My Berwyn Appearance Tomorrow: REEL ART in Berwyn, IL

Dear Friends,

If you’re in Chicagoland and you’re a #comics fan, join us tomorrow at REEL ART in Berwyn, IL–one of the most gi-normous emporiums of comics and pop culture collectibles you’ll find (where Denise Dorman bought me my “Big Wednesday” film poster last year, as seen below):

One of my favorite surf movies…BIG WEDNESDAY

 

Please join me and a few of my comic book artist and illustrator friends tomorrow from 1 – 3 p.m. – I’ll have original art, prints and autographs are ALWAYS free:

Chicago #Comics Fans: Come on by tomorrow!

Helping a Fellow Artist Friend of Mine in Need – A Stage 4 Lung Cancer Fighter

Dear Friends,

I’d like you to meet our friend Meryl. She is a ceramics artist from Chicago and she has an art teaching degree. She is also a beautiful young mother of two little girls. She just learned–and we just learned–that she has Stage 4 Lung Cancer. You may have caught some of this story from Denise’s blog today as well. As many of you know, I lost my dad to lung cancer in 2002, so I can relate. Unlike my dad, however, she is a non-smoker.

Here is her story, and here is a link to where you can help, if you feel so moved. Also, there’s a link at the end of this blog to provide her with words of encouragement. It would mean a lot to me personally, and to Meryldine and her family. Watch her site often, as we will all be providing items to auction off over time to help pay for her care. If any of you following me wish to offer art or collectibles to auction and help her raise funds, we would be grateful for it.

Please help our #artist friend Meryldine with her cancer medical expenses.

Meryldine’s Miracle

It was a typical day for Meryl (a healthy non-smoker). But, as she stepped outside on the beautiful fall day to spend time with her family, she noticed her vision was acting strange. She was experiencing a blurriness that she had never noticed before. She attributed it to allergies and continued on with her day.

A few days later, she was still experiencing the blurriness in her vision. It just so happened that her daughter had a doctor’s appointment, so she mentioned it to the doctor during the visit. Before she knew it, she was sent to an Ophthalmologist, then a Retina Specialist, then a Neurologist, an Oncologist, and other specialists.

It was on her 39th birthday, October 7, after 2 weeks of doctor’s appointments, MRIs, CT scans, and blood work, that she received the news that rocked her world. She had Stage IV Lung Cancer (non-small cell adenocarcinoma), and it had metastasized to her lymph nodes, brain and eyes.

Meryl has an amazing spirit and is ready to fight like hell. She has an amazing medical team behind her and so much love and support from family and friends. Most of all, she is inspired and motivated by the spirit and love of her husband and two little girls (2.5 and 5 years old).

This will undoubtedly be a long and difficult road for Meryl and her family. Our goal with Meryldine’s Miracle is to lessen the financial burden during their challenge. All donated funds will go toward things necessary to support her and her family — including groceries, childcare, medical bills and possible alternative medicines or therapies, and more.

Thank you so very much for your support and blessings.

-Meryldine’s Family and Friends

Note:
A CaringBridge Site was created for Meryldine. We will use this online space to share health news, and you can write messages of encouragement in return. Please visit often to keep updated and show your support.
Visit:   www.caringbridge.org/visit/meryldinedomenz

 

 

 

Six Lucky Fans Will Come to My Home, See Me Paint and 1 Will Win the Painting

Dear Friends,

It all started this past Thanksgiving. We were with our friends, and my friend’s step-dad was very excited to meet me, have me sign my Rolling Thunder: The Art of Dave Dorman book for him, and then watch me draw the remarque and just generally hang out all day and talk art and pop culture. Our friends Mary and Julie lamented that this was a rare occurrence for a fan to have personal access to me, and that got this whole crazy ball rolling. Before I knew it, my wife, Mary and Julie had a night planned out at my house, with Julie cooking a gourmet meal (she’s great), and the fans getting unprecedented access to my studio, my collections and a chance to see me painting live and in person. That’s how this whole thing developed. So, we’ve worked out the logistics, such as when it should be held (April 14th, during C2E2, altho’ not affiliated with C2E2 in any way), how to get the fans here (by limo) and what we should include. I will do a live painting demo while everyone’s here, and one of the Lucky Six will win the painting. So…here’s the eBay auction under my wife’s account, which will award one seat per week for the next 3 weeks. I will also post an auction under my account, awarding one seat per week for the next 3 weeks. We will end up with what we’re calling the “Lucky 6,” or six fans, who will get an unprecedented backstage pass to my private world and art. If any of the winners are artists, they will also get a portfolio review, critique and all of the advice they could possibly want. Also joining us will be Discovery TV’s host of GEEK LOVE, and founder of Sci-Fi Speed Dating, Ryan Glitch and his lovely fiancee’ and business partner.

