APE Recap

Finally coming to you with my recap on Alternative Press Expo, San Francisco.

What a phenomenal show. I was amazed at the level of talent at this show. I left feeling totally energized and wanting to make art. That is how I want to leave every con. Matt, Lucien and I had a wonderful time and met a lot of new friends. (Lucien decided he wanted to come dressed a Leonardo for day two.) The support and friendly attitudes of the exhibitors was infectious. Even though it was my first time participating I felt welcomed. Emma SanCartier was gracious and helped me with my tabling duties so I could get lunch and short breaks.

My table neighbors were wonderful. Justin Thompson with Mythtickle, Brian Klom with Atomic Bear Press and just a table over was Bill Robinson. Bill and I both attended RIT and were Art House members. It has been a few years since we were in touch; we had a great time catching up. He was kind enough to make us an Octo-Puss in Boots.

Bill Robinson

And of course we have even more new Octo-Puss in Boots! Thank you all for contributing we love these new additions.

Alina Chau with Immedium

Michael Manomivibul

Erica Sirotich – Cuddlefish Press

It truly was an honor and pleasure to meet all of you and chat as you created these beautiful sketches for us! I look forward to seeing you at future shows.

Finally a big thank you to Cody Williams for his Yeti! Yeti watches me while I work and keeps me on task. We have been partying since he arrived though; we only decided I should do work today. Hence my delay in posting my APE recap.

Cody Williams – Yetis & Friends

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On a different topic I have contributed art to Elana K. Arnold for her new book Sacred. There will be an art show celebrating the launch of the book. See her blog post about my piece!

Specimens and Animals in Alphabet at APE 2012

We have been settling in the past couple of months and I have only had time to draw a little. This little time has been spent sketching characters from other books for Alphabooks! You can view those over on my tumblr. I am hoping that after October I am able to get back to my regular blog schedule over here. Send some encouragement if you miss the posts!

Before we get to new posts I have some news. This weekend my Animals in Alphabet and my specimens and me will be traveling to San Francisco to show at APE 2012.

For this show I am bringing the mounted Lizard Heads.

Here are some teasers:

Stop by and say hey! I would love to meet more of the folks out here on the West Coast. I am really looking forward to getting my chance to wander the tables to see all the amazing work that will be at this show.

Miggi’s Octo-Puss In Boots

A couple of weekends ago now–moving in caused some major disruptions in my schedule–I got to hang out with my friend Miguel Angel Cardona. We met in college and have reconnected this summer since we are both in the Bay Area. It has been great to hang out and sketch together.

The last time we visited he was kind enough to add an Octo-Puss In Boots to our book!

Miggi doesn’t consider himself an illustrator but, I think that is clearly a part of him. We are so happy to have his work as part of the Octo-Puss in Boots book.

It was great to get to sit, sketch, have coffee, and chat with a friend. I enjoyed the working together element, as we sketched we almost challenged each other to get more and more creative. I hope we can continue our sketch meet ups! Check out his recent coffee cups project.

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On another note, we have moved into our permanent place in San Jose. We are almost all set up and a day to day schedule for time to draw should be falling into place soon. Hopefully this also means my regularly scheduled blogging will begin again. I’m clearly not as organized as some bloggers. Since, I didn’t set up automatic posting during the time I couldn’t ensure a weekly update. Maybe that will be a future goal! Pictures of the new studio to come, it’s not completely decorated yet, probably by next week. Until then.

And the Winner is!

Liz Smith

of Made In Lowell

is our winner!

Congrats, you get your very own poster 🙂

Thank you all for your support through my second sale. I really appreciate all of the help spreading the word.
Where would we be with out the support of our communities and friends?

Final Day of the Sale

Last day of the sale! Stop by Fab.com to get your letters.

Share news of the sale to be entered into the giveaway for a free poster!

I will announce a winner this Thursday.

To enter, post my blog to your social media site of choice and let me know you did it in the comments of this linked to blog post. Or within your social media posting include my name @CaseyGirard in the post and use the hashtag #animalsinalphabet to link back to me.

