True Grit "Takes Money to Make Money" Process

The True Grit comic for March titled "It Takes Money to Make Money", came from this drawing that I did for a show at Mad Hat Tea Co. called "Love, Crooks, and Creeps".





At first I thought I would make the actors a couple. A girl with her new "Bad Boy" boyfriend, i.e. The Fonz, or Dallas Winston (The Outsiders)


-first frame-
Bad Boy: Wanna grab a bite to eat?
Girl: I only have a couple dollars.

-second frame-
Bad Boy: Listen sweetheart, when your
with me...

-third frame-
Bad Boy: ...that's all you need!


I didn't like the way the couple idea was working out, so I
switched the story to three homeless guys. Whenever I
think of homeless people, I think of "Blanketman". At the time of this picture
this was his house. He would sleep on the stairs. I offered him one of those twelve hour
heat packs one night in the middle of winter, and he solemnly declined.




At first I was going to place them under an overpass,
but why would a businessman be walking in that area?
I decided to forget about the setting for a minute,
and figure out the characters.



I sketched out all the characters,
and laid out the composition first.
Then I colored each piece separately on black paper,
scanned them in, and arranged them in Photoshop.











I still needed a background so I took a picture of this building, at the right perspective to fit in my composition.


I did a quick line drawing that I colored in photoshop
for the background



I added graffiti and stickers from some of my personal favorites for my final touch,
and there it is:
"It Takes Money to Make Money"



-Starheadboy
Starheadboy is a very prolific Seattle Artist who moved there from Tacoma. The overwhelming saturation of Starheadboy stickers in the Seattle area is amazing, not to mention other cities, states, even countries He reminds me of a happy human copy machine that, instead of making copy noises, just says "Good Times!" every time there is a successful duplicate. Check him out at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/starheadboy/
http://starheadboy.blogspot.com/

This is a Starheadboy sticker that I stuck up at the Brooklyn Banks,
under the Brooklyn Bridge in NY

-Wonder Creature
Wonder Creature was a character that was wheat pasted, drawn, and stuck around Tacoma some years back. This goofy creation was one of my favorites, and I added it to this comic in hopes of re-inspiring the artist to do more. I miss Wonder Creature, and from what I've heard I'm not the only one.

-Deal One
Deal is a Tacoma artist that has been creating top notch art for a large part
of the last two decades.From designing tattoos, to murals, to canvases. He has done it all with skill and originality

-Plus One R.I.P.
Plus is a local legend among graffiti writers, and artists in the Pacific Northwest. He was a fun loving person that found it easy to get a laugh. With spray paint he was a precise draftsman who enjoyed the symmetry of his name. Often he would show up to paint his piece with only half a sketch, that he would flip so it was symmetrical, and make small adjustments so that it represented the right letters. Thanks for the obvious inspiration Plus. R.I.P.

Peca Kucha Presentation 20 slides/20 seconds per slide

It was so fun to be a presenter at Pecha Kucha Night Tacoma. It wasn't just fun to present, but this format makes all the presentations entertaining to watch also. For all the Tacoma videos go to themelononline.com. Thanks for filming Electric Elliot, it is appreciated.

Video of my presentation is at the bottom of this post.

F.C. Ross/ Mr. Furr

This picture of Frank C. Ross was taken in 1891, the same year he sold the Tacoma and Lake City Railroad to the Union Pacific Railroad for $153,000. When Ross celebrated his 80th birthday, March 3, 1938, he was still championing development of the tideflats, which he had proposed 50 years before.

This picture and small caption was the inspiration for this piece titled Mr. Furr.

Internet Misinformation Alert!!!

Recently I was credited for creating this "Calculator BOOBS" magnet art.


The truth is that Galen McCarty Turner created these sculptures using silkscreens of Robin Kimmerlings artwork. He has made some featuring Jeremy Gregory, and Noah Struthers artwork also, but the "Calculator BOOBS" is Robins.

Galen McCarty Turner holding a jar with a baby shark, and a bone spur from Robin Kimmerling in formaldehyde. A testament to the deepness of their friendship.



Keep your eye out, because Galen is sticking these around town (for you to grab), and also at the new Brickhouse Gallery.