I also want to let you know that ROTOFUGI, one of the hottest, hipster galleries in Chicago for the Juxtapoz/Hi-Fructose magazines and designer toy collectors crowd, has invited me to do a one-man show from April 6th – 30th. I am enormously honored. The timing on this is wonderful, because anyone rolling into town for C2E2 April 12 – 14 can easily cab it over to ROTOFUGI for my one-man show. I’ve named the show Pi Ala Mode: A Tentacley Delicious Feast with Delightful Amuse-Bouches. As you might have guessed, there will be plenty of octopi-laden art, along with a backdrop of eclectic pieces, something to delight anyone’s palate and/or palette, from my 30-year career.

I will have more fun news to post in my next blog about some really fun and creatively rewarding upcoming projects. I’m under embargo not to discuss them until the companies I’m working with do their press releases, or I’d love to be telling you already. I hope all of you Star Wars friends reading this have picked up my latest Dark Horse Comics Crimson Empire book (#5 in the series of 6).

As always, I thank you for reading and for your time and interest.

Dave.

Dave Dorman New Star Wars Crimson Empire Art, Horror Art, Some Studio Pictures and Some News

Dear Friends,

First off, here’s a video of the new SPECTRUM 18 book: My art is featured at about 2:18 and 5:18 in this video: http://bit.ly/uOTP3G

Also, here’s the new-on-the-retail shelves cover I did for the first new STAR WARS CRIMSON EMPIRE comic by DARK HORSE:

STAR WARS CRIMSON EMPIRE COVER ART By DAVE DORMAN

I got a nice review from Geeks of Doom, which you can see here: http://bit.ly/rSyjuC

I hope some of you are coming out to the “MALEFICIUM” multimedia horror art show at Kosart Effects Studios & Gallery on Saturday night in Westmont, IL – a Chicago western suburb. It is on the order of more of a New York show with the caliber of talent involved, so we hope to see some of you there. I did a fun new horror piece here below, and in keeping with my sense of humor, I did a little “Rocky and Bullwinkle” thing with the title, which I am calling  “The Portrait of an Artist as a  Tortured Soul ,” or: “Cthulu! Gesundheit!”

Cthulu: Gesundheit! by Dave Dorman Oil and Acrylic on Canvas

Okay, here are some goofy pictures of a quick walk down to my “Dave Cave,” a.k.a. my studio. We have a house built into a hill, so we have a walkout basement, and I have taken the entire basement over as my studio. It’s sort of like a “garden apartment” with a lot of light coming in the windows, which are above ground. I didn’t stage any of this, just took some impromptu pictures, so forgive the mess. More pictures to come, but I really must clean some of the mess before I go posting them on the web.

Here’s what you see when you come down the basement stairs. My wife and I are big fans of BBC comedy League of Gentlemen, hence the Royston Vasey signage. At the foot of the stairs is a piece that brings me a lot of joy, a Star Wars painting by my friend Christopher Moeller. On the right you’ll see the hint of my Rocketeer cut-out, which was a character created by a dear friend, the late, great artist Dave Stevens.

Entrance to the Dave Cave...Beware!

When you get to the bottom of the stairs, here’s what you’ll see – my treasured autographs from 501st Members from around the world that I gathered during Star Wars Celebration shows. It brings me a lot of joy to see these every day.

You Are Now in the Dave Cave...

Another Viewpoint of the Entrance to the Dave Cave

My father-in-law built me all of these wonderful built-in shelves and I really use them. You’ll see there’s a “Dog Fight” game on my shelf. My brother Jeff and I played this game as kids. We were never allowed to keep our toys as we were military brats, always moving from base to base and having to give up all of our toys. I saw this one day on eBay and I HAD. TO. HAVE. IT. Now I’m addicted to toys, and intent on keeping every toy I have. Sometimes I share with my son, but not always.

