A Life of Better Off Dead
Better Off Dead (1985) written and directed by Savage Steve Holland and starring John Cusack, David Ogden Siers, Kim Darby, Diane Franklin and Curtis Armstrong. I have my favorite movies. There are films I've seen over and over. But nothing comes close to B.O.D! In my family it's still a Christmas tradition.
I won't get into trying to explain why this movie means so much to me. It's not fully explain-able. I guess it just clicked with my sense of humor at a time when I was still wondering what it's like to have new romances and adventures as a goofy suburban kid.
So imagine my excitement when I saw that this year's Sketchfest includes a Better Off Dead 30 Year anniversary Live Read!
Right Off!....On!
Language Lessons. This piece is featured in Gallery 1988's book, Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art 2
If you have kept up with my artwork, you already know about my obsession with Better Off Dead. Two of the pieces I've done for Gallery 1988, Crazy 4 Cult shows are B.O.D. inspired. Language Lessons was part of my series of Weirdoes in Love which also featured Harold & Maude, Pee Wee Herman & Dottie, and Sailor & Lula from Wild at Heart.
Painting, It's Got Raisins In It involved a lot of tricky, wet-into-wet print transfers in order to get the rain-soaked recipe onto the illustration board. I'm very happy with the results. This one hangs proudly in our kitchen.
This 30th Anniversary Live Read is coming up faster than a paper boy, owed his two dollars. If I can figure out a way to get involved and help with some new merchandise, I will.
-Ben
It's Got Raisins In It, from Gallery 1988, Crazy 4 Cult, 2008
Art School Contemplation
I recently sat down with writer, Chris Jalufka. He asked me about my experiences in Art School and my thoughts on it all. Here are his questions and my previously mentioned thoughts (plus some of my student work).
1. When the time came to venture off into college, was art school always your first choice?
Yes. I was never a very good student, at least not with the three Rs. So there was never a time when UC "blah blah" was on the table.
I did not enroll right after high school. Instead, I spent a few years drawing underground comics by day and I made balloon animals by night. It actually worked out pretty well. Eventually I got swept up in the dot.com tech boom. When the economy tanked around 2000 I found myself not only out of work, but laid-off from an industry I never sought out in the first place. "graphics grunt work" I called it. I had gotten so far away from what I loved: painting and drawing stuff that makes people laugh. I was eager to learn how to do it better. So I decided to go to art school.
Enrolling in art school takes a level of humility that I didn't have as a young adult. Seeking instruction means swallowing your pride and admitting you have a lot to learn. I had a puffed up sense of my abilities and got very sensitive when anyone critiqued my artwork. Being professional, even a professional student, means putting all that bull aside, putting 100% of your efforts into your work AND not being so attached to the final product that you can't rip it up and do it all over again.
2. Do you think an art education helped get you to where you are today, at least skill-wise?
Clothed Figure Drawing, 2004
It definitely did. But it's funny to think back on what I thought an art education would be. I had these odd ideas that there were a few very specific rules and secrets I needed to hear. Then after four years in school I would walk out as the best artist I could ever be.
The more accurate way to see art school is as a solid start. Art school is FIVE years of total immersion into whatever craft you're taking on. It is constant practice, experimentation, discussion. It's your time to fail over and over. That's how people learn.
Probably the main thing I learned in art school was what hard work really looks like, and how much hard work it takes to even make a dent in an art career. Art education is just the beginning. The boot camp that gets you practicing, teaches you how to start and finish projects on a specific timeline.
A typical assignment in your final year as an Animation or Illustration major might be: Re-imagine the characters from The Wizard of Oz. Then the instructor waits for you to come back with your artwork and he tells you how it could be improved a bit. That's it. That's when I realized an artist doesn't necessarily need an instructor to tell him to create projects. Anyone can pick a tidbit from history or a story that's in the public domain, a Grimm's Fairy Tale maybe, and draw a comic, do some character designs, make a picture book. Anyone who continually takes on their own projects (and finishes them) will do fine eventually, art school or not. Half of my artist-friends are proof of that.
