so i'm cranking these out pretty good. now, i know what you're thinking, and yes, i'm working on Christmas Eve. i work from home, okay? don't worry, my wife and daughter are sleeping, A Christmas Story is playing across the living room, and i'm lap-topping in my favorite chair. so all is right with the world...
anyways, the main character of this comic is hearing-impaired, so my writer sent me to this blog about deaf characters in adolescent literature, and lo-and-behold, they actually adressed deaf people in comics! here's a slideshow:
i haven't been posting as much as i'd like because i'm getting a lotta freelance work, including this project. it's a big one, so get used to seeing new pages for the next few months... incidentally, i think i'm getting faster, which is a good thing too! i expect to do a lot more of my own comics in '09 since i'm working the kinks out on this project, which i'm drawing, coloring and lettering... but i'm trying hard to keep up with the blog and magazine (can't forget about my people!). anyways, feel free to let me know what you think.
2nd page of my new freelance project. it's a teen sci-fi comic... as an experiment, i just scanned breakdown sketches i made of the story on typing paper and drew the art right in photoshop. it was much faster than drawing it the traditional way (the project is huge, so speed is a big issue)!
the client has yet to see these, so hopefully they will like what i'm doing. :) Ziontific.com
sketch of Iron Mike Tyson by samax (for the sketchbook Allstars sketchjam: Fighters). watercolor brush pens on paper. i've never been all that big into fighting, but you didn't need to be to dig Iron Mike when i was comin' up! he was like a super hero (or villain, depending on how you look at it...) knocking professional fighters unconscious before the popcorn was even ready! every comedian mentioned him... he had rappers writing songs about him... not the greatest boxer ever, but my personal favorite! (NOTE: I decided to make this the Image of the Month for December. buy stuff with this image here. the original art can be bought for just $25. if you want it, get at me. offer ends Dec 31) holla! samax.
I'll be participating in another Art Conspiracy benefit auction this Saturday at 3011 Gulden Ln in Dallas,TX. And this year's beneficiary is…Preservation LINK!
Preservation LINK, Inc. has worked tirelessly to create a family of youth media programs. They strive to provide “life experience literacy” for elementary, junior high, and high school students in South Dallas through a variety of programs and initiatives, including a photojournalism program called “Point of View” and a media skills training course called “SIGHT & SOUND.” The goal of these programs is to encourage youth to document and appreciate their communities, and in turn embrace personal responsibility and civic engagement.
I'll have a piece being auctioned in the show, so you might be able to get it cheap, plus there will be lots of other great pieces to bid on, too! i'll bring copies of gM Quarterly and other goodies in my knapsack... you know how i get down! see ya there! -samax
nah, i didn't start writing rhymes or anything (i know better than that...), but i DO have new Journals with my images available in the Ziontific shop, including Murder Rap and Daydreamer, shown here. your journal will be filled with your choice of 60lb bookweight (24 lb bond) paper -- blank (for sketching), dot grid, lined college-ruled, or a task journal. this is a good gift for you, or the writer, artist, organizer, or wanna-be in your life! peep my full line of journals here! uno. -Ziontific.com changing the way you look and the way you see since 2005
hope everybody had a good Turkey Day... so Thanksgiving Day means many things, but what it REALLY means is the hollaDays are upon us! i got a few variations of Christmas cards available (click on either picture to order), and more on the way, in singles and packs of 10 and 20. i got the Ya Better Watch Out and Be Coolavailable, right now... look for a few more within the week. holla! samax.
warriorQueenMother(v2) by samax Amen Vision -the last ArtLoveMagic Show of 2008- was dope. each piece in the show sported a one-word title it exemplified. i hung 2 pieces in the gallery (my theme was Motherhood) and did sketches and brought greeting cards and postcards for the people. there were lots of other artists of all types on hand. all the ArtLoveMagic events i've done have been heavily attended and this one was no different. The exhibit (including the piece shown here-which has already sold) will be up through Thanksgiving Weekend at the Mokah Art Gallery just off Canton and Malcom X in Dallas. -Ziontific.com
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
the wait is over people! the debut issue of ghettoManga Quarterly is here for your perusal! after a long wait, i finally got the first issue done... it's 52 pages long, with original comics from Nat Landry (Devil Kitty and Violent Amphibious Beaver Boy), Garland Watson (Return Of The Backpackers) and me, Samax Amen (Manchild:Birthday Boy). Hip hoppers will dig the article featuring DJ Kool Herc and reviews of that new Nas joint, and I put you on (once again) to the Mighty Underdogs new plate Droppin' Science Fiction. as an added bonus, i featured my art series Pay*Triotic in these pages, and much, much more! COP THAT for just $10 plus shipping, homey!
