Berenstain Bears

Jan Berenstain, who created the Berenstain Bears books with her husband Stan, passed away on Friday. As a kid, the Berenstain Bears (along with Mercer Mayer's Little Critter) were a huge inspiration to me and made a fantastic impression on my imagination and artwork — and it's an inspiration that continues to this day. Thank you, Jan and Stan, for the creativity and storytelling you shared with each other and with us.

Below is a look at one my earliest works of art created in Mrs. Ruth's preschool class circa 1984...the Berenstain family treehouse. Good times, good memories.

Sweets & Treats

Hey, you should totally stop by Lilah's Bakery and Deli before March 3rd to see Sweets & Treats, a group show featuring local artists' take on, um, well...sweets. And treats. Below is a peek at Kid Cupcake, who is currently adorning the walls on Olive Street.

Oh, and be sure take a look at the making of my buddy Jeff's piece called "Fresh from the Oven"...dude's got skills!

Louisiana Tourism Industry Summit

Along with a handful of talented local artists, I was asked to participate in last week's Louisiana Tourism Industry Summit held this year in downtown Shreveport...and I said "yes", of course! While a business conference isn't usually the ideal locale for some TOOMASOOBA action, I'd have to say it went pretty well.

I moved some shirts and prints, made some great connections with people around the state, ate a free lunch and even got to haul in my setup via loading docks and freight elevators like a Van Halen roadie. Oh yeah, and a guy from Belgium bought a shirt and some prints...international, baby. All in all, a good time.

Below are some photos from the day's adventures...take a look!

TOOMASOOBA table photo against part of the Shreveport skyline.

Strange little scribble from the day's downtime.

My official lanyard. I've never had an official lanyard before.

I have my table break-down to a science. And I also have very ripped mannequins.

How Very Puzzling...

I'm always on the lookout for creative and cool new ways to feature my stable of characters...so to that end, I'd like to unveil the first official TOOMASOOBA puzzle featuring Byron the Boy Robot. Yep, that's right...a puzzle!

This dude is 48 pieces and measures 6 inches by 8 inches...it's a lot of fun (and a little more challenging than it looks). You can pick one up right here in my Etsy shop if you'd like to test your problem-solving skills. The puzzle comes packaged in a protective sleeve with a print of the image as well (bonus!).

By the way, the record for assembly among my group of friends so far is 11 minutes and 35 seconds. Think you can beat that? Remember...start with the corners. That's the key.

A look at an assembled (and unassembled) puzzle! 

Keeping it Weird in Austin

After Christmas, I headed over to Austin, TX, for a few days with some friends for a little getaway — took in the sights, played a lot of shuffleboard, and soaked up plenty of inspiration that already has the gears turning for future TOOMASOOBA artwork. Below are just a handful of pics from our travels...enjoy!

Not sure what's going on here, but I like it.

I never pass up the opportunity to take a photo in front of a Johnny Cash mural.

Parts & Labour, a great indie shop on South Congress featuring TX designers.

The state capital, 3 am. Texas Forever.

Art History #1

After recently unearthing some old-school Jeremy artwork, I thought I'd begin presenting it on the blog from time to time...so here's the first in a series. Hope you get a kick out of it! Not sure what was going on with the story here, but check out those sweet outfits (and mullets). I used to dress like this in elementary school, actually...and just like that little dude's neon orange tank top, I was one rad kid. Artwork circa fourth grade.

ToomaHUEba!

My good friend Travis Eck just moved to Houston with his wife and kiddos, so the 4AFTER5 boys had a little get-together to say our goodbyes before he left. Trav's signature creation is Hue Snodgrass, a character he's been making comics about since his high school days. The dude even put out a hilarious full-color comic last year starring Hue and friends....you should buy it now, he does good work.

Anyway, I worked up a TOOMASOOBA version of Hue ("ToomaHUEba", that is) as a parting gift for Trav and I think he was pleased with the results. Take a look below.

We'll miss our buddy...but no worries, he will remain an official part of the 4AFTER5 gang. Plenty of jam comics and collaborations still to come, we promise!

"ToomaHUEba" alongside Trav's character design!