3. When you started school, what was your main focus? Did your major change over the years?
The Ghoulds Character Design, a pitch I sent to Nickelodeon 2005
I remember my first day in school. It was an orientation day, I think. They told us "OK Animation majors stand over here. Illustration majors over here." I still had not decided and suddenly felt all this pressure to decide, like where I went to stand would decide my whole future. So dumb. I soon settled on Traditional (2D) Animation, but the program was so similar to Illustration that I teetered back and forth, creating my own program that focused on concept art, background painting, character design, storyboarding for animation.
Like I said, it's your time to fail. Not on grades and assignments, I always kicked ass. But as far as choosing directions. You can take a class and when it's over say "Alright, I was curious about ____ but I hated doing that. I never need to delve into that again."
4. The big question: Would you do it again knowing what you know now? What would do differently? The same?
I don't worry about re-writing history. Maybe the better question is would I recommend going to private art college?
The short answer is yes IF you really know that you can't/won't do anything but your art whether you can earn a living from it or not AND you do not go into debt in order to attend said art school. If you have a full-ride scholarship or the most generous, wealthy parents ever or you got into a gnarly car accident and the settlement will cover your tuition, then go for it.
If you are going to take out Federal or private loans to do it? No. So many of my fellow students had never drawn anything before enrolling in college but they loved watching anime or Pixar movies and thought it would be fun to move away from their parents and learn how to make cartoons. "Computer! Begin rendering amazing animated movie...Now!"
Tiki Treehouse, created for a Layout class, 2005
Private art schools, while offering some great instruction, are mainly in the business of talking young people into taking on enormous loans. Prospective art students love art, not math. We go in seeing these loans as numbers on a form, with only a vague sense that this money needs to be paid off, with interest. But that future date that seems like a million years from that first day of enrollment. "And besides, by then I'll be a super-successful animator or painter and money won't be a problem. Right?!" The truth is, student loan payments hurt for even the most successful graduates and never quite to go away.
There are two main things we get out of art school:
Total immersion. Nonstop practice doing what it is you want to be good at. Constant feedback and encouragement (at least, more than you would get outside of college).
A large network of professional artist-friends. It's great to have friends. It's even better to have artist-friends. Aside from the general comradely in shared interests, it is your employed artist-friends who will help you get in on jobs.
Art school is a very expensive, packaged set of experiences that someone could technically replicate on their own. But it takes a very special kind of person with an incredible amount of drive, organizational and social skills to make it all happen without the structure of a school.
See more from Chris Jalufka at his site, EvilTender.com and on Redubble.com
Picture This! San Francisco
Alright I'm ready to admit it. I have been sneaking out of our apartment at night and doing open mic comedy. It's a world I have always been fascinated by and now that I'm in it, I can't get enough.
For now, I'm just showing up and doing open mics wherever/whenever I can (2-3 times a week). Nothing on the books specifically. However....
I will be drawing Live as part of PICTURE THIS! A new kind of standup show where artists draw live and their doodles are projected behind the comedians. They're taking the show on the road This special San Francisco edition will be at the ultra-sexy Doc's Lab in North Beach.
Don't miss this!
Get tickets ($10-$12 cheap!) at DocsLabSF.com
More pictures and info at nakedcomedy.org
Duds on Bugs
Some people say there is no art without pain. When it comes to the series of images I'm creating now, I agree. I don't know what to call these drawings but I am pairing bugs with bits of clothing that rhyme (or close enough). Bug Duds, Critters in Sweaters? I don't know.
The point is, this project has me doing Google Image searches on crickets, Potato Bugs, Chiggers, Ticks, basically anything that squicks me the Eff out. I hate insects, spiders etc. What I mean is, I don't wish them any harm or think that they are out to get me personally, but I just have a visceral reaction when I see them, hear them, or am reminded that they exist. The unease in my guts when I see a photo of a bed bug is my cross to bear alone. It's for the greater good of showing you all what one would look like wearing Uggs.
Here are some more highlights from the series, the parasites. Make sure to not miss one bug by following me on Instagram @ArtofBenWalker (Twitter too).
5 Jerks You can Identify by Their Halloween Costume
Grown-ups love Halloween because it's the day we get to dress up like someone or something entirely different from our true selves. Nope. It's actually the other way around. The truth is, people dress more like their true selves on Halloween than any other day.
Did I just explode your mind?
You see, what a guy choses to wear on Halloween can give us insight into what's on his mind, what he wants to be and what he wants from others. (Yes this article focuses on men. I ain't trying to unpack women's minds or fashion)
There are (at least) 5 kinds of jerks that can be identified by their Halloween costume.
