The Last Human Ghost

Studio Dispatch 4: The Old Man's Back In Town

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 04:41:58 GMT

Happy New Year everyone. I just celebrated my birthday, so the holidays are officially over. In the spirit of simply getting back in the habit of posting, I'm just kicking out a potpourri of random info.

I attribute my absence to a couple of factors:
• Got a semi-permanent freelance gig art directing with (and thanks to) tendegreesbelow at an ad agency in downtown Seattle
• A crushingly huge illustration job for Paizo Publishing (more on this to come)
• The second Downer book
• Other random freelance jobs, including regular spots in Pathfinder
• A trip to San Diego over the holidays

Suffice it to say I was a bit overwhelmed, but to my surprise, I avoided coming down with any stress-induced malaise. And now I have money. Over the holidays I spent a lot of money indulging myself, largely to make up for three months worth of 70 hour work weeks. Besides drinking and eating out, 40k and art books, I stumbled on these more unusual items:

This now stares at me across from my Mac. Plaster. 18" tall.

"What's New in the West" It's mounted on a big, heavy board, and is a little bigger than your average poster.

I'll eventually get around to photographing the bits inside, but this is the best part--a big, latched metal box with slick 50s science graphics. The small text reads, "Porter Science prepares Young America for World Leadership." Awesome.

Unfortunately, because most of the projects I've been jamming on haven't been released yet, I can't share much new stuff. I'll get the illos from Pathfinder up ASAP.

Studio Dispatch 3

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 23:18:28 GMT

At least for the last 15 years I've kept a studio bulletin board with motivational ephemera. Unfortunately, the double-stick tape holding up my current cork-board wall of shit, quit during a recent bout of humidity. Oh well, I guess it's time to change it out for the fall. Here you have it.

Aside from spiritual guidance, I try to draw professional inspiration from the imagery. To that end, I was excited to try this new web application touted by Boing Boing, Big Huge Labs' Palette Generator. "Choose or upload a photo and a palette of colors based on the colors in the photo will be generated automatically." I was underwhelmed by the results ...

Wow, how incredibly boring. OK, I guess the idea is to limit the palette to Web Safe colors, but meh. They hype this service as a home decorating aid. At least it's free.

Here's what I eyeballed from the same collection of junk. I like mine better. This is just the kind of subjectivity that AI can't handle. I guess it's picking near colors based on pixel occurance. I just went a little cross-eyed, and picked colors I liked with an eye dropper. If two were close, I picked a shade in between them on a gradiant.

The High Price of Grooviness

Wed, 22 Aug 2007 23:04:45 GMT

I recently picked up these educational brochures from 1970, courtesy of US Department of Health, Education and Welfare. I can't crow enough about the little duotone psychadelic woodcuts.

(From "LSD: Some Questions and Answers")
"Does LSD increase creativity? Some users believe that if LSD can heighten their senses, it can also help to make them more creative. But studies of paintings, writings, and other works produced by drug users have failed to support this viewpoint. In many cases, works performed by people after they used LSD appeared to be noticeably poorer than before"

Take that Aldous Huxley, Salvador Dali and you Beatles!

Legends of the Superheroes

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:47:29 GMT

This is what I was on about, part 1 of 6. The rest can be found here. I assume Wonder Woman was tied up on her own show, and Super Man in the movie license.

Mordru?

Weather WIzard!?

Only Justice League Unlimited surpasses this in awesomeness.

Ghetto Man

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:36:16 GMT

tendegreesbelow reminded me of this and had it posted on his Muffin Top site. I actually remember seeing this as a kid. There was another special besides this one that I need to hunt down that was also, I believe, related to the Adam West Batman production. I think that's him in this video. I didn't understand "camp" until college, so I hated that show as a kid.

Is it the same Shaz ... excuse me, Captain Marvel as the Shazam/Isis Power Hour?

A Nerd Indulgence

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:35:24 GMT

One of the great things about being friends with the editorial staff at Paizo, is being in the D&D campaign DMed by lemuriapress. I memorialized our little band of adventurers in this illo for the final issue of Dungeon.

illo by Kyle Hunter

Studio Dispatch 2

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:38:24 GMT

I played with Painter last night. These were done mostly with the guache brushes.

