Atomic Pencil

It Pays to Advertise

2008-01-21T13:24:57Z

For the new issue of Bachelor Pad Magazine (coming out soon!), I put a crowbar in my wallet and sprang for a half-page ad. I figure if a gal in a slinky dress with a smoking gun and skull earrings won't catch someone's eye, nuthin' will.

How much ass does my wife kick?

2008-01-10T16:33:55Z

Like many people, I have an irrational love of the movie Blade Runner. Unlike many people, I prefer the original theatrical release to the director's cut. The theatrical release has been unavailable on DVD, and I've been bitching about it for years.

My kickass wife surprised me yesterday by giftin' me the Ultimate Collector's Edition DVD set that contains a whole buncha different versions of the movie, a truckload of extra features, cool concept art, and a couple of happy-meal style toys...all wrapped up in a futuristic briefcase.

Everybody's invited over for multiple viewings! (Suspected Replicants will have the Voight-Kampff test administered before being allowed entry)

atomic_pencil @ 2007-12-17T14:04:00

2007-12-17T19:12:07Z

Need a jazzy holiday drink to put some kick in your yuletide festivities?

Head on over to Java's Bachelor Pad and check out the latest recipe!

(And if that isn't enticement enough, Java is kindly providing us with 25 days of "Christmas Cuties"...So if nifty-lookin' ladies in holiday pin-up apparel sounds good to you, check in daily!)

atomic_pencil @ 2007-12-12T11:19:00

2007-12-12T16:26:13Z

The aforementioned new issue of Bachelor Pad Magazine is now available! The above pic is from my regular column, "Last Call"...consider yourself teased. To get the whole scoop and also feast on all manner of other retro/vintage goodies, hit the link below and pick up your issue today!

Bachelor Pad Magazine holiday issue

She's a redhead and drives a motorcycle...what's not to like?

2007-12-10T13:20:20Z

I honestly can't remember the last time I drew a superhero. It was probably when I was in college (a LONG time ago), or possibly even high school. When I was a kid, I loved drawing superheroes, and spent many an afternoon drawing endless variations of Marvel and DC characters (for a more detailed account of this period in my life, keep an eye out for my upcoming autobiography, Portrait of a Young Nerd).

Anyway, I wanted to experiment with some painting techniques, and I decided to take a cartoon-style stab at character I've never drawn before...Batgirl.

atomic_pencil @ 2007-12-03T16:40:00

2007-12-03T21:48:01Z

Since I ran out of pics of attractive women holding signs, here's a couple I took this morning...

Deer sometimes eat from our bird feeder, and this morning we had a buck stop by. But he also had company in the form of our neighbor's cat "Baby". (lower right corner).

Baby hangs out under the bird feeder on a daily basis, and I guess he wanted a closer look at who was on his turf, because he then jumped up on the wall.

After a minute or so of checking each other out, baby walked off and the deer went back to raiding the bird feeder.

Ladies Love Logos 2: The Revenge

2007-11-29T19:52:57Z

My friend Rick just sent me another pic from another event. I'm clearly in the wrong line of work.

Ladies Love Logos

2007-11-26T19:45:39Z

Most people think the secret to attracting the ladies is playing guitar, having washboard abs, or driving a Porsche. Wrong! All you need is a slick logo:

These photos were taken at the release party for Stiletto vodka, and the logo on the sign is something I whipped up for fellow boozeblogger Rick Dobbs. He wanted a simple, text-based design with just a li'l bit of graphics to spice it up.

Bonus trivia: The tagline portion of the logo is a custom font based on my own handwriting. Who says I won't go the extra mile for my clients?

Check out all the up-to-the minute booze news at Martini Groove. Rick's a swell guy, and as you can see, gets to go to all the cool parties and swank it up. I'm jealous.

The return of shameless plugs!

2007-11-13T03:43:23Z

Yeah, no posts for 3 and a half months, but a preview of the upcoming issue of Bachelor Pad Magazine makes up for it, no?

It'll be jam-packed with all kinds of retro goodness, including pinups, fiction, lifestyle advice, reviews, comics and much more...including a new drink recipe and original illustration from yours truly!

Subscribe now and watch your hipness quotient increase 20%!

http://www.bachelorpadmagazineonline.com

Why is this little guy smiling?

2007-08-02T00:39:43Z

Head on over to Dr. Bamboo to find out!

Dr. Bamboo in print!

2007-07-14T00:26:18Z

Hey Kids,

As I've mentioned before, Dr. Bamboo is where I indulge my love of cocktails by posting recipes and whipping up li'l illustrations to go along with 'em. In addition to posting goodies over there, I'll also be doing the same for the brand-new quarterly, Bachelor Pad Magazine.

This new periodical is the brainchild of Java, all-around swell cat and proprietor of online hot spot Java's Bachelor Pad. He was kind enough to ask me to be the mixologist-in-residence, and I was happy to oblige. Aside from lifestyle advice, movie reviews, entertaining tips and nifty pinups, the magazine will also contain a cocktail recipe and original illustration by yours truly. The pic above is a sneak peek...to get the whole kit n' kaboodle, swing by Java's site to get the details and pick up a copy.

