Hypnotik Eye

2012-02-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

Fun with ghosts.....

2012-01-31T09:13:00.000-08:00

2012-01-31T07:10:00.000-08:00

2012-01-30T07:18:00.000-08:00

2012-01-26T06:56:00.000-08:00

At last a comprehensive monograph on iconic graphic designer Saul Bass from Laurence King Publishing. A LIFE IN FILM AND DESIGN is 440 page look at one of the 20th centuries most important graphic designers with lots of words from the man himself. The first Bass image that would have struck me as a youngster would be hard to say.. one of his titles for Vertigo, Psycho or Man with the Golden Arm for sure (tho I'd lean towards Psycho) . Even a brief look at the work he created and its easy to see how it still resonates and appear in images continuing today and like the best graphic design it has the ability to let you enter another point of view. Clarity and simplicity but not simple, there is power to the juxtapositions of shape and image, space and colour that take one into the work and contemplate rather than just a clever visual gimmick.
Not only that he seems like that nicest of blokes. An inspiring read
about one of the main shapers of modernistic advertising images of the 20th century.

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Saul's only children's book illustration soon to be reprinted.

And after all this heady stuff treat you self to some top notch cartooning. My morning coffee guffaws and eye popping admiration came courtesy of KLASSIC KRAZY KOOL KIDS COMICS from the always great Yoe books the out of print THE COMIC STRIP CENTURY. A excellent visual overview of the newspaper strip from Kitchen Sink.

2012-01-24T06:24:00.000-08:00

Coming in Spring from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.. Working Mummies!
Available for preorder here

2012-01-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

Nice mention of my Happy Undertaker webcomic in Vancouver's The Snipe

2012-01-20T08:09:00.000-08:00

morning goofiness.....

2012-01-17T08:39:00.001-08:00

Morning goofiness

2012-01-17T06:50:00.001-08:00

2012-01-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

2012-01-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

The ominous back storyhere

2012-01-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

2012-01-09T05:55:00.001-08:00

In front of a condo downtown beside a Starbucks, not the most appropriate home for this beauty.

2012-01-09T05:36:00.000-08:00

Walking around on the weekend around the neigborhood.

2012-01-08T19:56:00.000-08:00

Tonights viewing was PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1945). Directed by Albert Lewin who I think did some really interesting films especially PANDORA AND THE FLYING DUTCHMAN. This version of the classic Oscar WIlde story is my favourite on film that I've seen. George Sanders is terrific as always. I'm halfway through a Aubrey Beardsley biography so I had a hankering to rewatch it.

2012-01-06T17:12:00.000-08:00

Another relaxing movie sketch page this time viewing THE MAD MISS MANTON. A goofy screwball whodunit from 1938 with Barbara Stanywyck and her sleuth'n crew of beautiful society dames who do a good job of beating up reporter Henry Fonda and solving the case. Lots of zinger lines and beautiful cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca photographing the fur-clad ladies in gorgeous black and white.
First time I've seen this movie and and I got a big kick out of it. .

2012-01-06T10:10:00.000-08:00

2012-01-04T18:05:00.000-08:00

2012-01-04T06:55:00.001-08:00

2012-01-04T05:47:00.000-08:00

various older scribbles,

2012-01-03T04:59:00.000-08:00

Saddened to hear of the passing of Ronald Searle today at 91. An artist whose work has been and will continue to be a huge inspiration and bring joy to my life. Searle's draughtsmanship was incredible and combined with his outre, dark sense of humour that pushed graphic exaggeration into far-out places produced work that has inspired generations of artists from across fields. I find his drawings as a prisoner of war during world war 2 powerful and moving and his ability to laugh, make ridiculous and celebrate all aspects of mankind a amazing body of work. Tho I have my favourite periods, he is one of those artists whose powers seemed undiminished over time and never stopped producing memorable images.
R. I. P.

I never got to meet him but a treasured item that I posted earlier is this note from him and a champagne cork that my friend Matt Jones got for me during one of his visits with him. Thanks Matt.

