2006

It's no secret that print editorial, faced with a lot of entertaining competitors, is losing market. When the topic comes up, my suggestion for regaining momentum is simple. Offer something that no other medium can deliver as effectively: remarkable illustration paired with outstanding writing. Make it a product people really want to look at first, then seal the deal with compelling content. My concerns for print have mostly dwelled on a lack of foresight on the part of editorial management. Instead of more art, I see less. Instead of better content, it seems to get worse. Poignant art as a necessary ingredient for catching eyeballs, starting conversations and staying competitive and relevant in a changing world doesn't seem to have many buyers. Why is this the case? To me, it seems fairly simple. If you want to compete, do what you do best. It's easy to lay blame at the doormat of lack-luster and unimaginative management. They're a big target and easy to hit. But, there's plenty of blame to spread around. Imagine if some of it falls squarely at the feet of the illustration community, itself. I started imagining that recently and it wasn't a fun exercise. Anyone involved in the commercial illustration boom of the 1980's and 90's will fondly recall those salad days of cash and plenty. They were good times, but good times can breed complacency. The world of entertainment has changed dramatically, while you could argue that the basic assumptions about what illustration should deliver to an audience has stayed fundamentally the same. Illustration can still offer decoration, of course, but the demands for interpreting hard editorial content with skill and insight should be on the rise. I don't see that happening. Perhaps I'm expecting too much? I see more of the same salad day reruns. A good example of rising editorial standards is Forbes Magazine. Forbes, as anyone in the illustration racket knows, has been a long-time supporter of great illustration. They've used it well and in abundance. At the same time, Forbes has also consistently contributed hard-hitting and provocative editorial views. They remain a class act. The quality of journalism in Forbes has risen and in that regard they seem to be meeting the challenge of a new world. I look forward to it arriving. When Forbes exposes corporate corruption, poor practices and outright fraud, they often turn to the best illustrators in the business to help them tell the story. Their instincts are right. Illustrations should be able to aid this type of important content. As I was doing a casual browse through the last year in print for Forbes however, I was disappointed in the art. I didn't find even one example where the art came close to hitting as hard as the content. It was an unsettling realization for me. I say this knowing full-well that I am referring to the hard work of esteemed colleagues that I both know and admire. So, I'm a cruel SOB. I will loose friends. I don't care.

The article itself was a huge conversation starter for Forbes. Why couldn't the illustration do exactly the same? Am I expecting too much? I hope I am not expecting too much. I'm a consumer. I just want a better product than the one that satisfied me in the 1990's. If they're smart (and I think they are) Forbes is asking themselves how the art they commission is doing anything more than decorating their pages at this point. I think it's important for illustrators to have that same conversation, as well. The articles themselves often have enormous impact, they start important conversations and actually move markets. Why can't the illustration contribute to the same conversations? They should, but right now they don't. I put all this out there as a consumer only. I'm not a critic. I don't have a masters degree in anything. I don't ever want to sit on a panel of judges. Perhaps I'm just a crabby and unsatisfiable consumer that should be ignored. I can live with that. Editorial print will survive, I'm convinced. I also believe that illustrators need to be an important ingredient for survival and growth. How that happens, I'm not sure. With that said, I honestly detest people who raise concerns without having a viable way forward.

Sorry for the recent slow-down at Drawger. It was a server problem - database goobers running amok.

Should be running lickedy-split now.

Everybody needs to make a living. Some people make a living as an illustrator. Still others make a living illustrating like other illustrators. Chris Gash is just such a fellow, making a living illustrating in the same style as the well established illustrator, Mark Matcho. People who watch illustration (there are probably a dozen or so) are well-aware of Matcho and also most likely aware that Gash does Matcho pretty well. Not a big deal, really. It happens in all walks of life. Copying someone who's popular to make your way in life, it's bound to happen. What normally happens with illustrators who make a living by working in the style of a popular illustrator, is that they work along the fringes of publishing. They work the small magazines, much like a Kiss cover band gets to play the local clubs, but not much more. But, when an internationally recognized and well respected magazine like US News & World Report decides to hire Gash for a multi-page, three spot story (November 27, 2006 issue - pages 67-74), it might give the hard working professionals, who've staked a lot of time and money on refining and promoting their unique style, a bit of pause. The Kiss cover band is suddenly playing Madison Square Garden. What’s happened here? No doubt about it, the excellent art directors (and they are excellent) at USN have known about Matcho for years. The man promotes himself well. He's been at the drawing board for almost twenty years now. And, also without a doubt, the art department of USN is aware that Gash is lifting the stylistic chops of Matcho to make a living. Anyone with an eye for art can spot the alarming similarities without effort. So, let me ask a question. If Matcho is Kiss, and Gash is the cover band, and US News really is Madison Square Garden, hasn’t everybody that bought a ticket just gotten ripped off? The sad conclusion that I reluctantly arrive at is that USN simply doesn't care that much. The public won’t know the difference, unless they’re sitting on the front row like myself. It looks like Kiss from the cheap seats. Who cares? Right? Well, I for one want my money back. Mark Matcho - Chris Gash