Boing Boing

This is "Boing Boing". I met this guy when I was in first grade. This picture was taken in 1995 when he was on his pogostick kick. He would pogostick (as a form of transportation) over to my house to hang out. It would take him forever to arrive, and I would always have to give him a ride home.It was all worth it just to watch him approach, hair bouncing in the wind, a look of pain and passion in his eyes, as he polka dots the sidewalk like a giant bouncy ball.
With that kind of determination I often wonder what he's up to today.
Thanks for the memories "Boing Boing". I hope you bounced your way to the top!

This is Myrtle Corbin the "Four Legged Girl", and an idea I had for a painting of a "Four Legged Girl" performing a tap dance with the lesser developed legs. It seems like she would make more money, even though she made a great deal of money. Her family was well off due to her handicap. The parents were so happy with their daughters earnings that they were rumored to have had five more children trying for another "Four Legged Girl"...or boy...or hermaphrodite which would probably bring in the most money.

In my painting, "Four Legged Tap-dance", I picture the performer having a dress rehearsal by herself. Not quite comfortable with her developing talents.

R.I.P. Galen

This is Galen, and "Knotty Man".


Galen was a little man that would hang out at Gypsy Lilies store around the corner from my old studio on 6th ave. I was working on the sideshow freaks series and I needed a model for "Knotty Man". I ran into Galen who asked for a cigarette (which seemed like a greeting in his language). I dont smoke but I bummed three off my girlfriend, and asked him if I could take some pictures of him in return. I said that I would make him younger to balance out the fact that I was adding these boils all over his body. He didn't really get what I was saying, but he said yeah and quickly scurried away to chain smoke. I went back to the studio, happy with my newly acquired reference.



A couple of weeks ago Gypsy Lily sent me a message with a strange request. She informed me that Galen had passed away, and that she was wondering if she could borrow the "Knotty Man" for display at Galens funeral. She said that he was so proud of that picture, and would carry this little print of it with him and tell the story to people.

I said Yes of course.

That was the first time I've shown work at a funeral.
R.I.P. Galen

I'm not as dumb as this sounds, I just get tired sometimes

I applied for a job at Trader Joe's as the sign artist. It was perfect for me. I would get paid to practice for my personal artwork.I thought I had it, but never even got a call. I couldn't believe it.I already pictured myself in the shirt, scribbling with full benefits. When I was going over what images I gave to them I realized that I hadn't removed this drawing. I added it on purpose thinking that it's a good drawing, and not thinking that the themed, family grocery store probably wouldn't be into frontal nudity or urination. I decided on deleting it from my submission, but simply forgot. I laugh at myself shamefully whenever I picture the "Captain" (the name Trader Joe's uses instead of manager) looking through my submissions, and stopping at that one. I want to know how long he looked at it, and I also want to know what his face looked like, and what he said, if anything, out loud to himself.
I called them,and asked about the job.They informed me that the position was filled.

Hindsight is...

Sketch-"What are you laughing at?"

I never thought of Headless Dude as an arsonist, but I am very surprised that he wasn't even questioned about the Firwood fire.
Headless Dude & Pothead, a love story.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremygregory/sets/72057594119142279/

My girlfriend used to nanny these twins, and she would tell me how they would communicate or "twin talk". That gave me the idea for the Mertwins sticker that was later used for a skateboard graphic.

This is a sketch that I did of my friend and his wife. His wife was giving him a haircut, and when she realized I was drawing them she said "Don't draw my head...you're going to make me ugly. So I didn't draw her head, but I didn't like the headless barber in my sketchbook, so I drew it in later from memory. I think it turned out pretty good for no reference.

You shouldn't take pictures of your Octopus in the middle of the street...

"You shouldn't take pictures of your Octopus in the middle of the street like that..."
"We thought you needed help!"He said as the Boy Wonder drooled onto the key on his chest, and then gave me the mouth gaped "UH HUH" nod. Thats when i realized they must have thought I was drowning in the turn lane.

Built In Treasure

My room mate found this can of treasure built into the wall of a room in our house. From the dates on the money it seems it was put there in the mid- 60's. There was $106 in the can, but some of the coins are worth up to $175 (in slightly circulated condition). When he knocked on my door in the middle of the night I would have never guessed it would be because he found treasure in the house!



This is the coin he gave me for sharing the experience.