Huddle Up!

Bibliography:
The 1984 San Francisco 49ers: "We are the Niners!" • The 1985 Chicago Bears: "Super Bowl Shuffle" • The 1986 L.A. Raiders: "The Silver and Black Attack" • The 1986 L.A. Rams: "Let's Ram It" • The 1987 Missouri Tigers: "The Cats from Ol' Mizzou" • The 1988 Liverpool F.C.: "Anfield Rap" • The Southern Food Brokerage: "Super Broker Shuffle" • The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling: "Intro Rap"

Leon says this is the last strip that'll be printed in the paper, but don't worry, he'll continue providing you FUN FACTS FOREVER.

New Print: REDD FOXX!

I just finished printing up the latest installment in my series of prints commemorating local St. Louis "folk icons" -- legendary comedian and TV star Redd Foxx! I had done this painting of Redd a while back and was gonna try and capture the same moment, Fred G. Sanford's famous heart-attack pantomime, as well as draw that sweet junk-truck again. But the more I read up on Redd's life and past, the more I became interested in his early stand-up work, specifically the raunchy image he created through his under-ground "party records."I decided to focus on this under-appreciated aspect of his career in my early sketches...... and went so far as to do a final inked drawing:Ultimately though I decided that I was losing the power and recognizability of Redd Foxx as an icon with this approach, and just couldn't quite get the composition & colors to work anyway. I went back to the drawing board......and did some research via YouTube to really try and nail Fred Sanford's phony seizure / ascent to see his wife Elizabeth above:Here's how that ink drawing turned out:And the finished digital art (white, red & blue ink on chipboard):These will be available to purchase from me directly (write me if interested) and hopefully at some shoppes & shows around town. I'm gonna take a break from this series - at least until I get some inspiration for new St. Louisians - so it's a good time to complete your set!

Self-Portrait in Flannel Shirt

I saw a Van Gogh Omnimax documentary last night, listened to BRAINWORMS all day, put on a flannel shirt, and out came this drawing. ALL HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

History of Heavy Metal Logos

Leon explains it all here!

Beasts! at Giant Robot in San Francisco

There's an awesome art show happening at the Giant Robot store in San Francisco, opening this weekend. More info and preview pixx here! There will be copies of my Giant Squid print there ready to drag you down into Davy Jones' Locker.It's a four-color screenprint, and I'm officially out of them, but if you're in the Bay Area you can still grab one for 50 tentacles.

Gross for One! Gross for All!

I've written before about how much I love Madballs™ and here's a little painting I did of 'Wolf Breath.' Special thanks to James McShane for sending this gnarled foam dude to me.
Also here are some new custom Madballs I brainstormed in my sketchbook. Hey -- 'Brain Storm' - that'd be a good one too!

Lots of Prints & Beyond

Just printed up 400 more of these bad boys (and boy are my arms TIRED!). Get a hot copy here if you haven't already.love,
Leon Beyond

Lava Wave

Our pal Anchovy went to Hawaii and we are all jealous. This is a white-out and colored pencil drawing of what I imagine he's up to RIGHT NOW.

Naked Dudes: Figures Drawn 01.06.09

Here are some drawings I made last night at the St. Louis Artists' Guild. Colored Pencil & Sumi Ink on big sheets of construction paper. I'm posting these to (hopefully) force myself back in the habit of going to figure drawing night and maybe to track my progress. *Note: That first gesture drawing was made on top of on old scrap drawing I had. I now realize it looks weird.

The Perfect Amount of Raisins

2008 News Challenge! Director's Cut

If you live in St. Louis or surroundings, be sure to pick up a copy of this week's RFT! I drew a bunch of illustrations for the year-end news quiz, as well as the cover. These drawings are pretty weird on their own but will make more sense if you take the quiz online (or on paper) and read the corresponding questions. For instance, #16: The City Museum became the recipient of the world's largest ______ in 2008. A: Pencil. B: Lawsuit. C: Wedgie. D: Tourist.The interior drawings were printed in grayscale in the paper but here are the original full-color versions (ink and watercolor on typing paper):
Looking at these illustrations it's clear to me that I can no longer in good conscience refute the influence Don Martin has had on my aesthetic. At least I managed to stay away from fish bones in my puke and strange onomatopoeia all over the place (post a comment with your best Mechanical Wedgie-Giving Contraption sound effect).See you in 2009!