From the Beanworld Archives!

This drawing is dated 1993--and was created around the time of Beanworld #21. That issue sported a similar design for its cover. It might have even been a study for the cover--I seem to have left space up top for the logo. The drawing is 8 1/2" x 11" on a blue card stock. It's rendered with color markers and color pencils.

I'm Going To Be At Stumptown Comics Fest In April!

THIS JUST IN!

From the Stumptown Comics Fest home page:

The Stumptown Comics Fest is moving to Spring! Hot on the heels of our successful 2007 show, the Stumptown Comics Fest organizers are moving the 2008 show to the early spring months. The date for this Fifth Annual Stumptown Comics Fest is set for April 26th & 27th, and we will be returning to the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel for our second year.

We are also pleased to announce several Special Guests for the 2008 Fest, including:

Nicholas Gurewitch, The Perry Bible Fellowship
Larry Marder, Tales of the Beanworld
Craig Thompson, Blankets, Good-bye Chunky Rice
Raina Telgemeier, The Babysitters Club
Dave Roman, Astronaut Elementary, Agnes Quill
Derek Kirk Kim, Good As Lily

Additional Guests will be announced in the coming weeks, and registration forms for exhibitors will be posted by January first. We'll also be posting links to other comics-related events going on in Portland leading up to the 2008 Fest, including parties and gallery shows around town.
See you all in April!

I'm already working on a few special things for this--I'll keep everyone informed as details develop!

Merry Christmas From The Beanworld!

Vintage Dutch Advertising Graphics!

Once again, Peacay @ BibliOdyssey has posted some striking advertising materials that I recommend taking a moment for a look-see. The post is "Dutch Advertising Graphics" and quite a few of the pieces on display reflect my taste in typography, iconography and vintage graphic design in general--like the Ranja en Rojo example up above.

I also like Pope Globes and Jago Shawls but all of the pieces are excellent and worth checking out.

Do YOU Remember Beanworld Action Figures?

I'm preparing a "History of the Beanworld Action Figure" and I can use your assistance.
If you have a tale about your first encounter with a Beanworld Action Figure --I'd really like to hear it.

Also, I keep hearing that many of you still have ancient Beanworld Action Figures in your possession.

Can this possibly be true?

Send any stories, memories, or anecdotes you're willing to share with the Beanworld Community to: larrymarder@gmail.com.

I'm going to post right after the New Year.

More From The Beanworld Archives!

Ink and colored pencil on cheap 8 1/2" x 11" photocopy paper.

This drawing is from the late '70's while I was still struggling with finding the right aesthetic for Beanworld. I made a lot of drawings using rapidograph and Prismacolor pencils. This is a rather typical piece from that time. The paper hasn't aged particularly well, that is if one desires a crisp white color under the pencils. However, because the drawing has been kept in a cool, dry place for the last thirty some years--the paper has a very subtle peachy cast to it that really brings out the shading of the pencils.

My wife, Cory, displaying the actual drawing.

A Timely Tuesday Tantalizing Teaser!

Another layout drawing!

Looks like Professor Garbanzo might have overslept.
Or perhaps Mr. Spook is an early riser this morning.

And don't forget:
Tomorrow night I'll be making an appearance
@ Golden Apple in Los Angeles
@ the CBLDF Holiday Appreciation Party.

Four Beanworld Orphan Drawings Up For Auction!

These are matted drawings that I created exclusively
for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
over the past several years.

Each drawing is 2 3/4" x 4 1/2" in a 5" x 7" colored mat.

Happy Dancing Bean!

Bean and Pod'l'pool Cutie Practicing Balance!

Mr Spook and Mystery Pods!

Professor Garbanzo Gone Over The Legendary Edge!

The funds raised in this auction help support the First Amendment legal work the CBLDF performs on behalf of the comics community. Proceeds from this auction will directly benefit the ongoing defense of Gordon Lee in Rome, GA. There are lots of other great things up for auction too--check 'em all out here.

My Favorite Christmas Commercial!

I always got a big charge out of this Norelco commercial showcasing a jolly ol' Santa sledding down the hills, and then launching into the air--showcasing the triple shaving heads. The jingle-bell-y music perfectly meshes with the simple storytelling.

I suppose the point of this ad was to get us kids to buy this razor for Dad or Grandpa.

I always laughed at the lame pun "Noelco. Even our name says 'Merry Christmas.'"

I figure the ad tracked quite well because they ran it for many, many years.

This Week's Teaser Is Tardy!

Sorry about the delay.

I was on the road looking into some tantalizing opportunities that I can't talk about yet!

The drawing above will be part of the same piece as the drawing below.
It will be in an issue of Comic Book Artist.
Not sure which issue and I'm not sure when it will hit the stands.

