tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60547600276766269572024-03-12T21:55:08.136-07:00johnstevengurneyJohn Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-15291149152059335772023-10-19T17:28:00.001-07:002023-10-19T17:39:30.536-07:00Halloween? No, BaseBALLoween!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRVnHuLMCFIPgLyosTXEb51hj76O1rDfPnLP9FcVMpwTnvjjjMX0aj5RUb3WjDpCGQJk1hCSTRC4LmMgYF-Yu1g2xt5R7Y7yffgdh7TfKe8AB-MdY84OgCwAjP2Cj0SjzP6mgoUoyuOL7RRkYxt0IspKFdhLZDhyphenhyphen8lqvPK-TIFJxb5kWvETHH4DEyDZ0L/s1845/Fuzzy%20Baseballoween%20cover%20logo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1845" data-original-width="1201" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizRVnHuLMCFIPgLyosTXEb51hj76O1rDfPnLP9FcVMpwTnvjjjMX0aj5RUb3WjDpCGQJk1hCSTRC4LmMgYF-Yu1g2xt5R7Y7yffgdh7TfKe8AB-MdY84OgCwAjP2Cj0SjzP6mgoUoyuOL7RRkYxt0IspKFdhLZDhyphenhyphen8lqvPK-TIFJxb5kWvETHH4DEyDZ0L/w260-h400/Fuzzy%20Baseballoween%20cover%20logo.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><i><b>Fuzzy BaseBALLoween</b></i>, that is. My fifth <b>Fuzzy Baseball</b> book combines baseball with everyone’s favorite spooky holiday. Generally, baseball season only overlaps with Halloween halfway through the World Series. But I wanted the Fuzzies to play a team full of monster-ish characters, so I needed to come up with a premise to make that happen.<br /></span><p></p><p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif">The book has a prologue where the fictionalized version of my editor demands that the next <b>Fuzzy Baseball</b> book be a holiday book. The fictionalized version of me pitches a number of holiday titles (Gobble Gobble Grounder…Ho-Ho Home Run… Kwanza Kurveball…) but he rejects them all, until as a last resort I pitch a Halloween book.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">As the story begins the Fuzzies are at the World Series, but they are spectators, not participants. As soon as they express a desire to play one last game a bat in a tuxedo appears (Count Flappula) and offers them the opportunity to play a game against his team, the Graveyard Ghastlies, on Halloween night.<o:p></o:p></p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5MuBcnfwAsK7HbD0yQ2vg-JFd6B6GPulmZe5Dv2dydqEOZAS3Q4VhLg7uAAH6K5fSxDxXm0DJ-wR92QQUJjrt4tH8oQIjEwXvVwyvG_YzQm5TRZ5jcr-RnZAQyCEq341ooZtJHQ8gFKb8cRZ-dedbJoJir0L6XwCKsjQM5cUockHMI4k-t1JOltxTiwA/s3693/ghastly%20team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3693" data-original-width="3592" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy5MuBcnfwAsK7HbD0yQ2vg-JFd6B6GPulmZe5Dv2dydqEOZAS3Q4VhLg7uAAH6K5fSxDxXm0DJ-wR92QQUJjrt4tH8oQIjEwXvVwyvG_YzQm5TRZ5jcr-RnZAQyCEq341ooZtJHQ8gFKb8cRZ-dedbJoJir0L6XwCKsjQM5cUockHMI4k-t1JOltxTiwA/s320/ghastly%20team.jpg" width="311" /></a></div>The Ghastlies are not monsters, but they are based on animals that are less than cuddly. There is an aye-aye, a fanged dear, and fanged toad, an Egyptian vulture, a great auk (extinct), and a naked mole-rat (clothed). There is also a werewolf, a ghostly walrus and a creature that is a polar bear/panda hybrid. When I illustrated their “team photo” I tried to emulate the cross hatching style of Edward Gorey. The name of the team, “Ghastlies”, is also an homage to Gorey.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">In addition to the Ghastlies I created around 2 dozen ghouls and goblins in striped footy pajamas. Their design is inspired more by Tim Burton and Monster’s Inc than by Gorey. Their appearance represents a major plot twist in the story, so I don’t want to give that away here. But I will say this, if you want a celebration of Halloween that's more silly than spooky, you should check out <b>Fuzzy Baseball #5: Fuzzy BaseBALLoween.</b><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GtEXrKi4-tVeJAlyivYf31kGGqRZIZl21w8H-ru86Vw2gYyfFJld0UiMzW9v1yvUKC_K-9LAZwO6i8ht6_pdT1zWSXIJe6lGJe1qgi1tj4tIr4iNM2wXHFI57yTI-mYwK3Mg-TfWcHrj91sRQqhAWztpT7gIpfmYfoYkGsYcAUrctuphORaTvVHzMNFI/s2396/BALLO%20teams%20spread08.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="2396" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GtEXrKi4-tVeJAlyivYf31kGGqRZIZl21w8H-ru86Vw2gYyfFJld0UiMzW9v1yvUKC_K-9LAZwO6i8ht6_pdT1zWSXIJe6lGJe1qgi1tj4tIr4iNM2wXHFI57yTI-mYwK3Mg-TfWcHrj91sRQqhAWztpT7gIpfmYfoYkGsYcAUrctuphORaTvVHzMNFI/w640-h480/BALLO%20teams%20spread08.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-PX9StTSedQFemGwA2dzxIgpG_vYY4onVZq90h1Eth66AcHi-AVLIFVD8112fc9UUGXY_vWRCBK-MFbLQE9X2HD2ihq9KGXEbcbTB0vLQWIKUgGWrgbiBMC207L_xoteLjokfIyhkrDs-vEG2iCKGDueiEzFHToXkWsTrnWkfT83-ZvWL-GEI9rfloi8/s2400/BALLO%20teams%20spread14.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1799" data-original-width="2400" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-PX9StTSedQFemGwA2dzxIgpG_vYY4onVZq90h1Eth66AcHi-AVLIFVD8112fc9UUGXY_vWRCBK-MFbLQE9X2HD2ihq9KGXEbcbTB0vLQWIKUgGWrgbiBMC207L_xoteLjokfIyhkrDs-vEG2iCKGDueiEzFHToXkWsTrnWkfT83-ZvWL-GEI9rfloi8/w640-h480/BALLO%20teams%20spread14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimts8lMVcGc4a4uGm_UeBNwaLh_f8irvxVCbxGZvJUJvZ-sZ2HMLIphIFL28Z8lBmuhrFyDNUXGSY0PwW4TOU1WCgzLGhdBJ4mvRFfLiV_ZR_pCl5s6EkBfUjDjBL4cx9WHBVslTHTYZQXZg4fJO338uWaKk05CNHvbfutOzA3ZwkZ5mh_0uDjG-T-pzwX/s2404/BALLO%20teams%20spread26.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="2404" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimts8lMVcGc4a4uGm_UeBNwaLh_f8irvxVCbxGZvJUJvZ-sZ2HMLIphIFL28Z8lBmuhrFyDNUXGSY0PwW4TOU1WCgzLGhdBJ4mvRFfLiV_ZR_pCl5s6EkBfUjDjBL4cx9WHBVslTHTYZQXZg4fJO338uWaKk05CNHvbfutOzA3ZwkZ5mh_0uDjG-T-pzwX/w640-h480/BALLO%20teams%20spread26.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p>John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-31602260266789369782023-07-09T10:18:00.000-07:002023-07-09T10:18:25.593-07:00Fuzzy Baseball #4: Di-NO Hitters<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: helvetica; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5372" data-original-width="3718" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDnT5P7ipNZdBAmphnqBB4nwH9F72X59DIo988Wrat_dxtAVnzyXd_xGtBKmPXw7a6u7s0v7c-JimxszVtNfl6SKGsWtm9bcS0A9RSAesLmxM0-65ykgrt2GJrxDe4Pp-X01psQmbzv9Odr1nW5hrf3hJEzo3-IqG7bWJp3qXpJbCs0SPufyqf1TelRQUc/w276-h400/Dino%20hitters%20coverrevisedB.jpg" width="276" /></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">My fourth <b>Fuzzy Baseball</b> graphic novel is </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Di-NO Hitters</b>. </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I was excited to create a team </span><span style="font-family: helvetica;">consisting of dinosaurs and pterasaurs, the <i>Triassic Park Titans</i>. It was my first book with dinosaur characters since my debut picture book (as author and illustrator) Dinosaur Train.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I really wanted to have fun with the size difference between the two teams and play with the scale. Some members of the Triassic Park Titans are so large they don’t even fit on the pages! Is it necessarily an advantage to be so oversized in baseball? What are the pros and cons?</span></p><br /><p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_s9n2ExybSmLhvlsjtETym90102bOGXC_5wMwkIJo28Fyh4x-qMSAVQWiOkcrzIba6J6xMFetMAyT79N5aQRMMpVtDtERYEwc4ZP86x_EOBykVtzGR4QHFdLmOmjQcl9-YSMJdb7NXC3AOf6LR6FU3u0nk4oQwiJwlITDctPjOzEGY8GmjxdOZuXwAI2/s3000/Titans%20team%20photo%20insta%20crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2431" data-original-width="3000" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht_s9n2ExybSmLhvlsjtETym90102bOGXC_5wMwkIJo28Fyh4x-qMSAVQWiOkcrzIba6J6xMFetMAyT79N5aQRMMpVtDtERYEwc4ZP86x_EOBykVtzGR4QHFdLmOmjQcl9-YSMJdb7NXC3AOf6LR6FU3u0nk4oQwiJwlITDctPjOzEGY8GmjxdOZuXwAI2/w400-h324/Titans%20team%20photo%20insta%20crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">And, to develop that concept further, to get into position Hammy Sosa, the Fuzzies’ catcher, needs to climb up on various size ladders.