Valentine design on chocolate packaging

In yet another Rotty design for Adventure Foods, here is a sticker I designed and illustrated for their Valentine chocolate packaging.

And this is an image of how the stickers actually look on their products (you can click on the image to see it larger).

I'm so proud!

Brady's Restaurant

My place mat @ Brady's Restaurant, Rt 31, Acme PA.

Sharky's Café

My napkin @ Sharky's Café, 3960 Rt 30, Latrobe PA.

The Rots win Zazzle Tops Today's Best Award

I just started a new shop on Zazzle the other day—with still a long way to go—but the very first design I added to the shop won an award from Zazzle!


I painted the image last fall just before El Dia de los Muertos. It's of Diego Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo and was inspired not only by the Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations, but also because where I work has a few Diego/Frida connections.

Brady's Restaurant

My place mat @ Brady's Restaurant, Rt 31, Acme PA.

Fraug used by Adventure Foods

I created a character called "Fraug" for my friends at Adventure Foods who used it on stickers for some Firefly Chocolates packaging. I originally created the firefly as part of their logo, and we thought it would be funky if we had Fraug eating him. They're so twisted, I'm thinking they were the ones who actually came up with the idea.

The stickers are only 2"x2" but they liked them so much they asked me to design a full-sized poster featuring the image. They decided they wanted to use Fraug as part of their marketing campaign geared toward their extensive kid's line of sweets.

The poster stands 23"x36" and they liked it so much they asked me to design a kid's menu/place mat for their restaurant, The Firefly Grill.

And it gets better. Fraug is available on a bunch of stuff for sale on CafePress!

First in clothing, there's

• the eco-friendly Organic Women's T-Shirt
• the equally eco-friendly Organic Toddler T-Shirt
• the similarly eco-friendly Organic Baby Bodysuit and
• the Kids Baseball Jersey.

Then in the ceramic line, there's

• the Framed Ceramic Tile and
• the Ceramic Travel Mug.

If you would like to see him on other products that aren't currently available, just let me know. I'm flexible.

Rots featured on chocolate marketing

A couple of friends of mine (yes, I have friends) run a chocolate business and just happen to be big supporters of The Rots. Their shop is called Firefly Chocolates, and their store is in the food court of Westmoreland Mall in Greensburg, if you're in the area.

They asked me to illustrate a sticker for their packages featuring a Rotty girl holding a jar of fireflies, and here's how she turned out.

I also do their graphic design work, including all their signage and the Web site linked to above.

Valentine Leftovers

Here's an extra Valentine doodle.
His name is Alen Valentine.

Download a free Rotty Valentine

Take your pick of two different valentines: "Be My Valentine" or a just friends "Happy Valentine's Day."

Clicking the images will only bring up low-res versions. If you want the real thing, you can download each as a hi-res pdf. Give it enough time to download; the pdfs are around 315KB each.

Be My Valentine hi-res pdf
Happy Valentine's Day hi-res pdf

A real-life creature from your nightmares

This cute little guy looks exactly like something that's begging to be a Rot.

I'm pretty sure his mother was a past winner of the World's Ugliest Dog Contest (an actual competition) and his dad was a bat, probably vampire. He's actually an "aye-aye lemur," and he probably just needs a hug and a family to love.

Newsletter subscriptions to The Rots Newsletter

I will be upgrading to a professional newsletter client prior to the next newsletter cycle, and I need current subscribers to re-submit their information. I don't have access to email information, so I'm not able to transfer from one mailing list to another.

And if you're not yet a subscriber, feel free to jump in at any time! Newsletters are scheduled quarterly throughout the year.

Vampires in the bathroom

I'm not sure why, but all my life I've seen images of faces in all sorts of things that didn't really have faces at all. Sometimes they're in shadows, sometimes they're in peanut butter, and sometimes they're in the bubbles on my shower curtain. (Those links go to my kid's illustration blog, by the way.)


Yesterday I had a vampire in my shower curtain. I suppose you could also see a Rorschach test, but if I had to take my shower curtain as a Rorschach test, I would see a vampire.

Boris the Clown & Wiggles

 
This little guy's name is Boris, and he's the freshest Rot in my sketchbook.

