After a year off, I am back at Anime Central, one of my all-time favorite conventions!
May 17-19, Rosemont, IL!
New posters! Graphic novels at great prices! Convention sketches!
I’m doing it all, and if you are around, stop by my tables in Artist’s Alley and give me a hard time!
I’ll be the bald guy in a Utilikilt drawing funny pictures.
For more information about ACEN, click here!
One thing leads to another. Sometimes that’s a really good thing.
Being able to work with one of my musical heroes (Thomas Dolby) lead to me getting another email from out of the blue.
Bruce Woolley, co-writer of the anthem of the video music generation I grew up in, (“Video Killed The Radio Star”) emailed me and wanted to know if I would like to work with him on his latest project. Guess what my answer was.
3 months later, the Kickstarter campaign for The Post War Orchestra is off and running; 30 days to raise the funds for the grand plans of a group of musical/conceptual artists who turn decommissioned military hardware into musical instruments. An interesting take on turning swords into plowshares, and one that you can dance to. I’ve been brought on this project to develop the visual identity and graphic direction for this most unique endeavor. I’ve also created some of the Kickstarter donation premiums being offered to contributors. There is a CD and DVD package in the future, and more.
Once again working in real time with a client across the sea and five time zones away. It’s collaboration in the best technological/international sense of the word.
To see the details of The Post War Orchestra, and see their Kickstarter pitch video, click here!
My year-ender propaganda poster, this year to address the need to incorporate learning from mistakes, failure and screw-ups into the overall process of progression, in any medium, in any endeavor.
We are often told that we must be perfect right from the start, but the true measure of character is the grace and strength we gain from falling down and getting back up. As long as the amount of times we get up outnumbers the times we fall, that is progress. And sometimes mistakes yield far more interesting outcomes than what we plan. Having that opportunity to allow mistakes and failures to inform and educate us is essential to creative growth.
You can purchase this print as a poster in multiple formats from my Deviant Art store.
Here’s to a 2013 filled with exploration, growth and building of the future we envision.
This poster design is ©Paul Sizer/Sizer Design + Illustration, and may not be reproduced in any form without prior permission from Paul Sizer.
Now open for business, I’ve started a custom T-Shirt shop on SKREENED, where you can buy and customize t-shirts with designs by me, including my new line of ROLLER DERBY ROAD SIGNS shirts.
There’s also a kind of “Greatest Hits” of designs I’ve done for various comic and design projects that have proven popular with the online community. All fully shirt customizable, and available as hoodies, tank tops and totes. A great gift idea all year round. Check them out!
Because I can’t just make a Halloween costume, I also have to design a movie poster for the imaginary movie he stars in. Please feel free to hire me for your next real or imaginary film project.
I’ve been a freelance graphic designer, comic creator and illustrator since 1992, and during that time I’ve learned the trade of design and illustration, becoming a self publisher and business person alongside working to expand my skill set. I learned how to make messages and ideas grab people by the brain as well as by the eyes.
As a comic creator, I learned from the best that great characters yield great stories, so I have always worked to build the most interesting characters I could to get my stories and messages across. I learned that you need to create characters that you love, respect and care for, so that you will want to follow them through the good times and the challenging times, when they are winning and when they are losing.
And from the beginning, I learned that good characters have no requirements for gender, sexual identity, color, creed, size, shape or philosophical view. Good is good, interesting is interesting. Period.
I’ve been very lucky to have created many female characters in my books and design work that I’ve been able to tell deep, funny, emotional, hard and difficult stories with. I learned early on the importance of strength of character, but also that there is character in that strength, of how you use it and how it directs and guides you. This image shows a sample of what I’ve done so far, and hopefully where I can go from here.
Thanks for following my progress; here’s to whatever comes next!
Since my wife Jane is now a full fledged member of the Killamazoo Derby Darlins flat track roller derby team, I am lending my support to the team by doing their poster designs for upcoming bouts. One of the challenges the team was facing was a perception that roller derby was not a serious sport (albeit one that has fun doing what it does), so I proposed a set of posters that showed the energy and fun of the sport, but also took the time to make the presentation of them as a team have (hopefully) a refined and unique look, to get people to stop and think.
Here’s a sneak peek at this summer’s full poster series:
Over two years of design and collaboration came to a very satisfying conclusion when I met and hung out with Thomas Dolby and his tour band in New York City, Detroit and Chicago on Thomas’ “Time Capsule Tour” through the US. It’s a bit staggering to see one’s designs brought to life so vividly, but seeing the fans interact with the Time Capsule, and getting a chance to meet and talk with them and share our enjoyment of his work made all the hard work worthwhile.
Working with Thomas has shown me how to play and design with the big leagues, but also how the classiest of professionals handle themselves. Backstage, on tour buses and in the green room, I was always made to feel as welcome as family, and shown the greatest of heartfelt respect. Best quote of the tour; upon meeting Dolby’s son Graham in Chicago, I introduced myself to him. “Oh, I know you,” he said. “My dad won’t stop talking about you.” Higher praise I cannot imagine.
