Grammies & Merch!

mmmm Hmmm...

 

...yup!

  i must really be forcing my way in the big leagues ... the folks in charge of merchandizing one of the top grammy winning country acts right now asked for a few pitches based on the recent work i've been doing with photography and watercolors

  actually, the timing is pretty exciting to be asked to do this proposed shirt.  at the time, i had just discovered that there was a grammy for "best record packaging"  (the Black Keys incredible album "Brothers" won it for it's simple typography and branding, as well as its innovative use of thermal heat-revealing ink).  it got me thinking, mixed emotions as i feel regarding certain awards and accolades...it'd be cool to win a grammy for this thing that i have dedicated much of my life to.

  from hardwood floors to red carpet?  who knows what time could bring or where it even goes...

upward and onward!
-pw!

Drip

ok, ok, two more below.  

be sure to check out andrewmontlack.com for more!

DRIP

Can we really start spreading the news?!?

Filmmaker, writer, director, actor, Renaissance man, idea man, funnyman, and all around generous nice guy Andy Montlack asked me to help with production illustration on an upcoming "Buddy Dramedy" called DRIP.

Andy has written a truly unique script that is both wry and hilarious as well as wrenching in the heart and gut departments. you can find out more about it, and see some artwork, at:

www.andrewmontlack.com

be sure to check it out regularly to find out all the awesome updates from Andy and Rent Controlled Films

below is just a fraction of the work that went into what you will see at andrewmontlack.com, with more to be posted soon!

Ramiel Sneak Peek!

Thought i'd just keep spreading the excitement about all these fun comic book projects! Earlier this summer i shared that i was working on an exciting new limited series called RAMIEL with writer/creator Javier Grillo-Marxuach and penciler extraordinaire Steven Gendron. well today i thought i'd share a few peaks from issue #1!

i love Javi's story and i really love Steve's pencils, so i was pretty intimidated that i wouldn't bring much to the table, but they've been such incredible collaborators and we've all been having a blast

here you can see Steve's pencils and my paints:

and here's a few "sneak peak" pages (click for larger view)

I don't want to give any story away but just wait until you see the lettering by the awesome Deron Bennett! You can read more about Ramiel on Newsarama HERE. The book will be out soon by APE Entertainment !

see you in the funny papers!

-pw!

Extra! Extra!

Strawberry Shortcake #1 hit the newsstands today, and I did the cover!

My Mom was so proud today, and reminded me of a lot that i've been through; today i couldn't be happier to be able to put a quality, diverse, innocent, fun product into the hands of a child

today i went to the two best places in NYC you can go to for comics on this exciting Wednesday: Jim Hanley's Universe and Midtown Comics. looks like Strawberry is in good company next to Superman and Spiderman

the sheer joy i felt seeing my art on a published comic was humbling, surreal, and exhilarating. comic books have been an inspiration, solace, and dream of mine to work on almost my whole life.

Special thanks to all the great folks at Ape Entertainment, as well as all my amazing family and friends who share in my excitement and help me follow, achieve, and celebrate my dreams

love always,

peter

SDCC

"a study in contrast"...

(Javier Grillo-Marxuach & Tim Beedle)

While I couldn't make this year's San Diego Comic Con (2012 or bust!), I DID get to make my triple-comic-book-debut there! I feel very fortunate to get to live so many of my dreams, and this 1-2-3 punch in July was a real celebration. below are some photos of the big event...

here's some of the amazing team at APE Entertainment

Hey it's Javier Grillo-Marxuach with his newest epic RAMIEL!

what's this? Strawberry Shortcake #1 AND our strawberry scented cover? coming to stores near you soon!

and I hope you said hello to the incredible folks at Viper Comics and got yourself somePERFECT TEETH!

more news on the way as always, and maybe i'll post a sneak preview of some interior pages soon....

thanks for reading!

all the best,

pw!

i'm on the Short List!

me and many fellow Autumn Society members have been featured on-line by the British men's magazine "Short List"

check out our ghostbuster alternatives HERE !

We're on the cover of Newsarama!!!

Ramiel debuts!

I've been dying to tell people about an amazing project i've been working on with incredible people for a while now, but i'll just let this front page interview on Newsarama with Javier Grillo-Marxuach (writer/producer on Lost, Charlie's Angels, creator of Middleman) do the talkin' !

i'm the colorist on a new comic for Ape Entertainent that will debut as an EXCLUSIVE #1 at San Diego Comic Con this month!

very exciting stuff, and so proud to be a part of this. Javi has been a dream collaborator and incredibly supportive and nurturing creatively, and wait until the world has the pencils of Steven Gendron unleashed upon them! it's been a blast trying to nervously do his artwork justice with my coloring. Finally, every single person who makes Ape Entertainment one of the greatest comic publishers has made for one of the happiest introductions into the world of comics imaginable.

i'll post more about Ramiel in the future, but for now, we're just excited to announce our exclusive debut at this year's mega-event SDCCmic Con

HERE'S THE INTERVIEW!

ANNOUNCING: PERFECT TEETH !!!

Vinnie Fiorello of Less Than Jake joins forces with Viper Comics!

TAKE A BITE OUT OF VIPER COMICS LATEST BOOK, PERFECT TEETH!

Fly, shuffle, walk or lurk on over to the Viper Comics booth (#1903) at San Diego Comic Con and learn more about the music industry’s latest, greatest hits, PERFECT TEETH.

