Jennifer Connelly

Why don't I draw the babes more, I ask? I don't know, maybe it's because they are harder to draw for me with their smooth features. And it's not for lack of trying, I tell ya. So, that will be my New Year's resolution, to do more women. Draw more women! Jeez, if my wife saw this...

She knows I'm a dork.

Jennifer Connelly
18x12
colored pencil on tinted paper

Rice On The Other, volume 1, number 3

I have a one page Muck Man story in the fall edition of a publication called Rice On The Other, which is a collection of comic related material put together by Joel Ball (Guggenmanuever over at ConceptArt.org). Guggen is one of the most creative artists that I've been fortunate enough to associate with on the internet, so check out the link to Rice On The Other (on the right) and you too can admire his hard work, too. I believe that you can also order a copy as long as supplies last. I eagerly await my copy.

Muck Man is a character that I invented a year or so ago and really should explore this guy more often. What would it be like to be a superhero made of muck? Not industrial sludge kind of muck, just a kind of all around...goo. As you can see, he doesn't have it easy.

This is the page as it will appear in the fall issue. So, a big thank you is in order for Joel for letting me play a little in the ROTO sandbox.

The Experts #2

I didn't think that I would do another "expert" so soon, but chance sometimes necessitates such things. This past Saturday was my wife's work Christmas party in which we braved icy and snowy conditions to participate. Well, it's never really about the ice and the snow, but always about the other drivers. But I digress....

The party had been going on for quite awhile and I found myself darting outside for some fresh air and landed smack dab in the middle of a bunch of smokers. The conversation was interesting for a bit, so I stayed. Kind of a mistake. This one tall, gumpy, pony-tailed jackass was controlling the conversation and he was blathering on about how he was Swedish (descent) and how he could handle any type of cold weather. He amused me in a way and I was well into a jack n coke and wine filled evening, so I listened to his nonsense for awhile. He actually said that George Bush was an extremely intelligent man because he had convinced not only our nation but the world that he was an idiot. Huh? And he continued his rant saying that global warming was nonsense because it's just natural temperature change and when I tried to explain to him that natural temperature change takes hundreds of thousands of years and not 30 he then interjected that Al Gore is truly an idiot because of among other things he married Tipper. Because that truly matters, after all.

All of this AND he actually held his cigarette in that pretentious way between his middle and ring finger. What an idiot. Very soon, I went in search of another drink. I needed it.

The Experts #1

I know just way too many experts, if you know what I mean. You know the kind. You can't even have a normal, time consuming conversation with these special people because they are experts on all sorts of topics and they won't even listen to what you have to say. Why? Because they are smarter than you and I and can't be bothered with all the little people and their silly inane comments. So, I've decided to put my energy where it should be and put them on paper. There will be more, I'm sure.

And I have some good news to pass along. Recently, I was hired by Topps trading card company to do some Lord Of The Rings sketch cards. As I have 400 of them to do, I have been quite busy as the deadline looms. I won't be able to show them (I think that I will be able to) for at least a month, or so. When I'm able to, I'll post them for your orcish delight.

Motor City Art Expo, part 2

Last Tuesday night's Motor City Expo held at the Emerald Theater was a somewhat success if not just a fun night. I sold some copies of my cartoon book, Here And Abroad, a print of one of my paintings and almost sold a drawing. I know that he took one of my cards, so maybe he'll contact me in the near future.

It was also a chance to talk with some old acquaintances and fellow artists, some whom I only see at such events. Also, it was nice to talk with the new faces setting up this year. Actually, my time to socialize and look around was somewhat limited as I had to man my table most of the time. Luckily, Tina was there to give me a hand.

The above pictures are of Wolf Little Bear who was selling books of his poetry and writings. I was capturing him in a candid moment, repaying him for doing the same to me. The other photo is of the folk singer, Audra Kubat through a crowd of artists and the crowd.

All in all a good night. Thanks to all who came out to show there support.

Here And Abroad

I have experimented with self-publishing and made up a 6x9 47 page book of my published and exhibited cartoons to sell (hopefully) at the Motor City Art Expo this Tuesday. The collection is titled Here And Abroad: The Published And Exhibited Cartoons of Bruce Gerlach and covers my earliest printed cartoons from the late 80's when I had two strips that I was trying to get syndicated to my most recent published exploits. Wade's World (which predated Wayne's World by about six years, btw) ran in the Sienna Heights College newspaper and The Beanfield, which ran in a local Detroit paper. Wade's World actually was in consideration by a small syndicate and was being shopped around to newspapers across the country, but that syndicate was gobbled up by a larger more well known one and that was that. Maybe, I should have called the book "Close only Counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades." So, with those early strips the book also has many single paneled cartoons from the various magazines that they appeared in and covers all the cartoons that I have had in international exhibits, including my one man show in Osijek, Croatia in 2005.

This being the first time I've had to design and layout a project like this, the book came out surprisingly well. I'm very happy with it, if I may say so. For those of you that can't make the show or live in far away places and might like to purchase your very own copy, you can go to www.lulu.com and the ID# is 1229881 or you can just type my name in and that should get you there. It's available both in print and download form

If this is received well, maybe I will do one for the hundreds of Wade's World and Beanfield strips that I have done and put them in one collection. That might be good.

Well, for me at least.

Motor City Art Expo 4

On Tuesday, November 13th I will have a little section of my own at the 4th Motor City Art Expo held at the historic Emerald Theater in downtown Mt. Clemens. I did this last year and it was a lot of fun. It's a very laid back atmosphere with a lot of very different artists with very different art styles showing their stuff and onstage there is entertainment, this year in the form of a folk artist.

It's a good way to talk with other artists and art appreciators and just kick back, have a few drinks and have fun. Hopefully, I will have a self-published book of my published and exhibited cartoons that I did through Lulu.com. Of course, I finished this at the last minute, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my copies will arrive before the show. More on this later. So, if you're in the area come on out and stop by my table and say hello.

And maybe next year they will spell my name right.