Doctor Who: Song for Ten

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 17:15:04 GMT

I've searched for this song for a while. It's featured in the scene when Ten chooses his signature outfit from the TARDIS's expansive wardrobe. I initially disliked the version of this song that's on the Doctor Who Soundtrack CD, by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy, but it's grown on me.

THIS, however, is the real deal from the show. I love the distant, "wall of sound" feel to this one (by Murray Gold with Tim Phillips)

Swerve On

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 20:48:37 GMT

I've uploaded some sketches from another project I've been working on for years, Swerve.

In the mid 90s, Slave Labor Graphics published two issues of a comic I wrote and drew called Swerve. It featured the last human, an idiotic hipster known as Agent 23, or The Kid, who competed with weird aliens in deadly deep-space rallies. Deathrace 2000 meets Tank Girl meets Speed Racer. I finished two and a half issues, two were printed, but I just couldn't keep up with the pace, especially doing it pretty much on spec.

Though parts of it make me cringe, it's full of good ideas, and some of the illos aren't bad. I've totally rewritten it to work as a 32-page one shot, and want to pump it, out now that I have some time. I just need to make some big executive decisions on some plot points and character designs. I've created a gallery of stuff, and will update y'all on any major progress.

You can buy the first two issues from Paizo here.

Illos by Kyle Hunter (top one colored by Chris Inclenrock)

Ted the Fed

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 15:21:08 GMT

I finally dug my teeth into a project I've been dying to work on.

My Dad, Ted Wayne Hunter is a retired DEA Special Agent in Charge, and early in his career, he patrolled the streets of San Francisco in the late 60s and early 70s. His stories are simply awesome, and often hilarious. I've never seen a project that captured the humor and humanity of these stories. From mis-applied choke holds and donut shops, to tangling with Bear Owsley and other masterminds of the acid scene, my Dad and his compatriots kept watch over the nation's turbulent counter-cultural locus.

I have inherited his hatred of hippies.

(I was suprised to capture his likeness so easily in this little comp. I'm not married to the title, but it will do for now.)

illo by Kyle Hunter

Kills Rabbits Dead

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 17:56:09 GMT

I grew up in Orange County, CA in the 70s, and even when we moved to Viginia for a few years in the early 80s, my Dad never took me hunting. While I personally find hunting for sport appalling, I generally don't care what other people do, as long as they leave me the hell alone. My Dad was a cop and fed, so I was raised with the understanding that guns were only for killing dangerous humans.

Nonetheless, how awesome is this pic! My buddy Tom stumbled on this puzzle in Anacortes, WA. I'm jealous. And what's up with the sourpuss on the chinless Dad? Is he jealous the kid's a better shot? I reckon he'll go home and take it out on the wife.

Meet the Uncannys

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:55:28 GMT

I drew this at 6 years old, and took it to a con years later. Note the autographs by the old guard: Forrest Ackerman, Russ Manning, Kiby inker Mike Royer (on the back.) If you recognize the other one, let me know.

Angel and Nightcrawler are there, but I wonder why I chose "Black Tiger" instead of "Wolverine". I remember really liking White Tiger, the 70s Marvel hero--maybe it was an homage. Matter King must have been a Matter-Eater Lad/Wildfire mash up from Legion of Super Heroes. Raincloud is a pretty cagey attempt to cover up that scribbled-out part.

Elf is clearly gay.

New Studio Logo

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 15:58:33 GMT

I had been using the cryptic little Octopus Umbrella logo in my personal corp identity stuff. It's neat and all, but I worked up something a little more grandiose this weekend. I'm currently mired in updating my website and digging up new clients, and that called for some fresh graphics.

I'm especially pleased with the colors. I struggle with my work being so madcap, and I feel like this pallette toned things down nicely. It reads both organic, and kind of antiqued. Victorian, and a bit dessicated and rusty. A little Jules Verne, a little Lovecraft--it balances the loose, fun hand lettering.

I have another version without all the goo-gahs, that reduces a little more cleanly.

