A Second Look at Older Work - Usagi Yojimbo - San Diego Comic-Con Souvenir Brochure

This coming June will mark twenty years for me in the gaming industry, and this is also my twenty-sixth year as a working artist. I have made a lot of work over these years, and as I focus on larger projects with multi-year timelines, it is hard to keep this blog updated regularly. I have kept this thing going since 2009, and I would like for it to continue. To that end, I thought I would look back at works I particularly liked, enjoyed making, or seemed to fall through the cracks and went unnoticed.

Today, I have for you a piece completed in 2009 (the year I got serious) and was for the San Diego Comic-Con Souvenir Brochure. There was an open submission for art entries related to one of the various celebrations or anniversaries in the comic industry in 2009. Stan Sakai was being honored for twenty fives years of his Usagi Yojimbo series (I guess it is now 41 years!). I am a HUGE Sakai and Usagi Yojimbo fan, and sixteen years ago, I apparently had the time and interest to do a tribute piece for the brochure. There was no guarantee that your work would be accepted, but I did it anyway. Ultimately, my work was selected and included in the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con Souvenir Brochure. I had a very awkward moment meeting Stan to thank him and put my face to my art in the brochure.

Usagi Yojimbo

Digital

San Diego Comic Con Souvenir Brochure

It is fun to look back at older work to see things that became things you repeatedly do in your contemporary art. I still love these golem samurai that are full of hellfire. If you want to see and read more about this piece, you must know by now there are posts here on the blog to assist you!

That's all for another exciting week on the blog. See you back here next week! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability, head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Comic Con 2009 - Preview Night

The wife and I are in San Diego and beginning our 2009 Comic Con experience. So far so good. I am already getting that weird "I know you" feeling with half the people I run into, very odd. The big news already is that the Usagi Yojimbo art I submitted for the Souvenir Book made it in! You may remember when I posted it here. Not only did my piece make it in, but it shares a spread with a piece by Stan Sakai himself! How cool is that? Really looking forward to stopping by Stan's booth and say 'hi', been a huge fan of his for years now. Here is a bad photo of the Souvenir Book spread:

Woot!

I will do my best to take lots of pictures (that may or may not be of interest to anyone else) and post them as often as possible. The convention center has great free WiFi while our hotel has pay by the hour crappy WiFi. So I will see how it goes. Don't forget my frequent and annoying twitter updates!

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Usagi Yojimbo Final

Two weeks ago I posted a sketch I was planning on submitting for this years San Diego Comic Con Souvenir Brochure. Today is the postmark deadline for submissions and my piece went in the mail this morning. I am not a big fan of sending pieces in the mail but the file exceeded their email size limit. I have my fingers crossed, but I will try not to get my hopes up. I am happy with how the piece turned out, so that in itself is good for me.

I submitted two versions, one as you see here and one with a congratulatory message to Stan Sakai. If it makes it in, I will let the powers that be select their preferred version.

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Sketchbook 4/4/2009 & Usagi Sketch

Here is one creature that made it into my sketchbook over the weekend. Another full weekend of painting and drawing for projects. This little guy would mostly have had some friends if I hadn't kept forgetting to have my sketchbook in hand when I left the house.

I wonder if he has a problem with drooling...

Here is a drawing I did over the weekend for a painting I hope to be starting later this week. This will be a submission for the souvenir brochure for the San Diego Comic Con in July. Each year they have themes they accept art for and then publish selected works in a brochure. One of the themes for this year is the 25th anniversary of Usagi Yojimbo created by Stan Sakai. I am a huge fan of Stan Sakai's work so I felt inspired to do a piece and submit it. My wife's encouragement helped too, since she may be a bigger Stan Sakai fan then me. But time is ticking, the deadline is April 20th... so I need to move fast.


Speaking of Comic Con, I can't wait! Should be a great year! I am really looking forward to catching up with people I have not seen in awhile, meeting people I have never met in person, and getting introduced with new folks. If you will be attending, I hope to see you there!

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com