed out that I also drew the  monster from Monsters, haven't seen it yet so I'll take his word for it.

 

click...

H.P. Lovecraft's The Great Race

So here he is the final colored version of the Great Race of Yith I designed for the ArtOrder Design a Lovecraft monster challenge. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

Inking on Yith....

so there he is the inked up version of my drawing for the art order lovecraft creature challenge. I'll be coloring him up shortly. Now that I've finished up the stuff I was doing for Calabrese's comic, (once its printed and they give me permission I'll show the final  inked version of the pin-up I did for them. I'm really happy with how it turned out) I can get back to work on my other side projects, stay tuned for more Beach Blanket Bloodbath, a couple more Kubert school projects and some other weird sketches and stuff I get up to. till next time stay weird or something

Have I ever mentioned I love "THE THING"

Dr. Blair dosen't want to stay in the tool hut.

I just really felt like doing som art of one of my favorite scenes from my favorite movie. I always love how sad Wilfred Brimley plays Blair when he's out in the cold.

The Great Race

As anyone who knows me knows I dig H.P. Lovecraft stories so when I saw Art Order blog was doing a lovecraft creature challenge I thought I'd throw my hat in the ring. I figured I'd tackle the Great Race, from Shadow out of Time cus I really like the idea of time travelling librarians kidnapping and forcing different species to write the history of their planet. Here's what my first shots at it look like. There's a few elements I'm sure I'll change in the final.

The Friend

I've recently been hooked on the comic 20th Century Boys. Since Viz is taking forever to publish the comic (one volume every two months?!) I've started watching the movies. And now I've done a piece of fan art. I almost never do fan art. but I can't help it. This is my first take on the Friend, I'm probably going to draw him/her (I don't know who they really are yet so don't ruin it for me if you know) again at some point.
If you haven't read this book yet give it a shot. If you don't like reading comical books but don't mind subtitles see the movies.

Sorry its just kind of an obssession of mine right now.

I should have probably pay more attention ...

Here's  a few little doodles I've done over the last few months during the morning news meetings at work. These meetings are where all the editors get together and talk about the stories that are going in the paper the next day, I'm there to see which stories will need a graphic component or to shoot down bad ideas about graphics that are either confusing or very confusing. Sometimes these meetings are really boring, when they are I start doodling. Here's some of the results of my wandering mind.

MORE HORROR....

I got my critique for my first Kubert Correspondence Course Horror assignment (which I talked about here) back, they said the space monkey wasn't horror enough. so I figured since I've gotta use him for a few more of the assignments I'd take a moment and creep him up a bit more using a few of the suggestions from the critique. Weirdly the critiquer (is that even a word) got rid of the space suit for his draw over, the suggestion even said that knowing how to draw the space suit dosen't add to the horror (in reference to the little head turn around that you can see in that  image if you go to the previous link.

ah, well hope you dig this version of him.

MONSTARS: Two from The Lost Skeleton Returns Again! (2008)

A couple bits of fan art of the Monstar variety, two from the sequel to The Lost Skeleton of Cadavera.

THE DREADED MAGRACLOPS!

and of course the Lost Skeleton Himself.

THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVERA!

Both characters belong to Larry Blamire I just really wanted to draw 'em

Check out THE LOST SKELETON RETURNS AGAIN

So I went to the movies ...