</span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLtbl0b6smLTKK7c4OY7hy5J3E4In2YxDs4c3I_nu-l8WzFj0QiUHoh4nIKsJI1JK3yem816kE2ZvuCdahXpjMOevFBJt8An7oCXbhfMG37uohhzSTf7CkhsqRda6WwzVjdIpJ5TuppkZgMrxucaDGqolsqwkFdPN8_c8DY6uGkb8FqTUjNggDTNZMWYu/s2700/Dino%20Hitters%20final%20p20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1849" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTLtbl0b6smLTKK7c4OY7hy5J3E4In2YxDs4c3I_nu-l8WzFj0QiUHoh4nIKsJI1JK3yem816kE2ZvuCdahXpjMOevFBJt8An7oCXbhfMG37uohhzSTf7CkhsqRda6WwzVjdIpJ5TuppkZgMrxucaDGqolsqwkFdPN8_c8DY6uGkb8FqTUjNggDTNZMWYu/s320/Dino%20Hitters%20final%20p20.jpg" width="219" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUBdXlBCkcRlqD5NEnaSOr8DSinBfYz6plp6dumPRkhQeGVBX-RBCTj1SxHo7Ixf9fDuNBFpLZBR7KenNJPALrkarfF-CtXQuxvbACG04HinJcH-22zS_5rXAlWrLEipG68wEpG6MHIks3AYYDgFp4_v7anvH5-PcNJ959tlutLlwbOKdzzoPS3CbegpR/s1969/Dino%20Hitters%20final%20diplo%20at%20bat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1969" data-original-width="1500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSUBdXlBCkcRlqD5NEnaSOr8DSinBfYz6plp6dumPRkhQeGVBX-RBCTj1SxHo7Ixf9fDuNBFpLZBR7KenNJPALrkarfF-CtXQuxvbACG04HinJcH-22zS_5rXAlWrLEipG68wEpG6MHIks3AYYDgFp4_v7anvH5-PcNJ959tlutLlwbOKdzzoPS3CbegpR/s320/Dino%20Hitters%20final%20diplo%20at%20bat.jpg" width="244" /></a></div></div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;">I also wanted to play with the idea that the dinosaurs are from a different time period. Their uniforms are extremely vintage, and there is a debate among the Fuzzies as to whether or not the Titans have kept up with the current developments of the game. Are they too “old school”? Or are they masters of certain fundamentals that haven’t changed with time?</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /><o:p></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7ni3JE9njtKm_3XV89KkHZwcC3TO-bshxBxcq2gcxBB5Ua8j203WuLQr8QpewjYoYy5izuxrDvN29khOE29-fuhGRzJUrh8oO-VmfR1l9TAFevUBnGA_lYlT1te_O_9ZYvib75WpNEJKkObCYPD3YfoB-2A3PpYXeZfzZGtAZfaqGX17UAt3E-xd_HhZ/s4870/Dino%20Hitters%20final%20p24.tif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4870" data-original-width="3156" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn7ni3JE9njtKm_3XV89KkHZwcC3TO-bshxBxcq2gcxBB5Ua8j203WuLQr8QpewjYoYy5izuxrDvN29khOE29-fuhGRzJUrh8oO-VmfR1l9TAFevUBnGA_lYlT1te_O_9ZYvib75WpNEJKkObCYPD3YfoB-2A3PpYXeZfzZGtAZfaqGX17UAt3E-xd_HhZ/w414-h640/Dino%20Hitters%20final%20p24.tif" width="414" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">One of the challenges in depicting dinosaurs in a book, (even in a comedic, non-fiction book) is that the scientific understanding of them always seems to be changing. Were they fast or slow? How many of them had feathers? What colors were they? In order to head off any such criticisms, I invented an antagonist, Professor Rufus DeTerrier. The professor keeps interrupting the story pointing out inaccuracies. As the author, I insert myself into the story to remind him that this is an imaginative work of non-fiction, and, as such, I am not obligated to be scientifically accurate in how I depict my characters.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTARJm7G41HjgcAwAFu78GaSXZQOrOhpbTXhqh0ydG5RqMaswA8w_2vLP4aRSRyb_TPicQG1m2sqUTBpz9MB47P1KOmQq9keHkTPl2I2gtpc66xQ-4ZyPFVQZGYFI1M3BBbDkVRg1CVBf7AMkGUBAM5cCVI3jqAyucnsmhIE2VoYuFRslEZublHrYvF2j/s1687/PROF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1263" data-original-width="1687" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTARJm7G41HjgcAwAFu78GaSXZQOrOhpbTXhqh0ydG5RqMaswA8w_2vLP4aRSRyb_TPicQG1m2sqUTBpz9MB47P1KOmQq9keHkTPl2I2gtpc66xQ-4ZyPFVQZGYFI1M3BBbDkVRg1CVBf7AMkGUBAM5cCVI3jqAyucnsmhIE2VoYuFRslEZublHrYvF2j/w400-h300/PROF.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><u><br /></u></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTARJm7G41HjgcAwAFu78GaSXZQOrOhpbTXhqh0ydG5RqMaswA8w_2vLP4aRSRyb_TPicQG1m2sqUTBpz9MB47P1KOmQq9keHkTPl2I2gtpc66xQ-4ZyPFVQZGYFI1M3BBbDkVRg1CVBf7AMkGUBAM5cCVI3jqAyucnsmhIE2VoYuFRslEZublHrYvF2j/s1687/PROF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTARJm7G41HjgcAwAFu78GaSXZQOrOhpbTXhqh0ydG5RqMaswA8w_2vLP4aRSRyb_TPicQG1m2sqUTBpz9MB47P1KOmQq9keHkTPl2I2gtpc66xQ-4ZyPFVQZGYFI1M3BBbDkVRg1CVBf7AMkGUBAM5cCVI3jqAyucnsmhIE2VoYuFRslEZublHrYvF2j/s1687/PROF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7Okb6wxsJLOzPLI5n4BV9AHKe8qAbGHxnl3RoWxQt37lzpQd5ipN3yrhjENXHxMcfKimE3AP_COfDFZTWXyRyhCYP8GRdoctYdyPNaNICeEWZiSDvRnfLNAzXqi_PC5pZ94DfsfjC7N5nAsXKuxH_qU9T7Ca3pDaBFCdY_aLQEyWnzQ5K3MwwY3QxHiX/s3606/Dino%20Hitters%20final%20p8-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="3606" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7Okb6wxsJLOzPLI5n4BV9AHKe8qAbGHxnl3RoWxQt37lzpQd5ipN3yrhjENXHxMcfKimE3AP_COfDFZTWXyRyhCYP8GRdoctYdyPNaNICeEWZiSDvRnfLNAzXqi_PC5pZ94DfsfjC7N5nAsXKuxH_qU9T7Ca3pDaBFCdY_aLQEyWnzQ5K3MwwY3QxHiX/w640-h480/Dino%20Hitters%20final%20p8-9.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 238);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrC-Qo_nL5DQ2USwPUFnK_DD18FxJ9bxUat7vwn7DXs0-1Z5dIZTl3fL9nURic4Smu_5dTs1f-Q3qV4JeQrWRob57cY33VFl96huK-mcAteYN9cznrazRAP6M8kQUJhJnQ12gc7eNyJcyA7Isg5V3DNVIBj1KeLnmEmzJRBHiqcWYHgN-LMg1KN2rxTdO/s1690/Dino%20Hitters%20final45%20bottom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1267" data-original-width="1690" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjrC-Qo_nL5DQ2USwPUFnK_DD18FxJ9bxUat7vwn7DXs0-1Z5dIZTl3fL9nURic4Smu_5dTs1f-Q3qV4JeQrWRob57cY33VFl96huK-mcAteYN9cznrazRAP6M8kQUJhJnQ12gc7eNyJcyA7Isg5V3DNVIBj1KeLnmEmzJRBHiqcWYHgN-LMg1KN2rxTdO/w320-h240/Dino%20Hitters%20final45%20bottom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><u><br /></u></span></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p></div>John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-35102492300855713272023-01-24T18:14:00.002-08:002023-01-24T18:14:39.152-08:00<h1 style="text-align: left;"> Fuzzy Baseball #3: R.B.I. Hitters</h1><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_qymz9CrPZbyfSZpzrKy37Gg_K-66ZBhL9T_otI1_NgoqstsjVJzUE1TXGSjq6eif5CqAQQpnvaRwn1XXVaGbkvy144DBhvLm64omsRZ7_tU2HgW_j1ZXoJytIdgDnB2vQ_PJggzZ9t-8TG72eE3WQPErKixL5FKd9ceUtygivOCkAQ9N9BgMPu7gw/s5042/Robot%20Cover%20Final%20with%20type2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5042" data-original-width="3331" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp_qymz9CrPZbyfSZpzrKy37Gg_K-66ZBhL9T_otI1_NgoqstsjVJzUE1TXGSjq6eif5CqAQQpnvaRwn1XXVaGbkvy144DBhvLm64omsRZ7_tU2HgW_j1ZXoJytIdgDnB2vQ_PJggzZ9t-8TG72eE3WQPErKixL5FKd9ceUtygivOCkAQ9N9BgMPu7gw/w211-h320/Robot%20Cover%20Final%20with%20type2.jpg" width="211" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It looks like I haven’t posted anything here in almost 4 years (I thought it was longer!) so I’ll try to catch up, a little bit at a time. Since my last post I’ve created two more Fuzzy Baseball books. </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i>Fuzzy Baseball #3: R.B.I. Robots</i></b><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;">and</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Fuzzy Baseball #4: DiNO Hitters, </b>a</span><span style="text-align: left;">nd</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>Fuzzy Baseball Triple Play</i></b><span style="text-align: left;">, which consists of books #1-3. And, I just delivered all of the artwork to Papercutz for</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>Fuzzy Baseball #5: Fuzzy BaseBALLoween</i></b><span style="text-align: left;">, which is due to be published in August of 2023. I’ll take this opportunity to write a little bit about</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>R.B.I. Robots.</i></b></span></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I wanted the Fuzzies to play a team full of robots, the Geartown Clankees. Designing the characters was particularly challenging. Typically, our image of a robot is a machine made to look human. But in the “universe” of <b>Fuzzy Baseball</b>, all of the characters are anthropomorphic (human-looking) animals, so the robots in the story need to look like mechanical anthropomorphic animals, rather than mechanical humans. And if that wasn’t complicated enough, when the Clankees arrive they are wearing animal disguises, to try to hide their robot identities. So, I needed to design the characters and their disguises. </span></blockquote><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhROsayVbpB-scrV2i8MEB5mROWgsLCB6VvSaABSSD8UkunSNd6TzTq8k9Cq_4ODd4mNLEDiK7eYRrvRmRq01mH4hcdO2AqtSQ3NLSA_Ms6HLc4rNy3iqqPKOFJx7B0RkS_fS0O5MlpaHe5I7so-JZYvryRQquWptoDxiXgqhFPP-U4DIqyxwDxZTFA/s1737/They%20are%20robots!A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="1737" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLhROsayVbpB-scrV2i8MEB5mROWgsLCB6VvSaABSSD8UkunSNd6TzTq8k9Cq_4ODd4mNLEDiK7eYRrvRmRq01mH4hcdO2AqtSQ3NLSA_Ms6HLc4rNy3iqqPKOFJx7B0RkS_fS0O5MlpaHe5I7so-JZYvryRQquWptoDxiXgqhFPP-U4DIqyxwDxZTFA/w400-h291/They%20are%20robots!A.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Soon after the game begins it is revealed that the Clankees are robots. The Fuzzies are concerned that it won’t be a fair game because the robots will be too powerful. The robots explain that they are calibrated so that they can play as only well as organic life forms… but no better. