I drew my girls...

I drew these drawings of my wife and daughter a couple weeks ago. Thought y'all might like to see 'em...

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Two Whom It May Concern

here's the preliminary invitation for Marley's 2nd BEE-Day Party. I made this from a quick ballpoint pen sketch, and some judicious photoshopping!

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Two BEE Continued...

Time flies when you're having fun! 09.09.10 is my daughter Marley's 2nd Borneversary, so we're scrambling to put together a birthday party for her (if you think you should be invited, you pro'lly are... get at me). I'm going to design the invitations and assorted printed crap for that, so keep your eyes peeled for some of the stuff, which I'll post for you. This sketch is a first shot fired, so to speak... hope you like it!

holla!

-samax

Ziontific.com

Father's Day Weekend photos

I hope everyone had a good Father's Day. We had a great weekend for this, my second Father's Day. On Friday, Charlene took Marley to a birthday party and where she got to wear her new yellow swimsuit and play in the kiddie pool with the other kids, who taught her how to scoop up water and pour it out on herself and others! Then we all went to the pizza place on Sunday. It was a simple, fun outing with the family... that's how I like it!

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Thankful for my Family

hope everyone's having a good time with their family (whatever form that takes), and enjoying the holla day weekend. I took my wife and daughter to visit my extended family at my Grandma's house in Waco.
for many of the relatives, it was their first chance to see my daughter Marley, who turned 1 year old in September. it was a fun trip because I got to visit with some relatives I had not seen for 15 years. It really underscored how little my family gets together, since so many people found it hard to believe that I was married and had a child . I'm still the 'baby' in a lot of people's eyes, even though i'm in my thirties... but i think they're getting used to the idea.
I was glad to introduce more of my family members to my wife Charlene. I'm really proud of Charlene and thankful to have her in my life. She is so helpful and encouraging (which really helps an artist on the brink like me), plus everyone was knocked out by her banana pudding!
hopefully, we will have more opportunities to visit with the rest of the family, so we can all get more familiar with each other.
anyways, i know you REALLY just want to see more pictures of Marley, so i appreciate anybody who bothered to read my comments too!! thanks to my sister Jeannie for the pics!
peace, love, etc.
-samax

Still Growing...

Marley and mommy are going out of town to a friend's baby shower, so daddy (that's me) will be left at home to work. here's a few pics of daddy's little girl...Marley w/ my best friend Mario
getting her eat on
drank

Bee Girl Stance

Bee Girl Stance by samax. click to enlarge
here's a drawing of my daughter Marley that i drew today. just a quick ballpoint sketch, tightened up in Photoshop. my wife has Marley's nursery all decked out with a bumblebee motif (guys, you may as well know now, once you get married, women like to decorate rooms with themes), so i like to call Marley our little Bee Girl. she has recently just taken her first steps, but it would be stretch to say she is walking... i don't wanna rush her into pop-locking or anything. she falls on her face enough on her own, without me pushing her! she does love it when you beat box, though...
anyways, hope ya'll like it!
^___^
-samax
[EDIT: my wife pointed out that i forgot her birthmark, so i added it to her cheek!]

Marley's Favorite Video

Papa Moco Jumbie by Noggin
like all the babies i've ever been around, my daughter Marley loves music. her favorite video right now is Papa Moco Jumbie which they play periodically on Noggin. not enough for me and my wife's tastes (watching this little brown boy praise his daddy's job makes us almost as giggly as it does Marley), so i went and found it on youTube (after recording it on the DVR, of course). Papa Moco Jumbie is about a little boy who wants to be just like his dad, a Moco Jumbie (one of those guys on stilts at Carnival). obviously, Marley has no knowledge of her race, culture or any of that... she just loves dancing and singing along! but i'm glad to be able to have her dance and sing to this!

peace,
-samax

my first Father's Day

photos by Jenice Johnson.
i'm sitting down to work after enjoying my very first Father's Day! of course the weekend got off to a bang on friday when my wife Charlene gave me my first ever Father's Day Gift (a bicycle, which i REALLY wanted, but was not expecting!) and card. i had no idea how special it would make me feel to get one until i actually got it! i mean, i'm still getting used to the idea that i am someone's daddy (not to mention husband, but that's a whole 'nother blog post), but to then have someone say "happy Father's Day" to me, and realize the "Father" in that sentence is ME? kind of a big deal...