The beta-version of Drawgerpedia goes live today, ladies and gents. It may work out, it may not, I don't have a clue. This place constantly surprises me. What is it? It's a member maintained encyclopedia of any type of information we'd like to create. People that are members at Drawger should log in and check out the options. Broad categories of interest can be started. I started one initial category called "Illustrating Greats". Then I added a sub-categrory under that titled "Comic Strtip Artists" and then I added an article inside there about a fellow named James Childress. Anyone who is a member and logged in can edit that article about Childress. Any topic of interest can be added, and then added to or edited by any Drawger person. The information in the Drawgerpedia will be available to any web site visitor. They will not be able to add or edit, however. So - don't be timid about it. Jump and if you want and add a sub-category under Illustrating Greats. I intended this as a biography section. If you are super-bold, then add a new main category - whatever seems like a good idea. We'll see if this works and if we like it or not. Could be cool. Could be a giant flop. We'll see. The Drawgerpedia is pretty much open to whatever happens.

The beta version of a Drawger-like site for photographers will be up and running in about one week. Any working pros who have chops and the inclination should contact me here.

A nice write up by Bill Russel at The Northern California Graphic Artists Guild web site, where Adam McCauley waxes about Drawger, and offers advice on proper blogging, such as "readers can't detect irony" . Thanks Bill and Ad! I guess the secret is out...

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The Drawger Speakeasy is now open for business. Members here will only see the link, up top, when they are logged in. The only way for ANYONE to view the content of the Speakeasy is to be a member AND logged in. In short, the general public has no access at all to view whatever is written there-in.

It can hold as many topics of conversation as we can think up, so if you're a Drawger and want to start a conversation, log in, hit the Speakeasy button up top, and fire at will.

A new upgrade will be arriving at Drawger in short order and I am calling out for help with naming it. What it is: A message board that only members can see and only members can post to. The general public rabble that wanders through here will have no access to the inevitable complaining and client busting that will commence. I am not beneath sponsored naming opportunities. For example, The Elwood Smith Board of Bullwax and Balogna might be worth considering. At any rate, post em if you've got em. . . . . .

Stumbled by complete and happy accident into the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art where the second floor was dedicated to exhibiting the original comic pages of Chris Ware. Made me immediately think about Roy Lichtenstein - half a century ago, basically recreating comic book panels and having them widely regarded as fine art. Struck me as a bit amusing that it took another half century for actual comic panels to be regarded the same way. Don't know if it was because of the Ware exhibition or not, but the gift shop was awash in contemporary illustrator/artist wares from the likes of Baseman and Biskup. It's probably remarkably uncool, but I've posted a photo gallery of shots taken (mostly) by my son, John Z. during our Chicago trip.

I have a few professional photographer aquaintences who've asked if I can set up a site like Drawger for their community. Drawger has been such an inspiration to me, on a daily basis, I figure it's my obligation to spread the goodness around. I've registered Photager.com and will go into beta on that site within a month. If you have similar friends, then pass the word and tell them to get in touch with me if they want to try it out. It will be the same deal - invitation only, working pros only. . . . . . On a similar note, the idea I floated for Designager isn't getting much traction. I might be inspired to set up a site for freelance designers - but it ain't happened yet.

When a recent job came in to do a logo for a NYC recording studio, I thought back (for one reason or another) to how darn cool those Kuba Clothes were that Rob Dunlavey made a gallery about.

Rob D pointed out the Hammill Gallery where you can get a real fine sampling of Kuba. Here's some favorites: one and two and three

In case anyone wants to follow Tim's example. You should use the Safari Browser when placing Odeo files on the site. If you see the text editor thing, it don't work so good.
powered by ODEO Follow this path to Odeo for sign up and get your microphone ready.

Yeah - the home page and everything else at Drawger just went as white as blank paper. Anyboody who doesn't like it should file their complaints here. I'm going to have the alleged Drawger logo pull from a random list of image files - so anybody who wants to send me an alternate alleged Drawger logo, check it out here.

The first real job I ever did for a real magazine was in 1978 for Mother Jones Magazine. I was living in Oakland at the time, and I rode my little Yamaha 400 across the Bay Bridge in gale force cross-winds with the illustration in a backpack. I arrived at Mother Jones and handed over the art to the art director (can't recall her name).

She said she liked the piece very much, but that there was a slight problem. That being, Mother Jones didn't have any money to pay me for the job. I don't mind saying I was counting on the money to pay for some much needed food at the time and the news came as a serious blow to my complaining stomach.

