AIGA 2008 Design Summit

Posted on December 18, 2008 by grzych

As you’ll notice from the drawings below, neither of them really have much to do, if anything to do with the subject of this, my 17th Post It Post. I’ll get to the drawings a little bit later…but first, let’s talk about the AIGA 2008 Design Summit.

The AIGA is an organization for Graphic Artist and Designers. This past Tuesday, December 16th, the New Orleans chapter hosted a Design Summit at Loyola University. It basically was a 3 hour panel discussion about what we as a community of Graphic Artists could do to help with the recovery of New Orleans in this Post-Katrina environment. The panel was made up of several of the founders of some of New Orleans’ leading design firms. Many of them discussed their personal and professional experiences dealing with Katrina and the state of Graphic Arts now here after the big storm.

As someone who has felt like he’s not really been part of any type of Design or Illustration Community, it was an excellent experience for me to be surrounded by like minded individuals. At my previous job, I was pretty much isolated from the community as a whole. For the longest time it was only me designing and drawing in an office by myself until they eventually hired someone else on full-time. So for all of my time there, we were pretty much an island to ourselves. Now as my situation has changed, I want to make an effort to become part of that world that I had felt like I had been denied previously.  I’m still contemplating joining the AIGA, I’m leaning towards it. I’m also going to look into if their are any organization in New Orleans like the AIGA but for Illustrators and Traditional artists. The thing is that I’m both a Graphic Designer and an Illustrator…I’m a Graphic Illustrator so to speak. No matter what I decide about membership, I definitely plan to attend future AIGA events that are open to the public.

So hearing each of the panelist speak, I definitely got a feeling for them, and hope to be able to interact with many of them here in the near future. New Orleans is a great town, despite all the negative images and stories that are put out there…it’s something worth saving and making strong once again…if not better.

And now for the Post It drawings.

I’m a big fan of the classic Rankin & Bass Christmas specials. I must watch them all every season. Without them, the Holidays just aren’t the same. Of course the granddaddy of them all is “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” So I couldn’t let the season pass without having Troy and friends confront some of the North Pole’s favorite Misfits. So enjoy Troy’s confusion with Rudolph’s ability and His Canine Pal’s frank discussion with Charlie and his Box. So as you can see, they definitely don’t have anything to do with the subject of today’s post, but I had fun drawing them.

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Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Etc.

Posted on December 16, 2008 by grzych

The absolutely unbelievable happened here late last week…Thursday December 11, 2008 to be specific, New Orleans and most of Louisiana experienced the rarest of rarieties…it snowed. It SNOWED! This little corner of the South was turned into a Winter Wonderland. It was a brief but very welcomed early Christmas gift. Thursday morning I woke to a barrage of phone calls and text messages telling me to look outside. Some messages simply stated, “It’s Snowing!” 

    

The common thread shared by all were the exclamation marks, whether in text form or in the sound of their voices…the excitement and thrill was definitely there. For those of you out there that are graced with such wintery frozen events each year, what you don’t understand is that an event like this doesn’t come around that often, seriously does not come around that often. There was a very brief snowfall in 2004 on Christmas Day…more sleet than snow, but I was out of town for said event. Then before that in ’93 another sleety snow moment occurred. The closest we ever came to what I would call real snow was back in the 80’s, but it was nothing like what transpired last Thursday. As I ran out onto my balcony, I had my breath taken away by the shear joy of the visual stimuli that was bombarding me. Snow! Real Honest Wintery White Goodness! It was coming down in sheets, quickly covering rooftops, cars, lawns, and anyone that ventured out into it’s downfall. I spotted a couple of kids that had obviously never seen snow in their life run out of their front down, pause a moment, then scream in excitement at the top of their lungs, “OH MY GOD, OH MY GOD, IT’S SNOWING, IT’S SNOWING!” They paused again and followed it up with, “IT’S LIKE HEAVEN!!!” There’s definitely no denying the joy those two kids felt, and it definitely was shared by all. The local news interrupted programming to follow the unexpected weather phenomenon until it’s bitter end, when the snow stopped, sleet commenced, and then eventually began to melt off.