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_LhlNCs0wOqGl3rhRDBGFUu7hvL8HHPP0klhjKWSGh_NqxnXGy6xcD_IZVVdlSUngeyUi5mMw03aMwymTHLVuGNKj0cWEJSqLFpIUDG7FwJoA3ZZRedaei6hWgD6yHSZ0ZdMtJZ1U8zJ8W5MzbAYJS66qQsna0XV4c-6QEyJdd8WfQBSS5ndi50rnw/s3300/umps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3300" data-original-width="3300" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_LhlNCs0wOqGl3rhRDBGFUu7hvL8HHPP0klhjKWSGh_NqxnXGy6xcD_IZVVdlSUngeyUi5mMw03aMwymTHLVuGNKj0cWEJSqLFpIUDG7FwJoA3ZZRedaei6hWgD6yHSZ0ZdMtJZ1U8zJ8W5MzbAYJS66qQsna0XV4c-6QEyJdd8WfQBSS5ndi50rnw/w400-h400/umps.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">After the umps consult the rule book (<i>there are no rules against robots</i>) it is determined that the game can continue, but the robots are not allowed to recharge during the game. The Fuzzies realize that if they just keep playing their best they can outlast the robots and win.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">One of the challenges I have with this series is that I don’t want to always make the opposing team the villains. These robots are very kind. They are playing baseball to experience the joy and comradery of teamwork. But, if it’s not a “Good Guys versus Bad Guys” situation I still need to give the readers something to care about. I decided that Blossom Honey-Possum would have an irrational, lifelong fear of robots. Manager Bo Grizzley lets her sit out the game, but her services might be needed if they go into extra innings (<i>spoiler alert: they do… 38!)</i>.<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIncMEccArsxDRYVfcNOMwAD4mOls59Kgc3sEp2mErFr_bIZkMaHYV9J1yQkWe4vhEcPztGOHUFKfYckGKdiAT-NmcSMEHEaJzRsAstjo9ifr-okTWRybHJZNhXmDKF8wtI2r8WEQTrOJNW2jpJKYoAejm9dJV1i4b_3bboj5Uzr1gGlOlzLMo2BvYvw/s1100/output_6edYpr.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="1100" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIncMEccArsxDRYVfcNOMwAD4mOls59Kgc3sEp2mErFr_bIZkMaHYV9J1yQkWe4vhEcPztGOHUFKfYckGKdiAT-NmcSMEHEaJzRsAstjo9ifr-okTWRybHJZNhXmDKF8wtI2r8WEQTrOJNW2jpJKYoAejm9dJV1i4b_3bboj5Uzr1gGlOlzLMo2BvYvw/w400-h299/output_6edYpr.gif" width="400" /></a></span></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-align: left;">Another twist is that Hammy Sosa is trying to plug his own graphic novel, </span><i style="text-align: left;">Pigtown Detective.</i><span style="text-align: left;"> It’s an action packed story about a hard-boiled detective named Spam Spade. The reader gets a few pages of this pretend graphic novel interspersed within the pages of </span><b style="text-align: left;"><i>R.B.I. Robots</i></b><span style="text-align: left;">.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="text-align: left;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNYKSdZWHriYq3eNtMj5xAQWnaNmF4XzxweVg_4hEyM7ALiXhn6BvM76Nq4lImC7_S_dcpxDj8VUHbhCmUwWJj9uslaHds4XC8AGeHytus4x9fVjg-0rRZVgs7LWTyJtljGI_0J-mJ-cMkeMpJJ_xsrt_67Le-h4cET3ePgY7RUqIyKThimI5yplh1w/s3900/Robot%20p51-52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2913" data-original-width="3900" height="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimNYKSdZWHriYq3eNtMj5xAQWnaNmF4XzxweVg_4hEyM7ALiXhn6BvM76Nq4lImC7_S_dcpxDj8VUHbhCmUwWJj9uslaHds4XC8AGeHytus4x9fVjg-0rRZVgs7LWTyJtljGI_0J-mJ-cMkeMpJJ_xsrt_67Le-h4cET3ePgY7RUqIyKThimI5yplh1w/w400-h299/Robot%20p51-52.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A spread from Pigtown Detective</td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8Whlm6VBqRQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="8Whlm6VBqRQ"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><b>Fuzzy Baseball #3: R.B.I. Robots</b> is published by Papercutz and is available from Amazon, or from your favorite local bookstore.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplcYu7UQSDQ3vxdyXIR280_j8Y7uNryT1QFxeF6YR2B5XxRiARrkfWRQb7fdESLr8KdWPyiJ18swHJkcDmEeAUTve7hMV9ZloQscn6okUiI3Xg_g0LknPyv5JZHFQCb9_HpemHdxfyLWlnAFIhIksdLjJuc9lNUNPS_uYtJ2uezPI0qaGLQjCsjlP1g/s2696/Clankees%20page%20low%20res.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2696" data-original-width="1793" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplcYu7UQSDQ3vxdyXIR280_j8Y7uNryT1QFxeF6YR2B5XxRiARrkfWRQb7fdESLr8KdWPyiJ18swHJkcDmEeAUTve7hMV9ZloQscn6okUiI3Xg_g0LknPyv5JZHFQCb9_HpemHdxfyLWlnAFIhIksdLjJuc9lNUNPS_uYtJ2uezPI0qaGLQjCsjlP1g/w426-h640/Clankees%20page%20low%20res.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p><br /></o:p></p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwA8KRO5BQiHfvZPGVXnxdp52YyQcr60mxYMa4c-jKiCayuu559JrZ4GZ-WyvsEHG7P2Sjosdi-SAp3emfdB0GnabEp4rxw2LudSkJVy8tBmEomyR3f5sy7Lt8EHDtP4s7FHEaZaaDlkqAQChUD-MsOSTzQ1_cbHqB1A-GzdKSfXsBHAZp2YKyvgO3Ag/s3900/Robot%20p45-46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2905" data-original-width="3900" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwA8KRO5BQiHfvZPGVXnxdp52YyQcr60mxYMa4c-jKiCayuu559JrZ4GZ-WyvsEHG7P2Sjosdi-SAp3emfdB0GnabEp4rxw2LudSkJVy8tBmEomyR3f5sy7Lt8EHDtP4s7FHEaZaaDlkqAQChUD-MsOSTzQ1_cbHqB1A-GzdKSfXsBHAZp2YKyvgO3Ag/w640-h476/Robot%20p45-46.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-66806745181085079172019-05-03T11:05:00.000-07:002019-05-04T04:48:02.370-07:00Ninja Baseball Blast! Fuzzy Baseball #2<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
I am pleased to announce the publication of <b>Ninja Baseball Blast</b>, aka <b>Fuzzy Baseball #2</b>. I had to create a new team of opponents for the Fuzzies to play in the sequel to my graphic novel <b>Fuzzy Baseball</b>, and I thought it would be fun if they faced a team of baseball ninjas*.</div>
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On the surface, the story is about a bit of cross-cultural confusion. There are rumors that baseball played in the <i>Manga League</i>is different, that the players “<i>over there</i>” have secret wisdom and ancient baseball knowledge. Bo Grizzly dismisses this as nonsense and arranges an away game with the Sashimi City Ninjas. Bo insists that “Baseball is baseball” and that there is no difference. Blossom Honey Possum is the only one who orders a book that can teach them the Manga League rules.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The Fuzzies travel to Sashimi City for the big game, and on the surface, the rules seem the same. Bo Grizzly’s advice for his team to play their own way seems to be working. But the Ninjas assume, correctly, that the Fuzzies won’t take the time to understand one major difference (the use of the MORFO BALL). The Ninjas use this to their advantage. It’s generally a safe bet that Americans might not take the time to understand all the cultural differences while traveling abroad.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Baseball was introduced to Japan from America around 1870. In <b>Ninja Baseball Blast</b>I wanted to celebrate many of the fun things that our culture has imported from Japan. The Fuzzies meet ninjas, try sushi, learn from a manga style textbook, and even encounter a giant kaiju (Godzilla is an example of a famous kaiju).<o:p></o:p></div>
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I also wanted to have some fun with the idea of transformation. In Japanese influenced shows cars transform in giant robots, rangers morph into mighty warriors, and little pocket monsters evolve into larger pocket monsters. In English literature Alice goes through many transformations in Wonderland, and Dr. Jekyll transforms into Mr. Hyde. In American movies people transform into werewolves and superheroes all the time. Even Bugs Bunny transforms (when he meets Dr. Jekyll).<o:p></o:p></div>
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As a child my drawing style was influenced by cartoons created by Walt Disney and Warner Brothers. Today the drawing style of American school children is often influenced by Japanese Manga comics, which were created Japanese artists who grew up watching those same American cartoons. It’s amazing the way a culture can absorb an influence from across the globe and transform it into something unique.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHi9yBF46ZIJb65CQbcR2N3h-vvUQaraFQUt3ETLywnrMC2ditFSh68f-M9gv1p83W1AnPx62MM1R_bl5zzNes0j-6e3mcf0iGtj_uIMn-ijOhiZACpM7qyTPiGYjuN6TXeJcgbXRY9cC3/s1600/Ninja+p44+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1572" data-original-width="1600" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHi9yBF46ZIJb65CQbcR2N3h-vvUQaraFQUt3ETLywnrMC2ditFSh68f-M9gv1p83W1AnPx62MM1R_bl5zzNes0j-6e3mcf0iGtj_uIMn-ijOhiZACpM7qyTPiGYjuN6TXeJcgbXRY9cC3/s400/Ninja+p44+crop.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But, more than anything else, <b>Ninja Baseball Blast </b>is meant to be funny. As I continue this series ,(#3, <b>RBI Robots, </b>is in the works for next year), I’m hoping that librarians and young readers discover that this is a comedy series, not a sports series. I had a blast creating <b>Ninja Baseball Blast</b>, and it was a fun challenge to choreograph all of the craziness that ensues once the game descends into chaos. <o:p></o:p></div>
