Tiki P.I.

I created this pinup for the first issue of Tiki P.I., by the talented Bill Hewitt (www.lickyourelbow.com). The story & character designs took my imagination back to my days of pouring over Scud: Disposable Assassin, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and other indispensable, black & white indie comics. So I tried to bring that brand of energy to my drawing.

"It's crazy but it's true, I only wanna be with you!"
- Dave

King Gum Comic!

I'm ecstatic to say that, after years of toiling on work-for-hire jobs, I've found myself in a position to focus more on creator-owned projects. The first one I've completed is an 8-page comic titled, "In The Clutches of The Derby Queen!" This short story features my alter ego, King Gum, in the days before he won his crown. On this adventure, he's been taken prisoner by a race of deadly Derby Girls. The only way for Young Gum to win his freedom is by defeating their brutally beautiful Queen in all-out combat!

This comic will appear in the next volume of Titmouse Inc's MOOK comics anthology (release date TBD), so I can't show too much online. But finishing this piece has rekindled my love for making comics. I've already begun work on a handful of other sequential stories, so there'll be lots to look forward to in 2013. This is just the tip of the iceberg!

"Let's take a drive, love... so we can make up our minds, love...
to commit the crimes of passion that sets us free."
- Dave C., aka King Gum

"Tony Stark, Iron Man"

This was a small color sketch I worked up this morning. Who doesn't love a little Tony Stark, casually wearing his armor sans helmet?


"She said 'sign your name on the dotted line.' The lights went out, and Nikki started to griiiind!"
- King Gum Crosland

New Jobs (Just In Time For The Holidays)!

While I can't give many details, I'm ecstatic to announce that I've got a heap of new work on the horizon. Definitely enough to keep me busy from now, well into 2012.


Two of the projects are still unconfirmed. But I'm hustling and bustling, churning out artwork galore and doing my best to make them happen. Fingers crossed!


One of the projects JUST got final approval this week, and I'm stoked! Again, I can't really give details. But I will say that the job involves me illustrating a major hip-hop personality in a full-on graphic novel. I'm just about done with the layouts for the book, and will be moving right into the actual pages very soon. This job is an extra special treat, because it looks like it's going to be my first full-color, hand-painted graphic novel release. At last, I'll be bringing my mixed-media mojo to a big ol' comic book project. Woot!


And fret not, dear art lovers -- I'm still making time for the personal work, in between my commercial projects. Currently, I'm putting together merchandise for the rapidly approaching Holiday Season. Ho-ho-ho, and all that jazz!


So yes... lots of excitement is on the schedule for the next several months. Please stay tuned for more updates, release announcements, and random hullabaloo.


"They're wearing steel that's bright and true. They carry news that must get through."
- David

New Art's Bubbling Up

I've been offline for a couple weeks, and thought I'd check in with tidbits. It's been a super-busy autumn, so far. A large new project has come along, so I've been sinking my teeth into that. Of course, in between those panels and pages, I've been sketching like a maniac. Above are some quick photos of drawings I rocked last Saturday, during a Los Angeles Derby Dolls bout. Also, there are a couple pieces inspired by a flurry of football games I watched the following day.


Oh, and the top image is a snapshot of my progress on "Coral Carnivore," from my process blog, Alphabet Attack. More to come on that piece and more, next week!


"Got the drugs, but need a hot one that'll make me go, 'Damn!' With the most banging guts that I ever have smashed! If you got it, push it up on me, 'cause I'm feelin' dat ass! Know what I mean? Where's it at!?"
- King Gum

Reports From Tr!ckster

photos by Jane Dope

photos by Jane Dope

Check out this awesome coverage from Tr!ckster 2011, including symposium recaps, reviews and honorable mentions!

VEDA art + objects - Special Events // Tr!ckster 2011

Nolan T. Jones is Tumbling Down - Tr!ckster Book Review #2, The Art Workshop

Buzzfocus.com - Tr!ckster Emphasizing the "Comic" in Comic-Con

Graham Smith Illustration Blog - Drawings & Artists

"... doin' that stuff that you do! Messin' me up with your voodoo!"
- Dave

TR!CKSTER & Comic-Con Are Upon Us!

Like a hailstorm of badgers, San Diego Convention Week has arrived! I'll be there with the rest of the freaks & yahoos, mingling with fans & colleagues, selling art & merch, and avoiding sleep like The Plague. But, unlike previous years, this time I will NOT be setting up at a table.

Comic-Con Schedule
For anyone attending Comic-Con proper, you can catch me at the Oni Press booth at 12 noon on Sunday, July 24. I'll be one of the many artists signing during their Kids Day "Yo, Gabba Gabba!" Blowout! www.comic-con.org, www.onipress.com

TR!CKSTER Plans
If you're in town for the Con, you'd be crazy not to check out Tr!ckster, the simultaneous, creator-owned con that's happening across the street. I'll have merch available in their retail space, including the brand new art book WRECKING SKULL and the Puffed TPB. And I'm exhibiting several original works in their gallery. I'll also be on hand at Tr!ckster off and on, in case I'm needed for any live art or symposiums. www.trickstertrickster.com

Guerrilla Art Strikes
Since we'll both be free from the confines of a booth, longtime colleague Jim Mahfood & I have decided to rock Guerrilla Art Strikes during this fine Con Week. We'll be setting up renegade "studios" from Wednesday through Sunday, on a bar patio, by a hotel swimming pool... or maybe even on the bed in your hotel suite!