In this 16th Post It Post, I wanted to show Troy’s excitement (and mine as well) for this Frozen Treat. I also sketched out Troy’s Canine Pal amongst the Icy Powder. I haven’t drawn him much and plan on showing a bit more of him in the Posts to come.

Though it is sad that the event came and went and not even a sign of it’s occurrence still exists with us other than our collective memories and the countless pictures we took, I am still overwhelmed that we were lucky enough to have been given this little treat. It’s been a hard year and it appears that the times ahead might be just as trying, so what the snow gave us down here in New Orleans was a chance to stop, breathe, and play like a child one more time. It was a very welcomed and much longed for break. Below are a few pics I took of my Winter Wonderland and the fun I partook in it. Enjoy!

        

            

I miss you snow…please came back soon!

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Post It Post #15

Posted on December 9, 2008 by grzych

I have a confession to make, my name is Troy M. Grzych and I…I am a devoted fan of “D & D”…NO, not “Dungeons & Dragons,” but another “D & D.” I might be a geek, I’m just a different type of geek. Think more British and less dragons. The Double D’s I’m talking about is “Duran Duran” to be more precise. How can you not enjoy the sweet melodic pop grooves of the band so nice they named it twice? I dare you to defy the power of the D’s. As my fandom has grown over the years so has the number of times that I’ve seen them perform live. First it was twice at the Grand Casino in Biloxi, two more times at the House of Blues in the French Quarter, then there was the Reunion tour at Twi-Ro-Pa, their Performance at Voodoo Fest, and their concert at the New Orleans’ Arena. Never 7 without 8, right? This weekend my wife took me to see them at the Beau Rivage Casino in Biloxi as my wedding anniversary gift. So after nearly 10 years since I first saw them perform on the coast, it was time once again to pack up my bags and head back to Mississippi and enjoy them for the 8th time.

    

The concert was great…they hit it out of the park once again. I had no doubt they wouldn’t. However, it was touch and go there for a while whether or not there would even be a concert. A week prior I got an e-mail that said they had cancelled a show on Monday because Nick Rhodes had a serious ear infection and his doctor’s wouldn’t allow him to fly in fear that he could damage his ear drum and suffer permanent hearing loss. Then on Tuesday, another cancellation…and once more on Thursday. As you can see, it was getting down to the wire, would there or wouldn’t there be a concert to go to on Saturday? It wasn’t until late Friday afternoon that word came that Nick had gotten the all clear…the concert was on! Funny thing is, Mr. Rhodes had just gotten well and Simon Lebon was now sick.  All night, in between songs, he was blowing his nose into a towel. So despite a little mucus, the show must go on…and go on it did. By the way, this is just a little observation, whenever they played a classic hit…everyone was up on their feet dancing and grooving but as soon as a new tune from their latest album began, their butts’ would connect with their seats, only to lift up once more with another hit. Sit or stand, make up your mind!

The Post It Note drawings above display a little bit of my fandom as a Duranie, whether singing the ultimate “Duran Duran” medley or meeting up with fellow “D & D” fans. 

Over the years, I’ve been a fan of countless many things, “Duran Duran” only being one of them. As for music, it’s not like I only listen to Simon and the boys, I also love “Depeche Mode” and “Erasure” to name a couple…but when push comes to shove, my fandom runs deep with the band so nice they named it twice!

(As a bonus, click on one of the highlighted venues above where I saw “Duran Duran” and enjoy a performance from each one of those specific concerts.)

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Post It Post #14

Posted on December 5, 2008 by grzych

So what do you do when the red “Maintenance Required” light comes on in your car? Well, if you’re like me you pretend to ignore it. I ignored it like I ignore the crazy old man at the grocery store that barks to himself as he checks for cracked eggs in his carton. You ignore him because you need eggs too, but you don’t wanna make eye contact…just by the off chance that by looking deep into his eyes you’ll catch his craziness and start responding to his barks with cat meows and robot noises. However, what eventually happens is I take it in for an oil change and that seems to make that annoying little red light go away…or so you would think.