The art director asked, "Do you like Ralph Steadman?" I said that indeed I did. She asked me to follow her and I was escorted to a room where there were perhaps 10 or more signed prints of Steadman's spread out on a table. She asked if I would accept one as payment.

After picking out a print, she provided me with a mailing tube which I bungied to my little Yamaha and faced the cross-winds of the Bay Bridge home.

The print, signed in pencil below a printed signature and numbered 56/100 depicts J. Edgar Hoover and has hung in my house ever since.

Fellow Drawger, Luc Latulippe - just added as a contributor to Drawn. I'm guessing between that, his new digs and The Jupitor Project , we might be missing him around here for a while.

The semi-annual Drawger Design Awards are based on nothing at all except what I personally think is groovy. Anyone who thinks they have been left out, passed over, or unjustly ignored can file complaints in the circular file.

Here's a Drawger upgrade idea - would appreciate feedback. From the start, I've wanted to incorporate a central Drawger gallery for group shows. Here's where my attention deficit disorder has managed to take me so far on this concept. Each member will have the ability to launch a gallery show at Drawger. They'll give it a name, a logo if they like, and a written description of what the show is about. They will also set whether the show is curated, or the show is open to any Drawger member. If the show is curated, they will be able to pick which pieces get in, and which hit the street. Open shows, obviously will take any entry. Pieces that are submitted will appear in a new admin function. A member that starts a show will see the pieces before anyone else does. They can organize the show and launch it all at once, or let pieces trickle in as they arrive. The Drawger who starts a show will be able to organize it any way they want, by setting priorities for each piece. They will also be able to end a show. Any gallery show that is started will be viewable from the main site. They will be represented by links, based on the title of the show. Also, the shows started by each member will be viewable on the member page that started it as well. That's the thing in the works. Any add ons, ideas, bonus feature concepts will be appreciated.

New house! Move accomplished!

Very cool to see some new faces here. I guess there were no major bombs while I was disconnected, so the code works whether I watch it all the time or not. Yeah!

Best advise to anyone who is planning to move: Hire someone else to do it and pay them whatever they want. I'm too old for this and my feet are killing me.

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I won't be around for at least a few days because I bought a house and now I need to move into it.

I've moved many times over the years, but I never seem to realize, or I simply forget between moves, a few simple truths about myself:

I have too many books and should never move at all, because they are just plain heavy.

There is little to no point in saving every illustration I ever did. They take up a lot of space and they don't do anything but lie in state.

Every time I move, I spend more time looking at archived stuff than I spend packing. If I didn't save old drawings, I'd move much faster.

My refrigerator is actually filled with condiments and very little food.

All of the socks I thought I lost are behind the dryer.

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This note from Luc got my attention. I'll quote:

"Some folks have told me they're not keen on paying $20/year for a blog when Blogger and other places offer them for free. How about a full-service Drawger Blog for $20 (which I think is totally reasonable, considering hosting fees for a single site), and a limited-feature free option? Maybe even a student-artists section? Maybe not. cheers! Luc"

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Luc is right, there are plenty of places to blog from for free. Blogger is of course owned by Google, who make their money on AdWords. MySpace makes money by selling hideous ads.

I figure the people who are here and any that follow will figure out whether it's worth $20 a year. If it isn't worth it, then that's okay. I'm not selling hideous ads, ever.

It's also a private club. Any junk that shows up here will be shown the door. I don't want their crummy $20.

I do plan on making a seperate free section just for students. I have this whole "adopt a newbie" idea that I think would be a real kick. An online mentor program of sorts. It will happen.

Also on the board, a section for Flash animations for everyone, a central gallery spot with themed shows that everyone can contribute to from time to time, a central movie spot where everyone can contribute animations.... heck I've got a long upgrade list that doesn't include raising annual dues.

The money - if I ever make any - will simply go straight back into the site and make itself known with more capabilities to communicate for everyone here.

I pay for band-width and hosting and beyond that I have Josh Carpenter on staff who wrote the majority of the code we use here every day. I'd at least like him to be able to take his excellent girl friend out for a nice dinner once a year. Right now, I pay him enough so they can do that semi-annually...

I'd appreciate feedback.

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Yo - wi fi post here from The Atlanta Bread Company in Sarasota Florida. Just left the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art - where not only is the art collection mind bending but the Museum of old Circus stuff is insane! I'll post pics when I get back. In the meantime, here's a really lame virtual tour of where I just was.

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I'll be gone for a week for my annual birthday escape - just to let all here know that there's no one watching the store. My partner in Drawger, Josh Carpenter leaves as well for a tour with The Nein, where he'll be playing at South by Southwest on March 18th. I'll be checking email.

Kevin Pope is up and running with FishStiks.com and is posting daily humor of the Kevin Pope variety. Worth checking out.

Randall Enos posted his first article at drawger and it's a doozy folks.

Check it out here.

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