LEGO Racers wallpaper

What a week! I just finished 50 pencil drawings in 4.5 days and my hand is aching. Nothing like 12 hour days to boost productivity. Lots more still to do, mostly coloring, but I thought I would take a little break and post a new LEGO wallpaper. This time it is the main image to that 2-page spread I mentioned in the last post. I also did 4 smaller cars which I might post in the future.

A trip to LEGO, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and more!

WOW, I am just SOOOOO excited by some of the recent work that I have been doing for LEGO that I can't wait to share it with all of you. Also, I traveled down to the LEGO office yesterday to get some reference for a new job and while I was there I managed to snap a few pictures of the outside.

My AD helped me gather some of the recent magazines that have come out and between them, I have 10 pages of featured content! That is a LOT of time and effort not only on my part but also the writers and designers. It is a real team effort to create a magazine.

I was super psyched to do a 2 page Indiana Jones comic as well as a 2 page Star Wars comic!!!! Both very fun to do. There's also a new Castle comic and a very awesome 2-page Racers layout that I have as my computer wallpaper right now :)

Here are those pictures... hope you like 'em!

Now those are some BIG Lego blocks... at least 6 feet tall!!!

Exo-Force... the end is near :(

I just read over at Brickset.com that LEGO has officially announced that Exo-Force will end after the current product line. I really liked the first line of mechs but I think the designs fell short after that. Too bad as I have enjoyed working with the product line and I was hopeful that the story and designs could be rejuvenated. Here's a clip form the announcement ... I tried to find the source but all I could find was a statement in German...

Jan Beyer, Community Development Manager, LEGO:

"Regarding the low sales of the EXO FORCE line, the decision was made to stop the line at the end of 2008. The sales were good in 2006 but in 2007 the sales did not meet the expectations and the expectation was that even an expensive marketing campaign could not get the sales to the expected level."

I also read that the last chapter book from Scholastic was canceled, but I haven't confirmed it. Too bad if it is true since I did some cool art for that last book and the story was quite entertaining. I would love to post some of that art but I realy don't think I am allowed to do so.

Here are a couple of concept images for the comic adaptation of the Stealth Hunter. These were created after the toy had been designed by Lego. I did some for each of the original line of mechs but none of the work got used since I lost the contract to do the initial comics and a much more cartoony anime style was used.

New York Comic Con?

A lot of people have been asking me if I'll be attending the New York Comic Con this year. The short answer is "I don't know."

The long answer is I might be there, but it depends on my approval as a professional, which would allow me to get a free weekend pass. (I had to pay $60 last year for a pass!) The continued long answer is that if I go, I will be attending as a spectator since I don't have a table in artist alley and I didn't get invited to sit with the Mirage guys again like last year :(

Since I don't have any new prints, sketchbooks, or anything else it probably doesn't really matter. I do thoroughly enjoy meeting everyone that stops by at cons and I love doing con sketches so I will be at a loss for all of that!

I'll need to get a hotel too and that'll cost a pretty penny. Hopefully my wife will come along and that'll make running about the city a lot more fun.

The con takes place April 18-20 at the Javits Center. Here's the web page where you can get more details...
NY Comic Con 2008

If I go, then I'll post again. Maybe I can meet up and hang out with some of you who've always supported me at other cons I have attended in the past.