New Job and Personal Project Ideas

I got a new job! Well, sort of. I'm still with Trader Joe's but I accepted a job as a packaging designer at the beginning of the year...that's 2018 to you, future reader.

The work is stupendous, the team is incredible and the benefits (let's just say there's an island of snacks that I sail my office chair to every few hours) are on point. I might have one little, eensy-weensy, minuscule gripe though. The traffic getting home. I still live in San Pedro. That's about an hour and a half away on most days! I miss my little 15 minute commute and seeing my family for five hours before my little son has to go to sleep.

Notice that I said I MIGHT have one gripe. I'm trying to make that slow boat commute a good one. Aside from calling my wife and son to talk, I've begun documenting some of the ideas that pop into my head while I'm driving. I'm trying to localize these documented thoughts to subjects around Art since this all started as an Art blog. So...I give to you my first real drive and spew-no that sounds disgusting. Car Talk. Nope, that's taken.

Hmm. I'll give the title some thought. In the meantime, here you go:

If you've been a reader for a while, I'd love to have you over to my YouTube channel. Consider subscribing so when you do visit YouTube, you'll at least see what I've been up to over there. Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR508j-74cwdnhmT9Y69hWA

Super Over It Mario

Crammed a bunch of older game references in. Available at my shop on apparel and other super good goodies.

 I feel like a middle-aged, Italian plumber wouldn't be all that excited to be fighting evil dragons and anthropomorphic mushrooms year after year...

******************GET IT HERE******************

George Newman, Director of Channel U-62

   I recently painted this portrait for Gallery 1988's Crazy4Cult show. UHF is one of my favorite movies of all time. I knew as soon as I saw the list for the show's eligible movies that I couldn't resist painting Weird Al Yankovic as George Newman. 
   The painting sold on opening night of the show and as a ridiculously fun and mind-blowingly cool bonus, Al retweeted the painting as well as reposting the picture on his own Instagram! I had to take a moment to breathe...
   So here is George Newman, Director of Channel U-62:

After a lot of coercion by my Twitter friends (I'm @itsbillmain on Twitter) I'm releasing this painting as a print as well through my TeePublic shop. So if you want Al on your wall, on your shirt, your kid's shirt or even on your phone, I'd say this is probably the safest way to do it.

Check it out HERE

Catching up with the ABCs of Pro Wrestling...

Oh man, it's been a while, blog.
Let's catch you up on the ABC's of Pro Wrestling

• It has a brand new dedicated Tumblr site for it as well

The ABC's of Pro Wrestling - B is for Bodyslam

Hiya kids!

It's Bill Main here with another installment of your favorite Rat Fink-y, weirdo, pro wrestling, t-shirty, ABC booky fantastic-ness!

Whew...that was a mouthful.

When thinking about what piece of wrestling terminology or move might best encapsulate the letter B, I wanted to go super classic. Even people with a passing knowledge of pro wrestling will be aware of the friggin' BODY SLAM! Say it with me now folks, "Baaaaaaahhhhhhdeeeeee Slllllllaaaaaaaaaammmmmmmm!"

Ahhhhhh. Thanks for indulging me in that. What are these illustrations gonna end up as? Definitely a book, hopefully some t-shirts. Got any other ideas for things you might like to see these bad boys and girls as? Let me know in the comment section!

Check out my illustration for the letter A here

ABC's of Pro Wrestling - A is for Atomic Drop

Hey there everybody!

   I'm hoping today finds you feeling good in your respective neighborhoods. Respect to Applebee's. I think that's an Applebee's slogan- maybe not. Either way, even though the answer is literally a few finger presses away- that will have to stay the way it is. Time is of the essence here folks.

   All Applebee's aside, I started a new project! I'm making a children's book (of sorts). I probably won't be reading this to my kid till he's able to decide not to pile drive his schoolmates for fun buuuuuuut maybe your kid has more self control than I perceive mine will have. I digress.

   The project is a collection of illustrations in the style of an alphabet book! Ultimately, I'd like to have it printed and bound and hopefully, have T-shirts made as well.
 
   I loved going to the Pomona Swap Meet with my dad as a kid. When we'd go, I'd walk up and down the aisles of used car parts, checking out old carburetors, beat up fenders and lenses for headlights that no one makes anymore. Yet by far, my favorite thing about going would be when we would turn a corner and see good ol' Bert "The Shirt" Grimm slangin' Ed Roth's Rat Fink T-shirts! My dad would always buy me one (they were really fairly priced and Bert is an awesome salesman) and it started my love and obsession for all things Roth.

   I bring you the first illustration from The ABC's of Pro Wrestling.

Click here for the letter B!

A comic that basically recounts my childhood in one sitting

A wonderful friend recently asked me to participate in a little collective of artists and writers creating all ages comics. The group, called The Slumberland Digest, posts nightly installments of comics so your dreamy head can go to sleep on a good note. Follow them, as there are little differences my comic that you can only see on the IG. Here's a link: The Slumberland Digest

That being said, here is my pretty true to life comic. I was a Nintendo junkie.

Major Tom, the Cat Happily Lost in Space

• Ground control to Major Tom...
  
  He's taken his fish pills and he's put his helmet on. Boy does he look excited to be floating around in the vast unknown of space! Yet, he'd be even MORE excited to be drifting around on your walls at home. Tom would be right as rain if he were cruising on your nursery wall, kicking it in the kitchen or even bumbling around in your bathroom. 

  Here's a small process of how Major Tom came to be.
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  I always start with a small sketch in my trusty sketchbook!
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  Sometiimes, that sketch is refined into a digital mockup so I can test colors and whatnot...
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  The drawing is then transferred to birch plywood and cut out carefully with a jigsaw.
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  After being sanded and primed (in this case with clear primer), the paint begins. I guess I wanted to start with the cutest part first this time!
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  More refining and painting. Russian cosmonaut style!!!
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  Pop them peepers!
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  Buttons and gadgets because....buttons and gadgets.
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  Major Tom the Space Cat / 80BUY THIS

  What up gurl...?

  
  Buy Major Tom here!