Uncanny Manfrog:

Still fine tuning Man-frog’s look. This version is based on my Dad when he was a young man. He was in Italy in WW2 and saw the Colosseum, ( he also saw Vesuvius errupt). Hence, the background.

Toy and Action Figure Museum

Why am I looking so astonished, or perhaps incredulous or probably just stupified?   Why you ask?
It’s because I’m blown away by the tons of toys and action figures at the Toy and Action Figure Museum.

Here it is, located on the brick streets of downtown Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.  Check out the attention to detail on the robotic figure: He’s battle damaged!

BSEvery nook and cranny is packed with almost every action figure you can imagine.

I was lucky enough to run into the Toyman of Pauls Valley, Kevin Stark.   Kevin donated his toy collection to form this museum.  He gave me a tour of his museum, and his studio, Stark Art.  Kevin is an accomplished toy designer, cartoonist and painter.  His favorite action figure:  The Composite Superman!

Thanks Kevin for the tours.

 

 

Caricature

Working Method: Pomodoro Technique

Sometimes it’s tough to stay disciplined while working.  I’m self-employeed as an illustrator.  With no one to keep an eye on me, I’m apt to find myself laying on the couch watching tv, or stuffing my face in the kitchen. Hey, I’m not the only illustrator slacker.   This seems to be the bane of all illustrators and cartoonists I know.  Here’s one solution to wandering away from the drawing board, or nowadays, for me, the Intuos Tablet:     THE POMODORO TECHNIQUE!

Here’s how it works!   You get a kitchen timer, and I’d recommend getting the wind up kind that makes an audible ticking sound.  You set it for 25 minutes, this amount of time is called a Pomodoro,  For the length of the Pomodoro, you do nothing but work intensely.   If you get  a personal phone call, and you take it, well… that cancels out the Pomodoro and you have to start over.    This forces you to dedicate yourself to the work at hand.   As you become acclimated to the Pomodoro Method you start taking such personal calls on your break.  After all ,what can be so urgent you can’t wait 25 minutes to call them back.   After the 25 minutes is over the bell rings, you set the timer for five minutes and do what ever you want:  bathroom break, call you friends, watch tv,  it’s up to you.   Then when the dinger dings its back to your next Pomodoro.   Each time you finish a Pomodoro, mark it on a board or something.   The sound of the ticking timer and marking down Pomodoros gives me a sense of accomplishment.  After you rack up four straight Pomodoros take a thirty minute break or even an hour and go to lunch or take a nap.

Pomodoro is Italian for Tomato.   The guy that invented this method, used a kitchen timer that looked like a tomato.   You can get a Pomodoro app for your  smart phone ( as shown in the photo)  that will handle all the technical timer setting stuff for you.

Using the timer has really helped me get things done.  I recommend it!  Find out all about it here:  http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/

Miracle Squad: The Miracle Squad graphic novel is now available.

I got my long anticipated author’s copies from my Publisher, Pulp 2.0 Press.   It feels good to be back in print again!  If you’re interested, you can get a copy from Amazon.com.

CHARACTER DESIGN: Kid Zingo

Kid Zingo is a the cartoon spokesman for my newest venture:  Zingo Maps.   I’ll no doubt be posting about Zingo Maps in the future , but for now let’s concentrate on Kid Zingo.  I wanted a friendly, wholesome looking character to place on my web pages, possibly animated, and on promotional material for Zingo Maps.   I wanted him simply drawn.  Complicated characters are a pain to animate.   I suppose my influences for him were a bit of Bill Watterson’s Spaceman Spiff and  Dick Sprang’s Robin.   Two of the greatest cartoonists of all time, by the way.  Here is the first version.   What do you think?

Logos: Oklahoma Cartoonist Collection

I designed the logo for the Oklahoma Cartoonist Collection.    In the Action Figure Museum in Pauls Valley , Oklahoma there’s an exhibit featuring Oklahoma Cartoonists.  You can see original art there from such Oklahoma Cartoonists as Bill Mauldin, Chester Gould, Jerry Iger, and even me.

Illustration: Green Giant

Working at the Cherry Street Coffee Shop today.    I get more work done in coffee shops than I do at the studio.

I’m working on some comic strips for Green Giant.  I actually feel like I’m working on something worthwhile here; Getting kids to eat more vegatables.   Have you taken a look at kids lately.  Most of them are so fat!  What happened kids? I’m creating the pencils , colors and lettering digitally via Intous 4, with digital inks by Scott Youtsey.   Both of us, of course, doing this job via Miracle Studios.   Check out the first strip here.  Green Giant Strip

Revolutionairy!

This is “Libby”. She stars in a yarn set one hundred years from now. Corporations rule the United States through a puppet legislature. (uh… kinda like now). Libby is a Joan of Arc type of charismatic leader, who fights to bring the United States back to its Jeffersonian principals. The tattoo on her arm reads “Don’t Tread on Me” and her sword bears the Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared”!  She is backed by a militia, of men and boys,  calling themselves the Scouts, who base their uniforms and credo on what was formerly the Boy Scouts.  She also has a large wolf as a companion.  All this takes place in a typical post apocalyptic setting, of course.  ha        Libby is © Terry Tidwell 2010

I made it all up myself….  Uh, yeah with a little inspiration from J. C. Leyendecker.

He painted this WWI propaganda poster.  One hangs in the J.M. Davis Gun Museum in Claremore, the town my studio is in.  I used to work there as a teenager.  This poster was my favorite thing in the museum.

If you look at this long enough,  ( I have an authentic poster framed and hanging in my living room) and project what’s happening with the USA today, this story sort of writes itself.