Tom's Mad Blog
March 20th, 2016 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: What kind of music or background ambiance do you use while working in your studio? Do you prefer silence or do you like to rock out depending on the project? A: I don’t select my listening preferences based on the project so much as what part of the process I am at. I listen to music, either from my digital library or the radio, when I am doing concept work like layouts, comps, pencils, etc. Those stages of a job require a lot of thinking and experimenting, and everything is just background noise for me when doing that sort of work. If you want… READ MORE
March 18th, 2016 | Posted in News
Come and visit me at booth o13 at the C2E2 show here in Chicago anytime this weekend and say “Alfred E. Neuman for President!” and you will get this comic-con exclusive mini-print for FREE! It’s a 6″ x 9″ reproduction of the variant cover I did for Batman/Superman #10 in April, 2014, featuring Alfred as the Joker and a very confused Batman and Superman. I’ll even sign it for you… ordinarily that would reduce the value of the print, but as the value is ZERO that is impossible! READ MORE
March 17th, 2016 | Posted in General
How to do St. Patrick’s Day Right, Bachelor Version (from Penthouse job, 2009): 9:20 AM- Sprinkle sawdust on apartment floor in preparation for return, smuggle bottle of Jameson to work 10:05 AM- Spend day filling out NCAA March Madness Bracket while hating the fluorescent ceiling lights and working on that Jameson 6:35 PM- First bar, someone tries to put one of those stupid plastic green bowler hats on you. Punch them in the face. 11:50 PM- Third bar where 17 year-olds are drinking Bud Light out of plastic yard glasses. Punch at least one person wearing a Larry Bird jersey. 1:55 AM- Karaoke! “In your… READ MORE
March 16th, 2016 | Posted in Classic Rock Sketch Series
Elvis was a big hit the other week, so I’m going to continue with the “Million Dollar Quartet” with this one of Jerry Lee Lewis! As always, the original sketch is available in the Studio Store. READ MORE
March 15th, 2016 | Posted in General
I’ll be at C2E2 at McCormick Place South in Artist’s Ally at booth number O13 Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with my booth babe The Lovely Anna! I’ve got some of the usual crap and some new crap to hawk. Here’s what you’ll find at my booth: Signed copies of my book “The Mad Art of Caricature” Signed copies of MAD Comic-Con exclusive caricatures and commissions- I only do this sort of thing at comic cons. Much less expensive than my studio commissions. Comic-Con exclusive MAD #538 Sketch Cover!- I have 18 of these right now… get ’em while they last! Assorted MAD books (signed) Comic-Con… READ MORE
March 14th, 2016 | Posted in MAD Magazine
Okay so this wasn’t a MAD job but in honor of Al Jaffee’s 95th birthday yesterday I thought I’d share this ad job from 2007 that was based on Al’s icon “MAD Fold-In”. This job was for Hardee’s restaurants, and was art for an ad promotion for their newest sandwich offering… the “Philly Cheesesteak Thickburger”. It is a giant hamburger topped with cheesesteak fixings on one bun… not for a light lunch. The ad was supposed to be like a MAD “Fold-In” concept… something I’ve seen other companies like Dodge do in the past so I knew it was not unprecedented. The thing that concerned… READ MORE
March 13th, 2016 | Posted in MAD Magazine
I’m forgoing the Sunday Mailbag today to wish a happy 95th birthday to the great Al Jaffee. The words “legendary” and “genius” get thrown around an awful lot these days, but if there is anyone in the world of cartooning to whom these words truly apply it would be Al. MAD Magazine has had many artists work for them whose level of talent and skill have been off the charts. Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Wally Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder, Don Martin… the list keep on going. Some were incredible visual artists like Drucker, Wood, and Davis, some were unique combinations of written and visual… READ MORE
March 12th, 2016 | Posted in General
If you are near the Twin Cities, come out and see me at the Sound+Vision MN Pop Culture Collectibles show today! I’ll be at the Valley Creek Mall from 9 am-3pm drawing caricatures and doing sketches, plus I’ll have my usual bevy of prints, books, copies of MAD‘s and some original MAD art for sale. It’s free admission and free parking! Plus they have an ACE Hardware store so you can pick up that drywall spackle you’ve been meaning to get to fix the dent in your hallway. READ MORE