Here are some paintings you may recognize to the right wall walking toward my great room of the Dave Cave. The cleavage painting in latex on the right is for sale. Make me an offer.

Right Hallway of the Dave Cave, Leading Into the Great Room

Here is the wall to the left, walking down that same hallway.

Crimson Empire Cover Art Rests on the Left-Side Hallway Wall

Which Comics Dave Dorman Bought On Comic Book Wednesday

Dear Friends,

As I write this, the TV is confirming the rumored death of Qaddafi and showing the graphic Al Jazeera footage. I congratulate the Libyan freedom fighters on this new chapter in their lives.

I feel it’s my personal responsibility as a comic book artist to help raise awareness for other amazing talent in the industry. Today I want to make you aware of Leinil Yu if you are not already. I bought  the comic “SUPERIOR” by Mark Millar and Leinil Yu yesterday (see image below) during my weekly trek to Dreamland Comics in Schaumburg, IL:

LEINIL YU ART ON COVER OF SUPERIOR COMIC

In my opinion as an artist and also an art director, I find Leinil Yu  to be one of the best comic book artists working in the industry today. His style is dynamic, he’s a great visual storyteller, and he renders every image with so much style. Other pieces he’s worked on (according to the back cover) include Secret Invasion, New Avengers and Superman: Birthright. I hope you check out his work and it brings you as much joy as it does me.

LEINIL YU COMIC - BACK SIDE

In other news, my good friend Charlie Athanas called me last night and invited me to join him for a really fun electronica concert tomorrow night – Amon Tobin – and I’m really looking forward to it. Here’s a link to Amon Tobin’s concert sampling, to give you a feel for his work: http://bit.ly/roDni4 

Below is an image from last Monday night during the fund-raiser for Chicago’s best horror theater group, WildClaw Theater, which was a lot of fun.

Charlie Athanas (artist), Doug Klauba (artist), Me, John Terendy (videographer)

And here’s a nice mini-review of my book “ROLLING THUNDER: THE ART OF DAVE DORMAN” (IDW Publishing/Desperado Publishing) by Alina Bradford: http://bit.ly/pmUNk6

If any of you reading has a young child, I recommend checking out the movie “Real Steel” with Hugh Jackman. I took my 6 year old this past weekend and we both really enjoyed it. Next up, we’re looking forward to getting the Captain America movie, coming out soon on DVD, to add to our collection because we both loved it in the theater.

Reminder: My Podcast through Michael Mennenga and Babylon 5 actor/producer Jeffrey Willerth’s Farpoint Media is http://itscomicbookday.com (there are a lot more episodes, but I’m waiting for the producer to catch up on edits) – it’s free on iTunes.

On Facebook, I’m Facebook.com/davedormanartist and on LinkedIn I’m an open networker: linkedin.com/in/thedavedorman

On Twitter I’m @DaveDorman

As always, I thank you for reading!

DAVE.

Dave Dorman Horror Painting Auctioned Tonight

Dear Friends,

Tonight’s the night – my favorite horror theatre group, WildClaw Theatre, will be holding their “Masque of the Red Death” Gala Benefit to raise funds for more terrific horror play entertainment. Here are some images of my painting they are auctioning off tonight; I was inspired by the idea of an eerie Victorian asylum and it came out on canvas.

Dave Dorman's "Inside the Asylum" Horror Art; Acrylic on Canvas

Extreme Close Up, "Inside the Asylum" by Dave Dorman

I hope you can make it out tonight and join us. There will be no shortage of celebrities, surprises and memorable moments. Thanks for reading.

Dave.

Turning One Lemon of an Evening into a Lemon Martini, Star Wars Style

So last night, I went downtown with my friend Michael Knight to meet my friend Charlie Athanas at the Gallery Provocateur, which was having their ending party for the Frank Frazetta Tribute Exhibition that kicked off during C2E2. My painting was in the show and I hadn’t seen it displayed yet.  I was sorely disappointed to discover that there were only a couple of actual paintings – the rest were inkjet print-outs on canvas, er, giclees, of the digitally created art. It was completely not what I was anticipating. However, my compadre Charlie Athanas has a talent for always pulling a rabbit out of thin air.

