Graphic NYC site update

GRAPHIC NYC is back this week profiling Jerry Robinson. See it HERE.

Graphic NYC site update

This week, Christopher Irving writes an update on where we are on the project. See it HERE.

My pregnant wife

Return To Earth

I recently did a shoot for the band, Return To Earth for their upcoming album titled, Automata. I was told it was about robots, the merging of man and machine, and the end of the world. See below for how I translated those concept visually.
The band consists of Ron Scalzo, (who also records as Q*Ball) Chris Pennie (of Dillinger Escape Plan and Coheed and Cambria) and Brett Aveni (of The Substance).

A SCHMUCKY preview

I often post about my various projects here, but there is one which I have remained mum on - until now. Working with and befriending all of the amazing comic book creators on my GRAPHIC NYC project has encouraged me to pursue my life-long dream of creating my own comics work. For several years, I've been writing a manuscript called SCHMUCK, and that is the title of my proposed 200-page graphic novel. It's a very personal story for me. It's based upon a period of my own life when I was dumped by my girlfriend and went on a personal journey of blind dates, Internet connections, break-ups, etc., all in hopes of finding the then abstract concept of my one true love. Along the way, I endured many painful, comical, tragic and comically tragic situations, and it's those on which the book will mainly focus. Though it falls under the category of "memoir," the names have been changes to protect the innocent, and the guilty.

While SCHMUCK tells a universal and relatable story, I feel it is told from a fresh perspective through both my words and the visuals of the wonderful artist who will be illustrating my tale - Kevin Coldon. Kevin won a Xeric award for his acclaimed webcomic Fishtown, which was released as a graphic novel by IDW Publishing in November 2008 and has been nominated for an Eisner Award. Kevin's sensibility, style and ability to tell a story in a way that feels both fresh and natural make him the ideal collaborator.

Adding to the uniqueness of the package, I will be weaving flashback sequences throughout the narrative which will done photographically in a fumetti style, blurring the lines between art and reality, fact and fiction. Since the main character is a photographer, it only makes sense to have portions of the story illustrated photographically.

At the moment, Kevin and I have 23 completed pages. It is those pages which our agent is current pitching around. It is our hope that we will find the right publisher to take on our project and then we will embark on finishing the rest of the book.
Here is a preview of some of the work-

A detail of a page that shows a transition between Kevin's illustration and my photography.

An example of how Kevin breaks up a panel to create a design that helps the story to flow. Also, Kevin managed to draw the characters based upon my friends amazingly accurate from my written descriptions only.


Kevin uses text creatively to draw the reader's eye across the page.


Thanks to Renee and Greg for acting out scenes based on moments from my schmucky past. It's an odd experience for me as a photographer/storyteller to recreate these moments.


A panel from the first page and one of my favorites from the project so far. I love the detail and dynamic angel.

It feels great to finally share this. I hope Kevin and I will have the opportunity to finish the story and that it will one day be available for purchase at finer comic and book stores. That's all for now.

Shayna Kulik

I recently did a portrait of my friend, NY designer and trend forecaster Shayna Kulik. Shayna brings her unique perspective to clients including Bumble and Bumble, CScout, Marc Ecko, MTV and Virgin Brands through her design and trend forecasting studio, Pixel Rumor located in New York’s West Village.
Shayna also founded the wonderful Patternpulp, a web forum devoted to tracking ideas and emerging trends that expose, celebrate, share and connect pattern design across all creative platforms.

For her portrait, I wanted to create a clean, beautifully lit and whimsical piece where her personality can shine and of course use color and pattern to bring together the subject and what she does.

Graphic NYC site update

GRAPHIC NYC profiles Mike Dawson HERE.

Graphic Novelists - Day 50

Friday afternoon brought Christopher Irving and me to the midtown home of Continuity Studios to interview and photograph Neal Adams.
Neal's perhaps best known for the dynamic pencils and realistic anatomy he brought to DC Comics Deadman in the late 60's on Green Lantern/Green Arrow and Batman in the 70's with writer Denny O' Neil. Most importantly though, throughout his career he has been a tireless advocate for creator's rights and was instrumental in helping Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.
Currently Neal's studio is doing work in commercial advertising, comics, and working on state-of-the-art motion comics.
As for the photo, when my subject is primarily known as a superhero artist, and an iconic one such as Neal, it's difficult for me to resist using a cityscape with water towers. I can so easily picture Neal's Batman or Green Arrow bounding across the background behind him in the photo.

Toren in Communication Arts

The Toren campaign I worked on with Co-Op Branding last year was featured in Communication Arts.

Graphic NYC site update

GRAPHIC NYC profiles living legend Joe Simon HERE.