How can you describe San Diego Comic Con? Mesmerizing, mindblowing, overwhelming and inspiring. There is just so much eye candy going on, that the visual overload is guaranteed delight. I remember always hoping and dreaming of sometime attending SDCC as a kid growing up in Maine. Back then California seemed not just another coastline but another world altogether. Fast forward, were I am living in Los Angeles and on the West Coast since 2002. I have attended SDCC for about 6-7 years now. It has always been a highlight to the summer. I am very lucky that my wife loves to attend as well and it’s something we can enjoy together.

Comic Con these days has since grown to be much, much more than a “comic book” convention. In fact the comics aspect is tucked way, way in the back now, but everything from the comics is what drives the rest of the big business. There is the apparel, toys, games, movies, television, etc. New shows and movies will do special teaser screening of the new line up and movies coming soon. There are great panel discussions going on (if you can get in due to the demand). But what stands SDCC apart is the outpouring of fans in costume and not, just coming to enjoy all that it has to offer. The usual SDCC attendance is roughly 130,000 people and grown beyond the convention center. It takes over the downtown area of San Diego.

The Artists alley contains many top notch artists who regularly attend every year. This for me is a signature highlight of attending. Seeing everyone’s work, chatting with fellow artists, and finding out the new works that they are working on. I used to be an assistant to Sci-fi/Fantasy/Fine artist Donato Giancola way back in 1999 in New York City. I worked as his assistant for little over two years. Donato has been attending SDCC for about 18 years he was telling me this last visit. It is always a treat to catch up with him. This year was a double treat because my friend and illustrator, Eric Wilkerson attended this year for the first time. And he was amazed and pumped about the response to his awesome artwork.

My wife and I always end up buying too much art, toys, etc. every year, but how can you pass up this treasure trove of items.

If you haven’t attended SDCC in the past I urge to make the journey out at least once to experience it’s mesmerizing qualities and make it a memorable experience of your own. For a boy from Maine dreaming of attending one day, to an adult who still dreams of continually attending every year. Let’s get ready for SDCC 2017!!!

Happy 4th of July to everyone in the USA (and all the ex-pats out there)!!

Pretty light posting today. It’s been a busy week with normal life things coming up; DMV, Jury Duty, my birthday, and now the 4th of July.

I am very happy to say I’ve finally been able to visit David Luong and his partner, Steven Dowling,  at their gallery, Photonic Playground in downtown Santa Anna. They have monthly art shows there. This months was on my birthday, and was about Dinosaurs.  How could we pass this up!! The show is called “Cretaceous Craft: A Dinosaur Themed Art Show” with artwork by Damarcus Holbrook, Minoh Kim, and Kevin Lee. Their Artist loft/gallery space is amazing!! If you are in the Santa Anna area, I highly recommend everyone to check it out!

I just finished up teaching my first Matte Painting class at the CG Master Academy. It was a wonderful experience and I’m happy to report that I am teaching their again next term, with my own class content. The Matte Painting class starts July 28th if anyone is interested in checking it out. CGMA has an amazing roster of instructors and classes. I highly recommend it for anyone trying to increase their skill set.

Other than that I am working on some personal pieces and training on more software, of which I’ll show in the coming weeks. Everyone enjoy the 4th!