Do you have a second date with someone on Halloween? Or are you going to a party in the hopes of meeting somebody? Nice job! You will have the advantage of seeing what's really inside your date better than if you could administer a polygraph in that TSA security machine that sees people naked.
I now present your 5 jerks:
1. The "I don't really dress up for Halloween" Jerk
The "I don't really dress up for Halloween" Jerk has committed to going out for Halloween but has purposely put off procuring a costume. The night of the party, he rifles through his dirty clothes hamper and quickly puts something together that "works."
Don't believe this guy when he says he "just isn't into celebrating Halloween." If that's true he should have stayed home. The truth is this bore has no confidence or imagination.
Beware of:
- The "Sports fan" Costume
- The Half-ass (Afro wig and aviators only)
- The 0-Budget Half-ass (Something "clever" written in Sharpie on a T-shirt)
- The Clark Kent (This guy just doesn't want to change out of his suit after work.)
2. Too-Cool-for-School Jerk
The Great Escapist
Not to be confused with I don't really dress up for Halloween Jerk, The Too Cool for School Jerk puts effort into his costume. Well, more thought than effort. But the Too-Cool-for-School Jerk is driven entirely by the need to be desirable to the opposite sex. He is super-cool and available every day so he is going to be ultra-cool on Halloween.
The executive version of this guy got the idea for his costume from his favorite men's style blog complete with links to where he can purchase the (un)necessary, expensive, costume items on-line.
This guy is over-compensating for his fragile ego and should be avoided.
Beware of:
- The Bob Dylan
- The Paul Newman
- Motorcycle Racer
- King of Vampires
- The Crow
3. Hall of Horrors Jerk
This Halloween jerk is tough to nail down. On spotting obscenity, a Supreme Court judge once said, "I know it when I see it." It's the same way with Hall of Horrors Jerk. Lets face it, at it's core Halloween is about being spooky. Horror-themed costumes can be great. But there are dudes out there who are WAY too into scaring people (particularly women). If he's wearing a rubber demon-monster mask with a hooded cloak, beware. If he stays in character all night, aggressively goth dancing or just silently staring at people, No. Fuck that guy. Hall of Horrors Jerk hasn't gotten over being picked on for playing Magic: The Gathering in the High School cafeteria. This guy had his dream job as a scarer at the local haunted house but was fired for "making inappropriate comments and touching patrons in an un-welcomed way."
Avoid:
- The Fangoria-level monster mask
- The Plastic Invisible Man mask
- Anyone carrying a chainsaw
- Scary Clown
- ...You'll know it when you see it.
4. The Ultra-Clever Costume Jerk
(Yes, it's my idea, you can take it if you must)
You could do worse than Ultra-Clever Costume Jerk. At least, it's very unlikely that he will take you home, drill a hole in your head and pour the hole full of Mountain Dew in an attempt to turn you into his sex slave.
Then again, dressing up as Bitcoin is a billboard advertisement making sure everyone understands this guy has superior intelligence. What are the chances this guy is going to let you get a word in edge-wise in the conversation? Ultra-Clever Costume Jerk will never ask about your hobbies or job because he will be too busy telling you about the genius idea for a start-up he is going to launch as soon as he finds some angel investors. Or maybe that solar system costume, complete with working, orbiting moons is just a ruse to hide his gross body.
Specific costumes are tough to warn you about because these guys are "one of a kind." You will know Ultra-Clever Costume Jerk by his overly elaborate, clunky costume which usually boils down to some kind of word-play or punchline you have to ask for. "I'm One Night Stand!", "I'm a Cereal Killer!" ugh.
Watch out for:
- Anyone with signage explaining their costume
- Anyone who's costume requires help getting through doors
5. Whatever is in the News Jerk
This guy is a bit like Ultra-Clever Costume Guy in that he thinks he has come up with something that will get a laugh. The problem is he doesn't have the brain-power to pull off anything truly clever and he is definitely not one-of-a-kind. Last year there were 500,001 Robin Thicke costumes. This year there will be none. Because these jerks have moved on to dressing as Ray Rice or Ebola Hazmat workers. Whatever is in the News Jerk should be avoided because he has a short attention span and is not smart.