I drew him in response to a fellow illustrator who saw my kid's illustration portfolio and told me the pictures would probably scare the children (I guess I deserved that). To get in the right frame of mind, he told me, I should be thinking more along the lines of "clowns and birthday parties."

Clowns.

I've always found clowns to be disturbing. And now I find myself trying to draw them.

And they've all been pretty much disturbing.

The Museum of Modern Art

My napkin @ Cafe 2 @ the MoMA, 11 West 53 St, New York, NY, along with the image drawn on the wall that inspired the Rot.

Dock Street Brewery

My napkin @ Dock Street Brewery, 701 S 50th St, Philadelphia PA.

Diego & Frida

Been inspired lately by my place of work. Made a Rot of Diego Rivera and his lovely wife Frida Kahlo, in happier times, of course.

You gotta love the eyebrows.

Slightly Irreverently Twisted

New URL on Facebook: www.facebook.com/slightly.irreverently.twisted. It's all possible because The Rots got enough fans on their page to become eligible for a unique URL. Thanks to everybody who fanned them!

Rots photo album

I have that Rots© photo album up on Facebook now if you want to take a look. It's just a mixture of some of the stuff I've been working on the past few years. Take a look around, but what would be totally cool is if you would take the time to become a fan. If I can get 25 people who are willing to admit they like The Rots, I'll be able to get a cool URL for the page that would be easy to use and remember (not like the one that comes up right now).

And if that weren't enough, I've also been Twittering!

It's all good!

Ed Rendell

As some of you outside the Commonwealth may know, our governor signed a smoking ban into law (if that's the exact terminology) a year ago Sept. 11. As somebody who frequents those affected public areas I gotta tell you, it feels incredible to be able to breathe when you eat (or sit at the bar). I didn't realize how badly that shit smelled until we walked through a couple people puffing right outside the door on our last visit to Sharky's (Latrobe, PA). Only way to get to the parking lot was straight through.

Thank you, Ed!

My hair doesn't smell now when I get home.
My clothes don't reek.
My lungs and heart thank you deeply.

Ruthie's Diner

My place mat @ Ruthie's Diner, Rt 30 E, Ligonier, PA.

Facebook

The Rots© have a page on Facebook. Not sure yet where that will lead, but you can become a fan. I did. Actually, right now I'm the only one. Kinda hard to advertise being on Facebook when you don't really have anything to show on the page. Eventually I'll get some images on there. Looks like a tomorrow job...

9

I had been trying to find the short film 9 by Shane Acker* shortly after it was nominated for an Oscar, but was going the "download" route rather than just the "watch" one. I have to say, both the short and the feature versions of the movie are breathtakingly beautiful, and I only wish I had figured out what I wanted to do with my life a long, long time ago.

Of course, we went to catch the feature 9-9-09.

If you haven't seen the short, no excuses:



*For the record, the movie belongs to Shane Acker; Tim Burton produced, he did not direct.

Smokin' Joe's

My napkin @ Smokin' Joe's, 2001 E Carson St, Pittsburgh PA.

World Cafe Live

The back of my band ballet @ World Cafe Live, 3025 Walnut St, Philadelphia PA.

The Niner Diner

The back of my place mat @ The Niner Diner, 902 Chestnut St, Nanty Glo PA.

Ruthie's Diner

My place mat @ Ruthie's Diner, Rt 30 E, Ligonier, PA.

Newsletter

As many of you know, I've taken on a new "day job" as a tour guide at Fallingwater (the Frank Lloyd Wright house) which, also as many of you know, has taken up a lot of my time. So. I've skipped the Spring issue of The Rots newsletter and will attempt to pick up the next issue as scheduled.

On the positive side, the job's been good for me. It's certainly keeping me out of trouble.

The March of the Penguins

Take that, Marian Hossa!

Norwin High School

Thanks to Norwin High School for letting me invade their library!

My drawing tablet @ Norwin High School, 251 McMahon Dr, North Huntingdon PA.