    

So how come 10 minutes after I left the oil place did I noticed that the light was still ON…taunting me with it’s EVIL crimson presence? Well, my first thought goes straight to there’s something else wrong with the car…and that means taking it into the shop, searching for the mystery problem, and watching the cash in my wallet fold into tiny little paper planes, rise into the air, and zoom on over into the mechanic’s hands leaving a dust trail in it’s wake. Wonderful, right? Well, after three hours of waiting at the dealership, they tell me that the place I got the oil change from originally forgot to reset the switch on my “Maintenance Required” light. I guess that’s why I’m an Artist and not a Mechanic, ’cause if I were I wouldn’t have spent all that money and time…and could have simply reset the switch myself. Hell, it’s enough to make one mental…I guess it’s about time I should start practicing my Barking.

In the above Post It Note drawings Troy discovers the true nature of his car’s mechanical woes and then meets up with an extremely oil thirsty Tin Man of OZ. Enjoy!

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Post It Post #13

Posted on December 3, 2008 by grzych

Last night my wife and I continued our holiday tradition of watching our ever growing DVD collection of Christmas themed movies and specials.  Whether it be a classic Rankin and Bass AniMagic or something a little more non-traditional, we try to get through a majority of them before December 25th rolls around. After Christmas has come and gone and the tinsel has fallen from the tree, we tend to lose interest in such viewing pleasures until the season rolls around 12 months later. After a couple of “Frosty’s” and a “Polar Express,” we followed it up with another holiday goody…“Gremlins!”

    

Okay…so Gizmo and Company aren’t traditionally thought of as holiday fare but in my household…a Mogwai is right up there with Rudolph, the Heat Miser, and the Winter Warlock. Hell…I even consider “Die Hard” and “Die Hard 2: Die Harder” holiday fun. Now if John McClane were dressed like Santa riding on top of an ass kickin’ Rudolph while fighting off a Gremlin infestation at the Nakatomi Plaza…that…that would be a great Holiday event flick. Throw in a couple of talking snowmen with German accents and a gun toting Charlie in the Box…you got yourself Christmas gold baby…GOLD I tell ya.

So I don’t really have anything in particular to say about each of the Post It Note drawings in this Post It Post, except that I got inspired by the movie last night and really wanted to draw Gizmo. As for the “Snowflake” drawing, I guess I really want it to snow here in New Orleans this winter…real snow, not ice or sleet…but REAL White Winter Fun!

So what about a “Gremlins 3,” well…who knows whenever that little gem may happen. Hell, it’s been 18 years and counting since “The New Batch” was released. Until that glorious day…enjoy the two videos I found on YouTube, the links are below. If you’re a fan of these green little monsters, you’ll love these two little “Gremlins“ tidbits:

Peter Jones BT Business “Gremlins” Commercial

“Gremlins” Fan Film by Sacha Feiner

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Post It Post #12

Posted on December 2, 2008 by grzych

In this Post It Post I thought that I’d give you a little bit of Thanksgiving Leftovers. A couple of scraps of turkey and maybe a single spoonful of stuffing left to devour before we move on to the Christmas season.

With at least one of the Post It Note drawings below, I wanted to make sure that you saw it before it got too late and I had to wait an entire year for the Holiday season to roll back around to post it.

    

Last year I draw “Pilgrim Troy” while sitting at my desk at work. With Thanksgiving but a couple of days away, I was definitely looking forward to the Holiday break and my days off. As the end of the year would approach at work, things always got a lot more hectic, especially as we geared up to finalize designs and begin laying out our next catalog. So a mini break was always a welcome event.