The Last Dungeon Monster

Thu, 05 Jul 2007 21:09:43 GMT

For the 118th and last monster I've done for Dungeon Magazine over the past 5 years, I couldn't help but pick another stinker. So lame is the Dire Corby, that it was chosen by the editorial staff as one of the worst monsters of all time in Polyhedron's Monsters of Suck feature. I don't think it's been converted to modern D&D.

The first illo is the 1981 original by Alan Hunter from the original Fiend Folio; the next is my caveman kenku. You have to love a monster that can only say DOOM! DOOM!

D&D Sketchbook Clearinghouse

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 16:50:14 GMT

I got back from San Francisco last week and had a capital time. Unfortunately, and predictably, I haven't been turning out much new content lately. To buy me some time before I start a new studio cycle and change things up a bit, I'm going to try to share some older stuff that's never seen the light of day.

This Downer alternate costume was designed for his attack on the kenku Blackfingers' Assassin Guild. I always liked the way some action figures featured costume variants, but I draw the line at lame crap like Firefighter or Shoe Salesman Batman. That's what happens when you split up comics licenses for movies. All you've got is Superman, so you put out a variant with an overly literal interpretation of him using a power. You get Super-Breath Superman, but no one from the JLA, and a Kevin Spacey figure for Supes to fight. Goddamn I hated shit like that when I was a kid. By the way, that new Superman movie was so boring I fell asleep trying to get through it last night.

I really liked this Jozan sketch. I did it for a guy who wanted me to design a tattoo for him and his wife. He dug it too, but I just couldn't please his old lady with the Lidda sketch. They never paid me. I wonder if he ever got the tatoo. Frankly, I can't see getting someone elses D&D character as a tattoo. I'd kinda shoot for something more timeless. I remember a buddy of mine got a Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes tattoo in college. The only way this would be cool today would be an image of the Calvin Peeing sticker, with him peeing on the Calvin Praying at the Cross sticker.

Good old Juiblex, demon lord of slime. I did the illos, layout and mapping for a PDF adventure that came on the second D&D movie's DVD. Don't get me started on what a piece of turd that was. Honestly, I don't remember anything from it. I'm still too upset about Snail's death in the first one. Why do they always have to kill the brother?

Illos by Kyle Hunter

A Rare Bit of Smut

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 23:16:45 GMT

Malcanthet
Demon Queen of the Succubi

Ain't no cheesecake like satanic cheesecake ... the penultimate editorial monster for Dungeon Magazine. I have yet to decide what the last monster will be.

Illo by Kyle Hunter

A Deathwish at 120 Decibels

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 19:45:43 GMT

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the video that changed my life. I can't believe I've never heard of this before. My favorite part is the guy using karate to defend himself against a cheetah! The DVD should arrive in today's mail.

Here's a link to the rock group Sorcery's website.

24th and Market: Roost of Pazuzu

Thu, 31 May 2007 05:53:33 GMT

This is a true story.

It all began when my old lady and I performed an innocent circus stunt. On the way from the Ballard Avenue bars to my apartment, there was a loose sidewalk slab on the northwest corner of Market and 24th. Most of my errands followed this route, and I was in the habit of aiming for the impromptu lever. If I hit it just right, the counterweight of the concrete would shoot me forward just a scooch. Small fun is still fun. I did this so frequently that KC noticed, and started doing it too. It wasn't long before it escalated. Drunk and giggling, we discovered that if KC stood on the far corner of the slab, I could pop her up a good six inches. Awesome! We never passed on an opportunity to make fools of ourselves at this busy intersection. One day I discovered that the city had crudely stabilized the loose slab by packing asphalt around it. Our fun was over, but I'd never guess how much it would rile up Babylonian storm god, and Demon Prince of the Aerial Kingdoms, Pazuzu.

I didn't think much of it at all until the birds started dying. Seriously, every day there seemed to be 1-3 fresh dead pigeons in the gutter and bushes along this block. Creepy. There are power lines along the street, like any other, but I've never seen dead birds in this volume anywhere else in the city. I remember reading once that you never usually see dead pigeons in the city because they are scavenged so quickly by cats, raccoons, bats and hobos. For some reason, this carrion wasn't good enough for the urban food chain. I should say that I wasn't really freaked out by any of this, just morbidly interested. Besides, I live a number of blocks from said location, and I'm sure the reach of the supernatural is not that far.

