Faction issue 1 is out!

The print version of kiwi comic anthology Faction is out now.
I am very proud to be involved and to have contributed the cover - hopefully next issue I'll have time to do a comic strip too.
It's jam packed full of great artists, with Ant Sang, Christian Pearce, Johnathan King, Karl Wills, Roger Langridge and many more.
The print edition is limited so get in quick if you want that version - digital version out soon.

Faction

Dr. Grordbort's Exhibiton in Wellington!

What a crazy rushed few weeks it's been for me.
I arrived back from a trip a couple weeks ago and as soon as I got into the workshop Richard, Tania and I were discussing the reality of putting on my Dr. Grordbort's show here in Wellington while it was back for refurbishment.
It's been all over the globe, most recently Dusseldorf and it next turns towards Dubai and the USA, but it seemed crazy to not show it for a short stint in Wellington where it was conceived while we had it here.
It also seemed crazy to put on a last minute show within a week in an unfinished impromptu location...
Luckily Richard is crazy, and Tania must have a little of that too, so with Richard's push we jumped in and set it up.
Or I should say a small army of Weta Workshop ninjas put it up, driven along by Richard's relentless energy.
Much kudos to Eric Heath and Brad Cunningham and their team for putting in the long hours to get it ready and looking incredible, and to Midori Willoughby for coordinating.

The exhibtion has been updated with an incredible Venusian Vista Viewer (you'll have to see it to understand) that was Richard's pet project and with new work from Jamie Beswarick - two of my favourite sculptures that we've ever made.

If you're in Wellington, or able to make it to Wellington before the end of January, I hope you can get to see it!

Dr. Grordbort's Exceptional Exhibtion in Wellington on Eventfinder

White Cloud Worlds 2

The new volume of White Cloud Worlds is out soon.
Proud as punch to be associated with this book.
A wind-up running high five to Paul Tobin and Kate Jorgensen for orchestrating this epic collection of the best in Kiwi fantastic art.
Also, spinning back-flip high fives to Christian 'The Pearce Burger' Pearce. Burger.... check out his amazing cover, and the art inside will just make your brain happy.
You'd be mental not to buy this book I reckon. Mental.
Don't be mental.

CDW - Accidents in Art - pt3

For the final day of CDW Wellington, I tried a Dr. Grordbort's Venusian environment.
It was fast and loose, and I've included an updated version with more time put into it.
The second version became more brooding and dark so I think I prefer the original.

Thanks again to Simon and the CDW guys, and to all that turned out to watch us and learn our bad habits.
Stay turned for info on the DVD's which will show more behind the creation of these works, and all the gibberish banter that went along with it.

CDW - Accidents in Art - pt2

I held out until the third day to do a dinosaur - that's pretty impressive I gotta say. I half anticipated  drawing dinosaurs everyday of the workshop.
This T-Rex relative was my first ever attempt to add something approximating feathers. It's pretty conservative as far as interpretations of large feathered therapods go, but then I'm a pretty conservative guy.
For instance, I don't approve of gay marriage. But that's probably because gays killed my parents while we were on a camping trip when I was a child.
I think it was a pair of black gays actually - they're one of the most dangerous types of gays.
On no... no, I meant bears, not gays. Sorry.

CDW - Accidents in Art - pt1

Concept Design Workshop has been and gone here in Wellington, and massive thanks to Simon Scales and his great team for putting it on and making it all run so smoothly.
I had a great week, and enjoyed the little time I had to watch my co-Wetites in action.
I work alongside Ben and Aaron everyday (above and to the right actually) but never get to see them work in real-time.

As I've said, it was a little surreal for me, as I was only barely conscious through most of it. Simon scheduled me to start at 9am every morning for a 3 hour stint, but I've been doing my best over the last few years to start work at 2pm or so. Thanks Simon...

I don't think it's hard to see the results of that, looking at the first image especially - it's the output of a brain barely able to register that it's not asleep. I can remember being in a haze during that piece and kind of zoning out. But I kinda like it. It's something I would never have done in any normal state.

The little girl cyclops was in the last 45 minutes of that same session and shows a design emerging from the input of the class as the audience offered helpful suggestions. Who knew design by committee could be so successful?
The creature was from the first day and is very much in the Grordbort's realm of 'anatomy on drugs'.
More to come!

Dr. Grordbort's Random Treats

Some random sampling's of the Dr. Grordbort's world for your edification.
I have just googled the word 'edification' and I have found out that it means: "The instruction or improvement of a person morally or intellectually".
Now, I am not so sure that pictures of tanks, angry soldiers and more or less nude-women reclining in a fantasy setting have the power to improve anyone morally or intellectually and most would argue for the reverse, but I like the word and cannot be bothered to find a replacement.

