Tom's Mad Blog
September 20th, 2015 | Posted in General
Q: Has a director ever asked MAD Magazine to do a parody of their movie? Or have you guys only ever picked films to do parodies on of your own volition? A: I don’t know of any specific examples, but I have been told by some of the longtime Usual Gang of Idiots that more than a few movies studios/production companies would send MAD materials on their films to try and get them to do a parody of it. Not copies of the film but press packets and stuff like that. Knowing the guys at MAD I can guarantee you they never did a single… READ MORE
September 18th, 2015 | Posted in General
It’s been a while since I’ve had to post this ugly bugger, but a short-deadline job from Sports Illustrated Kids just sent the drawing board into overdrive. Have a great weekend! READ MORE
September 17th, 2015 | Posted in News
A couple of months ago I shared the announcement of a “Cruise with Cartoonists” event to take place next January. I was one of several guests set to do presentations, drawing sessions, classes, etc. Seven days in the Carribean… it would have been fun. Proceeds would benefit the National Cartoonists Society Foundation and its programs like the Milt Gross Fund and “Cartooning for Kids”. Unfortunately the cruise did not meet the minimum number of bookings needed to proceed, so the cruise line has cancelled it. If you were one of the few who did reserve a cabin, you should be able to get a full… READ MORE
September 16th, 2015 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
It occurred to me recently that I had never watched a single episode of “Firefly”, the cult-classic, fan-favorite and short lived Joss Whedon TV series. Just started checking it out. I didn’t have much trouble getting The Lovely Anna to agree to watch it with me, even though she’s already seen the series. Mostly that’s because of the guy above, “Firefly” star Nathan Fillion. The Lovely Anna loves Nathan Fillion. She has never missed and episode of “Castle”, his current and long running TV show. She has seen all the episodes of “Firefly”, shen her comic-book geek husband hasn’t! I think she’s seen “Dr. Horrible’s… READ MORE
September 15th, 2015 | Posted in News
The Lovely Anna and I will be in Artist’s Alley at New York Comic Con again this year, October 8th-11th at the Javits Center. We’ll be at booth number G7, and I’ll have the following for sale: Signed copies of my book The Mad Art of Caricature Signed copies of MAD Original MAD pages- overpriced selections from movie and TV parodies from the last few years Original sketches- Various “Sketch o’the Week” drawings and other pencil drawings Comic-Con exclusive “Mini-prints” Limited Edition prints: “Men of Steel” (Superman), “The Game is Afoot” (Sherlock Holmes), and “Bats in the Belfry” (Batman) The debut of my newest L.E.… READ MORE
September 14th, 2015 | Posted in Monday MADness
In honor of the start of the NFL season, here’s a look at the final art for a sports piece from MAD #416, April 2002. It’s called “Their Team… Your Team…” written by J. Prete. It is one of only four jobs I ever did for MAD in black and white, although MAD was in full color by the time it saw print. The concept was gags involving how the same behavior or situation is looked at differently if it applies to a team you root for, or for one that you don’t. Clicky any to embiggen: Their Team… bought a pennant. Your Team… made… READ MORE
September 13th, 2015 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: This question may sound funny, but I think it is quite relevant: Imagine you are doing live caricatures and there is a desirable long line of customers waiting. Suddenly you really have to powder your nose. What are you doing/saying? Have you ever been in such a situation? And do you remember how long your longest non stop live drawing session has been? A: I started doing live caricatures 30 years ago at a theme park called Six Flags Great America near Chicago. That summer in 1985 had long lasting effects on me in multiple ways. First, I fell in love with the art… READ MORE
September 11th, 2015 | Posted in On the Drawing Board
The old drawing board is crazy right now, mainly because I am furiously trying to finish the “Z-People” comic book that is now ridiculously overdue. Lesson learned: do not accept a large job with the understanding you will “work on it in between jobs”. There is no “in between jobs”… ever. I’ve had to start turning down other work to get this thing finished, and should have started doing that months ago. However there are some longtime clients I can’t turn away, since I need them to be there after this comic is done. So, here’s what I have going right now: Z People Comic–… READ MORE
