C2E2 Live Art Luau, Friday Night in Chicago!

Our gracious hosts at Nerd City have made some changes to the C2E2 live art party. It will be taking place on Friday night, rather than Saturday, as originally posted. It's moved to The Volcano Room at The Bottom Lounge. And even better, it's now a Live Art Luau!

I'll be painting alongside Jim Mahfood, David Mack, Ben Templesmith, Won Kim, Joey Potts & some other talented art beasts. And it's all topped-off with an amazing live performance by the phenomenal Adira Amram & The Experience!

Nerd City's Live Art Luau

@ The Bottom Lounge in The Volcano Room!

1375 W. Lake St, Chicago, IL

Friday, April 26th / 8pm - 2am

Hawaiian shirts & island attire are encouraged!

Tickets available at www.artluau.bpt.me

and the Nerd City C2E2 Booth #967

More info on Facebook & www.nerdcityonline.com

"I'd reveal how I do adore her, hang my heart on my sleeve just for her."
- Dave "King Gum" Crosland

"Ole One-Eye"

I did this one as a little warm-up piece. It's on an 11x14" sheet of sketch paper, so it buckled like crazy, while I was layering on paint. But the battered look of the paper's surface definitely played into the haggard look of this character. Also, between Blade of The Immortal and Valhalla Rising, I have a strange fascination with one-eyed protagonists.

"You're so fine. And now you're mine."

- Dave C.

DOOMBOX Exclusive C2E2 Sketchbook

My latest sketchbook is off to the printer! DOOMBOX is a 32-page, exclusive release for C2E2, next weekend. And I'm truly stoked to bring this one to the people. A lot of tender lovin' care went into the works included in this book. It's entirely made up of personal art, and includes the type of rough sketching that I seldom share in print.

DOOMBOX collects a gaggle of drawings and sketches, including penciled roughs, concept art for fine art & comic works, and several finished ink drawings. And to top it off, this volume ends with my 3-page comic short, "Herbert & Randolf Deliver The Mail," a goofy little tale that I whipped up back in 2011 and have been sitting on, until now.

It's being printed in a super limited edition of 50, and will be available at the Nerd City booth (#967) in The Block, while supplies last.

"Beware, son, I got the stare of Medusa. With the rope tied around your neck, it won't get looser."
- King Gum Crosland

C2E2 Convention Sketch Pre-Orders

With the Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) right around the corner, I’m now accepting pre-orders for convention sketches. Ordering your sketch ahead of time eliminates the worry of getting stuck at the end of my commissions list, or missing out on getting a sketch, altogether, simply because you’re only attending the show for one day, leaving early, etc....
I’ll be accepting sketch pre-orders up until Tuesday, April 23rd. Sketches are available in black & white or color, as well as in two sizes: 9x12” and 11x14”.

Your finished artwork will be ready for pick-up at the Nerd City booth (#967) in “The Block,” for the duration of C2E2. You can schedule a convenient time to drop by the booth for your art, via email. Contact me at hiredmeat@gmail.com for pricing info, order placement, questions, and all that jazz. Serious inquiries only, please. “If it breaks when it bends, you better not put it in!”

- Dave “King Gum” Crosland Here are some examples of my previous convention sketch commissions:

Danger Mouse Strikes At Iam8bit!

"You Can't Hide Forever" / 14x18" / watercolor, acrylic & ink on paper

When the gang at Iam8bit asked contributors to their Nickelodeon Studios-themed art show "It's The ShizNICK!" to dig deep for their inspiration, I had no idea just how deep I would go. But in the 11th hour, I mined some creative ore from my early, EARLY childhood -- Danger Mouse!

I'll never forget the exhilaration I felt when the theme song kicked in. I was enthralled, watching DM & Penfold race from their pillar box hideout, flipping, fighting & outsmarting the evil Baron Silas Greenback at every turn! As soon as I began drawing the image, my aim was to bring my love of adventure illustration to this cartoon. Strange to say, but Danger Mouse is as deeply rooted in my well of inspiration as Star Wars, Transformers & Conan The Barbarian. So that's the level of respect I chose to show it, with my piece.

"It's The ShizNICK!" opens at Iam8bit in Los Angeles, next Friday, April 19th. For all the reception & gallery info, visit: www.iam8bit.com/the-gallery/its-the-shiznick. Many of the contributing artists, including myself, will be in attendance. Hope to see you there!

"For all of the time in the world, to spend it wild and unwise. I wanna be mesmerizing, too..."

- Dave "King Gum"Crosland

Beware The Lucha Shark!

I rocked this piece as the toy packaging & promo art for Ben Spencer's Lucha Sharks action figures. This is the first time I've done artwork for a toy, so I was super stoked. From the start, I wanted to give this a similar vibe to that of the old G.I. Joe toy packaging, with all that excitement & promise of adventure in every figure.

The Lucha Sharks will also be available at C2E2, at the Nerd City booth (The Block #967). For more info on these toothy customers, visit www.luchasharks.blogspot.com!

"Easy places to get away to. Easy limbs languid all around you."
- Dave C.

Clawbber!

I was fortunate to rock this pinup art for an upcoming release of Brandon M. Barker's Warlords of Wor series. It features the powerful Clawbber in a fight for his life against some lethal vine tentacles, no doubt the agents of his vile nemesis, Bog-Nar!

This issue of Warlords of Wor will be debuting at C2E2, later this month. Brandon & company can be found near my setup in The Block, on the convention floor. Visit www.warlordsofwor.blogspot.com for more info!

"Collapse! Unload it! Pop, pop! I must accumilate!"
- Dave C.