Happy Thanksgiving!

I wish everyone a very happy, peaceful and love filled Thanksgiving!
Eat lots and get some exercise.

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #turkey, #humor

Le Voyage Dans la Lun (A Trip to the Moon)

Little known fact:
Burnie was the first worm to the moon.
Look! Here's proof!

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #Burnie, #worm, #burnietheworm, #moon, #parody

My Blog is 2 Years Old!

My Blog is 2!
To celebrate here's a past image I created for McDivot's birthday celebration (for iOS devices).
This features Sandy Mulligan, Gutsy McDivot, Burnie Worm and the Grey Hares (their first appearance).

McDivot is actually pushing 5-years-old since he first appeared in the PC/Mac version of Fairway Solitaire.

I really, really know this little guy so well and I lo-o-o-o-ove working with him. Sometimes I still discover something new about him as he and I both develop in a creative sense.

He's been the best thing to happen to me in my career.

Oh, I should start hashtagging!
#McDivot #Burnie #Sandy #fairwaysolitaire

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon

Talk Like a Pirate Day

Avast and Yarrrrr!

This is one piece that evolved from a Pirate Sandy VS Moby Dick theme to a Sandy VS a Kraken theme. I was so frustrated with all the changes I made as I worked on it that it took me about three weeks post-completion to finally feel like I can now enjoy it. I see things I would have liked to have changed but time was an issue.

While I miss the whale and the fleet of fleeing ships I intended I do admit it's now a better piece. Stupid irony.

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #sandy, #pirate, #kraken, #squid, #sea, #ocean, #humor, #sailing

The Good, The Bad and The Furry

"Put your drawers on and take your gun off."

McDivot's western theme.
I had fun with this one. I wanted it to feel a bit Mad magazine-ish. How fun would it be to work there?!
I miss Jack Davis.

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #parody, "clinteastwood, #eliwallach, #leevancleef, #humor, #illustration

Gene Kelly would be all over McDivot!

Here is a "Singing in the Rain" parody from our Musicals tribute.
I tried to be very true to the scene by mimicking the set and props. I got a lot of great feedback and critiques as I worked on this one.

Like any artist I look at an older piece and see flaws. I had meant to add some more blurry splashes among other things. It's getting to where I sometimes hate looking at my previous pieces because I see stuff I shoulda done.

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #parody, #illustration, #genekelly, #musical

Official McDivot T-Shirt

In case you didn't already see my vociferous Facebook posts...

Get your official McDivot T-Shirt here!

https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Varmint-Garmint-Medium-Asphalt/dp/B01GSEH482/ref=lp_14859970011_1_1?srs=14859970011&ie=UTF8&qid=1469557551&sr=8-1

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #tshirt

Bike To Work

From Bike to Work Day.
Let someone else pedal and steer. Then you can text, nap or whatever.

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #tandem, #bicycle, #bunny, #carpool, #commuting

Laugh-In : Bunny Style!

We recently did a 60's set of McDivot art. Laugh-In (and TV in general) was a big influence for me. Anything humorous was what I watched.

Here's my McDivot world design featuring the Grey Hares.

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #parody, #bunny, #laughin

Gopher Some Ice Cream?

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #icecream, #illustration, #sandy, #burnie

Burnie Smash!

I enjoyed this one. Burnie as The Hulk.
Who needs arms to get muscles? Arms are for puny humans!

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #parody, #hulk, #wolverine, #illustration

The Godfather - Working Outside the Comfort Zone

My normal and still preferred art style is with ink and paint. Currently I use Photoshop but I do miss my Windsor Newton Series 7 #2 watercolor brush. Since I use the computer due to ergonomic reasons it might be hard for me to go back to traditional methods but it's where I hones these inking skills.

Painting is not my forte. It never was but I have great admiration for painters. So I thought I'd try my hand at some digital paint. This is my first successful painted piece in a very long time and I have to say I enjoyed it! I think it's only a matter of time before I got so comfortable with it that I'll fall in love with it.

But my first art-love is still ink and paint.

So here is my "Godfather" parody piece, the "Gophather".

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, "godfather, #parody, #burnie

Small Boast

I'm not a big award winning artist.

But why not boast about the time I did win an award. It's on my resume after all.

I won the 2002 "Golden Toonie", or the "Cartoonist of the Year Award" from Cartoonists Northwest.

I've been a member of this group for so long I can't even remember how long it's been. 25 years sounds about right. I give them full credit for getting me my first proper freelance job (contracting to you multimedia working millennials). It was a T-shirt designing job. Low pay but semi regular.

In 2002 I was working as a video game artist. After some work on a Harry Potter game among other titles the fabulous group was kind enough to award me the honor and I am truly grateful. It put me in some stellar company of artists too if you check the list of past winners including "Bloom County's" Berkeley Breathed, 2-time Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist David Horsey, Steve Greenberg, Brain Basset, Lynn Johnston the creator of "For Better or Worse" and John "Last Kiss/Donald Duck" Lustig. Not to mention Peter Bagge, Jim Woodring and Donna Barr.

It's quite humbling.

Not humbling enough not to mention it at least once :)

Where is he now?

Working with a wonderful varmint at Big Fish.

Golden Toonie Award Winners

·         2011 T Lewis and Shannon Wheeler (tie)

·         2010 Keith Curtis

·         2009 Kevin Boze and Mark Monlux (tie)

·         2008 David Lasky

·         2007 Pat Moriarity

·         2006 Sherry Flenniken

·         2005 Peter Bagge

·         2004 Rick Hoberg

·         2003 Kevin Brockschmidt

·         2002 Jeff Willis

·         2001 Ellen Forney

·         2000 John Lustig

·         1999 Jim Woodring

·         1998 Roberta Greogory

·         1997 Art Bouthillier

·         1996 Donna Barr and Peter Oakley (tie)

·         1995 Lynn Johnston

·         1994 Brian Basset

·         1993 Berkeley Breathed

·         1992 David Horsey

·         1991 George Jartos

·         1991 Steve Greenberg

Kiss the Artist

I Wanna Rock and Roll
All Night
And Party Ev-ah-ree Day!

Character art - Jeff Willis
Painting - David Stevenson

#mcdivot, #gopher, #gopherwrangler, #fairwaysolitaire, #green, #jeffwillis, #jeffwillisartist, #animation, #cartoon, #parody, #kiss, #illustration