Keep your distance from:
- Ice Bucket Challenge
- Anything Ebola
- A Bent iPhone 6
- iClouds
- i-Anything
Bonus: Made-in-China, Store-Bought Costume Jerk
Do I have to explain why these are lame? Bonus-Bonus lame points for store-bought sexual innuendo costumes. You're a key. Your girlfriend is a lock...awesome.
-Written & Illustrated by Ben Walker-Storey
Trail of the Jackalope - Update
I forgot to post the images from my Honeymoon and tour of Jackalope country! Here you go!
Jimmy says "success!!"
Bat Shit Crazy
Just in time for Halloween, here's a new design for all you crazy emeffers. Bat Shit Crazy is available on T-shirts, phone cases, all kinds of good stuff through my RedBubble store.
For Robin and Leonard
When someone is such an enormous positive influence in your life, it's natural to want to reach out and let them know. Say "Thank you." When that person is Robin Williams it means that as real as the personal connection feels, you are one person in a world of strangers who feel the same way. I know that he was a huge fan of art and loved animals. So six weeks ago I decided to paint a portrait of Robin Williams' dog, Leonard.
I first met Robin the same way most of America did, on Mork and Mindy. Was anyone else obsessed with finding out what Orson actually looked like? Growing up in the North Bay Area, I would hear that he did stand-up in San Francisco but I was just a kid. I never saw him perform live.
When I was 13 years old I bailed on popular music and focused on listening to stand-up comedy. I would tape every episode of Comedy Tonight and watch them until the colors got all weird. At night I would listen to comedy on cassettes until I fell asleep. My favorite tape was Comic Relief, the benefit for the homeless hosted by Robin Williams, Billy Crystal and Whoopi Goldberg. I didn't understand all the humor but that didn't stop me from committing the whole thing to memory.
I could go on about Robin Williams' career and accomplishments but we already know. There is one thing I've been feeling since he passed and I was surprised to hear the same thing from so many friends and through social media. We felt like we had a personal relationship with Robin. It makes me wonder what it was about him that's different from so many other talented comedians and actors. What is it about Robin Williams that makes us feel like we lost a friend or family member. I think it's because on top of all his comedic and acting genius, Robin Williams had a very fatherly quality. Of course he really was a father. But to me, it felt like I had this super-funny, giving, strong (second) father....who I had never met...because he's so busy making movies and stuff.
For me, this feeling points back to his 1980 film, Popeye. My dad had this one in his VHS collection so it brings back a lot of father-son memories for me. And when you put all the cartoon stuff aside, this was a movie about fathers and sons. Williams' Popeye is a father and a son to his father.
This father/ father figure theme runs through so many of Williams' roles from Mrs. Doubtfire to Good Will Hunting to the 2009 film, World's Greatest Dad. The latter, directed by Bobcat Goldthwait basically changed my life. At least, it made me think differently about the way people perceive one another. How someone perceives me has so much to do with what is going on their own mind, their desires and fears, and so little to do with who I actually am. And I do the same thing with my perceptions of them.
But I digress.
In July, I decided I needed to paint Robin Williams' dog. I had recently done something similar for a friend of his, so I sent her this one to give to Robin. I got word back that Robin loved the piece and said I captured "the Essence of Leonard."
The fact that two days of work on my part could make someone smile, someone who has made me laugh a thousand times, it really meant a lot. I only wish he could have enjoyed it longer.
Alright, that's all I had to say. Peace be with you, Robin.
Trail of the Jackalope - Honeymoon Fund
I'm getting married in about a week. After that we are exploring the American West (Colorado and beyond) to track the mighty Jackalope.
If you would like to receive a Jackalope postcard (hand-drawn and personalized) while we are on the trail, just contribute any amount to our HoneyFund account. Be sure to let me know where to send your card! Don't worry, the postcard will be sent in an envelope to keep it from getting jacked up. Thank you in advance!
-Ben & Amanda
How To Make Wedding Invitations for Under $100
Don't miss the illustration process below!
Part 1.
Weddings are a time of great joy, romance and spending large amounts of money. I am in the midst of all of that beauty and expense right now, with a wedding to the love of my life just around the corner.
From the start, my fiance and I have done our best to not get caught up in the "supposed tos" that come with a wedding: Supposed to have a cake, supposed to spend thousands of dollars of flowers, and supposed to spend a lot of money on elaborate invitations.