I discussed this at length with lemuriapress, who is something of an expert in occult matters. He seemed pretty sure Pazuzu was involved. Evidence continues to emerge supporting that theory. The dead birds stopped turning up the same week a strange mouldering patch of (bird?) seed appeared spread over the sidewalk. I thought maybe it was poison set out by the local gas station manager to discourage the flock from gathering. Then I realized that my theory was totally retarded, because poison would lead to more dead birds, not less. Maybe it was some kind of offering. That gas station on the corner, Spirit, honors Pazuzu with its raptorian logo and outrageously high prices. AND they have a fucking parrot!

While doing a little research, I discovered Pazuzu's connection to storms. It totally makes sense that the weird old fishermen that roam Ballard have an elaborate secret cult worshiping the demon god. We all know how dangerous deep sea fishing is. Recently, a cabal of powerful druidic fish mongers met at Ballards Lockspot Tavern to further plan how to appease Pazuzu. His doctrine of As Above, So Below references the hermetic principle of the microcosm within macrocosm, as illustrated in the spirals of a weather system, or the coil of the the Inkmaster's tentacle. Portions of the meeting are being shown on the Discovery Channel's After the Catch.

Studio Dispatch 1

Wed, 30 May 2007 22:24:36 GMT

It's been a week, and not surprisingly, I haven't had any time to sit and draw for the hell of it. The good news is that I've picked up some agency illo work designing a snow globe premium for a pharmaceutical company. That should run a week or two.

I recently wrapped up the penultimate episode of Downer. This was the first time I felt a little bummed about the strip's ending. It doesn't seem like I've been doing it for four years. It was a blur of chasing deadlines, and leaping out of corners I'd painted myself into. Fortunately, I've got the rights to the character, so who knows where he'll appear again. I really appreciate Dungeon giving me the opportunity to mess about.

Today I finished updating my resume and pro portfolio. It's always a bit of a pain sorting the design from the illustration (Where do the hand drawn maps go?) I'm waist deep in it, but probably won't finish the new and improved Super Unicorn site until the end of June. I'm actually going on vacation this month to San Francisco to celebrate my folks' 40th Wedding Anniversary. This will be the furthest I've gotten away in years.

Illo by Kyle Hunter

Babylonian Wheelie Devil

Wed, 23 May 2007 00:26:36 GMT

Marcus' Martini Heaven
An ad for the classy Pioneer Square watering hole.

Illo by Kyle Hunter

Astral Travel

Tue, 22 May 2007 17:23:12 GMT

Planar Model
I've had this floating around in a sketchbook for a couple of years. It's a spirit writing experiment, man.

Illo by Kyle Hunter

Flagaphile

Tue, 22 May 2007 16:23:13 GMT

Stephen Colbert

Illo by Kyle Hunter

Heavy Metal Exploits Women

Tue, 22 May 2007 15:05:49 GMT

Today's fun little illo: an unused flyer image for an all-girl band heavy metal tribute show. The ladies from Hell's Belles did rock the AC/DC.

Illo by Kyle Hunter

Eden I

Tue, 22 May 2007 00:44:52 GMT

Eden I (study)
I thought this was a particularly lovely study from Painter. Chaos! The organic/inorganic! Explosions!

Illo by Kyle Hunter

Monster Alley

Mon, 21 May 2007 21:56:20 GMT

I cranked out over 100 of these stylized monsters for Dungeon Magazine. A whole mess of them can be found here on my incredibly out-of-date website.

	Killmoulis An old weirdo from the original Fiend Folio. Requested by Erik M. As far as I know, this bugger never was converted to 3.5.
	Chuul
	Yak Folk Arguably, one of the lamest D&D monsters. I have a soft spot for the lovable losers.
	Rust Monster One of the classic D&D monsters from way back in the 1970s. I even remember the crappy little Japanese toy it was based on.
	Mummy

Illos by Kyle Hunter