4AFTER5 Jam Comics

I've mentioned 4AFTER5 in previous posts, but for the uninitiated we’re a group of four local graphic designers who “pursue our passion for illustration after hours”. Typically we get together monthly-ish to talk shop, nerd out and draw a jam comic or two.

What is a jam comic? It’s the creative process where a group of artists work together to create one complete comic strip. Sometimes a comic will begin with a random panel, which is then passed along to the next artist to expand upon…and so on, until the circle is complete. Other times, we’ll each put our own spin on a random topic and combine them into one strip after the fact.

Over time, the stack of completed comics grew. We thought it would be a great idea to put them in comic book form to make available at our show opening in November 2010...so we did just that.

If you want to see some of our handiwork, you can check out a selection of the comics on fellow 4AFTER5-er Brad Campbell’s blog.

It’s always a blast drawing with these fellas and getting down on some comic makin’...I don’t break out the pencil and paper as much as I should these days, so working like this helps keep me sharp! We enjoyed creating these comics and we hope that you enjoy reading them, too.

A jam comic by Brad Campbell, Jeff Welborn, Travis Eck
and myself. Click above for larger version!

Something is Sketchy Here...

Just a quick little post featuring some quick little sketches. Will some of them end up as official TOOMASOOBA illustrations? Yep...probably so. Stay tuned!

Shreveport Farmer's Market

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at Saturday's Farmer's Market! We had a really great time and can't wait to get out there again next week (and the weeks after that, too). Check out our Events page to see more TOOMASOOBA summer dates in Shreveport and beyond...come on out and brave the heat!

Rex manning the booth.

Makin' them sales.

State of the Union

It may seem kinda slow around these parts lately, but I promise that there's plenty happening behind the scenes! I'm currently booking shows for the summer and beyond (which you can keep up with on the new Events page), working on new products (tiny t's coming soon!) and I've also been cranking out some brand new designs (below is a quick peek at one of the little fellas).

If you're in the Shreveport area, come see me June 4th at the Shreveport Farmer's Market...it's their first year to add artists to the mix and should be a blast. Oh, and why not join the Facebook group while we're on a roll here? Okay, that's all for now. Stay tuned for more TOOMASOOBA!

One bad apple.

Handmade Bash Wrap Up

Whew! It's been over a week since the Bash and after a quick trip to Tennessee I'm finally getting around to a write-up. I've got to admit, I was pretty nervous in the days leading up to the festivities...once we got everything set up and started slingin' some shirts, however, most of the jitters were out of my system (I think I sweated them out carrying stuff on the looooong haul to my booth space, actually).

Had a great time meeting new people, chatting it up with fellow exhibitors, seeing which items moved fast and which ones didn't — I really learned a ton and got some great ideas on what kinds of products to tackle next (and how to approach my presentation as well). That being said, keep an eye out for some kids shirts and other sweet TOOMASOOBA action soon....very soon!

Many thanks to the Etsy Dallas crew for putting on this rad show...I hope to be a part of it again for sure. I'd also like to give a big shout-out to my boy Rex for coming along to hold down the table and work his sales magic while I was running around like a madman (which was most of the time).

Didn't have too much time for photographic opportunities, but below are a few quick pics from my table's vantage point...take a look!

The TOOMASOOBA booth.

A peek at the crowd.

Dramatic shot (kinda)!

The Countdown

Only two days left until the Handmade Bash! If you're in Dallas, come on out! If you're in Shreveport, go check out the Texas Avenue Makers Fair...I couldn't make it this time because of the Bash, but there will be a ton of awesome artists and crafters (and friends) selling their stuff! You can't go wrong at either of these events! Too many exclamation points in this post, yeesh!

Oh, and thanks to some hard work by the super-talented Samantha Krause, the little fellas below will also be available at my table on Saturday. Sweet. Hope to see y'all out there!

Boomabots!

Gettin' Ready for the Bash

Tired of hearing me go on and on about the Handmade Bash yet? Well, just a few more posts about it...I promise! I participated in my first art/craft fair last fall in Downtown Shreveport, and, not knowing what to expect, really came out of it hooked on the concept — had some fun, met new people and got TOOMASOOBA in front of a lot of eyeballs. Shoot, I even earned a little walking around money as well.

That being said, I’ve been working really hard these past couple of months prepping for the Bash – this will be my biggest event by far and I really want to knock everyone out with great products and a snazzy presentation. I’m pretty pumped, I’ve gotta say.

You’ve already caught a glimpse of buttons and socks and whatnot in previous posts, but here are some “behind the scenes” photos of print and t-shirt preparation. Take a look!

Slicin' and dicin'. I have these printed with archival inks and paper
and then cut them down and package by hand.

The prints in all their glory. For this show, I made eight copies each
of six different designs...limited editions, suckas!

Decided to package the shirts differently than how I've done it
in the past...way more professional this time around.

Shirts en masse. Turned out pretty nice, if I do say so myself.