Consider yourself teased!

Introverted...or just lazy?

2007-07-11T16:17:57Z

After looking at my last post and realizing it was from February, one thing became startlingly clear:

I enjoy reading other people's blogs far more than I do posting at my own.

In addition to checking in with all you LJ types every few days, I read a fairly decent amount of other blogs too. I think because I work from home, blogs serve as my virtual water cooler, giving me a dose of the old cubicle-to-cubicle blather that kept me connected to my fellow humans back in my 9-to-5 days.

Of course, I haven't completely stopped adding my squeals to the deafening din of the web. I still post fairly regularly over at my booze-themed site Dr. Bamboo. But generally speaking, the internet remains pretty much a passive experience for me. Which isn't surprising, since I'm not really what anyone would call a "man of action." My natural state is to let information and experience wash over me rather than get directly involved, which is why the web is such a tempting place for me. I can just whiz around, reading and peeping at will, without ever running out of places to visit...Or feeling like I need to add much of my own stuff. You guys are keeping it pretty well covered.

So I guess what I'm saying is that if any of you are diligently posting away and wondering, "Is anyone reading this stuff?", the answer is yes. I'm still out here, and I'm reading your stories and looking at your pictures. And enjoying them all. I just may not be commenting or responding with posts of my own too often. Born lurker I guess.

It's like Jimmy Buffett says: "If the phone doesn't ring, it's me."

(Oh, and in keeping with my policy of never posting without including an image, I've attached a quickie pencil sketch of a character that may show up down the road in a comic project I'm collaborating on with another booze blogger. Who doesn't love spunky, pigtailed female mechanics?)

Dig those groovy Martians!

2007-02-26T17:06:23Z

Back when I was in college I picked up several of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars series books at a used book fair. I bought them purely because they featured covers and interior art by Frank Frazetta, who is one of my all-time favorite fantasy artists. They were hardcover, and only something like 50 cents each, so I snapped 'em up.

At the time I bought them, I really wasn't interested in reading them- I just liked the artwork. But a few weeks ago I pulled out the first one in the series (above) and decided to give it a whirl.

I won't give a review of the book here other than to say it's extremely fun, breezy, swashbuckling-type stuff that is characteristic of the high-adventure stories of the time.

But I found I was still as captivated by the cover art as i was the day it caught my eye back in college. It's a classic Frazetta image: heroically-proportioned guy with sword. Lush, curvy woman at his side. Alien landscape. Weird monster. And how about that typography?? Lime-green and dripping with 70's style. I HAD to scan it and share.

Using a blog to pimp another blog

2007-02-19T17:57:17Z

Do you like booze? Do you like reading about booze? Do you like looking at swell pictures of booze? Then I just might have something to interest you.

I just started a drink-themed blog at:

http://www.drbamboo.blogspot.com/

Since I'm not the most tech-savvy guy in the room, it's a pretty simple affair: I scrounge up a drink recipe, try it, offer a few comments and draw a li'l illustration to accompany it.

If you're into that sort of thing, please stop by. I love shooting the breeze with other drink geeks. Comments, suggestions, ideas, etc., are encouraged as always.

Salud!

I respond well to pressure

2007-02-09T21:04:28Z

I realize only 2 or 3 people visit this site, but no one was more surprised than me when last week one of those people (Hi Greg!) jumped all over me for my lack of entries. I aim to please, so here we go.

Anyway, the giant project that consumed my life this last month or so seems about over. After drawing 70+ illustrations of young women facing important decisions regarding their sexual behavior (it's a long story), I realized how much I missed drawing little non-human professor types with rockabilly haircuts.

A sad day indeed

2007-01-06T19:45:24Z

I just found out the guy who invented instant ramen died.

People who know me well know that I have an irrational love of ramen. I discovered it in college, and ate tons of it. I'm not really a big fans of sweets, but fried, salty stuff is my kryptonite. Ramen was love at first sight. I have fond memories of cooking up countless batches in my tiny dorm room using a hacked one-cup coffee maker to provide the hot water (Although I was always a fan of the "loose" style rather than the styrofoam cup version).

I still love ramen today just as much as I did when I first discovered it, although these days I eat it pretty rarely. But a few times a year I need a fix and will drag home a 6 or 12 pack to indulge in the magical combination of dehydrated noodles and powdered meat substitute.

Rest in peace, Momofuku Ando. You have done great service to noodle-lovers worldwide. Flags on every college campus should be flying at half-mast.

adventurous aviatrix

2006-12-20T19:08:21Z

Just a couple quick sketches of the main character for a steampunk-themed comic project I've been noodling with.

Of course, before it gets into gear I have to get the "real" (i.e. paying) jobs off my desk.

I don't have an MBA, so maybe I'm overlooking the obvious...

2006-12-19T16:07:36Z

I need someone out there to explain something to me.

A very large supermarket near where I live is located in a major retail corridor that services several surounding neighborhoods. This place is BUSY seven days a week, and on weekends it becomes packed to capacity.