well, September's almost over, so i may as well update the Image of the Month, right? i had The Soldier up there all month, even though it was supposed to be the Image for August... "better late than never" i always say! so i'll use the hot new sketch,Was It Good For You #2that i whipped up earlier this month... it got lotsa love on mySpace, so i'll drop it here as well! this will probably be in the next Spontaneous volume i do (probably winter 08 or early 09, so stay tuned), and there will eventually be a series of prints (see WIGFY#1 here) once there are enough of 'em... peace. samax. samaxAmen.com
here's one of my Tee shirts with the image Miraculous, worn by Atlanta-based cartoonist/emcee/black superman Elihu Bey, creator of the extra-dimensional aboriginal mind-bender Neverknots. he's one of the most original voices out there, and if he manages to do HALF of what he has in mind for his comic, the art form will never be the same! click on his picture and check him out if you think i'm just talking crap. by the way, if you wanna get your hands on one of those fresh tees, click the pic to the right and go over to the Ziontific store and see what we got to choose from! uno. -Ziontific.com
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.
America's relationship with the Military is a strange and ambivalent one. they need our protection just as much as we need theirs. The Soldier challenges you to see our troops -for all their heroism and power- as fellow human beings. how a viewer interprets this image says as much about their views on war, government and patriotism as it does about my perspective on these matters.JG8D69D
saturday. $5 cover goes to breast cancer research. i'm creating art live on the scene, so bring some paper and get original art for cheap! see ya there! samaxAmen.com
i haven't been blogging very much lately. working feverishly to wrap up ghettoManga Quarterly's debut issue, get ready for Playlist, the art show with the mighty ghostWerks crew on August 21st, and prepare for the impending birth of my daughter. at any rate, all three are on the brink, so stay tuned for news about all that as it develops. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: I've been getting more purchases going through over at the Ziontific store, so if you are one of the people buying my shirts and cards, thanks! i haven't been promoting much lately, but i guess i'm experiencing some delayed payoffs from past marketing! anyways, thanks for sticking with me, and expect more REAL news soon... peace, samax.
so for those who don't know me personally, i work at a call center (because freelance art is a wee bit unstable) four nights a week, on the graveyard shift. since i got married last year, i live pretty far away from work, requiring a 45 minute commute. well, on the way home this morning, i fell asleep at the wheel and woke up with a face full of federally-required airbag, surrounded by twisted metal that usedta be my Neon. i pulled myself out of the smashed up window, and walked out of the cloud of dust to see an off-duty fireman who had stopped to help me. the shock on his face looking at my car made me feel like i had to calm him down... "it's okay, dog... i'm a'ight..." soon i was surrounded by cops and EMT fussing over me and the car, repeatedly telling me what i already knew: I was damn lucky to be Alive. as i sat in the ambulance letting them check me over, i couldn't help thinking of M. Night Shyamalan's instant-classic Unbreakable, because that's the kinda guy i am... Unbreakable (2000) Starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson
so anyways, i'm okay. i got tons of stuff i wanna do with my life, and i'm even more resolved to get it all done! holla! -samax Ziontific.com
since i'm still promoting Spontaneous: Spring 2008 i decided to use What Do I like to Draw? as the Image of the month for June. of course, it's almost July, so now i'm deciding what i want for next month! holla! samax.
peace, fam... i recently re-read the script i wrote for my monster opus, Gorilladon Lives!,and i gotta tell you: it's pretty sweet! so last night at work, i set out to tweak the character design for everybody's favorite giant monster they never heard of, and i drew this little joint (click to enlarge).
originally created for the sole purpose of being in one scene of Dare: Shook(that's Dare in the lower right hand corner!), Gorilladon quickly took on a life of his own! anyways, one of my goals for this year is to get Dare:Breaking the Ice and Gorilladon Lives! in your hot little hands by year's end, so keep your eyes peelt! uno. -gM
Live Art. Live Music. Live Coffee. whattup Fam! Join me and the rest of the local art collective ArtLoveMagic for a free live art experience this Friday night May 30th.
Experience live painters and musicians in a chill, creative atmosphere.
there'll be coffee tastings every hour and even have an interactive art station where you can create a watercolor painting of different coffee blends.
"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.
i drew this joint for this dude Subway Surfer who does ill caricatures... on his blog he invited artists to do their own caricatures of him, and i took a stab at it. let me know what you think, fam! peace, samax. Ziontific.com
so i'm cranking these out pretty good. now, i know what you're thinking, and yes, i'm working on Christmas Eve. i work from home, okay? don't worry, my wife and daughter are sleeping, A Christmas Story is playing across the living room, and i'm lap-topping in my favorite chair. so all is right with the world...
