It’s tricky to pull an image from this all-Flash site, but the animations were too hilarious not to try. They seem to be a seamless mix of tiny puppets with digital animation of some kind, and they have the oddest sense of humor. Add in their bright candy-colors and strange hybrid creatures (the above characters are Francie, with “an apple for a head and a fish-finger body”, and Bertie with “a frog’s head and a fish-finger body”) and I’m wasting a good hour watching everything on the site. You have been warned.
Bonus: the name “Swatpaz” seems to be a truncated spoonerism of “Patrick Swayze.” (I think.)
Since we last linked to him, illustrator Tim Gough has updated his site with plenty of new work. I’m a fan of his candy-coloured palette and use of textures.
Joel Kimmel recently proposed to his girlfriend using a short story with twenty-two illustrations bound in an old book, with the ring hidden in hollowed-out pages.
There’s a love affair between French and Japanese illustrators – and the best of it comes out in artists like Bengal, Moebius, and this fellow, Nemiri.
Life on Snaiad is a speculative zoology art project that aims to catalogue the lifeforms of a fictional planet similar to Earth. Don’t miss the making-of.
Illustrator Nick Dewar died today at the far-too-young age of 37. His rep Kate Larkworthy says:
We received the very sad news today that noted illustrator Nick Dewar passed away. He was an amazing talent who worked with so many SPD members. His wonderfully brilliant illustrations and strong spirit and creative genius will be missed.
I am very excited to announce the launch of Picture Book Report, fifteen illustrators creating a new scene from their favourite books every month. The project was created and is organized by Meg Hunt who kicks things off with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Each artist will show off a title/bookplate for their chosen books, and then every month you’ll be treated to an illustration from each of them. The impressive lineup includes Andrea Kalfas, Daniel Krall, Israel Sanchez, Jeremy Sorese, Julia Sonmi Heglund, Kali Ciesemier, Laura Park, Lizzy Stewart, Meg Hunt, Phil McAndrew, PMurphy, S.britt, Sam Bosma, Will Bryant, and myself.
For a peek into what to expect, Sam has been posting some concept drawings for his take on a certain short, hairy-footed, ring-toting hill-dweller.
I have an illustrator celebrity crush on Marc Boutavant. I just bought his Around the World with Mouk, and it’s a candy-coloured cute-infused thing of beauty, complete with fun impermanent vinyl stickers to populate its pages. Boutavant’s illustrations have us traveling the world with little Mouk, and the entire experience is like if Richard Scarry and M. Sasek got it on at Disneyland during the It’s a Small World ride.