Charlie suggested that we go meet his friend—Steve Heminover–who is world-renowned for his laser shows. We ended up about 15 minutes away from Gallery Provocateur, in this unpopulated industrial area that was frankly a little spooky and unsettling. We pulled into this gated parking lot and drove into this space where doors closed behind us – a textbook James Bond adventure, right down to the technology and innovation laboratory where we ended up.

We entered the freight elevator, still guided by a disembodied voice telling us where to go and what to do. I had flashbacks to my Keith Moon incident when I was a bodyguard at the Capitol Center in Maryland during The Who concert (it’s in the first chapter of my new book, if you’re unsure of what I’m referencing) and then we ended up getting a tour of Aura Technologies, Inc., this huge tech facility.

Charlie, ever the king of understatement, nonchalantly mentioned that when he worked there in the ‘80s, Steve used to have the computer that generated the Death Star laser animation for the first Star Wars movie.  Now I was totally in my element, as was Michael, who may love Star Wars more than me, if that’s even possible.  Steve took us to pay homage to the historic technology relic.

Photo Courtesy of Charlie Athanas (L-R: Michael Knight, Dave Dorman, Steve Heminover)

The actual computer is entirely the wall behind all three of us in the picture. Steve briefed us on the technical details, explaining the computer  had 2.5 megabytes of memory and when they really pushed it, they could get it up to 10 megabytes with enough disc cartridges.Here’s a link to Larry Cuba’s YouTube video explaining how they made the sequence.

Steve was connected to Larry Cuba and the University of Chicago, which had the “Electronic Visualization Lab,” the very first place you could get a graduate degree combining art with computer science back in the ’80s. You have to remember, in those days, there was no access to computers of this magnitude unless you used a corporation’s computer after hours, or you had access to a university computer.

Charlie, a technology renaissance man in his own right, was doing music for the animations coming out of the Electronic Visualization Lab. His friends there—many early influencers in the prestigious art-meets-technology group SIGGRAPH — encouraged Charlie to explore computer graphics, and the rest is history. Charlie and Johnie Hugh Horn, plus a gaggle of friends, created the Ralph the Punk animated music video, which was selected to be part of the 1985 SIGGRAPH Art Show and the SIGGRAPH ’85 Film and Video Show world tour. The 1985 SIGGRAPH Art show also featured a piece from Larry Cuba, Calculated Movements, coincidentally enough.

Just for fun, here is the index for the ’85 SIGGRAPH Film and Video Show, Issue 22.

Issue 22 SIGGRAPH ’85 Film & Video Show
	PDI Animation Assortment Calculated Movements – Cuba Luminare – Sanborn and Winkler Growth III: Origin – Kawaguchi Mt. Fuji – Nakajima The Last Starfighter Excerpts – Digital Productions Nursery Song – Technofront Ralph the Punk – Athanas and Horn Precision Bathroom – Weil and Helman Flow Fantasia ’85 – Sasaki CFD Workstation – NASA Ames Telepresence Technology – Rappaport

Some New Dave Dorman Art & Horror Art Jam Japan Fundraiser Tonight in Chicago!

Dear Friends,

For those who may not follow me on Twitter or Facebook and didn’t already see this, I want to let you know that I have been in contact with Tsuneo Sanda, one of my favorite Japanese Star Wars artists, and he assured me that he and his family are all alive and well. That was a huge relief to me.

Below is a piece I created, private commission, based on my Wasted Lands character, M. D’Cease, who is the most bad-ass coroner this side of Dodge City (except there’s actually no Dodge City in the Wasted Lands…). Let me know what you think.

M. D'Cease, Coroner, Mortal City in Dave Dorman's The Wasted Lands series

We all love the Japanese-inspired horror movies (frankly, I appreciate just about anything Japan inspired), and tonight we Chicago artists are giving back to our friends suffering in Japan. My friend Charlie Athanas invited me to join in the event called “A Gathering of Horror” and it is an “art jam” of Chicago artists and illustrators creating something together to help raise money for Japan earthquake/tsunami victims. If you can join us, please do. It starts at 7 p.m. and goes to 11 p.m., after which much drinking, camaraderie and hijinks will continue to ensue, well into the early morning hours. Here are the details:

Where: Lucky Number Grill – Upstairs Loft

1931 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago, IL

When: 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. and beyond…

If you’re in Chicago tonight, try to join us. I promise, you won’t be bored.

