Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Maurice Sendak, Rest In Peace

Maurice-Sendak-by-Patrick-McQuade-33

Rest In Peace Maurice Sendak, you are fucking loved.

Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are was THE book of my childhood. It’s perfect. The concept of running away to a island full of monsters, then becoming their king! was like crack to my young brain, still is for that matter. But all of his books are cool and interesting, they still draw me in. There’s an honesty to them that sets them apart. Plus his artistry is just the best, so unique in style and sure of itself. The way he infuses his drawings and characters with life, be it a bear or a baby or a wild thing, is just magic. Sendak is indeed a wizard, the gold standard. Here’s to you, Monster King. I am under your spell and will be forever.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

LA Weekly - Esther Wong - Godmother of Punk?


I have another illustration in this week’s LA Weekly. It’s a article entitled “The Flawed Legacy of Esther Wong”. Esther Wong was given the moniker “The Godmother of Punk” by somebody back in the day and now that title is under scrutiny, and over emphasizes her role in the scene. She was the no nonsense proprietor of Madame’s Wong’s, an LA music venue where many punk/alt bands played in the ’70s and ’80s. One night, she made The Ramones stop playing their set midway through to go clean up the graffiti they had written in the bathroom.