CTN Animation Expo this weekend!

Hello everyone! I figured now would be a good time to send out a reminder that the CTN Animation Expo is happening this weekend in Burbank. This will be the show's third year and it seems to get better each time. There are a ton of panels and lectures on the schedule that are sure to inform and inspire plus an exhibitor hall full of goodies. And don't forget, it's a great place to network too!

I'll be in the Exhibitor Hall towards the back at Table T-35. Please feel free to swing by, say hello, and check out the new MY Daily Zoo drawing activity book that came out earlier this year. As always, I'll be more than happy to personalize a copy of any of the Daily Zoo books with a sketch of your favorite animal. I'm also scheduled to give a drawing demo at 11am on Sunday, Nov. 20 on the Main Stage.

If you still need to pick up tickets, you can save 10% by using the coupon code CHADX11.

Below are a few teaser images of new Daily Zoo images that you get FREE in the CTN attendee gift bags! One is in the program guide and one is a 4x6 print. That should be reason enough for you to go to the show, right?!!!

Please check out the CTN website for more details.
What: CTN Animation Expo 2011
When: Friday, November 18 - Sunday, November 20, 2011
Hours: Fri (12pm-7pm) Sat (10am-7pm) Sun (10am-5pm)
Where: The Burbank Marriott Hotel (across from the Burbank Airport)
2500 Hollywood Way
Burbank, CA 91505

See you there!

Book Signing in Ventura!

Just wanted to let everyone know that I've been invited to participate in the Bank of Books Children's Book Festival next month. I'll be signing from 1-4 PM on Saturday, October 8, 2011 at the Bank of Books store in Ventura, CA. They will have books for sale at the event, or if you already have a copy and would like it signed and personalized with a sketch of your favorite animal please stop on by. Hope to see you there!

When: Saturday, October 8, 2011 1-4 PM
Where: Bank of Books
748 E. Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001
805-643-3154

Additional Daily Zoo presentation: Thursday, Sept 8, 2011

A quick heads up to anyone in the southern Minnesota area: I'm going to be giving a slideshow presentation followed by a book signing tomorrow evening, Thursday, September 8, 2011 to the Cancer Support Group at the Mayo Owatonna Clinic in Owatonna, MN at 6:30 PM. It's been on my calendar for some time, but I just learned that it is free and open to the public.

What: Daily Zoo Slideshow Presentation and Book Signing
When: Thursday, September 8, 2011 6:30 PM
Where: Mayo Owatonna 26th Street Clinic
2200 26th St NW
Owatonna, MN 55060
Please call 507-444-5023 for more information.

Mayo Owatonna Website link

Exhibit, Presentation, and Book Signing in Owatonna, Minnesota

Happy Labor Day everyone!
Sorry for the last minute notice (things usually happen at the last minute here at the Daily Zoo) but I wanted to let you all know that an exhibit of Daily Zoo images will be opening at the Owatonna Arts Center in Owatonna, Minnesota, this Tuesday, September 6, 2011 and run through September 25th. There will be 46 Daily Zoo prints on exhibit, including about ten that have yet to be published in any Daily Zoo book.

There is a reception that is free and open to the public taking place this Saturday, September 10 from 1-4 PM. I will be giving a slideshow presentation at 2 PM to share the story of my journey with cancer and how art and creativity played a significant role in my healing and recovery. After the presentation I'll be signing books for anyone interested (and come prepared to tell me your favorite animal so I can sketch it in your book).

Owatonna Arts Center
The Daily Zoo Exhibit
September 6-25, 2011
Gallery Hours: 1-5 PM Tuesday-Sunday
Admission is free!

Artist Reception, Presentation, and Book Signing:
Saturday, September 10, 2011
1-4 PM
Artist Presentation at 2 PM
Book Signing to follow

Owatonna Arts Center
435 Garden View Lane
Owatonna, MN 55060
507.451.0533

Click on the link below for more info:
http://www.oacarts.org/

Below is one of the new images on display, Curly Sue - Day 1442.

Drawin' Up A Storm at UCLA Children's Hospital

This past May I was once again honored to draw with some of the young patients at UCLA Children's Hospital thanks to the invitation of the Lollipop Theater Network. I vividly remember during my fight with leukemia how wonderful a distraction drawing was to the pain, discomfort, and daily grind of being a chemo patient. My hope was that we could give some of these budding young artists the same distraction, along with a healthy dose of laughter and fun. Judging by the smiles we saw and the number of spent crayons and markers, I'd say we did just that.