Fab.com Sale

I’m on FAB! Sale of the Animals in Alphabet until next Wednesday! Get ’em while the getting’s good!

update: Retweet, share, and comment here and you are signed up for a giveaway of one of the Alphabet Posters!

All folks who have already shared on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, or G+ are already signed up. The more you share the more times your name is in the hat. I will pick a winner June 14th. Thanks for helping spread the word 🙂

MeCAF Octo-Pus in Boots!

MeCAF is such a nice convention. It was low key and pleasant and offered great meet-up opportunities for all the creatives involved. A huge thank you to Rick Lowell for all that he did and for bringing together such a fabulous show! And big thank you to my table mate Michael Rapa! It was good sharing space with you.

Rock on for Casablanca Comics!

Here are the Octo-Pus in Boots collected throughout the day, and one from MICE.

Loren Lee

(actually done at MICE! but I hadn’t started taking pictures yet)

Stephanie Yue

It has also happened again, I got a submission from Dave Roman as well but, no picture! I will have to find him at another convention.

It was a great weekend and it continues as we read through the haul we brought home:

I want to give a shout out to Elenore Toczynski loving her books!

Moving to California and MECAF

Well I was really hoping to have art to post yesterday and now today. It just isn’t happening. I think it is time I succumb to the fact that I am moving to California in about 35 days and am going to have to shift my focus from making art to packing up my life.

Folks I am moving to the Bay Area of California, San Jose, in under two months and you might not see a lot from me between now and when I am settled!

We are going from a 2000 sq ft house to a 2 room efficiency while we transition into more permanent housing. I am needing to decide what art materials are can’t-live-without and which ones I can leave in storage for a time. My mind is racing at a steady speed of 100 mph. We also are going to pass on a lot of our house hold wares. We are seeing this as a marvelous opportunity to pair down. Our first load went off to a donation center yesterday, 20 boxes worth! We are certain we have at least 20 more.

Then if moving isn’t enough there are still a few other ventures I am involved in until the move.

1) MECAF this weekend! Many of us from Fanartica will be participating stop by our tables.

2) Another Animals in Alphabet Sale should be underway in June. More details to come.

3) I am working with a vendor to make the Animals in Alphabet available as Vynl Wall Decals. How cool is that!?

Then of course transitioning from NESCBWI. I am going to dearly miss working with such a wonderful region. Thank you New Englanders for making my time volunteering for NESCBWI such a great experience!

Now I need to get back to work and also accept that I am 30! today!
too-much-to-take-in-in-a-short-period-of-time

MoCCA ReCap – Octo-Pus in Boots!

Sorry for my delay in writing up what happened at MoCCA. I have just been so busy reading all of the comics I got while there!

I had a great time at MoCCA. My table mates Ellen T. Crenshaw, Shanon Weltman and Ray Jones, were phenomenal and we made great friends with our neighbor Jonathan Baylis.

The list of incredible artists we made connections with is mind boggling. MoCCAFest and Drink and Draw Like a Lady created wonderful atmospheres for us to be able to share and chat about our art and get it in front of our fans. A couple of folks that I didn’t get Octo-Pus in Boots from this year but, was very happy to see again were Laura Lee, Jannie Ho, Doreen Marts, Becky Munich, Gareth Hinds, Stephanie Yue, Colleen AF Venable and Emma SanCartier.

And then the artists that I chatted with featured with their contributions of Octo-Pus in Boots!

Thank you all of contributing! I love every entry.

Komodo Dragon

This weekend I am participating in SOS, Somerville Open Studios.
I am #80 on the map at 45 Laurel Street #1.
We are open from Noon to 6pm both Saturday and Sunday.

I have some new work that I will have on display, mounted creature heads. Check out the first one:

And of course there will be new specimens, check out these three:

And one more of the Dragon:

I love Komodo Dragons

Hope to see you this weekend!

Illustration and Musings

by Casey Girard

Category Archives: News