The first is from my new book Triumph and the other two from Victory.
The Moon Maiden image is also available in paper instead of pixel form as a limited edition print.

I've just survived a really fun week doing the CDW workshop here in Wellington alongside ridiculously clever chaps, Aaron Beck and Ben Mauro. Also sharing his insights was the masterful, Robh Ruppel who also turns out to be an all-round top bloke.
I'll be posting some of the images from those 5 days over the next couple weeks.

The event was a surreal experiment for me - I normally wake in the afternoon, but every morning at 9am sharp (it felt sharp at least) I was revealing my crude and rough shod illustrative processes to a more than accomplished crowd.
Seriously, half of those in attendance should have been up on the stage instead of me.

SMemo Scribbles 3

Galaxy Note fun-times. It's like a party in my phone!

SMemo Scribbles 2

More scribbles from the Galaxy Note.

SMemo Scribbles 1

I have one of these Galaxy Notes, and it has a li'l wacom style pen. So whenever I have time, I like to do a drawing or two.
Most of these are on the Note's SMemo app, but a few are on Jens Anderson's Colors, Infinite Painter and others.
You can see other such mental meanderings here, here and here.

Nuthin' but Mech

Calm down, calm down! It's not a typo. I know how to spell 'nothing', okay?
What I am not sure about is how to spell oarsum.
Regardless, oarsum is how best to describe the new book based on the fantastic blog of same misspelled name.
It's chock full of amazing robot art and also this badly postured slackerbot from me, Greg Broadmaugh.
It's an old un' I know, I know, but you know what's also getting old? Your attitude, that's what.

Go buy it or don't.

Villains and Assassins

Strychnin Gallery in Berlin is having a new show opening 10th of August featuring some incredible artists.
I have a couple pieces in the show including this limited edition piece called Robot Killer and one of the Dr. Grordbort's Rayguns.

At the moment, Strychnin is the only gallery in the world to sell Robot Killer and it's limited to 20 prints.


That's right 20. I said 20 and I mean 20. 
After all 20 are sold, I will delete the files but burn one last copy to a USB stick. I will then cover it in peanut butter, eat it, digest it and shit it into sewerific oblivion where only giant rats or crocodiles can reproduce it for their unknowable subterranean purposes.

Although not clinically tested, purchasing one of these prints will likely cure your lumbago and dog-herpes, so between that and the sewer thing, you kinda have to buy one.

The show features some annoyingly terrific artists like George Pratt, Christian Gossett, Paul Tobin, and my personal favourite, Many More.

I will also not be doing the USB sewer thing.

Bestiary of the Cosmos part 4

A new Venusian creature from my Bestiary of the Cosmos series, Milton's Drunken Fussock.

Read more about it here at DrGrordborts.com, and check out the others I posted previously on the blog  here:
Bestiary of the Cosmos pt 1
Bestiary of the Cosmos pt 2
Bestiary of the Cosmos pt 3

Triumph is on its way.

I just received a proof copy of my new Dr. Grordbort's book - Triumph.


At 20 of your finest North American doubloons you'd be mad not to buy one and help me to save towards that private island I've had my eye on.
You be stealing from yourself really - not buying a copy is like burgling the joy from your very soul.
You wouldn't download a pirated DVD, so why would you even consider deleting the happiness from your own heart?
Think of the children for a second. Think of all the little children starving in Africa - it's a sobering thought isn't it?
Well, if you buy my book you'll stop thinking of them for probably like half an hour at least - that's got to be worth it.

ORDER it NOW at WetaNZ.com

More info.

Epac T-Rex Speed Painting

While I was at Epac in Saxon, Switzerland, I did a short speed painting seminar.
In a surprising turn up for the books, I drew I dinosaur.
I know, I know - I like to stretch myself sometimes.
Below is a very intermittent step guide of how it came to be.

Thanks to Patrizia and her fantastic team and to the students that looked after me while I was there and made me feel like part of their family.

Runny the T-Rex ltd ed print on sale at EyeBall Kicks

Art Workshop in Switzerland

Pretty soon I'm heading over to Germany where the Dr. Grordbort's exhibition will be showing at FEDCON, but following that, I'll be in Switzerland for a few days at the lovely EPAC comics and animation art school.
I'll be doing a workshop while there  so if you're local, please come along.

 LINK

Concept Design Workshop Wellington 2012

Coming up in September, I'm doing a Concept Design Workshop alongside Weta friends, Aaron Beck and Ben Mauro, as well as game artist Robh Ruppel.
I believe this is the first time  CDW has been to New Zealand and Tickets are on sale now - spaces are limited  so book soon if you intend to come.