Viper has teamed up with VINNIE FIORELLO, of the awesome ska punk band LESS THAN JAKE, writer Matt Anderson (WHITE PICKET FENCES and PAPER+PLASTICK’S 50 STATES and THE EXIT INTERVIEW) and artist Peter Wonsowski to bring you a book that will lift the coffin lid off the music biz.

In a matter of weeks, Nathan Almost goes from an unknown suburbanite to the biggest musician who ever existed! Fans adore him, buying his t-shirts and posters. Critics chase him, wielding their torches and pitchforks!

How did it come to be that in boardrooms, laboratories, and graveyards – celebrities became manufacturable? Commodities sold to a public always hungry for the next big thing?

In the music industry, fame makes people monsters. In PERFECT TEETH, monsters are made famous!

While you’re at the booth, pick up a FREE set of Vampire Teeth (limit one per visitor – only 30 sets available per day). You’d be a sucker to miss this… just not a blood sucker.

(click for a larger view!)

Don't forget to visit

vipercomics.com

paperandplastick.com

and Booth 1903 at this San Diego Comic Con!

-pw!

coming soon....

triple debut news for San Diego Comic Con...?

(stay tuned!)

-pw!

Automatic Loveletter

Recently i had the pleasure of working with Juliet Simms & co for the new Automatic Loveeltter album. Not only was she an incredibly enthusiastic joy to work with, but the style and art direction i got to explore was an absolute blast for me

Sunny Sultana took a great photo of the songwriting siren in full war paint, and i began to explore weathered colors and watercolor possibilities (you know me, just a few...)

(i personally love the following, and we still hadn't gotten to the realistic feminine skeleton on top of Juliet everyone wanted)

add some hand done lettering and the final result:

an exciting, passionate acoustic record out TODAY on Paper+Plastick Records!

(feel free to click for a larger view!)

and check this out: Ernie Ball made a special guitar pick from my hand lettering!

check Automatic Loveletter at Van's Warped Tour right now this summer!

Kind Ghosts

June 26th 2011, renaissance man, immense talent, and super nice guy Derek Nicoletto will be unleashing his solo debut album "Kind Ghosts" to the world!

It is always a treat working with Derek and i was proud and excited he asked me to do the layout for his CD. Walt Cessna took amazing photos (of Scooter LaForge's painted Derek!) and I reveled at the chance to do something clean, crisp, and minimal that still paid tribute to Derek's music, energy, and vision. I also enjoyed subtly playing up the electrical light element on the type as well as faint ghostly glows

a fraction of the explorations:

the 6 panel layout (click for larger view!)

while we wanted to keep things white with gray, i gave everything a faint "ghostly" pink to maintain the mood and aesthetic

the CD itself

and keep your eyes peeled around town for this Kind Ghost sticker, with a mysterious QR barcode that will take you right to a music video!

hear some music (and get ready to dance), and keep up with Derek's busy schedule at:

www.dereknicoletto.com

get a word in.....

reviews, opinions, and all things awesome...coming to a website near you!

on a somewhat related note.... don't forget to check up on all the amazing things going on with my good friend Rusty at PnutJewelry.com !

pw! ("scan it and see")

Protagonist 7"

coming soon to a turntable near you!

the folks at P+P (and iloveimprint.com) did an extraordinary job here. great paper stock even, and check out the spot varnish!!!

order at: Paper+Plastick

listen at: Protagonist

Armadillo + pw!

since i first got into punk rock and ska as a high-schooler in houston tx many moons ago, some of my all time favorite records & record covers had artwork by Jason "Armadillo". In addition to working closely with No Idea Records, a label that inspired and influenced my love for music and packaging, seeing anything adorned with his art always assured excitement and left an indelible impression on me. You could see it a mile away and know it was all his: phenomenal perfectly painted cartoons with a tremendous amount of bite.

now imagine my excitement when he got in touch with me to do a collaborative painting for Scott White's "Collaborations Show" in FL! It was a pretty big deal for me, working with someone who has been a staple of my record collection, and the process was even more fun than i could imagine

after being attacked by mosquitos and gnats one muggy afternoon in Florida, on the day New York decided to jump from 52 degrees to a most unwelcome 80, Jason came up with a funny solution for our tag-team large scale painting in true Armadillo fashion:

click any of the images for a larger view!

his sketch and process for his painting

(i don't know how he gets his lines painted so frustratingly perfect):

i spent one of my favorite days in recent memory throwing paint while it rained outside. i nervously added the bugs around 3AM and prayed i wasn't ruining Jason's awesome figure

bright and early the next day i shipped it back to Jason who put the finishing touches it desperately needed and pulled the whole thing together by making it pop. i'm crazy about the hand lettered can of bug spray he did, again, abnormally perfect

you can see some of his art at inkandpaindept.blogspot.com

the best part is we had so much fun...we're doing it again! keep yer eyes peeled way back for future collaborations in the future, hopefully at galleries near you!

save the date

(our play on the monogram)

Have Nots T-Shirts

As Boston punks Have Nots unleash their 2nd LP "Proud" to the masses, they are preparing to hit the road with some new shirts and merch for sale!

Jon and co. had specific ideas here based on their lyrics, and it has been a blast helping them with so many projects during this exciting time for them

rough sketch w/ proposed "cubicle type":

a bit too dead man :

keep your eyes peeled for a second shirt done for them, and some posters too, in the future

be sure to go support them on tour when they come to your town!