so anyways with day one made memorable by my new calorie-burning wheels, on to day two. the ArtLoveMagic Father's Day show (which, since it was on Saturday, i consistantly referred to as the "Father's Day Eve Show") was off the hinges! thanks to all my Twitter f(r)iends that came out, and a sincere "nice to meat'cha" to all the fine folks i met for the first time. i sold some comics and prints, and made some useful contacts. but most of all, it was just a fun show. accomplished photographer Jenice Johnson took lots of cool pics of all the dads and families in attendance (including the pics shown here of my daughter Marley and me), and i just really enjoy it when my girls can be with me while i'm working! i was already shoulder deep in my art hustle when my wife and i got together, but marriage and fatherhood have motivated me more, so that my daughter can grow up believing that it's possible to make a living doing what you love. having Charlene and Marley around sometimes to watch and help out is a great feeling!

After the show, we stayed in a hotel. we checked out this morning and went out to eat, dropped by the comic shop (yay!) and ran around a little before coming home and chilling out around the homestead. so all in all, a great and memorable holiday weekend. after not having as much of a relationship with my own dad as i would have liked (RIP Daddy... love you!), and not being much of a holiday person anyway, i was pleasantly surprised at how much i enjoyed my first Father's Day. i hope you enjoyed yours just as much!
peace,
-samax.
Ziontific.com

Whose House?

i came to the realization today that my 7-month-old daughter Marley is TOTALLY in charge of my life. as a big-time control freak (all comicbook creators are control freaks), i'd normally be upset at finding control of my life in someone else's hands... but her little hands are SO CUTE!
seriously, my wife and daughter figure so prominently in everything i do, it isn't even funny. this is not a surprise to me, but when explaining my decisions to other people i'm amused with how stunned they are that i consider anyone else's needs before my own. i guess that's why some people fear commitment. not everyone is built for it...
anywho, Marley is a big girl now: she can crawl, stand up (sorta) and is learning to eat soquids (solid/liquid, semi-solids like baby food). i spend most of my day deciding if things are safe for her to chew, climb on, or bang her head against. we are at that stage where we are SURE Marley is saying words, but she probably isn't yet. everyday, she's smarter than the day before. anyways, click the pic for more pictures, or watch the slideshow below!

View Album

Get your own

peace,
-samax
samaxAmen.com

that dude looks MIGHTY Familiar...

my man Thomas L Ingram drew this picture of me, my wife and daughter from a picture of us on Facebook (did i mention i was on Facebook now? well i am...). i thought it was a really nice thing to do, and very unexpected.

the photograph was taken at a christmas party we went to and is my favorite picture of our family so far! anyways, just thought i would share that!
peace,

-samax

samaxAmen.com

Love(s) of My Life

Charlene and Marley
okay, let's go to the ArtLoveMagic holiday party!
Dr. Reyes got my back!
I am READY baby!
Did you get my Good side?

Daddy and Marley
I GOT IT!!!! (everything an infant does is a big accomplishment...)
Marley with Grandad!

my little Bee Girl!

here's a few more pics of my little angel!peace, love, etc.
samax.
Ziontific.com

on the low...

i already started on my Christmas gifts this year... my daughter's very first yuletide gift from Dad will be this fresh "My Big Sister is a Cockerspaniel" bodysuit, illuminating her relationship to my wife's beloved Cockerspaniel, Millie. they are available in white, pink and baby blue in the Ziontific online store. they also come in "My Big Brother..." and "My First Baby..." varieties for just $12.99, with other gifts for lovers of Cockerspaniels too, so happy shopping!
uno.
samax.
Ziontific.com

Hurricane Marley has arrived!

Charlene and I are delighted to introduce you to our brand new daughter Marley Levelle! she was born on September 9th at 7:30 pm, and was 7 pounds, 4 ounces. she's an even 20 inches long. she was due on the 1st, but just like daddy, she shows up when she is good and ready! we are home now, and both mommy and daughter are doing well (i'm fine too, in case you're wondering...).
anyways, that's it! thanks to everyone was so kind while we were waiting on Marley to come, and we hope you will stay tuned in for the adventures ahead!
peace,
samax.

it's a GIRL (well, it's gonna be!)!!!!

"Charlene's Pregnant"
ballpoint pen, photoshop
my wife Charlene and I have been expecting for some time now. but until this week, we didn't know WHAT to expect! well, now i know we are having a little girl, Marley Levelle, early next september.
we are smack dab in the middle of the pregnancy now, and this has me very motivated to get my art out there... trying to be a good dad/husband/provider and all that...

anyways, that's all for now! back to the ole drawin' board!
peace,
samax.