Went and saw "the Last Exorcism" yesterday. A couple of teen girls sit directly behind me and my lady, Leigh. the lights go down and the trailers start. I see movement out of the corner of my eye and get a slight wiff of cheese. I turn my head slightly and see a foot on the top of the seat to my right, look over at Leigh and notice a foot on the seat next to her. I turn around and tell the girls they should lower their feet as the smell is not pleasant, they put their feet down and apologize. They engage in some light whispering as the trailers play out.
The movie starts and they clam up. For about ten minutes. They chat quietly for about the first third of the movie. one of them asks the other "is that a phone ringing?' at a point when a phone rings in the film. "Is that a baby crying?" when there is a baby crying on the sound track. 
At one point they leave, I figure because the movie is too intense for their fragile little minds. Sadly it was because they both had to use the washroom. They return. As they take their seats (directly behind me again) one of them asks the other if the character in the movie is doing something that they are clearly doing. I turn to them and ask them to see if its possible to be quiet for the rest of the movie. Of course this is an impossible task for them. Once the movie is over and the credits are scrolling up the screen they get up and leave. Since its customary for Leigh and I to discuss what we thought of the movie as the credits roll we stay seated finish our discussion and get up to leave. As we get to the bottom of the stair case I notice the two girls are still standing behind the light barrier one of them says "hey jerk" and gives me the finger. the other girl says "thanks for ruining the movie for us!" which I of course respond with "your welcome?"

I'm still not really sure how I ruined the movie for THEM. Especially since the only times I spoke during the movie was to explain to them that polite society tends to frown on people speaking during movies and that I didn't pay for a ticket to hear the amateur radio theatre version of the film as the film was playing . The only explanation I can come up with is that one of the girls was severely mentally retarded and needed the other one to explain everything that was happening on screen ("is that a phone ringing?" "is that guy walking around talking to the other characters?" "can you take me to the washroom?") and my asking them not to speak made it impossible for the one girl to understand the complex patterns of light and dark flashing on the giant screen in front of them. So I guess I am a jerk. Oh, well.



The week previous I saw Piranha 3D, I noticed someone in the front row texting and reading e-mails through out  the entire movie, they even needed to switch phones at one point since, I'm guessing, the battery died on the first one they were using. Movies aren't that cheap so I can't figure out why you'd bother paying for a ticket if you don't plan on actually WATCHING the movie. What kind of moron pays $10+ to sit in a dark room with loud noises and giant images playing on a screen just to talk to their friend or read e-mails? don't these people realise there are cafes and parks and stuff like that that are designed specifically so that people have a relatively quite place to conduct conversation?
I just don't get it.

Illustration in the paper also on Web?

Yep a little illo I did for the print version of the Post was re configured and stuff so they could use it on the web I kinda liked the print version better but if you don't have access to that dig THIS! there's another one in the actual paper too of a guy behind a grade school desk. So see sometimes the print versions of things are better than the digital.

here's a version I did before they decided they needed a female as the main character in the piece. I still really like this color scheme, although there is something to be said about the colors in the final version. I worked way too long on getting this one done that I wanna show it too.

The Mask

The second pin-up I did featuring the mask from the 'classic' Canadian 3-D flick "THE MASK" (1961). If you've got 3-D glasses put 'em on to get the full effect of the image. It was fun to do so don't be surprised if I try doing this again in the not too distant future. 3–D is boss.

Since next weekend is the Fan-expo in toronto I've gotten to thinking about putting together and art/comic book for next year so that I can get a table at the con and sell some junk, this piece will probably be in that book. If I can figure out a cheapish way to print a full color art book.

Sketchin' from life!

Aug. 6 on the subway

Still Aug. 6 on the GO-Train home, I really like how that guy in the lower left turned out

more on the GO-Train

Aug. 9 GO-Train, I think she was doing her taxes

Aug. 12. this guy wouldn't stop staring at me so I figured I'd draw him.
That'll teach 'im.

Happy Friday the 13th

FIG. A. Jason Voorhees killing spree in the remake of Friday the 13th

Thanks to Chud.com I just noticed that the graphic Mike Faille and I built of JASON'S KILLING SPREE is still hanging around on the National Post site. Which then reminded me that I also dida quick graphic  of the kills from the remake. I really gotta do more of these for other movies (fig a).