2012-01-03T04:26:00.000-08:00

First sketchbook drawing of the year is from ISLAND OF LOST SOULS, one of my favourite 30's horror movies. Charles Laughton is a brilliant Dr. Moreau and Bela Lugosi a expressionistic beast-man is great fun to watch. Criterion released the movie recently with lots of fun extras including interviews with two members of Devo who took the Law of the beastmen as part of their title for their first album.

2012-01-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope everyone had a great night last night. Alison and I had a some close friends over for a little seafood chow down including lobster tails, scallops, prawns and shrimps plus some bubbly. Elvis's King Creole (and others of his sixties records) was the soundtrack.
Thanks for visiting Hypnotik Eye and lets see what the upcoming Year of the Dragon holds... more drawing and seafood I'm sure.

2011-12-28T05:13:00.000-08:00

doodlin..

2011-12-25T03:30:00.000-08:00

Card for my niece..

2011-12-23T13:10:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and Super Solstice folks...

2011-12-20T06:37:00.001-08:00

2011-12-19T08:56:00.001-08:00

2011-12-18T09:59:00.001-08:00

2011-12-05T09:15:00.000-08:00

Random sketchbook stuff..

2011-12-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

From a sketch done around other work today.

2011-11-28T05:07:00.000-08:00

Not out till next spring from Farrar, Straus, Giroux but I received a readers advance copy of Working Mummies by Joan Horton and illustrated by be me in the mail last week. Available for pre order on Amazon.

2011-10-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

I"m starting a 10 page Happy Undertaker Mysterie today that should wrap on Halloween. This is the only one I'm going to post here so to see the rest in the coming weeks go here

2011-10-13T05:51:00.000-07:00

Gravenhurst sketch..

2011-10-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

From a recent trip to Pennsylvania. The first two are from Brandywine battlefield with the first being from a view on the Washington's headquarters.
I'll be in Pumpkin Country this weekend so no posts till I get back.

2011-10-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

For what promises to be a beautiful fall weekend up here I can't think of anything better then dipping into two of my favourite Halloweenish books by Ray Bradbury. The Halloween Tree if not my favourite book for this time of year is certainly up there and you can't beat the Mugnaini illustrations in both early editions of this book.

2011-10-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

HPL sketch..

2011-10-05T05:50:00.000-07:00

Massive and definitive two volume biography of H. P. Lovecraft, arguably the most important writer of weird fiction of the 20th century. Lovecraft, like Poe (whose feverish internal landscapes I read and was affected by first) , had the ability to get under your skin, tho Lovecraft's was a cosmic bleakness. He had the added bonus of creating some memorable monsters thus ensuring him a life of pop culture celebrity to a degree. Makes me think of the way Munch's the Scream has been put on just about anything at some point, you can get a inflatable Cthulhu.
Personally, I think Lovecraft's writing resonates stronger and ages better every time I re- read his stories with passages of haunting beauty.
The only complaint I have about Joshi's engaging and thorough biography is I wish there were more pictures, the bare minimum is included. The blue used as the jacket colour is pretty awful too, should have just stuck with classic black.

2011-10-04T04:43:00.001-07:00

2011-10-03T06:37:00.001-07:00

Dr. Phibes...

2011-10-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

Victor Ambrus' super fun monster party mash kids book. Recommended!

2011-10-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

Its October so here's my first Halloweenish post. Just received this from the fine folks at Centipede Press. A collection of french writer Maurice Level's stories TALES OF THE GRAND GUIGNAL. Level's 'conte cruel' stories were often used in the infamous Grand Guignal theatre in Paris.
This collects all of Level's weird stories that were translated, two novels and the short story collection
TALES OF MYSTERY AND HORROR and is beautifully produced like all Centipede books.

2011-09-18T04:22:00.000-07:00

Here are the set of eight postcards, 5 dollars plus shipping,
and the prints currently available, Prints are 30 dollars (app 13
by 19 depending on image) plus shipping except episode 1 which is 20 dollars plus shipping. Beautiful reproductions on archival paper.