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*Purist may assert that the plural of “<i>ninja</i>” is “<i>ninja</i>”, but Merriam Webster and Co tell me that “<i>ninjas</i>” is an acceptable alternative.<o:p></o:p></div>
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John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-27201005529965303752018-11-26T20:14:00.000-08:002018-12-02T15:29:59.205-08:00The Bossy Pirate sets sail!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9l-IT2iwPigM18tud5mRG8wcEKjm-VBYMrlS6bKFVIZlJKv8yzdkGVFiJWTktGH_JG7xEGX9GQgSF7OL4Kt79W1RwDZBFYLLJMGxEKw1J9M_BI69Mg1uJbPO6oypKpdR4nSZFqTtEHrBH/s1600/Bossy+Pirate+web+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="345" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9l-IT2iwPigM18tud5mRG8wcEKjm-VBYMrlS6bKFVIZlJKv8yzdkGVFiJWTktGH_JG7xEGX9GQgSF7OL4Kt79W1RwDZBFYLLJMGxEKw1J9M_BI69Mg1uJbPO6oypKpdR4nSZFqTtEHrBH/s320/Bossy+Pirate+web+cover.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m very excited to announce the publication of my third book as author and illustrator, The Bossy Pirate. It’s about a boy named Salty Jack who pretends that his bedroom is a pirate ship. His friends help him tie ropes and sheets to serve as rigging and sails. Instantly they are sailing an actual pirate ship on the high seas. Jack barks out orders as the ship sails through waves and past breeching whales. Jack's older sister, a mermaid, swims up to say hello, but refuses to take orders. Jack's friends also grow weary of being ordered about, and decide to abandon ship. Jack is furious. He tries to continue the fantasy by himself, but discovers that playing alone is somehow not as much fun. The next day he invites his friends back and welcomes their creative input, and allows them to give orders, and even steer the ship! The resulting adventure is even grander than before. It includes a purple sea monster, a velociraptor, and a treasure hunt.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzD_T1J_uesa_QqQtnRs_QQB3PGVBJa_f4UIUTMQl7qpVeq_SGqPRvMexxUA0a2G_GxwpKiU2yPUvZms8OkPST507VOYofWSfpR-1a3R50swT-6pufcdCWhXKpUFc_FGeH1iFyqWDObGNW/s1600/Pirate23lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1206" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzD_T1J_uesa_QqQtnRs_QQB3PGVBJa_f4UIUTMQl7qpVeq_SGqPRvMexxUA0a2G_GxwpKiU2yPUvZms8OkPST507VOYofWSfpR-1a3R50swT-6pufcdCWhXKpUFc_FGeH1iFyqWDObGNW/s320/Pirate23lowres.jpg" width="241" /></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">There are many great books that explore the theme of bullying. I wanted to write a story about someone who was not exactly a bully, but more of a control freak. Jack is the kind of a child whose imagination is infectious and he is able to sweep his friends along in his vision. I wanted to capture the feeling one gets when one is truly caught up in imaginative play; the sensation of being fully absorbed by the fantasy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jack is not willing to let anyone else contribute ideas. He’s not comfortable unless he’s in charge. I have never studied improvisation, but I have heard that one of the golden rules is to never say “no” to someone else’s idea, but always to say “yes… and”, meaning to accept someone else’s idea, and build on it, rather than dismissing it. In the end Jack discovers this golden rule of improvisational play and says “yes” to his friends’ ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFaVCdAIwhHtAYe-MAL8QzAI3WhTDmbMYJlq9K0WhK0xAN7EW8_NTLtwQlU2_q9HrZKLpb46qXjGbVzkVfgpz_yWfxzlJIQfkfD2MWqwxGJBc7iBkCxUBSbsTRsoqK5lfHqiH6cxGGMA-/s1600/pirate20%252621lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1193" data-original-width="1600" height="475" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnFaVCdAIwhHtAYe-MAL8QzAI3WhTDmbMYJlq9K0WhK0xAN7EW8_NTLtwQlU2_q9HrZKLpb46qXjGbVzkVfgpz_yWfxzlJIQfkfD2MWqwxGJBc7iBkCxUBSbsTRsoqK5lfHqiH6cxGGMA-/s640/pirate20%252621lowres.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJdSHRKrFiuEnqmCJIJ2JHcUYliaV0XAqvUZQqf9j5OkwpgsVPs2kFS27DsNS67wmZiriKq6oxBR4tvbipb7f9okujWVyJbqFiRs2BL07R3jiFLCVbUuzktopZcaRBJn1ZZwLUXiR1cfG/s1600/Pirate28lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1346" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJdSHRKrFiuEnqmCJIJ2JHcUYliaV0XAqvUZQqf9j5OkwpgsVPs2kFS27DsNS67wmZiriKq6oxBR4tvbipb7f9okujWVyJbqFiRs2BL07R3jiFLCVbUuzktopZcaRBJn1ZZwLUXiR1cfG/s320/Pirate28lowres.jpg" width="269" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The Bossy Pirate is a 48 page picture book. I was thinking that it would be a “reader” when I was writing it, but a librarian friend informed me that there are too many “pirate words” in it for it to truly be considered a reader So, I would say its a picture book for 5-6 year olds, but I still think it would make a good reader for a second grader who is interested in learning some nautical terminology. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Scuttlebutt, Mizzenmast, Scallywag, etc).</i> There is a glossary of pirate words on the back page.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFzipuoHEdNkt8sWRliY9gFawIkon5FFi7mmpS6azzyLa8L2QRzc9rA8JR-JBOUSmcYUUkDs9jkGvYFJsd6o39dP0bB6oERLsmnq4yIx0QadWFTv40sNDpUJslAWoryZ82jQyV50mK22w/s1600/Pirate7lowres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1233" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFzipuoHEdNkt8sWRliY9gFawIkon5FFi7mmpS6azzyLa8L2QRzc9rA8JR-JBOUSmcYUUkDs9jkGvYFJsd6o39dP0bB6oERLsmnq4yIx0QadWFTv40sNDpUJslAWoryZ82jQyV50mK22w/s320/Pirate7lowres.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRxIfsCIpqM" style="font-size: 18.6667px;" target="_blank">Watch the Bossy Pirate book trailer</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">https://www.schifferbooks.com/newcatalogs/Kids-FW-2018/16/</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18.6667px;">https://www.amazon.com/Bossy-Pirate-John-Steven-Gurney/dp/0764356259/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1543289876&sr=1-1&keywords=bossy+pirate<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRxIfsCIpqM" target="_blank">Watch the Bossy Pirate book trailer</a></span></div>
John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-24648236510090900572016-12-23T11:36:00.000-08:002016-12-23T11:36:59.650-08:002016 Holiday Card and Gurnimoji Stickers<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVF2esETCPtoRdHG5BFnBQzRQgDS_FXxTgSNHNKG5Brfm5Kpl2FAIvd6n9GjFf8bJMQarE9B5-IuTIdjPsH18Shmfd6nqa4M6QNTmZEQwR__JQlfab6CcwJ9oNsm6IWBKc3OOGfL2Y-ivA/s1600/santaA.tif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVF2esETCPtoRdHG5BFnBQzRQgDS_FXxTgSNHNKG5Brfm5Kpl2FAIvd6n9GjFf8bJMQarE9B5-IuTIdjPsH18Shmfd6nqa4M6QNTmZEQwR__JQlfab6CcwJ9oNsm6IWBKc3OOGfL2Y-ivA/s640/santaA.tif" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa and his buddies.</td></tr>
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I was playing around with making small, expressive faces to use as stickers, or emojis. My goal was to depict particular expressions with a bit more detail than we generally see. I also wanted to depict a variety of ethnicities, but to use the color creatively, so the color would be more about the lighting, rather than the skin tone. The project brought to mind an idea I had a few years back that I never developed. My idea was to create a series of "Santas", as he would appear in other cultures. I started to play with that idea, but I then I had second thoughts about imposing an icon of Christianity onto cultures that might not be. So, I altered my approach, and decided to depict Santa with a collection of other jolly old souls, from different cultures. With festive facial hair, and colorful accessories.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwH9DUIeKtMa9TFpacFQ_G6PTSpageQUZQnk3_TT1zxqbYNubZD1Dse3DPQsXq2MjyTRBDqUc1HOJOL_a2GVadVx2ic7CnifNBWthlPbbYaI6PxMaDrBDAg6r7iSdCy1aYT8cW7YyhmTN/s1600/Sticker+sheet+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwH9DUIeKtMa9TFpacFQ_G6PTSpageQUZQnk3_TT1zxqbYNubZD1Dse3DPQsXq2MjyTRBDqUc1HOJOL_a2GVadVx2ic7CnifNBWthlPbbYaI6PxMaDrBDAg6r7iSdCy1aYT8cW7YyhmTN/s320/Sticker+sheet+cropped.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Gurnimojis"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsu7GKqo5oYSmKMxkMsEMYAsn1Q0HrFTs2pYB6V75WfWBJsD6Ez_j4IQ89d-v63RK7TKvnlqOq5a-L-Z1ACGCOdj8knV1FGt9IXdBImXWK-NdGtlvPz0LdLGwTp9eXPn5qE4UirA_el8P/s1600/Sticker+sheet+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsu7GKqo5oYSmKMxkMsEMYAsn1Q0HrFTs2pYB6V75WfWBJsD6Ez_j4IQ89d-v63RK7TKvnlqOq5a-L-Z1ACGCOdj8knV1FGt9IXdBImXWK-NdGtlvPz0LdLGwTp9eXPn5qE4UirA_el8P/s200/Sticker+sheet+cropped.jpg" width="158" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am curious how small I can make <br />these and still have them "readable".</td></tr>