Bleeding Black & Gold

I know people who don't live in or around Pittsburgh probably wouldn't understand (well, maybe Yankees fans might), but when the Steelers play the Super Bowl, it's an extension of the holiday season. I only ask for the T.V. 16 days of the year unless, of course, the Steelers make the playoffs. And in that case I'll need an extension.

I don't think enough has been said about the schedule we were dealt this season. We had to play eight of the 11 other playoff teams from last year (the Steelers were #12). Half our season was the Patriots, Colts, Chargers, Jaguars, Titans, Giants, Cowboys and Redskins. Thankfully Cleveland and Cincinnati are in our division, which eased the blow a little. But I would like to thank the rest of the NFL for eliminating from the playoffs all the teams that beat us through the regular season. That was very nice of you guys.

Anyway, I've left Rots in a lot of restaurants around the area, and many have been of both Steelers' players and fans. I put together a collage of those Rots and posted it here in honor of Number 6.

Six long months until training camp.

Smokin' Joe's

My napkin @ Smokin' Joe's, 2001 E Carson St, Pittsburgh PA.

Leo's Pub & Grille

My napkin @ Leo's Pub & Grille, 202 N Diamond St, Mount Pleasant PA.

Framed

Twins Restaurant & Lounge

My place mat @ Twins Restaurant & Lounge, 4353 W Ridge Rd, Erie PA.

Sharky's Café

My napkin @ Sharky's Café, 3960 Rt 30, Latrobe PA.

Juried Art Exhibit @ the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art

So I went and entered "Jeeraffe" in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts Annual Juried Art Exhibition. I (honestly) believed the juror would have a good laugh when he saw it, and maybe even call somebody else in the room so that person could have a laugh at me as well. And then he would toss my entry in the "rejected" pile and get on with his life.

But life doesn't always turn out that weird "normal" way, and that juror, in that little room, decided that, in spite of all the other legitimate paintings he had already tossed in the "rejected" pile (mine included), "Jeeraffe" was worthy of being included in his little show.

No, I'm not kidding.

I really don't think they understand the point of The Rots. I'm hoping this doesn't make them legitimate now; that would be the kiss of death.

The show's opening reception was November 29 at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Ligonier, and the picture up above here proves everything I just said. They even gave him his own wall with his own lighting! (My apologies to the lady who found her way into the photo.)

And, strangely, the words "cute" and "adorable" came up several times...

The show runs November 28 through February 14, and the SAMA Web site is the next thing you'll read: Link: http://www.sama-art.org/ex_ev/ligonier.htm

Leo's Pub & Grille

My napkin @ Leo's Pub & Grille, 202 N Diamond St, Mount Pleasant PA.

Dino's Sports Lounge

A little popcorn-napkin-straw paper sculpture @ Dino's Sports Lounge, 214 Rt 30 E, Latrobe PA.

Sharky's Café

My paper napkin ring @ Sharky's Café, 3960 Rt 30, Latrobe PA.

Ruthie's Diner

My place mat @ Ruthie's Diner, Rt 30 E, Ligonier, PA.

Leo's Pub & Grille

My napkin @ Leo's Pub & Grille, 202 N Diamond St, Mount Pleasant PA.

Leo's Pub & Grille

My napkin @ Leo's Pub & Grille, 202 N Diamond St, Mount Pleasant PA.

In Memory of Jason Bay

So if you're anywhere near Pittsburgh, and you're anywhere near a Pirates fan, you've probably heard that we've managed to screw up once again.

Xavier Nady wasn't enough. They went and traded Jason Bay.

I was watching a Pirates game two years ago (July 29, 2006, to be exact) when I drew this Rot in my sketchbook. Sorry about the quality; it was one of those sketchbooks with the naturally speckled, recycled paper. Jason Bay was playing, and inspired me to draw "Jasun."

I'm afraid the Pirates will have difficulty being contenders if they don't understand the point of "building" a team. But as a longtime Southwestern Pennsylvanianer and sports fan, I will gladly apologize in this very spot if they prove me wrong.

Trademark Part II

It's official! "The Rots" is a certified registered trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. So now, every time I use the name, I can put a registered trademark symbol after it:

The Rots®

Pretty cool, huh?