Okay, so what I didn’t tell you about this year’s “Black Friday” is that I was sick. I woke up with a slight fever, the glands in my throat swollen, and not being able to swallow much without my right ear in some serious pain. Boy talk about fun. At least I missed Thanksgiving by a day, had I felt this way the day before…I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy turkey festivities. So the pain made shopping in the AM on Friday more of a chore than I would have liked but my wife really wanted to experience it so I didn’t want her to miss out. You know, trying to get a doctor’s appointment with your regular doctor the day after a holiday is next to impossible…well, there’s nothing “NEXT” to it…it “IS” completely impossible! It wasn’t until the next day that my wife suggested that we go to the urgent care facility nearest us to get checked out and overhauled. Turns out that I had a little infection, non-contagious, in one of the glands in my throat. After some antibiotics and rest…I don’t feel green anymore…hurray to modern medicine! Now if they could only figure out this aging think, I’d buy the doctors a Blueberry Muffin…until then…no Muffin!

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Post It Post #11

Posted on December 1, 2008 by grzych

So, yet another Thanksgiving has come and gone…another Turkey Day has been gobbled up and digested. And as I step off that no damn good lying scale, I begin to realize that the next holiday gorgefest is merely a month away. To me, Thanksgivng has become a dry run for Christmas…all of the food and none of the gifts. It’s like a practice run through for the ultimate holiday event…and an excuse to eat pie without all of the glitz of tinsel!

Here’s a couple of Post It note drawing that I did over the last couple of days as I came down from my Turkey high and switched gears to get in the Christmas Groove.

    

In “Big Bird,” this was the year that Troy was introduced to Sesame Street Turkey…tasty but a bit chewy with a slight Muppety after taste. Oh what a delicious feast it would be on a bird so, so big.

So, this year was the first year that my wife and I participated in that time honored tradition of “Black Friday.” Like countless others, we woke at the butt ass crack of dawn and dragged ourselves to the stores to help in our country’s economic recovery. We weren’t really going for anything in particular…it’s not like we scoped out the sales, spotted a 50″ Plasma Screen, raced to Wally World, and struggled and fought with numerous strangers to get one of the possible dozen or so TV’s they actually had. No, we didn’t do that…but we did go for the experience and an experience it was. There were hour long lines to get into stores, 45 minute lines to check out, and plenty of stores to visit. I was amazed at the number of people out there that early in the morning, having never taken part in “Black Friday” I really didn’t know what to expect…I never really thought that it’d be as mad capped as it was. DVD’s were 2 bucks, Plasma Screens were 50 cents, and Thanksgiving leftovers were Free!  I won’t say that we won’t do it again next year, but if we do…we’ll make sure that we’re definitely more prepared. We were rookies to the whole experience…and we’re just glad that we survived to see Saturday.

In the “Dark Side” Post It Note drawing, Troy has trouble understanding that “Black Friday” is not the day that you try to convert others to the Dark Side of the Force. As great of a holiday as that would be, it does not exist…does not exist…yet! Never under estimate the Power of the Dark Side…or something like that.

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Post It Post #10

Posted on November 27, 2008 by grzych

I’m not a real big fan of Spring Cleanings…even if they take place in November. There’s something about being chin deep in dust particles that doesn’t sound all that appetizing. Don’t get me wrong…it’s a great feeling when the last spot has been dusted, you’ve lugged out 9 bags of who knows what kind of trash to the curb to be disposed of, and you can finally sit back and admirer one’s handy work and tidy surroundings. I won’t argue with you, that’s pretty nice…and somewhat therapeutic if you’re like me and things tend to accumulate and pile up, but it’s the process of sorting through the mess and crap that is a bit of a chore. I like things neat and organized, but over time, inevitably, it would appear as if somethings are put on the back burner…i.e. straightening up. Then, before you know it…it’s not a 5 minute rearranging Pow Wow, but rather an 8 hour plus cleaning session! It’s definitely my own fault, and I don’t even pretend to blame anyone else…I mean, I could try! I could blame it on out of work Keebler Elves that have a pathological need to clutter my work area…but that would be a lie…mainly because…who would ever FIRE a Keebler Elf…they make such delicious cookies.

Post It Post #10 is about such a time…specifically speaking…two days ago when my cluttered work area was sited as my wife’s next target and it needed to be destroyed…i.e. CLEANED!