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<br />John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-24540576560208481962016-11-22T15:34:00.000-08:002016-11-22T15:34:20.007-08:00Homage to vintage Sci-fi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3P4KAlmg2QzXaD6ZeqvdkiXf3luM8hOA9gOmrKhWnQXzUzvCNPyR9KkyLvE5bGe1TFfUrz5v5f7ui5df1JleaUJRO9P8VBcOJwgLphroXY0RHC8IA_oCf3COs8u7YhdNdZdQqX-e8QrX1/s1600/If+SciFi+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3P4KAlmg2QzXaD6ZeqvdkiXf3luM8hOA9gOmrKhWnQXzUzvCNPyR9KkyLvE5bGe1TFfUrz5v5f7ui5df1JleaUJRO9P8VBcOJwgLphroXY0RHC8IA_oCf3COs8u7YhdNdZdQqX-e8QrX1/s400/If+SciFi+cover.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
A recent assignment for my University of Hartford MFA in Illustration program was to create an illustration in the style of a genre from a different era. I chose to create a science fiction cover from the 1950's. Director C. F. Payne stipulated that even though we were creating art from another era, he wanted us to communicate a contemporary idea for a contemporary usage. I chose to play with the idea of genetic engineering.<br />
The illustration is for a (non-existing) story in which a mad scientist makes a fortune selling boutique genetically engineered pets, like miniature dinosaurs, created by altering parakeet DNA, and fluffy monkey-head boas that function as fashion accessories. He uses his fortune to pursue his somewhat more nefarious genetic experiments.<br />
Initially I wanted to make the illustration an "Amazing Stories" cover, but I did not like the way the type covered so much of the illustration, so I chose the lesser known "If" magazine, so I had more room for the illustration. The illustration style pays homage to the master campy science fiction illustrator Frank Kelly Freas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kv-bhnTlp5qQcwvHWL8Ztsi_77jP2CcKMQetxTubUqI7KKqHWMOxqk07e6wZ55arxZynwpdO14JuEJtaFshEVKU4ktrJ5w7YrxBB0sk9Bbfd6mh7vL4Xg6CTXq7VAqWVUq0HMzr5x_UZ/s1600/If+Mag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kv-bhnTlp5qQcwvHWL8Ztsi_77jP2CcKMQetxTubUqI7KKqHWMOxqk07e6wZ55arxZynwpdO14JuEJtaFshEVKU4ktrJ5w7YrxBB0sk9Bbfd6mh7vL4Xg6CTXq7VAqWVUq0HMzr5x_UZ/s320/If+Mag.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An original IF cover.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmEXkTJIVpbjYZls5bguJLGyRgvQdIk-EMFJocM0I7Kks-JDpYVrkaLZCuf_PM0aqAzd43vrsrCK_ItYpz2vnVEwaEb0CurHxQ3kNTvLzGjTPw1x9_hf_hO64ubT3SsNSFFP6Oxe3AmCy/s1600/monkeysnake+girl+close+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKmEXkTJIVpbjYZls5bguJLGyRgvQdIk-EMFJocM0I7Kks-JDpYVrkaLZCuf_PM0aqAzd43vrsrCK_ItYpz2vnVEwaEb0CurHxQ3kNTvLzGjTPw1x9_hf_hO64ubT3SsNSFFP6Oxe3AmCy/s200/monkeysnake+girl+close+up.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My young friend posing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrVPFxk5gGKh93y2eEe8Ivct9_6Z3_FDXuiGtzhTcGb5kYfiYQ-S8OjVO0DgSVNRtSJWF-2YdA32Xy4KYxG11gLCv2Vjs-lWHZkmdOiGW3n5d7-5o9C-S44NigBfGioNQo2Lhb8zNAJ9L/s1600/Trex+boy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrVPFxk5gGKh93y2eEe8Ivct9_6Z3_FDXuiGtzhTcGb5kYfiYQ-S8OjVO0DgSVNRtSJWF-2YdA32Xy4KYxG11gLCv2Vjs-lWHZkmdOiGW3n5d7-5o9C-S44NigBfGioNQo2Lhb8zNAJ9L/s200/Trex+boy.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great acting job!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xllcckM3qFboFYyQaMJ67dHKOpV7Q-l1tZqkf0-gXVRgCTkivsBhUzZqvdBVABsdkpEnDjzUh1ZnPlyW6H00u5UHEYNlDyXUnPukaoTKU9h-QzZIg07kqoO-uX_rTzPD98e3ct9nhrQx/s1600/proffessor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xllcckM3qFboFYyQaMJ67dHKOpV7Q-l1tZqkf0-gXVRgCTkivsBhUzZqvdBVABsdkpEnDjzUh1ZnPlyW6H00u5UHEYNlDyXUnPukaoTKU9h-QzZIg07kqoO-uX_rTzPD98e3ct9nhrQx/s320/proffessor.jpg" width="186" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend Tim posing as the scientist.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-64820234061813532012016-08-31T18:39:00.000-07:002016-08-31T18:39:05.352-07:00Elftown Detective<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixebdP_xiUu7utEQsuCPt8D4JC0txjzQLa-KLqP_YhpwaxeZUCCFmBKqsDO9HwNgr8WXuhnerTYl1eHp6Svo-4OUPKBJT-EmLg-LjTXlRKoX-cKrQ9d6x8RsL4ea31NqZbg-Al7nOc8HSl/s1600/Elftown+color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixebdP_xiUu7utEQsuCPt8D4JC0txjzQLa-KLqP_YhpwaxeZUCCFmBKqsDO9HwNgr8WXuhnerTYl1eHp6Svo-4OUPKBJT-EmLg-LjTXlRKoX-cKrQ9d6x8RsL4ea31NqZbg-Al7nOc8HSl/s400/Elftown+color.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Here is an illustration, and some sketches, from a graphic novel I am working on.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvFBLQMhwN9rNoiNo6phfEjhDTm_A8jyL5BBaNg69LB5_5q_7eQlve0_KiB8J8Gl2ZWQouSQtF11Fk9N2rBXIXp-0EetJK1yOGlpwWBMprvbqEGuiAuJAz42px1YRSiEqDLs-D2W-6C8K/s1600/felix+fieldmouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfvFBLQMhwN9rNoiNo6phfEjhDTm_A8jyL5BBaNg69LB5_5q_7eQlve0_KiB8J8Gl2ZWQouSQtF11Fk9N2rBXIXp-0EetJK1yOGlpwWBMprvbqEGuiAuJAz42px1YRSiEqDLs-D2W-6C8K/s320/felix+fieldmouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhxLhECTWK_iaN6RANqKOdxuCKceza6_cuhguP_stgZStWBicvakAF5UcolHwEI9NfuxqhU5V56Cp5OmnqX2ZGmTPfYBmCsxIuc5GbksqrV89JDWDnwYn7D0t-dgJAhbO82Ek2W5qwnvi/s1600/trixie+the+pixie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhxLhECTWK_iaN6RANqKOdxuCKceza6_cuhguP_stgZStWBicvakAF5UcolHwEI9NfuxqhU5V56Cp5OmnqX2ZGmTPfYBmCsxIuc5GbksqrV89JDWDnwYn7D0t-dgJAhbO82Ek2W5qwnvi/s320/trixie+the+pixie.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxyvspEHUkX7om1PyzdwNTbQyRm68d_f04uhLkKbFjDjK7sWLP7MZIk5gxokyjnQnY1qGlQSfokEYpA3_mcfRPIL17XLHK4YLFnVWwSbnXZ3AufXqqIVaHz0eowKqDnVrm45bhYf8fKdw/s1600/elftown+gazzette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxyvspEHUkX7om1PyzdwNTbQyRm68d_f04uhLkKbFjDjK7sWLP7MZIk5gxokyjnQnY1qGlQSfokEYpA3_mcfRPIL17XLHK4YLFnVWwSbnXZ3AufXqqIVaHz0eowKqDnVrm45bhYf8fKdw/s320/elftown+gazzette.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>
<br />John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-76925552968132374352016-05-25T20:30:00.001-07:002016-05-25T20:30:28.454-07:00School Visits to the Neshaminy School District schools that I attended as a child.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8cbPTCzQkcE" width="480"></iframe>John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-84695007172413214392016-04-18T07:35:00.000-07:002016-04-26T13:02:25.504-07:00Pre-Game Hoopla!In a few weeks my new graphic novel Fuzzy Baseball will official go on sale. Click here for the article that appeared in my home town paper, The Brattleboro Reformer:<br />
<div>
<a href="http://www.reformer.com/latestnews/ci_29778849/brattleboro-illustrator-hits-home-run-fuzzy-baseball">Brattleboro Reformer article</a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ItGuLPDNdkdFPG2Obgb1Y7iV9tnPIBiuylAeSOke9SJ-vP8c3t1rPKTBNKVkgQq6CWSxXxy2Urcawok0xp8l2ndZbs8jMcfEnP-AfB5H2ZEjopfIJnJX57ryPRlf9-37ZeZ5Akfrp9Db/s1600/Fuzzy+Baseball+w+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ItGuLPDNdkdFPG2Obgb1Y7iV9tnPIBiuylAeSOke9SJ-vP8c3t1rPKTBNKVkgQq6CWSxXxy2Urcawok0xp8l2ndZbs8jMcfEnP-AfB5H2ZEjopfIJnJX57ryPRlf9-37ZeZ5Akfrp9Db/s400/Fuzzy+Baseball+w+logo.jpg" width="265" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 13pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">By my
best estimate, it was 2001 when I first brought a 32 page baseball picture book
concept to my writers' group (lead by local authors Jessie Haas and Michael J
Daley) for a critique. Based on feedback from the group, I expanded it into a
48 page "reader" (</span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">an</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> </span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">early chapter book</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">), and titled it </span><b style="font-family: Helvetica;">The Fuzzies' Big Inning</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">. I started
submitting for publication. As a published author and illustrator (</span><i style="font-family: Helvetica;">the picture book</i><span style="font-family: "helvetica";"> </span><b style="font-family: Helvetica;">Dinosaur Train</b><span style="font-family: "helvetica";">) I am generally able to get my proposals past the
screeners and into the hands of the editors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">After a
few rejections I converted it into a 48 page graphic novel entitled <b>Fuzzy Baseball</b>. I put in the time to
sketch out all 48 pages, and I submitted it to agents and editors who
specialized in the emerging market of graphic novel/ picture book hybrids. The
rejection letters became more encouraging, but they were rejection letters nonetheless.
