Morty's Biography, Chapter Four! (V)

In the penultimate episode of this epic saga, Morty takes matters into his own hands when Miss Watson refuses to include a pivotal story. Click here to watch! Also watch parts one, two, and three!

A Christmas Carol (GD)

Poster 3 of 6 for Utah State! Tis the season!

Morty's Biography, Chapter Three! (V)

 Miss Watson, Morty's biographer, continues to fight the good fight in Chapter Three of this epic sage. Click here to watch! If you missed it, here's part one and part two!

SBP (I)

Stay Vigilant!

Morty's Biography, Chapter Two! (V)

Click here for part two of this epic saga! Here's part one if you don't feel like scrolling allllll the way down.

Happy Halloween! (I)

 

Halloween Radness 2022! (I)

Eleven years of me and my birthday twin, the lovely and talented Adam! This year's costumes are inspired by two of my favorite shows from this past year - can you guess what we're dressed as? Click here for last year's drawring, and follow them back from there if you're so inclined. Happiest of birthdays to us both! BEST MONTH!!

Morty's Biography (V)

The lovely and very talented Laura Jane Bailey returns to the Non-Permanent Parliament for a FIVE-PART anniversary Morty saga! Believe it or not, Morty, my older Man of the Theater character, turns 15 today. He was the subject of my first-ever video when I started making them in 2007. WOW! Click here to view his latest, and scroll down past the pictures to read a little more about this Morty person. And whoever you are, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! Enjoy!

Morty, as a character, has been in development since 2001. That year I played Hamlet, and after a show, one of the producers of the Laurence Olivier movie came backstage to tell me I "reminded him of a young Laurence Olivier," adding quickly after, "You have a ways to go." 

After years of riffing with various artistic geniuses on this ready-made character of a man and those two sentences, 2007 found me performing in Richard the Second in Virginia, and trying to figure out, having just left New York City for the last time, where I was going with my life, and if I wasn't going to be an actor, which I'd decided, what was I going to be? I was drifting towards the idea of living in San Francisco and figuring it all out there; I wrote my first Morty video and used it to apply to the SF Sketchfest.

The Sketchfest, unknown to me at the time, was and continues to be a big deal, so in retrospect I'm not surprised I didn't hear back on that particular application. But I discovered an artistic outlet I had been increasingly afraid I was going to go without. I made two more videos that year, S.O.F.A. (featuring the Queen of the NPP) and Hamlet in Rehearsal, and then I kept going!

Not only did I love writing, directing, acting in, and, to a lesser extent, editing (grr) these videos, I also found that they had the power to pull people I loved close to me for a bit, to share a unique experience with them, and I've been extremely lucky to work with so many truly excellent people. Check out all the people that came together at my mom's house to make Morty's Christmas Carol, including my incredible cousin, who passed away in 2020. Or my mom and stepdad, gamely jumping in for some zombie video action. And then again, with another wonderful cousin, in a Mermaid Chair movie review with outtakes that will make your whole year. Or Bobby Conté Thornton, currently on Broadway, graciously agreeing to appear as an only slightly fictionalized version of himself. Or my AIDS LifeCycle Rest Stop 2 family. Or my writer friend Erik and his bizarre creation, Morty Against Humanity. (Still one of my absolute favorites.)

Or go back to the beginning and get a taste of what would turn out to be one of the best afternoons I've ever spent, filming the first Morty with two of my oldest friends in the world. I watch this video probably more often that I should, but it does bring me great joy. Man, I've been so derned LUCKY!

I hope Morty, or any of my creations, has brought you even a little bit of happiness over the past fifteen years. We could definitely use it, just as humans beings in general. I don't plan to stop making art any time soon, so check back in for further adventures!

Spring Awakening (GD)

The second round of posters for Utah State University!

Kim Jung Gi, Rest in Peace (OPP)

One of my favorite artists passed away today. Kim Jung Gi was absolutely incredible, known for live-drawing huge, intensely detailed pieces from his head, an absolute inspiration. He also seemed like a very nice person, and I have profound respect for nice people. To commemorate his passing, I pulled an image from the Lotte Museum's 2021 exhibit of thousands of his works, and used it to decorate a flower pot, which is now sitting right outside my window to inspire me. Watch this video if you want to know more about this amazing man.

Love And Information (GD)

 The first of a series of posters for Utah State University. Stay tuned for more!

The Paris Effect (GD)

A good friend opens her one-woman show tonight at the SF Fringe! She is phenomenal, and she's been working on this for a while, it's well worth seeing if you're in the area. This was a quick poster design I threw together for her that turned out fairly well, I thought. Congratulations, LJ!

Blue 2 (V)

In 2021 I made a short video giving you a little taste of the experience of surfing with the family. We're back! The groms are charging, my brother is solidly awesome, and my dad still gets out there, on his board and, here, on an inflatable raft that was giving out some serious Jaws vibes. We all made it through - click the pic below to join the adventure!

Random Art Finds A Way... (I)

I've been focusing on some long-term projects, but here and there I actually make art. Here's a chalk drawing I did at a friend's house, and a painting of the house from Up! for a coworker who does some incredible things for the pediatric waiting room at our hospital. I haven't actually painted anything in a long time - it's really hard to train yourself out of the Control+Z instinct!

DrunkHungry Update! (GD)

Hey, who's got two thumbs and did the graphic design for DrunkHungry, a band poised on the brink of complete world domination with music now available on Apple Music and Spotify and whatever? This fuggin guy! They sound incredible, and it's just so cool to see my artwork on stuff like this. DRUNKHUNGRY F'LYFE!

Four Friends (I)

I made these for a client who lives in the Pacific Northwest. She's requested something involving the fable of the Four Friends, a Buddhist tale involving a grouse, a rabbit, a monkey, and an elephant.

DrunkHungry Designs (GD)

DrunkHungry is a power couple band based in L.A. I did some graphics for their very first show and demo release. Also made a t-shirt and lanyard design. DrunkHungry f'lyfe!

Designs Book Cover (GD)

A coworker wrote a book, which I just thought was so cool! I designed this for him pro bono, and he liked it enough to add it to his Kindle edition!

Frame It UP! (I)

 Two friends sent me pictures of works of mine they recently had FRAMED! There's truly no greater honor! The first is from my friend Erik, who commissioned a portrait of himself years ago. In honor of our shared love of the strange and wonderful, this is him as a doomed student from one of his favorite films, Suspiria, in the style of a Ghastlycrumb Tiny:

More recently, my friend Francis commissioned a B is for Baby piece for his brand new baby boy Finnegan:

Thank you both - well, all three of you. I'm truly touched! 

Those Marvelous Macks (I)

An illustration that got turned into a puzzle for a Christmas gift!

Theodore the Wyvern (I)

For my birthday, a friend sent me a book a called The House in the Cerulean Sea, which I loved. I made some stickers for her of one of my favorite characters, a wyvern named Theodore, who collects coins for his horde but is more than happy to accept buttons. A beautiful little book that was one of the highlights of 2021 for me!