Also, I’m in the throes of planning an exhibit in Herndon, VA for August of this year, and include a 2-day workshop. If any of you are interested in learning oil painting from me, in the most non-traditional way possible, let me know. It will likely be the first weekend in August. I may have a second exhibit running in Reston, VA as well, and I will keep you posted on that.

If you are on LinkedIn, please feel free to link with me. I’m on Twitter as @DaveDorman and I’m on Facebook as well.

Thanks for reading!

Dave

 

We Honor You, Star Wars Girl Katie Goldman

Today my blog honors Katie Goldman, aka Star Wars Girl.

As I told my gay friends and followers on the day we all wore purple to honor them, the bullying that occurs over our differences needs to STOP. NOW. Like Katie, my wife is also adopted. My wife is a geek. I’ve felt the wrath of being different as a kid – I was the painfully shy military brat moving all of the time…always the nerdy new kid in school, drawing comics silently in the back of the classroom, hoping no one would call attention to me. You might say we both identify with Katie’s plight. Denise was the one who brought it to my attention through a Facebook posting from ACME DESIGN.

We need to start celebrating our differences instead of clamoring to be the same. The Me, Too-ism Movement is clearly alive and well. Why else would women be financially challenging themselves just to wear the same overpriced designer brand purses, shoes, jewelry, sunglasses, etc. Why are men driven to buy luxury brand cars when the mechanical performance is often sub-standard? We’re all caught up in this endless cycle of sameness and trying to come off as too cool for school. I just don’t find it terribly interesting…or relevant.

I find individualism interesting. I find Katie’s bravery interesting.

Most of those “cool” celebs that everyone wants to be like? I’ve met more than my share. I’m usually disappointed. Leonardo DiCaprio sneered at me and wouldn’t stop smoking in a NYC elevator when I asked him. John Leguizamo talked shit about me–right in front of me–at the Telluride Film Festival. It turns out, he has some weird prejudice against sitting next to portly gents like myself. Dennis Miller is one of the few celebs who actually exceeded my expectations. He’s a class act. And he’s also a geek like me. Like us.

Today CNN.com picked up Katie’s story, but those of us in the know within the geek/nerd culture and Star Wars community have been following it online for at least 10 days or more. I think it’s very cool that  Star Wars: Clone Wars Padme Amidala voice actress Catherine Taber and  Her Universe.com founder and Ahsohka Tano character Ashley Eckstein took up the cause and very publicly showed Katie (and her parents) that Katie’s not alone.  Catherine’s online participation was the Tipping Point in giving Katie the credibility and social media support to thumb her nose at those know-nothing naysayers.

Apparently Katie’s classmates haven’t realized yet what every major movie studio knows, as they show previews at San Diego Comic-Con:  Geeks are the world’s taste makers. Geeks RULE.

So… all of those haters out there had better be nice to us or else their TV, videogame, book and movie options are going to suck. As for me and my house, we’ll be wearing Star Wars gear on December 10th to honor Star Wars Girl Katie Goldman. If you wear some, shoot me your photo and I’ll post it here on my blog.

Thanks for reading,

Dave.

 

I’m on Dennis Miller Radio Show Tomorrow

Dear Friends,

As promised, I’m on the Dennis Miller Radio Show tomorrow at 11:34 a.m. Eastern, 10:34 a.m. Central and 8:34 a.m. Pacific Coast time. Here in Chicago, it’s on WIND, or 560 AM on your dial. Be sure to give the show a listen – I have an announcement to make there. Also, we’ll be discussing my new book, ROLLING THUNDER: THE ART OF DAVE DORMAN, now available nationwide in Barnes & Noble & Borders Bookstores.

Below is the inscription I did on the inside cover especially for Dennis. My wife totally teared up when she saw it, so I think I hit the right poignant note. Bladerunner is one of Dennis’ favorite movies, and I share that with him.

Inscription by Dave Dorman to Dennis Miller in Dave's new book.

Let me know what you think of it.

Friday night I’m attending the Monster Draw event in Chicago, benefitting WildClaw Theatre, so check out my FaceBook page for details on that.

Also, Saturday is International Read Comics in Public Day, so be sure to support sequential art, the best storytelling entertainment there has ever been.

More to come soon – lots going on.

Dave.