2011-08-23T07:21:00.001-07:00

I'll be a guest at Fan Expo
this year with some Happy Undertaker prints so stop by and say hello./a>

2011-08-06T09:41:00.001-07:00

2011-08-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Working Mummies by Joan Horton is the next book I've illustrated thats coming out next year. I'm very excited about this book and thought I would give this tiny sneak peek. Go Mummies!

2011-08-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

My copy of China's Fantasy Art Magazine arrived recently with a interview and spread of me. Beautifully produced magazine and an honour to be in it.

2011-08-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Random shots from Gravenhurst and my mom's birthday party.

2011-07-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

I'm in the final stages of completing the illustrations for my next children's book that I'm very excited about and look forward to posting stuff from it the future. I'll be starting another book soon which is going to be fun and challenging as well but here is alternative rough for a Sylvester page.

2011-06-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

2011-06-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

2011-06-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

Couple of pics while I was waiting for my flat to get fixed.

2011-06-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

2011-06-12T05:08:00.000-07:00

2011-06-10T13:38:00.000-07:00

2011-06-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

2011-06-01T03:35:00.001-07:00

2011-05-06T09:09:00.001-07:00

2011-04-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

I'd like to share images from a upcoming interview of me from China's Fantasy Art Magazine. A real honor to do this, its a great magazine, and they did a great job with the layouts I think.

2011-03-16T11:54:00.001-07:00

2011-03-16T11:12:00.000-07:00

2011-03-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

sketch'n and scribblin

2011-03-09T05:34:00.000-08:00

First of a four part Happy Undertaker Mysteries begins.
Catch up on earlier ones and follow the rest of the story in the coming weeks
at this tombstone.

I'll be at a table here with
a couple of prints to sell and to look at comic books. Come and say hello if
you are around.

2011-02-09T12:46:00.000-08:00

I received a advance copy of Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! by Robert Kinerk and illustrated by me.
A fun book to work on and always a bit of surprise to see hold the final version in your hand. It won't be released till spring but these are some cell phone images.

2011-01-31T22:38:00.001-08:00

The Happy Undertaker has been nominated for a Joe Shuster Award in the Outstanding Web Comics Creator(s) category! I'm honoured to be among such fantastic creators.

2011-01-29T11:03:00.001-08:00

2011-01-26T15:23:00.001-08:00

2011-01-26T08:24:00.000-08:00

2011-01-26T06:04:00.000-08:00

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Random sketchbook

2011-01-20T09:13:00.000-08:00

First scan with the new scanner till Microtek (booo) get their drivers working. Given to me by my lovely sister in law and wireless to boot but its a drag being on a 81/2 by 11 again.

The awesome Burian and his Tetralophodon.

2011-01-17T10:55:00.002-08:00

I'm still without a proper scanner at the moment so these are cell phone photos but I'd thought I'd share images from one of the earliest books I remember having around the house that inspired me.This was from a series of Tarzan books published in Zagreb in the sixties and illustrated by Julio Radilovic.
When my parents moved to Canada these were some of the few books they took with them and boy I'm glad they did. As a kid I remember loving looking at these, tho I couldn't read them, as they hit the same nerve as the original King Kong and the old Tarzan movies did, long before I heard of Frazetta or Hal Foster.

2011-01-17T10:55:00.001-08:00

2011-01-10T05:26:00.000-08:00

A little bit of fun for Strange Kids Club but showing the whole page is a bit down the road.

2011-01-05T15:07:00.000-08:00

Rats!
My scanner is still not working, these corrupting updates!
Very unimpressed with Microtek for messing this up and their lousy technical supports especially
since its a expensive piece of equipment. Won't be using them anymore.

2010-12-12T08:16:00.000-08:00

I illustrated the banner for The House of Spooks the place to shop for your horrifically fun goodies.

2010-12-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

Life drawing in Montreal.

At the studio of the awesome Regis Loisel ( with my buddy Pat)

Visited friends but my main motivation for this trip was seeing the amazing Otto Dix retrospective Rouge Cabaret at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The biggest of its kind ever in North America and terrifying and beautiful work indeed!

Before leaving I got to meet Elizabeth Miller (and get a facsimile edition of Bram Stoker's Dracula notes and her Bram Stoker's Dracula books signed) author of several amazing Dracula related books.