    

In “Dirt Drowning” Troy experiences the overwhelming power that is dust.  When left unattended, it can severely grow out of control, landslides can occur, and lives can be lost. It’s not something to play around with. Under specific conditions, if the climate is just the perfect precipitation, and there’s amble moistness in the air…dust left on it’s own accord can become quicksand…and KILL! It’s the #1 cause of fatalities in North America…well, at least that’s what my wife tells me. I think it’s her way of getting me to eradicate the dust bunnies before they procreate and multiple like Mogwais.

Another part of cleaning up is sorting through stuff…lots of it. I had accumulated a rather large collection of CD’s with all types of odd and end files on them.  Whether it be one incomplete artwork file here, a few scanned photos there, perhaps even a few downloaded “Star Wars” pics I planned on using for my screensaver at some point, they were rather numerous.  Suffice it to say, the discs grew in numbers. Anytime I’d do a little work on someone’s computer and would wanna bring it home to continue working on it…BOOM, another disc was burned.  Now I know what you’re saying, “Troy, if you had only used a USB drive you could have prevented the plethora of disc that would eventually find themselves stacked knee high needing to be dealt with and sorted out.” The problem with that statement is that a majority of these disc were burned prior to me even knowing what a USB drive was. Anyway, eventually I trashed the stack all for maybe 15 or so I need to load on to my computer…the rest have met their maker and are dust in the wind.  Problem solved.

Well, as I find myself now writing this Post It Post in the early AM of Thanksgiving Day…let me wish you and your families a very Happy and Delicious Thanksgiving and hope all your Turkey and Stuffing dreams come true.

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I Looooove Sushi!

Posted on November 25, 2008 by grzych

There are only a few things in this world that I love more than the sweet, sweet deliciousness of Sushi. Of course I love my Wife…and I love Movies and TV…that’s just understood…but nothing beats the flavor that excites my taste buds more than those little Japanese treats. Some people may say I have a problem, those that own the restaurants I frequent might say I’m just stimulating the economy. Who’s to say who is right…but either way that you look at it…I Love Sushi!

When I was in college, my addiction got so bad that a friend and I were scheduling classes around our Friday Sushi Sessions. We’d make sure that our noon time slot was open for our weekly fix. Some might say that’s sad…others, like myself, might say that’s devotion.

Hey, everyone’s got dreams, don’t they…mine just so happen to be about the world’s largest piece of Sushi. If you’re gonna dream, might as well dream big…right?

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Post It Post #9

Posted on November 23, 2008 by grzych

Okay, so I did it…Friday night at precisely 10:15PM…I sat down in a darken theater with countless other moviegoers and watched the light flicker across the silver screen as the tale of young vampire love unfolded before me. That’s right, my wife got us tickets for opening night of the movie adaptation of one of her favorite book series…“Twilight.” My wife…an avid “Twilight” fan, couldn’t wait for this movie to come out…she couldn’t wait to devour it like she had each and every book in the series.  I, on the other hand, did not have the same desire as she. I never read the books, probably won’t, but I am a vampire movie fan. So I guess in that respect, I was interested in seeing it on that level.  Vampires are cool…but I like my vampires with a little more gore…I prefer more of a horror element and less of a love story. My wife had informed me all about the story in the books, so I knew going into it this Friday that “Twilight” was going to be more Love and less Blood.

So…this past Friday, “Twilight” was definitely on my noggin when doodling out my latest Post It drawings for today’s Post It Post.

    

First I wanna mention that this is the first time that I’ve played with the idea of adding color to my Post It drawings. I have this whole set of Prismacolor Markers and I’ve been wanting to dive on in to them for the longest time so I think that you most definitely will be seeing more color in future Post It Posts.

In “Twilight Ticket,” I wanted to reveal Troy’s real reason for wanting to see the latest vampire flick.  For no particular reason I made Troy a vampire, check out the fangs and claws. Goth Chicks…Cool!