10 Love hurts, 20 goto 10

Up a creek - redux

Another redux of an old piece - like the Diplodocus piece and the T-Rex piece before it, these are all works from about 8 or 9 years ago that I've decided to spruce up.
I really love the idea of setting Dinosaurs in the New Zealand bush, littered with the remnants of a long passed war.
Virtual high hives fives will be delivered to those tank nerds that can identify the three different tanks.

99, I mean 20 Dudes Slugging

I found these today - the last handful of pieces that I drew on my Nintendo DS with Colors from a few years back
I briefly considered doing 99 of these boxers and knockouts as a follow up to 99 Dodgy Slips but then I snapped the fuck out of it.

Tintin pt 3

The last wee bunch of pics.
These were fun colour and light studies, and even though we knew these scenes wouldn't be in the film, it was just about examining a possible style and feel.

If you enjoyed the film, or just want to go deeper into the film making and world building process at Weta, I really recommend checking out the Art of the Adventures of Tintin Ipad app. 
It's one of the most elaborate digital books I've ever seen and well worth exploring.

Tintin pt 2

Both Nestor and Haddock were really fun to work on.
I used photos that I snapped of various people from around the Weta design room to construct key aspects, and followed Herge's lines as closely as possible.
I think the mouth in 'spit-gag' Haddock is Christian Pearce.

iam8bit - Super Magnetic Video!

Tintin pt 1

 

The Adventures of Tintin has been out for a while so I thought I'd show a little of the work that I did for the very early stages of the film.
I have to say, I had very little to do with the film overall, and simply watched as Chris Guise and his team worked their magic at Workshop, while the guys at Weta Digital worked ridiculous hours to bring this cherished world to life.
My small contribution was near the start of the project, and involved simply taking iconic frames or covers from Herge's work and rendering it as realistically as I could in the time we had.
It was a total departure from my normal work, in that I was slavishly faithful to Herge's lines and contours, as well as using photographic elements, which I seldom like to do.
This is not the sort of creative work I usually like, but for some reason I found the whole process quite refreshing.
It's one of the few times that I've just obsessively observed and followed a comic masters work and forgotten about my own creative intentions.
Quite liberating for a change.
If you want to see more, I'd recommend checking out the in-depth art of book Weta has made, and the incredible Ipad version.
More to come.

Zombie Robot plays off-camera Pianola

iam8bit - Meat Gravity Tale - 4D Space Edition

While I was at GDC, the guys from iam8 bit held a neat event - the SUPER MAGNETIC GAME-O-MATIC.
Anyone could wander up and make game titles and genres from a vast array of huge fridge-magnet style words.
I joined in and drew up this on a juicy big Cintiq display (I think I want one....).
Two fellahs came up with the name and genre - Meat Gravity Tale 4D Space Edition - the last cliched epic shooter.
Was about a fun hour or so, and I hope I did justice to the idea.
One enthusiastic game developer wandered past and said they were actually gonna make the game, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
Thanks to Simon Carless from GDC for hooking me up, and thanks to Jon and the guys from iam8Bit!

UPDATE - Read about the event at Gamasutra

GDC Phone Sketches

Some sketches from my new toy - a Galaxy Note phone - it has a damn pressure-sensitive wacom style pen! 

These are mostly from during a recent trip to the US to attend GDC.  Sketched during my spare moments between talks, meetings and whiskeys.

Broken Heap

GB: "Oh hello li'l ditty that I recorded last year! What have you been doing all these months?"

Hastily Recorded Song: "Well, you forgot that I existed and so I left home and started a life of crime"

GB: "Well, I'm sorry to hear about that. Why don't you let these nice people listen to you and then maybe you'll feel better about yourself and maybe get a proper job at Pak'n'Save or something?"

Hastily Recorded Song: "Fuck off, cockface"

GB: " Perfe... what?! You ungrateful little shit!"

Dr. Grordbort's presents: The Deadliest Game

Dr Grordbort Presents: The Deadliest Game from Media Design School on Vimeo.


The Media Design Schools short film based on Dr. Grordbort's is out - stunning work from this super talented class.
My hat is off to James Cunningham and his student team.

Wetacave Dino sketch

Late last year I did a quick art demo at the Wetacave here in Wellington.
One of the sketches was this here T-Rex, and it was quick and fun.
I almost have to apologise, cos this guy is basically the default drawing built into my hand.
Whenever I start idly sketching, this is what comes out.
That or a drawing of a cock and balls...