Highlights Illustrators' Party 2012

The Highlights Illustrators' Party took place this past weekend! If you've been following me at all, you know it is something that I look forward to more than Christmas. 

I'll sum up: Each year Highlights magazine invites all of their illustrators to their headquarters in  Honesdale, PA. Besides having time to share portfolios there is an elaborate costume party, delicious PA dutch food and square dancing as well lots of fun children's activities. This year 's theme was Super Heroes. I went as my own superhero, Black & Blue- a take on my habit of constantly hitting my head. 

The illustrators were given a superhero sketchbook spec sheet to fill out (mine is below) which were collected into an awesome booklet/keepsake from the weekend. I used mine to add a deeper story to my costume as did some of the other illustrators...

Here are some photos of Black & Blue with his friends

(photos provided by myself and some very nice folks):

The Freelance League of America!

The Pink Pearl and I pose for villainy.

My daughter Virginia as the Polka Toddler!

The Luchadoro (aka illustrator Dave Klug) and I get ready to defend the street of Honesdale!

David Helton's wonderfully fun backdrop for the square dance and dinner.

My side kicks, the Freelance Pattern Posse! 

Striper, Pop Tartan and Polka Toddler aka my Mother-in-law, my wife, and my daughter.

R Michael Palan's Hungry-Man gives it to me good! Michael made this. 

I wish we set up about 200 others with everyone. They would be awesome.

The Revisionator (aka Rocky Fuller) poses with the Freelance Pattern Posse.

Friend and fellow crime fighter, Robert Squier made this shortly after we returned.

Taking a break with the Polka Toddler.

Command Z (aka Dave Justice) and I chat about the corruption in Honesdale. 

It was a very short conversation.

Black & Blue to the rescue!

Some more photos and a nice reflection on the HIP can be seen on Cheryl Kirk Knoll's blog.

Now, go get a subscription to Highlights for your kids, nephews, nieces, neighbors!

It's the greatest magazine in the world. Honest!

Zoo stuff.

I just finished an animal illustration marathon for the zoo. I've been running non stop for the past 2 weeks (except for a little break over the weekend). There were sixty five illustrations to do, I think. I can't remember exactly, I'm kind of brain dead. Anyway, here's some snippets. The final art are full bodied animals which will be part of some signage at the Philadelphia Zoo's new Children Zoo opening this coming Spring.

Summer is over!

Below is an illustration I did for the back cover of October's Highlights magazine. This one is based on our annual Great Pumpkin Day celebration. This year is our 12th year of getting together with friends and family to eat, drink and carve pumpkins to welcome autumn. It started with myself and two friends but has grown to some fifty guests, many of whom are pictured here.

I just wanted to remind you that Highlights is greatest children's magazine on earth. You really should get the children in your life a subscription.

Conscious Collaboration.

I'm currently collaborating with author Brion J. Shreffler on a non-fiction travel/food blog called, "I'm Only Conscious of the Rush." The illustrations are way out of my norm in their looseness and painterly style so it is pretty fun for me. I hope you'll join Brion on his adventure to the South by Southwest (SXSW) Music Festival in Austin. A more detailed description is below.

In Brion's words:

"Based on my trip to Austin,TX for SXSW back in March, 'I'm conscious only of the rush' is an adventure story that blends together food & music narrative journalism.

Featuring illustrations by Philly artist Chuck Dillon, the project is ongoing, with me soon to return to Austin for an epilogue. I also plan to revisit several other cities along the route I took from Philadelphia, in addition to visiting new cities in order to catch up with musicians and artists I came into contact with at SXSW. The thing that keeps Austin weird (a self-applied badge of honor) is the same DIY mentality that turns a little Texas town into the center of the music universe for 1 week in March. Bands from Berlin, London, Tokyo, Portland, Sao Paolo, NYC, and Brisbane descend on Austin along with music fans the world over. It.is.[cussing].nuts. But the DIY mentality isn't just for music--it permeates Austin culture, with a robust food truck scene and entrepreneurial spirit (everything from designer t-shirts + clothing, craft goods, metal works, bicycles, and more) that's evident on every street thankfully devoid of a national chain presence (only in Austin will you find a shop that is a bike repair/dealer, coffee shop, and art dealer all in one). In a sense then, SXSW is an argument for culture, a statement about what America should be, about the beauty of art, of what we can make our world when we create--music, food, business, etc--rather than follow."

Children's Zoo project

I'm currently finishing up a big project for the Philadelphia Zoo's new children zoo which should be open next spring. Among many animal illustrations (60 or so) I also have to make American Sign Language signs as shown above. Can anyone guess what is being signed?

All artwork is Copyright © The Philadelphia Zoo 2012

Dream blog.

If you follow me on Facebook you know that I have insanely vivid dreams. I've had them most of my life. I'm not one to look into their meaning but I'd be happy to hear what anyone has to say about them in the comments. Mostly I just find them entertaining, disturbing or downright funny. I hope you will too- but mostly for the funny.

Anyway, I started a new dream blog aptly named, Head Injury Induced Dreams (or as the address says, bump30x30). Whether I actually receive dreams from the head trauma I participated in over the years I do not know, but I thought it was a fun title.

bump30x30.blogspot.com

Update: photo of a recent head injury.

Sneak Peek Stuff.

Here's a bunch of snippet sneak peeks at some upcoming stuff I did for Highlights. The first two are Hidden Pictures and the last two are for What's Wrong? back covers. I'm not sure exactly when they'll be published but I'm assume the Pumpkin one will be on the back cover of this coming October issue and the Dogsled Race will be sometime in the winter (February?). As for Hidden Pictures, I have absolutely no idea.

I also wanted to point out that there is now a fun Hidden Picture and What's Wrong? game on the Highlights site.  The Hidden Picture game features some of my work as well as many other excellent illustrations by the wonderful Highlights' illustrators. Be sure to check it out!

The Dogsled Race What's Wrong? has more people in it then I have ever drawn in a single illustration. If I remember correctly, it has 105 humans not to mention 17 dogs. I know, I lost my mind.

Sketches.

I've been working on a big project for the Philadelphia Zoo so I haven't had time to post anything here but here's some photos of pages from my recent sketchbook. I do a lot of drawing in my sketchbook during church so don't mind the little notes.

NYC trip

Here are some second hand sketches from a recent trip to NYC. Sometimes I don't have time to draw so I  try to take mental pictures and draw later. Honestly this probably frees me up a bit. I become less focused on what a person looks like and more with their character traits and the general feel I got from them. Try to some time!

What's Wrong, City Harbor?

My latest What's Wrong? illustration is on the back cover of July's Highlights Magazine.  There are a lot of easter eggs in this one. Some are personal: such as my Dad, my childhood dog, and myself in my Dad's bass boat on the bottom of the illustration. I grew up fishing on the Delaware River from Philadelphia to Bristol. Many of the boat harbors (if you can call them that- they were just yacht club docks really) looked similar to this. However, I did mix in some New England influence which I found more pleasing to the eye. 

Other fun stuff includes the boat and cast from Jaws (including the kid with the shark fin on his head), the explorer Jacques Cousteau in his sub (I have fond memories of watching Cousteau on PBS - he always fascinated me), and a tugboat (simply because I love tugboats). There is also a Biblical reference in here, can you find it?

Now that I look at this illustration I realize that I did something wrong: the crabs are walking forward. I know, now it's ruined.