As soon as they let me know--I'll pass it right along.

But it is part of the piece that was a teaser back in October.

Oh....and thanks so much to everyone who bid on the Beanworld Action Figure Frame for the CBLDF.

And extra special thanks to the winning bidder. I appreciate it and so does the Fund.

I'm told that some Beanworld Orphans will be going up maybe this weekend. I'll let'cha know that too.

Also, speaking of the Fund....I'll be participating in the Los Angeles Holiday Appreciation Party.

Wednesday, December 19, the party moves to Los Angeles, CA at Golden Apple Comics, where Percy "MF Grimm" Carey, Marc Andreyko, Larry Marder, and more will be on hand to sign autographs and create sketches to benefit the CBLDF. The event will also boast door prizes, a special gift bag for the first 50 card carrying or new members, plus 10% off purchases made during the party by current or new CBLDF members, with Golden Apple matching those purchases with a 10% donation to the Fund! The Golden Apple party will begin at 6:00 PM and end at 9:00 PM

The Latest Beanworld Fan Art!

Caelyn--age 8

Sari--age 6

My ol' pal, and fellow comics creator, Rantz Hoseley's daughters recently gave Beanworld a try.
I got the following note from Rantz over the weekend:

So the daughters are buried in the land of Beanworld and loving it.
I came home last night whereupon they presented me with the following drawings and that I had to send them to you.

So I'm thinking that maybe they liked it! Thanks, Sari and Caelyn! Cory and I have always loved receiving fan mail from Beanworld's youngest fans the very best.

A Holiday Tradition!

It's the holiday season and with it comes a plethora of holiday rituals, superstitions, and traditions.

Chicagoland's local television giant, WGN, had three great Christmas animation shorts that they ran continuously from Thanksgiving through the season.

Every kid that grew up in the area in the 60s and 70s has the content of these shorts seared into their memory.

The most powerful was this one--The Three Little Dwarves.

If you grew up in that part of the midwest, in that time frame, you can go up to virtually anyone and sing "I'm Hardrock. I'm Coco." And it is almost impossible that the other person won't respond by singing "I'm Joe" in the deepest bass voice they can muster.

Teachers used to be totally stymied with all the "I'm Joe" laughter that would roll around with every season.

Once Christmas vacation was over, the animation went back in the film library and out of one's daily thought process. But every year, the film would reappear to every kid's delight.

I have found that if you didn't grow up in the midwest and have access to WGN, there is a good chance you've never seen (or even heard of) this bizarre holiday classic.

The animation is quirky, jerky and the puppets look , well, weird, particularly Santa.

But it is the season and so it is time to watch Hardrock, Coco, and Joe.

If It's Teasesday--Then It Must Be Tantalizing!

Another pencil breakdown featuring Mr. Spook and Professor Garbanzo
having a bit of a debate about the late, great Goofy Service Jerks.

The Secret Origin of the Chowdown Pool!

A couple of weeks ago jja asked me if the inspiration for the Chowdown Pool had been based on bean dip.


I answered that it wasn't and that I'd get around to revealing a bit about how the Chowdown Pool evolved into its existence.

There were two influences--the more famous and well known would be the wonderful m&m ads that ran when I was a kid.

The one I found on YouTube has a bit of a silly Tarzan theme but the animation in the middle was most definitely a big springboard for my imagination about how the Beans found nourishment.

For a long, long time every m&m commercial featured the dipping in the pool of chocolate followed by the shower of candy coating. This imagery definitely stuck in my mind and tumbled out as the Chowdown Pool much later.

The second, and far less famous influence, was the Ross Root Feeder. I worked on this account for close to a decade working on package design and print ads.

The Ross Root Feeder was a perforated spike that had a reservoir that you put plant food into and attached to a garden hose. The theory was that the nutrients and trace minerals would seep out of the spike and feed the tree's deep roots. The product still exists after 60 years so I'm pretty sure it actually worked quite well.

But did you catch the phrase that I just used?
"Nutrients and trace minerals." I can't begin to tell you how many times I had to lay out or keyline stuff that included that phrase.

In the late '70s/early '80s I drew a storyboard for a potential television commercial that showed dancing, happy, sparkling nutrients and trace minerals going from the device, into the roots of the tree and and up into the healthy shimmering leaves.

The client hated it.
As far as I know that artwork is completely lost.
But I took some of the ideas from those storyboards and incorporated them into the emerging Beanworld.

And now you know!

CBLDF Holiday Auction Is Up & Running!

Here is the information I promised!

You can bid on the Beanworld Action Figure Frame with illustration at the CBLDF Auction Site.

Also...there are lots of other really good works of at up for auction there too!