Let's face it, as exciting and romantic as a wedding is, most invitations get thrown out after it's all over. Couples spend $500 - $2000 for 100-150 wedding invitations. That's nuts. Most young couples don't have that kind of money (unless someone else is paying for it all) and even if you do have that kind of cash, wouldn't you rather put it towards something, anything else? The honeymoon, the booze, ....rent? Here is how I made our wedding invitation for about $85 plus postage.
1. Be an Illustrator or Designer
Not an Illustrator or Graphic Designer? Give it a shot anyway, or hire someone. At least that extra money will go toward a working artist instead of.....embossers.
2. Print Through a Service That Doesn't Do "Wedding Invitations"
If you have started talking to florists, caterers and venues I'm sure you have noticed when you utter the words "-for our wedding" service providers' eyes roll back and a single stream of saliva trickles down their chin. That's when they start adding 0's to all their prices. Don't call your reception a "wedding Reception" call it a "private party." And when printing your invitations, check the box for postcards, greeting cards, business cards, ANYTHING BUT "Wedding Invitation."
We printed our invitations as postcards through BandsonaBudget.com. This was my first time working with them and I am really impressed. They responded to my order with an email that day and they shipped in less than a week. The printing is crisp and the colors are exact. We got 250 postcards (invitations, shhh) for $56 including shipping. We will have to recycle about 100 of them but what can ya' do?
3. Forget about the extra stuff
Receiving a wedding invitation that includes a little self addressed stamped envelope and RSVP card asking you to check chicken or beef is cute but isn't it kind of antiquated? Everyone has access to the Internet, or at least access to a son who is "good with computers." We just included a link on the back of our invitation where guests can RSVP, see a map and get any additional info they may need. One postcard in one envelope. Bam.
Work with standard sizes
We walked into a local Paper Source and bought envelopes off the rack. They are 5.75" x 4.3." Just big enough to house our standard size 5.5" x 4.25" postcards, AND just squeaking under a large "specialty size" price jump at the post office. Check out standard sizes and maybe choose your printer before you get started designing.
That's my advice on creating wedding invitations that are easy and inexpensive. I'm sure everything will go just as smoothly.
Part 2. The Process
Both the front and back illustrations were created by hand and colored digitally. Here is the whole process, inspiration, roughs and all.
Grimm's Fairy Tales, book cover
A "Just Married" card we found at a stationary store
The Inspiration
This illustration started with the things we both love. My fiance and I are very inspired by German art and crafts from the Black Forest, fancy old-timey parties, and our city, San Francisco. We settled on the idea of a hot-air balloon early-on. It's a great symbol of setting off to a world of adventures. Then I got into looking at some of my favorite illustrations from Grimm Fairy Tales and started playing with the idea of a magical forest scene.
The Rough
I liked the idea of being surrounded by adoring woodland creatures. Having a huge bear officiate our wedding seemed weird and appropriate enough, but the scene ended up feeling too quiet and private.
I went ahead and drew the "border" trees and such, figuring I would decide what to add to the scene when I have to. The line work is done with brown acrylic paint on Claybord.
Using tracing paper, I roughed in my fiance and I riding away on a leaping narwhal. It was bizarre and more exciting than before, but still not right.
After sleeping on it I realized we should be riding a hot air balloon-carousel horse hybrid. I really tried to push for fun shapes that fill out the scene, leaving as little negative space as possible.
We took a lot of reference photos but I ended up making the poses up.
With the drawing scanned at hi resolution, it is ready to be colored in Photoshop. I had to check myself from going overboard with rendering at this stage. There is already so much going on with the line drawing, it can get confusing and weird looking fast. I made sure to stick to a color story that my bride had already put together for the wedding.
Don't forget the back! I already had this Bigfoot / unicorn wedding scene drawn, so I recolored it to be an ultra-subtle background image. The text was laid out in Illustrator. By having both of these images bleed off into flat color, it's easy to make sure the artwork fits within the "safe area" in the printer provided template.
Don't be trying to read our info!
Bigfoot's Big Day
Thanks for checking this out! If you would like to support our romantic life together, hire me to make your wedding invitation, or I can even paint live at your wedding, fundraiser or Bar Mitzvah. Bigfoot's Big Day is available as a T-shirt!