Rough drawing for illustration

So I had to draw a caricature of Pamela Anderson for work. You'll be able to see the final full color version in the National Post this weekend. I'm really happy with the likeness, I don't really like doing caricatures (or spelling that word, its tough) or portraits for that matter, I always worry that the image doesn't look like the person its supposed to be. I got lucky with this one, I was in direct competition with one of the best artists I know.  hope you dig this peek at my process

Of Monkeys and lessons... or something. I don't know

I've been on a bit of a creative low lately. Kinda finding it hard to stick to a deadline for things that I'm working on for my personal projects. (I apologize to those reading Beach Blanket Bloodbath and the other members of C.L.O.C. they will be continued at least one of them, soonish) And felt like trying something new so I figured I'd buy into one of those JOE KUBERT'S WORLD OF CARTOONING correspondence courses. It looked like it would be fun. Getting critiqued and not having to worry about grades or revisions seemed like an interesting way to practice my skills and maybe learn something new. 

I got the HORROR course (of course what else would I do for fun). I've just completed the first assignment. You had to design a monster. I took one of my old creatures, you may remember him from the SOMETHING A GO GO classick THEY CAME TO KILL US. I'll post the assignments as I finish them so you can see what I do. I won't  post the critiques (they might be too depressing to share) but I might complain about them. Anyway enough reading look at the pretty picture.

I called him Albert since most of the monkeys sent into space were supposedly called Albert. 

It was weird doing a drawing in normal pencil I'm really used to drawing in weird colors. Drawing in graphite feels really strange now. It might be a fun new media to try for other drawings I do. I've got a few more sketches I've done while in transit to work, I'll probably post them this week. Hopefully I'll post some other drawings too, you never know.

House by the Cemetary (1981): Dr. Freudstien

Everyones favorite maggot blooded weird doctor guy from Lucio Fulci's indescribable HOUSE BY THE CEMETARY.
 Decent enough movie, slightly more coherent than The Beyond or City of the Living Dead (Gates of Hell) the other two parts in the Fulci end of the world trilogy.

Sketchin' on the subway.

quick life drawing sketches of some girl sitting across from me on the subway

Leech / Squirrel hybrid... no i don't know why.

life drawing on the left weird guy I just came up with on the right

Don't worry there'll be more drawings of monsters and girls in the future. I bought one of those Joe Kubert Cartooning School correspondence courses. I got the horror one, I'll post the assignments here as I do 'em. maybe even the critiques if they're not too embarrassing. 

Assignment one seems to be Draw a monster.  Now I gotta figure out what kind of monster to draw.

MADMAN (1981)

Madman Marz of MADMAN (1981) fame.

Slasherflick from the 80's pretty decent. He kills with an axe or a noose, and at one point the hood on a pickup, so all the kills are either decapitations or hangings. Also contains a pretty hilarious song over the closeing credits. TRAILER

thanks.

Interviewed by a STRANGE KID!

So the nostalgia, art, videogame, horror flick, wrestling blog Strange Kids Club 
interviewed me about my weird comics and art and stuff. you can read the interview here: INTERVIEW LINK!

Oh and that weird looking dude to the right is the mascot of the website. I thought he'd be fun to draw, and he was!

Beach Blanket Bloodbath

The second chapter (only three pages) finally got finished today. I've been working with Jimmy Calabrese from the rock band Calabrese, who I've done a bunch of illustration work for, on this. He's doing the writing I'm doing the drawing. I've been having fun working with a writer on this instead of just coming up with all the plot on my own.  Its a fun little experiment. you can read the whole thing if you go here.

That is all.

Just an old photo this time.

one or the weirder things I've seen. I like cropping in on it and using it as a profile pic.

I'm not sure what its supposed to be but it was a target at a coin op shooting gallery in Niagra Falls Canada.

London Zoo

I just got back from vacation in England. During my trip I went to the London Zoo while I was there I did a few little life drawing sketches of some of the animals. It was a lot of fun but I found I was a bit rusty, here's the best of them. Leigh and I think we want to hit the Metro Toronto Zoo and do the same thing in the not too distant future, even tho animal life drawings tough. Animals don't like to stay still very long unless they're asleep. then they're kinda boring looking.

I wonder if any of my art buddies would wanna go on an animal drawing fieldtrip?