Then, I expanded it into a 56 page graphic novel and got more rejections. It sat on the shelf for a few years until I
revisited it, and boiled it down to a 32 page picture book entitled <b>Full Count</b>. Still, there were no
takers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3gBwPydl-dvIhSP5AU9EPy4OfVsk1CmjnfGdJll-OnnQfIVL62jhyphenhyphen6let0Y9c3vPBOfMCHvOoPLzDhyphenhyphenLJaFeK9c4Ja3xZmHlk-EtIQpYdcidjTHFpL0eY6FAH8EnAuYCYeCTGEnNtPOa/s1600/Fuzzies+color4%25265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3gBwPydl-dvIhSP5AU9EPy4OfVsk1CmjnfGdJll-OnnQfIVL62jhyphenhyphen6let0Y9c3vPBOfMCHvOoPLzDhyphenhyphenLJaFeK9c4Ja3xZmHlk-EtIQpYdcidjTHFpL0eY6FAH8EnAuYCYeCTGEnNtPOa/s400/Fuzzies+color4%25265.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">During
this time I was making a living by illustrating chapter books (<b>The A to Z Mysteries</b> series, among
others). An offshoot of this career is traveling the country, giving school
presentations about my work as an illustrator, and an author (<i>barely). </i>In school libraries I kept
seeing the graphic novel section expanding. It seemed to me that the majority of
them seemed very similar, either in the anime style of Japanese Manga, or dark
and post apocalyptical, or humorous in a very specific, retro-hip stylized
manner. I thought there must be room for something that was funny, (but not
retro hip) and action packed (but not violent), about BASEBALL, The American
Pastime. What reluctant reader would not want to pick it up? Why couldn't I
find someone to publish it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";">I try
to stay informed about what different publishers are looking for. I learned
about a small company, called Papercutz, that was specializing in graphic
novels for young readers. I sent them the 48 page* graphic novel version of <b>Fuzzy Baseball,</b> and almost immediately
they said "yes".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbCJcg30-i4TnUIax5s2-gOfj4XattrErUyfkDkvw3pmoSFpsKzI6j0RAZk5riuRSu4jTgmKET1OHuCSYdYf4_fc4V7d3gEQD6tCmrgoJCnnaJFiFFEfsxONNz_pcw_fpyxW2vGDW_-IB/s1600/Fuzzies+color8-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="481" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbCJcg30-i4TnUIax5s2-gOfj4XattrErUyfkDkvw3pmoSFpsKzI6j0RAZk5riuRSu4jTgmKET1OHuCSYdYf4_fc4V7d3gEQD6tCmrgoJCnnaJFiFFEfsxONNz_pcw_fpyxW2vGDW_-IB/s640/Fuzzies+color8-9.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica";"><span style="font-size: 13pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-59952241542449843742016-02-11T20:27:00.000-08:002016-02-11T20:27:23.785-08:00A School Visit to Vietnam<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SKDimb-JiM5xR2jjMaKlg0UsdIbODKcj3dIVX05CsKHA1-TU-5nf33G9TnBrz1J0pg-y4adlcz5D1lvhGYt0Qc6v3jocllpSYBRf911oAmttzYqUGKLrvq1L4DlSSDpqME_iMfKhTP1K/s1600/AAA+John+Vietnam%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8SKDimb-JiM5xR2jjMaKlg0UsdIbODKcj3dIVX05CsKHA1-TU-5nf33G9TnBrz1J0pg-y4adlcz5D1lvhGYt0Qc6v3jocllpSYBRf911oAmttzYqUGKLrvq1L4DlSSDpqME_iMfKhTP1K/s400/AAA+John+Vietnam%25231.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a small riverboat in the Mekong Delta.</td></tr>
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Last January I had the honor of being invited to speak at
the Saigon Pearl International School in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was my first
time to Vietnam, and only my second time to Asia. In most of the other
international schools I have visited abroad, most of the student body is made
up of non-native population. At Saigon Pearl, most of the talented,
enthusiastic students were Vietnamese. The staff was welcoming and energetic,
and obviously very inspiring to their students.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RUMx7wedmU8up7PdN7m-a5hTO52iNY6WIYiby2z4E2uz15003IEmEfY49BLdzc8OnJdLGY3_O9d23TnfJI_I-yGJZyaPH_sDLoUlX47623_tD1bDXSyPl5hBkd4wYXymPAYpWsGxHxq4/s1600/John+and+young+artist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5RUMx7wedmU8up7PdN7m-a5hTO52iNY6WIYiby2z4E2uz15003IEmEfY49BLdzc8OnJdLGY3_O9d23TnfJI_I-yGJZyaPH_sDLoUlX47623_tD1bDXSyPl5hBkd4wYXymPAYpWsGxHxq4/s320/John+and+young+artist.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A young artist at Saigon Peral.</td></tr>
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Ho Chi Minh City was bustling and bursting with vitality. Tet (Lunar New Year) decorations were everywhere, with cartoon monkeys ready to usher in the new year. There was way more scooter traffic than car traffic. I paid a local to spend an hour zooming me around city on the back of his, weaving in around the hundreds of other scooters. It was the most exciting ride of my life!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY73c9Z9_ib2izhPWeuESfNWbojXPFvsul9ka7v-YscKFXqPUK_SeawT6q2rO3LPuIhn8j1LAgFCAnz2gq3N3nuPo9Nid8pIIojy5zdeFZUE2rf-xMNKSNdA-_PmgRDV3S02ApOX6AoBUi/s1600/AAA+John+on+scooter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY73c9Z9_ib2izhPWeuESfNWbojXPFvsul9ka7v-YscKFXqPUK_SeawT6q2rO3LPuIhn8j1LAgFCAnz2gq3N3nuPo9Nid8pIIojy5zdeFZUE2rf-xMNKSNdA-_PmgRDV3S02ApOX6AoBUi/s320/AAA+John+on+scooter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scooting around Ho Chi Minh City.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2JSUJprRELCBql9sy9tXXn-mxOtA4QCy1h1scEWLswlosdbYWlI9PRhcE84LEGI6A5-CsdYEAIXhbhCXG8SQnpwOCffjMZviZmNAR7D1G8le753Tmze7c3QxPvTpdt4IHVW4FOWN2lY2/s1600/scooter+city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ2JSUJprRELCBql9sy9tXXn-mxOtA4QCy1h1scEWLswlosdbYWlI9PRhcE84LEGI6A5-CsdYEAIXhbhCXG8SQnpwOCffjMZviZmNAR7D1G8le753Tmze7c3QxPvTpdt4IHVW4FOWN2lY2/s400/scooter+city.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was able to spend a day touring the Mekong Delta. This is a fascinating region were people live on houseboats, and there are floating markets were locals sell their produce. Evidently there are more roads in the area now, so trucks deliver most of the goods, greatly reducing the number of boats used for commerce. I also learned how the local agriculture sustains the residents, with a variety of fruit that is harvested from the forest, and the wide expanses of rice patties.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIFshulxefUDZGTVgRsu_y-r4l0ki2mDkYlbyTRq4EZOMGIuRU1SxOHTdi0x5X8vz6TmhO0jA1fyxYSakhlPTEV9vP1CIWAz32L1EloyW-eQNV3_LJYU9AOOhgPEDt16Z_ChhQOAwf8YR/s1600/Tet%25231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIFshulxefUDZGTVgRsu_y-r4l0ki2mDkYlbyTRq4EZOMGIuRU1SxOHTdi0x5X8vz6TmhO0jA1fyxYSakhlPTEV9vP1CIWAz32L1EloyW-eQNV3_LJYU9AOOhgPEDt16Z_ChhQOAwf8YR/s400/Tet%25231.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy New Year!</td></tr>
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Growing up in the late 60's, Vietnam loomed large in my consciousness. As a young child, walking in the woods near my childhood home in Pennsylvania, I would hear occasional gunshots echoing through the trees. I was unaware that there was a firing range not too far away. I thought it was the Vietnam war raging in the distance. I am grateful for the opportunity to get to encounter this rich culture and spend time with these wonderful people.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLa9-hMK7ldvgt5-bcWUfKK3VfqYpsV9T1bqM8pSf54GLvYdmU5l1ItmUycOCwfzeNa-iF8p2_i5zSjsgIB3Wx9M2zORZuPf70m7-Fvk1LlKR0f6yshR9-VEE1hpxLPTu4SgEj1MBuUG_w/s1600/Saigon+Pearl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLa9-hMK7ldvgt5-bcWUfKK3VfqYpsV9T1bqM8pSf54GLvYdmU5l1ItmUycOCwfzeNa-iF8p2_i5zSjsgIB3Wx9M2zORZuPf70m7-Fvk1LlKR0f6yshR9-VEE1hpxLPTu4SgEj1MBuUG_w/s400/Saigon+Pearl.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The courtyard at Saigon Pearl School</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbpLOyJDTbxXqNhIWm4WUfKia_OeJGPvuY75x7MuvneSbzLFvupJJjdIdLRaDLz3ZPpELszHQiKbqheoJtZmcYqxUHgL44ZwB87v21BU7ESCyNTBBkvufP8EEXsx6AW5gItv_6Pq_DFxe/s1600/Mekong+boat%25233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIbpLOyJDTbxXqNhIWm4WUfKia_OeJGPvuY75x7MuvneSbzLFvupJJjdIdLRaDLz3ZPpELszHQiKbqheoJtZmcYqxUHgL44ZwB87v21BU7ESCyNTBBkvufP8EEXsx6AW5gItv_6Pq_DFxe/s640/Mekong+boat%25233.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A boat on the Mekong Delta.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutanZm7lDBH5UwFnR57c9b7ZnzE3fzWjz1tGmNJ56nbfxDDxcd5iwzKMk8uhNXWecuMoeTmzfhkF_hyphenhyphenPBI5OhRlF8AALhwuGlFoYw9tfhCbIMuyRvGmBAJXbPlcDFP7kqfi0MAO5OS7OE/s1600/Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutanZm7lDBH5UwFnR57c9b7ZnzE3fzWjz1tGmNJ56nbfxDDxcd5iwzKMk8uhNXWecuMoeTmzfhkF_hyphenhyphenPBI5OhRlF8AALhwuGlFoYw9tfhCbIMuyRvGmBAJXbPlcDFP7kqfi0MAO5OS7OE/s640/Temple.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A temple in Ho Chi Minh City</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-42554759105025605402016-01-18T14:22:00.000-08:002016-01-18T14:22:48.312-08:00Lyle Lovett MFA assignment<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxXFQsa9WGXbwxU5lq0vkAR4qL4D-qqer6q9L3fQtNZ3Zgg23ozTIAyU3V-YXHZQsOFMTnBoVoAhzd4PhVosPQvf6tFomnXYxe060msVL-2Dy1jzK6z4bWEg-U7f-1e5fhuYA-Wt1kvvY/s1600/Lyle+Lovette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYxXFQsa9WGXbwxU5lq0vkAR4qL4D-qqer6q9L3fQtNZ3Zgg23ozTIAyU3V-YXHZQsOFMTnBoVoAhzd4PhVosPQvf6tFomnXYxe060msVL-2Dy1jzK6z4bWEg-U7f-1e5fhuYA-Wt1kvvY/s400/Lyle+Lovette.jpg" width="348" /></a></div>
I am currently enrolled in The University of Hartford's MFA program in Illustration. One of our first assignments was to create a magazine cover from the 70's, 80's or 90's, of a celebrity of the time, in the style of an illustrator from the time. I tried to emulate the style of the masterful illustrator C.F. Payne. Payne has a very specific way of working, but there are ways in which his final effect is similar to my own oil technique. Although I work as a caricature artist, I seldom get a caricature as an illustration assignment.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79wxZxA2fAjQesz2AKAvLlj7p-9kZM2MG3sZRNzXXc4bja8KnLrsH3Mr8FxMJZbEKpbRbAOa6nlayNnmLU4PWipY-lnX_AM5V4d8Ms92SqPPrwu1DgLXwt7zJI2oYA_vp_bwfwcR1ocNa/s1600/Lyle+lovett+Rolling+Stone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi79wxZxA2fAjQesz2AKAvLlj7p-9kZM2MG3sZRNzXXc4bja8KnLrsH3Mr8FxMJZbEKpbRbAOa6nlayNnmLU4PWipY-lnX_AM5V4d8Ms92SqPPrwu1DgLXwt7zJI2oYA_vp_bwfwcR1ocNa/s320/Lyle+lovett+Rolling+Stone.jpg" width="261" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my "pretend" Rolling Stone cover from the 1990's.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-36308672318439960112015-12-25T20:29:00.000-08:002015-12-27T06:42:47.830-08:00Dispatch from Saudi Arabia<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia
built a University of Science and Technology with the goal of keeping his
population in the forefront of scientific innovations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He built a state of the art campus on the Red
Sea, surrounded by desert. He built residences, parks, a golf course, a yacht
club, and shops in order to attract top-notch professors and graduate students
from all over the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, since they
would be living there with their families he built schools for the children to
attend. And where there are schools, author visits can’t be too far behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is how I got the honor of visiting the elementary
school at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(KAUST).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">I flew into Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia where I was whisked through customs by an official from KAUST and driven
45 minutes north through a long expanse of desert to the university. We passed
through two military style checkpoints with barricades and I arrived at a
campus that was like a miniature city from a science fiction film, except without
the monorails. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb3dEBNPmL38NOpudAg_oZ5M9Fme3CngHkK8GTYwtqC7a6VyqQEI8dGs0U7YzT821a1SlLG0V1PVLI2H2yZpZd6Lp7hOrBmErDHDDWi1oU3y7XGtB_xLnO4AT6526tSExlxGR_1VPt9g3/s1600/Kaust+campus+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyb3dEBNPmL38NOpudAg_oZ5M9Fme3CngHkK8GTYwtqC7a6VyqQEI8dGs0U7YzT821a1SlLG0V1PVLI2H2yZpZd6Lp7hOrBmErDHDDWi1oU3y7XGtB_xLnO4AT6526tSExlxGR_1VPt9g3/s400/Kaust+campus+night.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the KAUST campus buildings at night.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The elementary school, which is English-language based, had an American style curriculum. The student body was fairly
international, with about 30 - 40% being local. The school’s faculty, as in any
other international school I’ve visited, was energetic, creative, and
enthusiastic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are primarily from English
speaking countries, with a disproportionately large percentage of Canucks and
Kiwis. I was treated like a visiting rock star, and I spent a week giving
presentations to students, pre-k through 12<sup>th</sup> graders. I think I can
safely say, without fear of contradiction, that kids all over the world enjoy
drawing monkeys.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJY0CXX4Z5aOKVe-LYozqQ_ZxLtcqGv8_OO3RhNg9AAXkcGIljdNr5ZTiLRyZ2NhPvbcfgVtS2Mwk_JZUmH1RCB2auU32ni-gz1Hx7-Efbz0XSom14UV858z-eAcAs_0a8oJxcz2HL6cEJ/s1600/IMG_3085.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJY0CXX4Z5aOKVe-LYozqQ_ZxLtcqGv8_OO3RhNg9AAXkcGIljdNr5ZTiLRyZ2NhPvbcfgVtS2Mwk_JZUmH1RCB2auU32ni-gz1Hx7-Efbz0XSom14UV858z-eAcAs_0a8oJxcz2HL6cEJ/s400/IMG_3085.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving around KAUST during the day. Palm trees fed by water desalinated from the Red Sea. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Most of the Saudi code of
conduct was relaxed on campus. Women can drive, and western dress is common.