And hopefully, that might deter some evildoer who wants to steal the name for their own evildoer purposes.

Copyright stuff

Well, I just found out yesterday that the check I sent last December 3rd to the Copyright Office, along with a stack of greeting cards published in 2006, has finally been cashed. I hope that means the copyrights aren't far behind. I apologize for the wait, and hopefully those cards will be up for sale soon.

I'm also working on a complete overhaul of the merchandise available on CafePress, so here's your last chance to get the products and characters as they are currently available. I have many exciting new images which will replace the products currently listed, and I will be adding several new product choices. I'll also be working on a quarterly newsletter with Rotty news and info on the latest designs and products, and I'll post newsletter sign-up information here as soon as it becomes available.

2 Cats

My napkin @ 2 Cats, 130 Cottage St, Bar Harbor ME.

Jordan Pond House Restaurant

My guest evaluation survey at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant, Park Loop Road, Bar Harbor ME.

Jordan Pond House Restaurant

My napkin at the Jordan Pond House Restaurant, Park Loop Road, Bar Harbor ME.

The Thirsty Whale

My napkin @ The Thirsty Whale, 40 Cottage St, Bar Harbor ME.

Sharky's Café

My napkin @ Sharky's Café, 3960 Rt 30, Latrobe PA.

Smokin' Joe's

My napkin @ Smokin' Joe's, 2001 E Carson St, Pittsburgh PA.

Leo's Pub & Grille

My napkin @ Leo's Pub & Grille, 202 N Diamond St, Mount Pleasant PA.

Forwarded emails create SPAM

I know the people who think I would be interested in some email they've received aren't trying to cause problems when they forward it to me, but it turns out they are.

It's not so much in that they are forwarding, it's in the WAY they forward. This also includes any time an email is sent to everyone in an address book, even if it's not forwarded.

When you forward an email to a group of people and put the list of email addresses in the "TO:" section of the email, every one of the people on the list now has an entire listing of "live" email addresses. If one of the people on the list who received the email from you then forwards it to a group of people in their address book, suddenly a whole group of people--who you probably don't know--now has not only my email address and everyone else's on the list, but also YOURS.

With the speed of the Internet, my email address is now in countless boxes around the globe, and the odds of one of those boxes belonging to a spammer or someone who sells email addresses to spammers for cash are surprisingly good.

SO...

I don't want to stop you from forwarding me something you think I might find helpful. I'm not interested, however, in jokes, inspirations or petitions, and please don't put me on your list when you get an email saying, "Send this to 10 people...".

If you REALLY think there is something I should see, here's what I ask you to do:

• If it's a Web site, please copy and paste the Web site address in an email. Please don't forward the address once it has come from somebody else.
• If it's an email you've received, please copy and paste what it is you want me to see in a NEW email. Please don't forward the email as-is.
• Please don't put me in your address book and use my address in a forward to the group of people in there with me. I don't mind being in your address book itself; of course it's easier when you have an email address handy rather than having to type it in or even remember it. I would just rather not have my email address included in a group of email addresses that is going to get forwarded, and forwarded, and forwarded...
• Please don't include me in a bulk mailing to all your friends with everyone's address in the "TO:" section of the email, even if it's a brand new email that you started and isn't a forward.

Unfortunately, I don't have any kind of filter for my email that totally rejects anything that has been forwarded to me. I've blocked the word "Fwd" in both the body and subject of a message, but that hasn't worked. It only takes one person to get your address out there, and suddenly your BUSINESS email is inundated. That's what happened to mine.

I don't mind if you copy and paste this in an email, but please follow some Internet etiquette and don't send it to a group of people in your address book with everyone's email address listed in the "TO:" section.

And, please, stop forwarding me stuff.

Dino's Sports Lounge

My napkin @ Dino's Sports Lounge, 214 Rt 30 E, Latrobe PA.

Greeting cards

Still waiting to hear from the Copyright Office about the greeting cards. It's been about five months, and I finally got the postcard back saying they received the package, but they haven't cashed the check for the fee so far.

Sorry, but I only have two cards up on the site right now. As soon as I hear from D.C. I'll put all the cards up from 2006.

Waiting...