2010-12-07T08:52:00.000-08:00

A spread from DON"T CALL ME PRUNEFACE!

2010-12-02T10:04:00.000-08:00

Here is the line up for KRAMPUSNACHT 2010 at Resistor Gallery here in Toronto tonight.
If you've been bad this year I suggest you stay as far away as possible but if you've been a good citizen and shined his shoes every day like me you should come on down. And I hope you RSVP'd.

Krampus Committee 2010 presents
‘Krampusnacht Art Show’
Dec 2, 2010 – Jan 10, 2011 at RESISTOR GALLERY
284 College Street 2nd Floor, Toronto (Map)
OPENING: Thursday, December 2 at 7:30pm – December 3 at 1:00am

ARTISTS

• Andrew Heffron • Aaron Costain • Aaron Leighton • Attila Szanyi
• Brian McLachlan •Brandon Steen • Clayton Hanmer • Crankbunny
• Craig Marshall • Chris Stone • Carey Sookocheff • Drazen Kozjan
• Dan Turner • Diego Bergia • Diana McNally • Faez Alidousti
• Hyein Lee • Jessica Fortner • Jesse Jacobs • Jeremy Kai • Janice Kun
• Jason Bone • Julia Breckenreid • Karen Justl • Katy Dockrill
• Luke Ramsey • Mike McDougall • Marek Colek • Matthew Forsythe
• Maylynn Quan • Michael Comeau • Michael Wandelmaier • Pat Shewchuk
• Prashant Miranda • Hayley Morris • Ryan Feely • Randy Knott • Ron Gervais
• Ro Rao • Steve Manale• Steve Wilson • Sarah Lazarovic • Tomori Nagamoto •

What is Krampus? (from Wikipedia)

“Krampus is a mythical creature. In various regions of the world – especially Austria and Hungary – it is believed that Krampus accompanies St.Nicholas during the Christmas season, warning and punishing bad children, in contrast to St. Nicholas, who gives gifts to good children. Due to German and Austrian influence, the myth of Krampus is also prevalent in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and northern Italy.
The word Krampus originates from the Old High German word for claw (Krampen). In the Alpine regions, Krampus is represented by an incubus-like creature. Traditionally, young men dress up as the Krampus in the first two weeks of December, particularly on the evening of 5th, and roam the streets frightening children and women with rusty chains and bells. In some rural areas the tradition also includes birching – corporal punishment with a birch rod – by Krampus, especially of young girls. Images of Krampus usually show him with a basket on his back used to carry away bad children and dump them into the pits of Hell.”

2010-11-28T23:04:00.000-08:00

Early stage of a section of a now finished painting for the Krampus themed show in Toronto this weekend that
I'm participating in. I kinda prefer this to the finished which I'll post later.

2010-11-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

Visiting my Grandma sketch.

And a life drawing from this week,

2010-11-22T07:13:00.001-08:00

2010-11-22T06:54:00.000-08:00

My quick invite for my nieces Birthday/chocolate making/home made thin crust pizza party.

2010-11-09T06:03:00.000-08:00

Wife Alison Kent is a fabulous chef (check out her new veggie cook with Canadian Living) and she was judging a competition at The Royal WInter Fair, a event we both enjoy. So here are some sketches as I wandered sipping coffee and munching on a almond croissant.

2010-10-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

sketches

2010-10-27T10:17:00.000-07:00

Some life drawing/

2010-10-11T12:54:00.000-07:00

A interview with me at
Fuel Your Illustration

2010-09-28T05:33:00.000-07:00

A spread from Don't Call Me Pruneface!.

2010-09-28T05:18:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share this small image of the cover of Oh, How Sylvester Can Pester! by Robert Kinerk and me coming out in the spring from Simon and Schuster. I'll post more
about it later but this was a lot of fun to work on.

2010-09-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

Don't let the grumpy expressions fool you its a happy day at Hypnotik Eye as the winners of Don't Call Me Pruneface! have been picked and the copies will be in the mail this week! Congratulations and thank you's too Ellen, Jana and Ron! Hope you enjoy the book!