I often shop there because this store has arguably the best selection within reasonable driving distance of my house. The only drawback is this particular store has the slowest checkout process I've ever witnessed. This is due almost entirely to the fact that this store does not have baggers.

There are other smaller stores in the same chain nearby, and you can check out of all of those places in a flash because they have baggers working at almost every check stand. At the big store, it often takes longer to check out than it does to fill your cart.

I asked several of the cashiers at the big store why they have no baggers when all their other stores have them, and the only response I got was that the management steadfastly refuses to use baggers. When I asked why, I was told it was vaguely related to labor costs.

So what ends up happening is possibly the least efficient system I've ever seen in a grocery store checkout. Lines at every register are at least 6 people deep. Almost everyone has a entire cart full of food, since most of the people that shop at this store are buying for families. There are a handful of self-checkout aisles, but since many of the people in our area are elderly, they are only used by younger customers who don't fear the computer screens and card-readers.

And since they're doing the entire process themselves, everyone in line gets to watch the cashier scan an item, then place it in a bag. Scan, bag. Scan, bag. The worst part is that the customer can't even help, because the only bags are placed right next to the cashier, out of reach. So you stand there like an idiot watching one person slowly ringing up and bagging your items one at a time.

The end result is a whole store full of shoppers ready to blow a gasket while they watch their lives tick away in line. I have heard many people say they now avoid this store because of the amount of time they have to wait to check out.

So what I need explained is this: Is it really a sound business practice to shave a few bucks on labor at the cost of alienating tons of customers? If anyone can shed some light on this, please do (I'm not being sarcastic..I really want to know how this can possibly be positive from a business standpoint).

More Local Color

2006-11-21T22:20:59Z

The day after I spotted my neighbor decked out in his leaf-blowing ensemble (previous post), I was driving down the main street near my house and spotted a hunched, wizened gentleman walking down the grassy median carrying a large plastic ball under one arm. I'd love to know the story behind this guy.

When Fargo meets Blade Runner

2006-11-17T19:44:06Z

The other day I glanced out my window and saw my neighbor cleaning up his leaves. He does this at least once a week, and I've noticed he seems to have adopted a standard outfit for this particular activity: Steelers hat, gloves, plaid jacket, and one of those disposable paper masks. It was such an interesting ensemble I had no choice but to whip up a quick sketch.

Imagine Bilbo Baggins working for the Public Works Department and you get the general idea.

atomic_pencil @ 2006-11-14T16:40:00

2006-11-14T21:40:59Z

So I'm on the parkway and I notice the vanity plate on the car in front of me simply reads "khan". Being the big nerd I am, it took all of my self-restraint not to roll down the window and scream "KHAAAAAAAAANNNNNN!!!!!!!"

(Had I done so, it would have looked like the artist's conception above)

atomic_pencil @ 2006-10-20T18:13:00

2006-10-20T18:33:16Z

Back in my college days, a couple of my cartoonist buddies swore by brush pens. I tried them out a few times, but generally wasnt that crazy about them. I found the tips tended to fray fairly quickly, preventing me from getting a nice, smooth line.

Anyway, I decided to give them another shot when I spotted this one at the local craft store for $2.50:

Anyone out there use brush pens? If so, which one(s)can you recommend? I think if I warm up to them this time around, I may invest in this Pentel model which a lot of people seem to like. My favorite mechanical pencils are made by Pentel, so I'm figuring their pens might be a good bet too.

atomic_pencil @ 2006-10-17T17:50:00

2006-10-17T21:52:55Z

If you're fan of H.P. Lovecraft, this one's for you. If not...I guess you can just laugh at a baby with an octopus head.

atomic_pencil @ 2006-09-27T19:07:00

2006-09-27T23:10:51Z

I finally finished the li'l two-pager I've been working on, which features everyone's favorite bluesman, Hammertoe Collins. Enjoy!

Sweet, sweet beer

2006-09-22T19:10:40Z

When I started this LJ account, I swore I was going to keep it strictly as a sketchblog and I wasn't going to do any of this "What I had for breakfast" kinda stuff. But I obviously violated that rule several posts ago.

Also, anytime rules are being broken (even self-imposed ones), alcohol is often involved. Which leads me to shamelessly plug a fine local business, East End Brewing

Rather than go on at length describing who they are and what they do (because their website does a better job than I ever could), I'll simply say that a local guy quit his fulltime job, bought space in a vacant industrial building, picked up second-hand equipment and devoted himself to making & selling really outstanding beer.

The best part? He's 10 minutes from my house.

After many, many months of saying "Yeah, I gotta go there and get some beer" I finally pulled the trigger last night. I picked up two growlers of what is easily the freshest, tastiest beer I've ever had in my life. The Pedal Pale Ale and Black Strap Stout (pictured above, each missing some of their contents) are both phenomenal, and I strongly encourage any Pittsburgh-area beer enthusiasts to swing by the brewery itself or check out any of the bars & restaurants listed on their site that carry EEB's product.