There were a number of mosques on campus, and because of my jet lag I was often
outside walking at 5:30 am when the “call to prayer” tone reverberated through
the pre-dawn air. There was something very spiritual in the sight of the sleepy
figures materializing out of the darkness and making their way to worship. It
reminded me of a retreat I once spent in a Benedictine monastery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">A number of teachers compared
life at KAUST to the film “The Truman Show”. The experience was idyllic, but
kind of artificial. I am grateful that a few teachers wanted to take me on an
excursion into Jeddah to have an authentic Saudi experience. The women had to
put on long black robe-like dresses called abayas. They did not wear headscarves,
but had them with them, just in case someone demanded that they be worn. There
are fairly rigid codes about which gender can go into which stores. Men alone
cannot go into malls, unless they are with their families. Women cannot go into
certain stores unless they are with a man, or not at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJf49lTCC9lJvHVwU1rjbbvEZfRMK-J7lKt0EsqvLX6iJs70PoouJ0qb3BJQONuseSLFwcqo-QBCKRCAW2hQOyV0xGZoFloiHAuvL32ry2ZZM7X8SFYvxYa1arjvVU_C0xNlbJ8YEHBfn/s1600/Balad+neighborhood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivJf49lTCC9lJvHVwU1rjbbvEZfRMK-J7lKt0EsqvLX6iJs70PoouJ0qb3BJQONuseSLFwcqo-QBCKRCAW2hQOyV0xGZoFloiHAuvL32ry2ZZM7X8SFYvxYa1arjvVU_C0xNlbJ8YEHBfn/s640/Balad+neighborhood.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Al-Balad neighborhood in Jeddah.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">We took a taxi in to the Al-Balad
neighborhood. This is the neighborhood where DH Lawrence spent time, and it is rapidly
crumbling. Fortunately it has been named a Unesco World Heritage site, so
hopefully work will be starting soon to preserve this area. I have posted
photos of this fascinating area, but it would be misleading to come away with
the impression that all of Jeddah looked like this. There were plenty of
contemporary apartment buildings, along with Applebees, TGI Fridays, and
Starbucks. They also have public squares where Sharia law is enforced,
including beheadings, “be-handings”, floggings, and stonings. An awareness of
this side of the culture was certainly off-putting, but it was interesting to
note that the priorities and the codes of behavior at KAUST stood in contrast
to the rest of Saudi Arabia. Anytime there were delays in getting a visa
processed, or in passing through customs, a call from someone at KAUST seemed
to “part the waters”, as it were. So it would seem that the powers that be hold
in fairly high regard what is happening at KAUST.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdIxOVciR-eunR1KNEHRlNybAKbYqE5CH895wLc0PqE-sCRACrADOqBXkVZyKZTFbujmlr-vOPzenglHeRgTf_TIoXQTcAyaVd1auZsLbOJwV8WAIGdlh1XNgtBoyDtfyS7HOq5nWJVNO/s1600/Jeddah.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqdIxOVciR-eunR1KNEHRlNybAKbYqE5CH895wLc0PqE-sCRACrADOqBXkVZyKZTFbujmlr-vOPzenglHeRgTf_TIoXQTcAyaVd1auZsLbOJwV8WAIGdlh1XNgtBoyDtfyS7HOq5nWJVNO/s640/Jeddah.jpg" width="640" /></a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHq43BpdU4XTz7SmygEb-qxRsmMN103AJafLif71ZSwRfF_wav7nXWovkWt7QXEuRiQkd6V53T4lxtH8OHtPMez-bzEkKUkBggyK-KKVcFP_Sl_RhrxPh9iGEILyqZ0uYirDeIyXaFjU4/s1600/KAUST+mosque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHq43BpdU4XTz7SmygEb-qxRsmMN103AJafLif71ZSwRfF_wav7nXWovkWt7QXEuRiQkd6V53T4lxtH8OHtPMez-bzEkKUkBggyK-KKVcFP_Sl_RhrxPh9iGEILyqZ0uYirDeIyXaFjU4/s640/KAUST+mosque.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main mosque at KAUST.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Waiting at the airport for my
flight home was probably the only time I was unescorted in a public place
during my stay. It was fascinating to see all the travelers from various
Islamic cultures returning home after their pilgrimages. There was a rich
tapestry of cultural dress as the weary travelers from (<i>I’m guessing</i>) Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan all waited for their flights home. I would have liked to have taken
out my sketchbook and drawn some of them, but I’m not 100% clear on which infractions
get your hand chopped off, so I decided it was best not to take any chances. For
a while I was the only westerner, and I felt a little self-conscious, but no
one was paying any attention to me, positively or negatively. As Americans we are
so used to thinking that the world revolves around us, I think it was invaluable for me to experience
what it feels like to be a foreigner, to be on the outside looking in. I am
grateful to the teachers and administration at KAUST for bringing me to a part
of this world that I otherwise never would have experienced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-75487365778737244862015-12-23T11:34:00.000-08:002015-12-23T11:34:15.253-08:00Holiday Greetings 2015!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This year my Christmas card is a holiday homage to Norman Rockwell. Illustration fans will get the reference immediately, but for those of you who aren't, I've posted Mr. Rockwell's original masterpiece as well. And again, for those who don't know, in his original version Norman himself is there in the bottom row, the subject of the gossip. I wish my version didn't have so much blank space in it, but I needed the size differential between the elves and Mr. and Mrs. Claus to convey the gag.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZGp4amExdQRkVzNprY02gWxyArVek2rsVLgKsaG2v6aZyy06f6CzaWPdblmaqOOQPE1BSpHOmVhkfIl0U3W6PhExgij3AdaY4-qQqXEIzvaudmSkdGuyRup535kaNvh-X1maJWSe-LDb/s1600/santa+gossip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZGp4amExdQRkVzNprY02gWxyArVek2rsVLgKsaG2v6aZyy06f6CzaWPdblmaqOOQPE1BSpHOmVhkfIl0U3W6PhExgij3AdaY4-qQqXEIzvaudmSkdGuyRup535kaNvh-X1maJWSe-LDb/s640/santa+gossip.jpg" width="414" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWTSXCwK3N9fvbNcsV5DahYZmUPbOOzzfvNKI4_qrxoqsGxth12GmvUS-qrbwFjYV90OmbP9buwXhcJJySCaQCPxd4P_QAk4YUg8BEYcRI4Du1NYxle8lbVKiAu9PI2C1IvxU27Ll9hyphenhyphen8/s1600/Gossips_web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikWTSXCwK3N9fvbNcsV5DahYZmUPbOOzzfvNKI4_qrxoqsGxth12GmvUS-qrbwFjYV90OmbP9buwXhcJJySCaQCPxd4P_QAk4YUg8BEYcRI4Du1NYxle8lbVKiAu9PI2C1IvxU27Ll9hyphenhyphen8/s320/Gossips_web.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
<br />John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-3669177807172410542015-08-31T18:36:00.000-07:002015-08-31T18:36:25.408-07:00PLAY BALL!<br />
<br />
I am officially beyond the halfway point in illustrating my graphic novel "Fuzzy Baseball", published by Papercutz. I'm on track to reach my October 1st deadline, which means it will be published in May of 2016. My goal is to make it nothing short of the Duck Soup/Citizen Kane of early reader-humorous-baseball graphic novels. A lofty goal, indeed.<br />
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<span id="goog_1079161856"></span><span id="goog_1079161857"></span><br />John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-37281435839999589882015-08-31T18:30:00.001-07:002019-05-03T11:06:14.658-07:00John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-79562984782442765812015-05-26T10:26:00.001-07:002015-05-26T10:26:54.723-07:00Good night to David Letterman
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.0pt;">Being a
freelance illustrator often means staying awake into the wee small hours to get
your work done. And for me, part of staying up late meant having David
Letterman as company, especially in the decades before Netflix streaming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlEDVAQcEkXtvw3-w5wBBRIekqkmvrMIKch84kBMcjwxVWU7z2MRL_X_HQGdjseSMAWmju18X3LFmUnfaWFxcO3lIrsyCHzSqTQRRv8U_w560RARaat5we01XlXdw4OfXX2WBDTtLjLwr/s1600/1980%2527s+Letterman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJlEDVAQcEkXtvw3-w5wBBRIekqkmvrMIKch84kBMcjwxVWU7z2MRL_X_HQGdjseSMAWmju18X3LFmUnfaWFxcO3lIrsyCHzSqTQRRv8U_w560RARaat5we01XlXdw4OfXX2WBDTtLjLwr/s640/1980%2527s+Letterman.jpg" width="496" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This caricature of Dave and Paul was in my portfolio back in the late eighties.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.0pt;">As I
watched his last show I was awash in nostalgic feelings, and I’m not even sure
why because I haven’t really been watching the past couple years. Part of the
reason must be that the 33 years of his show being on the air has kind of
paralleled my time as an illustrator.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.0pt;">I was
one of the dozen or so people who watched his morning show that preceded Late
Night in the summer of 1980, right before I started at Pratt Institute. In 1982
when I heard he was getting a nighttime show after Johnny Carson I remember
telling my roommates that we should check it out. Almost instantly the show
became an integral part of staying up late and getting work done. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.0pt;">David
Letterman’s sensibilities influenced my generation’s humor and perspective in
the way that Monty Python and Saturday Night Live had a few years earlier.