2010-08-22T05:33:00.000-07:00

I'm getting my Pruneface copies this week so Friday will be the last day of the Pruneface contest.
I have a nice stack of names so if you want to be added to the hat just send me a email at drazenart@rogers.com with the heading Pruneface!.. I'll pick three names on the weekend and
send out the books some time the following week.

Don't Call Me Pruneface! at Chapters!

2010-08-06T17:14:00.001-07:00

The Happy Undertaker makes its weekly debut for a smaller stroll around the Graveyard every Friday at the ghoulishly fun Strange Kids Club blog today.

2010-07-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

The breakfast didn't come out slimy and wormy enough in this sketch but hey.

2010-07-16T06:18:00.000-07:00

Don't Call Me Pruneface!, written by Janet Reed Ahearn and published by Disney- Hyperion will be
released the first week of August. I thought I would post the cover and a interior image
along with some isolated ones.
I had a great time illustrating this book and I think in it Janet cleverly deals with two interesting personalities and the rocky road to friendship.
Prudence is the inelegant new arrival to a conventional neighbourhood and is not eager to make friends with Paul who is rebuffed with a escalating symphony of insults as he tries to break through
to her and her troublesome cat, throwing his life out of whack and not finding much comfort in
his Grandmothers short missives of advice.

What I loved about the book is how Paul is tenacious in his attempts at friendship with a girl who doesn't share his sensibilities but obviously feels he has a connection with, wants to hang out with, resulting in a crisis point.

Parents (or Grandparents) are not always around to help or give you a obvious solution, sometimes you can't help getting angry and it can open a door to a solution, its ok to mess up are interesting ( but not politically incorrect,at least not to me) ideas this book tackles with what can happen on the road to friendship.

Rather than pointing out some of the troubling personality of Prudence by overly brooding images, I hoped that
by juxtaposing the troubling inner conflict going on within the characters with images of a brighter,ordinary world around them that kids would be able to find jumping off points of discussion with what is going on in the book and how they would resolve such situations on their own.

I think Janet wrote a funny, multilayered story as well as a simple, fun to read, slice of life adventure.
Hope you like it.

I'l also be doing a giveaway of three signed copies of the book.
All you have to do is email me drazenart@rogers.com with Pruneface! as the subject and I will
put the names in a hat and on the second week of August I'll put my hand in this hat and randomly select 3 winners. First prize gets a sketch incuded.

2010-07-13T05:18:00.000-07:00

Hey, hey my box of Julia Gillian and the Dream of the Dog arrived!
Scholastic did a beautiful job with the printing and I think it looks beautiful and a big thank you to Tracy and Marijka over there who made this such a wonderful experience.
And a super duper thank you Alison for writing such a wonderful series and letting me be a part of it! Its been a great 3 year adventure in Julia Gillian's neighborhood!

And a congratulations to Jon Terada for winning the grand prize!
I'll be notifying Jon and the other four winners by email and sending out the books in the next week.

Its always a exciting moment when the box of books arrives at the door
and you open it and see them for the first time in its final form.

Its always a little surreal to see images you've been working on over months and staring at on paper
and on the computer screen between boards with a dustjacket.
I'm very happy with the feel and printing of these books in the hand. And as I've said previously,
this is my favourite of the three books and Alison wrote a funny, heart wrenching and uplifting book.

2010-06-30T08:58:00.001-07:00

2010-06-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who has put there names in to receive a free copy of Julia Gillian and the Dream of the Dog! Above is an image from the book. I've decided to wait till the weekend of July 9th to draw the five names to make sure I have recieved copies of the book myself and can mail them out the following week. I'll be giving away 3 hardcovers of Dream of the Dog and 2 copies of Julia Gillian and the Quest for Joy. All you have to do is email me at drazenart@rogers.com with the title Hypnotik Eye and I'll throw your name in the hat. The book should be in the stores in a week or two and is my favourite of the three Julia Gillian books.

2010-06-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

Beautiful 1905 edition of Noah's Ark by Boyd Smith.

2010-06-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

X were fantastic last night!

2010-06-11T08:06:00.001-07:00