Jim and I will post our Guerrilla schedule (time, place, etc), between the morning and early afternoon of each day. Fans & collectors are welcome to show up and commission drawings from us, discuss our creative process, buy us drinks, propose marriage, etc.

Keep up on our exploits via the usual social networking suspects:

Dave Crosland
www.facebook.com/DaveCroslandArt
www.twitter.com/DaveCrosland

Jim Mahfood
www.facebook.com/FOODONEART
www.twitter.com/JimMahfood

"They say the good die young, so I added some bad ass to my flavor to prolong my life over the drum."
- King Gum Crosland

FUEL YOUR ILLUSTRATION Interview

The amazing people at the amazing art-centric website, Fuel Your Illustration, just did an in depth interview with yours truly. We discussed my San Diego plans, the creation of Alphabet Attack!, creative influences, and my sordid history with The Thundercats.

READ THE INTERVIEW NOW!

"You shop at K-Mart! I shop at Ain't K-Mart!"
- Dave

Julie from The Maxx

I'm kicking off the weekend with a feverish evening drawing session, rocking out to Oysterhead and freaking out my neighbors. Above is the finish on a drawing of Julie, the pivotal love interest and powerhouse lead female of Sam Keith's The Maxx.

"They've stepped up urine testing to make it go away, because it's hard to kill the enemy on old MDMA!"
- Dave

Jumpin' Jungle Jive!

Another page-in-progress from the sci-fi project I'm doing with writer Chris Kirby. I actually started these awhile ago. It's almost surreal finishing them now, because I'm approaching the pages with all the lessons I learned from doing Alphabet Attack! for 3 months. It kinda feels like I just got out of an illustration boot camp!

"This ain't Whistler playin' with his mom's cassette. This is Ronnie, George and Ollie North with contra jets."
- Dave

New Sketchbook Brewing & Comic Page Stewing

Here's some work from today, ya'll! The in-progress ink drawing is the cover of a new sketchbook I'm making for Tr!ckster/Comic-Con, in July. And the comic page is from a fun sci-fi/adventure project I'm working on with writer Chris Kirby. Busy, busy, busy....

"Camp Anawanna, we hold you in our hearts..."
- Dave Budnick

Alphabet Attack! - Series 2 Wrap-up & Future Plans

This week saw the conclusion of Alphabet Attack! Series 2, with "Zarana." Be sure to check her out, as well as the 51 other drawings I've created, since my daily art blog began back in early March.

Also, read today's post to discover what's in store for the future of Alphabet Attack!, including prints, book collections and the next run -- Series 3!



"Schools he bombs, he bombs."
- Dave C.

One-Panel Strip, In The Works

Fresh from an amazing, rejuvenating trip to Toronto and northeastern USA, I'm rocking a new one-pane strip for a long-time client of mine. This month's cartoon pokes fun at the ridiculous amount of fiscal cuts to California's much-needed public services and resources.

The client thought the state outline wasn't recognizable enough, so I ended up taking out one of the characters in the revised version. Also -- on the suggestion of a talented friend -- I added the "CA" label, to make it totally obvious that these people are holding onto California for dear life, and not just some random shape.

I just got approval to go to final, from my art director. So now it's on to the inking and graytones!

"I got, I got anime on the screen. I got, I got pen in hand, scripting dreams."
- Dave

Scud, Catwoman & Jonah Hex Round Out This Week's "...Attack!"

It's been another fantastic week of splatters and sharp lines at my daily art blog. Along with Destro & The Baroness and Daredevil, I also got to illustrate the sensually criminal Catwoman, the hideous Jonah Hex, and (a personal fave) Scud!

To view those and more, visit www.alphabetattack.blogspot.com

"Open up your eyes. Open up your room. Open up your arms."
- Dave

Auris Infinitum Cover

This is the cover art for a new one-shot comic story I'm working on, called Auris Infinitum. So far, working on this has been a blast. Especially since this is my first full creator-owned comic project in a long while.

For better or worse, it's grown into something larger than the simple mini-comic I'd originally planned on. Still, I'm embracing it and pushing on. After all, I'm having a blast with the story. It's got everything I like in my surreal fiction -- a flawed and horny hero, a devious and equally horny young lady, and a fiendish old man.

"Green paper, gold teeth and pregnant golden retrievers, all I want. Fuck money, diamonds and bitches, don't need 'em."
- King Gum.

The Attack Is Back!

In case you didn't notice, I've launched into Alphabet Attack! Series 2. This time around, I'm creating daily illustrations based on comic book characters. Of course, I'll be rocking drawings of the spandex super-humans I grew up with. But I'm also paying homage to the weirdo, indie creations that have inspired me over the years. Either way you cut it, the formula equals F-U-N for fans of all shapes and sizes.

For more visit www.alphabetattack.blogspot.com

"Overpower hard times, Superman can't stop the sand in my hourglass on my plans!"
- Dave