Phrases like “<i>we all know how painful THAT can be</i>” and “<i>no wagering please</i>”
would pepper our speech, replacing “<i>this parrot is most definitely dead</i>” and “<i>We
are two wild and crazy guys!</i>” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.0pt;">Dave
gave us permission to view the hip and the avant garde with detached irony. But
was he a regular guy chuckling at the pretentious elite? Or was he an elitist
himself? I used to love it when Harvey Pekar, the underground graphic novelist
came on the show. Dave and he would get into verbal sparring matches, and Pekar
came off looking like an eccentric lunatic. In recent years I’ve discovered Pekar’s
work and grown to appreciate his writing. Now when I watch those old interviews
on Youtube Dave seems like a frat boy being really condescending to an
alienated nerd.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2KXtC9SfKrlkf78xqCXnin5iAdNOUDnZEgIwbRYVXlf1PoapXLrYP7LceiRfkCo6R0aAjpqYN5mTSOB_qNzjKcJUGCqA1Pzlzs1_qO6OZtibMapsn5DyQ4qxHewHSH3LSksN-gn4Xpqi/s1600/240065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2KXtC9SfKrlkf78xqCXnin5iAdNOUDnZEgIwbRYVXlf1PoapXLrYP7LceiRfkCo6R0aAjpqYN5mTSOB_qNzjKcJUGCqA1Pzlzs1_qO6OZtibMapsn5DyQ4qxHewHSH3LSksN-gn4Xpqi/s200/240065.jpg" width="151" /></a><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16.0pt;">In a
strange way that’s another aspect of the show that I relate to. Before I
embarked on illustrating 140 chapter books I thought social satire would be my illustration
niche. I wanted (and still want) my illustrations to be funny, but not
sarcastic. Social satire is at its best when it’s pointing out something that
we recognize in ourselves (and laugh at), rather than pointing at, and putting
down, in someone else. I think Dave aspired to that too. True, he often fell
short and came off as sarcastic. And if his humor was condescending at times,
he was self deprecating in equal measure. But<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think it’s remarkable how often his humor
hit the perfect mark, insightful but never sentimental.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpf7IdPdyegxB2KGHlnkuiy5a0jGNilng7sZ_MFwGS8MF5bm8161q5U9cMHgUeo1JC7WfaRKwR-7SXC-9KI6dbyiDXhSgMgbMzBHITRb-lG-RanppQxJ8YyQeUkgQZzca7A5m1G_356-4/s1600/Lettermab-caricature.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpf7IdPdyegxB2KGHlnkuiy5a0jGNilng7sZ_MFwGS8MF5bm8161q5U9cMHgUeo1JC7WfaRKwR-7SXC-9KI6dbyiDXhSgMgbMzBHITRb-lG-RanppQxJ8YyQeUkgQZzca7A5m1G_356-4/s400/Lettermab-caricature.gif" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Older Dave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-41198018200965337042015-01-05T14:11:00.000-08:002015-01-05T14:11:52.819-08:00Downtown Brattleboro 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4d7F9o1Jk2q64PkIJ0JgsiSGDoqaJphT3-7A6GNq5bPKHEVO3CUm0lVyhqNrwA91NOkxphpWBGSKXg8I2ynLRgVGJRKaBWGiD_J8cO_aSl35fJMF8r4rNCOjmq132iXLELsDPi2vQuhr/s1600/NEYT+program+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4d7F9o1Jk2q64PkIJ0JgsiSGDoqaJphT3-7A6GNq5bPKHEVO3CUm0lVyhqNrwA91NOkxphpWBGSKXg8I2ynLRgVGJRKaBWGiD_J8cO_aSl35fJMF8r4rNCOjmq132iXLELsDPi2vQuhr/s1600/NEYT+program+cover.jpg" height="640" width="545" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
I just finished a fun assignment for New England Youth Theatre, a local theatre that I occasionally do artwork for, and that my kids used to be involved with (when they were kids). It's the cover for their 2015 program. It's an homage to Saul Steinberg's famous New Yorker cover, combined with some gentle poking of fun at my hometown for the past 18 years (if you've never been here, watch "Portlandia" and you'll get the vibe.</div>
<br />John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-69790088897034741942014-12-04T05:59:00.001-08:002014-12-04T05:59:36.796-08:00Holiday Card Time<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGYFIJmmda1_0D4L94y8FdC6_n6aB5qQbc7ekLLHeWw6o12VPaCf8Tmyr-E_SIfphchaxfLG8m9UzySmzpxmfl-vok8mV2FQqcSjqwb-EEmQIvL3OrZB58no2FiFKufFaVozxVvzTM_yk/s1600/2015xmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuGYFIJmmda1_0D4L94y8FdC6_n6aB5qQbc7ekLLHeWw6o12VPaCf8Tmyr-E_SIfphchaxfLG8m9UzySmzpxmfl-vok8mV2FQqcSjqwb-EEmQIvL3OrZB58no2FiFKufFaVozxVvzTM_yk/s1600/2015xmas.jpg" height="640" width="454" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Is it a searing indictment of our time? Or am I just jealous that I can't afford a smart phone?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Here's wishing we all appreciate the joy and magic wherever we find it this holiday season!</span>John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-38876230751527205372014-10-22T05:02:00.000-07:002014-10-22T05:02:41.602-07:00The Alphabet, continued<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-69804573619828025452014-10-14T22:03:00.000-07:002014-10-14T22:03:58.374-07:00The Alphabet, continued<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-17762139217745850172014-10-10T02:42:00.000-07:002014-10-10T02:42:04.116-07:00Which style is more super?I am seeking input. I have always had an uneasy power struggle with the "line" in my illustrations. There are times when I thought I should hide my line completely, and paint the scenes and characters dimensionally in form (letting value and tone do the heavy lifting). At other times I miss the line quality of my sketches, and try an approach that keeps the drawing alive. Usually I'm somewhere in the middle. Even when an illustration is a detailed oil painting I generally don't hide my initial drawing completely.<br />
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So, I decided to have an illustration style smackdown with myself (...that doesn't sound exactly right...). I need to create a cover illustration for a story that I've written and am trying to get published. I did the exact same illustration, first in oils, then as wash over a drawing. Both pieces are initially created using traditional media, then scanned and finished in Photoshop. The one with the darker blue background is in oils, the lighter one is the tinted drawing. I am curious to hear comments. One look may be better suited for a younger audience. Does one look appear to be more dated? Please post your reactions to each, preferences, observations, etc. Thanks.<br />
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John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-34274713774179361812014-10-04T10:40:00.003-07:002014-10-04T10:40:41.272-07:00The Alphabet, continued<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHm9Pn7c6YYlt0elWjcE5_7vqEWd2dAo5LjVzK5xOVOCeuIuzfBPXNtyC6L5ekJ0zuRtrw639X-u7pM7ZKUdd0y1dVPaGj0LOyJad1lWJ2D8uCoEiUdO9s9yruRM3Na58sfkix_6zXGSh/s1600/dumbfound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHm9Pn7c6YYlt0elWjcE5_7vqEWd2dAo5LjVzK5xOVOCeuIuzfBPXNtyC6L5ekJ0zuRtrw639X-u7pM7ZKUdd0y1dVPaGj0LOyJad1lWJ2D8uCoEiUdO9s9yruRM3Na58sfkix_6zXGSh/s1600/dumbfound.jpg" height="552" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-84520589443644141302014-10-01T11:36:00.000-07:002014-10-01T11:58:04.626-07:00Baseball Postseason Time!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdCuATUJV46Q0ZEJiImg8wTdRAQ4YE3-XTXboG9PdROZWF7guBLqgbifOLjYM736EChy-Bodc4M9swk6bmoQfzepf_DjEtICx1FVA2k77pX1FNa1XTkzapJlUsPp6Lf4akvjjRdKR9rYL/s1600/Full+Count+alt+cover%233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdCuATUJV46Q0ZEJiImg8wTdRAQ4YE3-XTXboG9PdROZWF7guBLqgbifOLjYM736EChy-Bodc4M9swk6bmoQfzepf_DjEtICx1FVA2k77pX1FNa1XTkzapJlUsPp6Lf4akvjjRdKR9rYL/s1600/Full+Count+alt+cover%233.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a>None of the teams I root for, Red Sox, Phillies, Yankees nor Mets, made it to the postseason. Yes, you read that correctly, I believe in an inclusive world where one can embrace both sides of an intense rivarly. Call me a dreamer. So, in a salute to the playoffs (that I need to force myself to take interest in ) I will post some illustrations and sketches from a baseball picturebook proposal that I am looking to get published. The working title is Full Count, but at some point I'll need to come up with less generic title. PLAY BALL!<br />
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John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6054760027676626957.post-3431458139642879152014-09-04T06:47:00.000-07:002014-09-04T06:57:19.990-07:00A character for every characterI need an excuse to create more illustration samples featuring cartoonish people, so I've decided to make my way through the alphabet, coming up with a word for every letter to serve as a prompt for me to illustrate a character. As much as I love creating animal characters, I'm going to stick to humans for this exercise. Below is ABC, hopefully I will be able to stick to the routine of completing a few each month.<br />
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<br />John Steven Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12208490549546522998noreply@blogger.com1