I’ve always wondered if Wookies went to the movies, now I know…they do indeed dabble in the cinematic delights. After having bought his ticket for the opening night of “Twilight,” Chewbacca was rather upset to learn that “Twilight” was a love story and not a sequel to his favorite 80’s flick, “Fright Night.” Wookies love the 80’s…as do I Chewie, as do I.

So as far as my opinion on the movie…all I’m gonna say is…I was entertained, but I’d rather pop in a DVD of “The Lost Boys” or “Blade 2” or “Near Dark” or “Interview With A Vampire” or even “Monster Squad.” My wife on the other hand…loved it! Hey, everyone’s got their opinion…and mine is not more important the next’s.

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Post It Post #8

Posted on November 21, 2008 by grzych

So it’s hot, then it’s cold, then hot once again…and maybe if lucky…cold once more…such is Winter…Southern Style! Living in the surrounding New Orleans area all my life, that’s just one of the many “pleasures” (and I really use that word very loosely in this case) that comes with living in the south during the winter months. At the moment it’s in the low 50’s but it’s a strong possibility that Thanksgiving next Thursday will be more on the warmer side than I would like for that day. Heck I can remember many times as a kid where I wore shorts and a tank top on Gobble Gobble Day…now that’s just messed up…ain’t it? Turkey Day is suppose to be cold…Period! I’ve got my fingers crossed that a cold front comes thru and makes the holiday just a lil’ bit more wintery, which makes drawing and typing a major challenge.

With that said, I bring you Post It Post #8…Enjoy!

    

So here are just a couple more of my Post Its, two that definitely express Hot and Cold!

In the first drawing I drew Troy as the Devil, the Prince of Darkness, Beelzebub…Ole Mister Baddie himself. No real significance to it, just thought I’d post the fiery demon next to an icy popsicle.

With “Frozen Troy” I have to say, I really like the way that this one came out. I’m not bragging, believe me I’d be the first to tell you I don’t do that, but I really like the way this Post It turned out. I drew this while at work on a rather frigid day I might add. I unfortunately decided to wear shorts on said day not realizing that it was going to be as cold as it was, but when I step out of the house and jump into the car, at that point you really have to commit to what you’re wearing. Plus when you’re running late to work, you really don’t have the option to go back in a change…so-be-it! So I guess I was channeling my frozen state that day.

So that’s my Post It Post on the ying and yang of Hot and Cold. See you next time.

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Post It Post #7

Posted on November 20, 2008 by grzych

I’m back again with another Post It Post for you guys and gals out there to chew on.

So what do I have for you this time around…how about the ever popular “Frankentroy” and “Gordon Shumway” himself.  

    

The “Artzee Fartzee” “Frankentroy” was another one of those drawings done while at work. Several Halloweens ago I went to a friend’s party dressed as the green gentle giant. Unlike the Post It Post I did with “Underdog,” I’m not going to post a picture of me made up in that particular costume. Not that it was all that terrible…but mostly because it was not all that good. I meant well…but unfortunately it did not turn out how I had intended. The costume itself was fine and but the makeup was lacking…not that I didn’t put my best foot forward…but feet can’t compete with humidity and sweat. The green makeup kept melting off my face and making me look like that Nazi at the end of “Raiders of the Lost Ark.” All-be-it a cool effect “Yes,” but not when your intentions are to look like “Herman Munster.”  

In “ALF’s Nose Job” I get to meet one of my heroes from my childhood, “Gordon Shumway,” the Melmacian with the most…ALF! That’s right, I was an “ALF” fan in the biggest way back in the day, which might explain why I am the way that I am today as an adult. You read into it that what you want. And since we’re on the subject of that wise cracking wanna be Muppet…man he never really got his due, did he? Picture it…coming to a theater near you in the Summer of ’09…“ALF: The Movie.” Okay, so the title needs a little work but here’s the concept…a live action version of his Saturday Morning cartoon series. ALF on his home planet of Melmac before it blew up, getting into all kinds of hijinx. With the CG effects today…how sweet would that be?  Don’t answer that!  Let me…if merely for a moment, let me live in a world where such a movie might be possible…

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