In the photos below, the patient wanted to draw a mutant frog-man superhero (no surprise there if you check out all the superheroes he has hanging on his wall!). He followed along line-by-line as I drew a quick cartoon. The last one shows our finished heroes, ready to fight for justice one giant leap at a time.

Comic-Con Book Signing!

It's time once again to get out your spandex, Vulcan ears, stormtrooper armor, and facepaint. It's July. It's San Diego. That can only mean one thing: Comic-Con! If you're one of the hundred thousand plus brave souls planning to get your geek on this week at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con International, why not stop by the Design Studio Press booth (#1701) on Saturday, July 23rd from 4-6 pm to say hi and check out the recently-published Daily Zoo drawing activity book! I'll be signing during that time and will happily adorn your copy with a sketch of your favorite animal. You can also check out the other latest titles from DSP, several of which are being unveiled at Comic-Con. Hope to see you there!

What: Daily Zoo book signing (we'll have copies of all three Daily Zoo books on hand)
When: Saturday, July 23, 2011 4-6pm
Where: Design Studio Press - booth 1701
Why: As always...why NOT?

Six Years of Remission

Today marks my "new" birthday, the anniversary of my stem cell transplant. Six years of being in remission from acute leukemia! Woohoo!

And for a very brief update, I'm currently freelancing for DreamWorks Animation as a character designer for one of their upcoming features, along with juggling several other freelance projects and promoting the latest Daily Zoo book. Busy, but good!

Even if you're not a cancer survivor, please give yourself a moment today to take a deep breath and pause while you reflect on the many things you are grateful for in your life!

Festival of Books This Weekend!

Hello everybody, I just wanted to give you ultra last-minute notice that I'll be having a booth again at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books this weekend. The Festival has moved from the UCLA campus and will be held instead at USC.

In addition to the Daily Zoo books, prints, t-shirts, etc. I will also be DEBUTING my latest book: MY Daily Zoo - A Drawing Activity Book for All Ages. It will be available through most book outlets sometime next month, but we air shipped a few cartons over for the Festival. If you want to check it out, swing on by booth #420 and say hello!

LA Times Festival of Books
The Daily Zoo - Booth #420
Saturday, April 30, 2011 10am-6pm
and Sunday, May 1, 2011 10am-5pm
USC campus

Admission is free!
Hope to see you there.

The Daily ZooMart: Now Open!

Greetings, folks. Just wanted to let you know that after much procrastination, I bowed to popular demand and now have a webstore up and running: The Daily ZooMart. There you can find DZ t-shirts for men, woman, children, and infants as well as notecards and prints. Prints are available of any of the DZ characters.

















You can also order both Daily Zoo books. As always, I'm happy to sign them and do any animal sketch you might request.



















Currently I'm busy working on my next book, MY Daily Zoo, a drawing activity book for all ages due to be published in May 2011. I hope to post the cover and some preview images soon.

Until then, be well and draw, draw, draw!

A Real Wiener...

Happy 2011 everyone!

I just noticed that I made 26 posts to this blog last year. I had no idea I was so proficient! Just kidding. Sort of. I was actually surprised that I had posted that many times, but I also realize that I will not be nominated for the Blogging Hall of Fame any time soon. I will try to populate this corner of cyberspace with more news and, more importantly, more images in the coming year.

To start things off, below is a Daily Zoo piece that is hot off the press. You might even call it a hot dog. Ba dum bum. See why I don't blog more often?

In another case of unexpected Hollywood connections, it turns out that the banker who helped me set up an account last summer has the dual alter-egos of a film producer and screenwriter. One of his upcoming projects at Fromage Pictures is a film called Wiener Dog Nationals and he asked if the Daily Zoo had any resident dachshunds yet. It didn't, so I remedied the situation on Monday. Enjoy - and I'll see you in a few months for my next post. :)

Oh, and for those interested in the media used, it was watercolor, Tria design markers, Prismacolor Col-erase pencils and watercolor colored pencils, Faber-Castell Polychromos and Pitt Pastel pencils, and a little bit of a General's Draughting pencil. And of course eye of newt.