Category Archives: Illustration Alumni

Illustration Faculty & Alumni Updates Digest

General Info, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, Interviews, News, Performances, Publications, , , , , , ,
russian mr. wiggles.
  • Adjunct Faculty Neil Swaab tells us that the Russian edition of his book, Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles: Volume 1, has just been released. Get your copy here.
philip fivel
  • Illustration Alum Philip Fivel Nessen has updated his portfolio with new artwork. See more images here.
bentfootes
  • Illustration and Alum R. Sikoryak created the animation and archival images for the mockumentary, The Bentfootes, a loving skewering of 200 years of American dance. Catch a free screening:

Saturday and Sunday March 29-30, Tuesday April 1 @ 1:00 pmFestivalHUB @ Seaport | LMCC Swing Space210 Front Street at Beekman Street, NYC

angie mason
jonathan jay lee
  • Illustration Alum Jonathan Jay Lee sent us an email recently saying, “I did some really exciting stuff in Hong Kong, I drew this comic book for this HK popstar called Kary Ng. She wanted to be a superhero, it was used for her concert and her new single. I did a cover for HK magazine, and I redesigned and painted the interior of this club in Lan Kwai Fong…If you get the chance, I posted links and pictures of my projects in HK at the end of my website.”
george bates t-shirt
yaccarino
  • Illustration Alum Dan Yaccarino is writing a screen adaptation of his children’s book, Where the Four Winds Blow as an animated feature for Fox/Blue Sky Studios, developing a new animated series based on his popular book Unlovable and writing and illustrating more childrens books.

Congratulations to all our faculty and alumni on their recent accomplishments!Want to see your news here?  Email us!

Ugly Dolls written up in the New York Times

General Info, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Industry, , , , ,
ugly dolls for boys?

Parsons Alums David Horvath & Sun-Min Kim are in the news with their creation–Ugly Dolls. Here’s an excerpt from the New York Times article:

The Uglies are neither superheros nor stuffed animals. They’re not as saccharine as Beanie Babies or Cabbage Patch kids. They’re a bit like characters from Sesame Street (Cookie Monster comes to mind) and a bit like E.T., except without pasty skin or the spring-loaded neck.

David Horvath, who created them with Sun-Min Kim — then his girlfriend, now his wife — says they were inspired by the bootleg videos they both grew up watching: Japanese robots and shows like “Battle Fever J,” which begat the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

The inspiration for Uglies, he joked, was Ultraman and Gamera.

That’s hard to buy, since they are the antithesis of huggable: Ultraman is Japan’s metal-skulled Ironman, vanquishing monsters with karate kicks and electric bolts that slice heads off. Gamera is a giant flying turtle whose leg holes shoot flames.

Check out the rest of the article here and see more of David and Sun-Min’s Ugly Dolls at their website.

R:ED Magazine Focuses on Illustration

General Info, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, Interviews, Publications, , , , , ,
red cover

The Illustration Department is proud to announce the publication of the Spring 2008 Parsons Alumni magazine, R:ED. This issue is devoted to covering topics in Illustration, whether it’s the life of newly appointed director of the Society of Illustrators Anelle Miller (Illustration ’74) or the work of up and coming current student Christine Young.  Articles included cover things like the Illustration Department’s collaboration with Design Within Reach and recent symposium about “Illustration in the Age of Anxiety.”  There are also illustrations by Illustration faculty members George Bates, Nora Krug, and Ben Katchor.

red spread

Here’s a link to the entire issue in PDF format–RE:D Spring 2008 issue! Congratulations to all our featured students, faculty, and alumni.  If you graduated from the department, make sure you keep us (as well as the Parsons Alumni Department) up to date on your accomplishments and professional progress.

Parsons Illustration Alumni Event tonight at Society of Illustrators

Events, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Dept. Events, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, , , , ,

SOI event

Over 170 people–alumni, as well as current faculty and students–have RSVP’d for the Parsons’ Illustration Alumni Event tonight at the Society of Illustrators. Not only will this be a wonderful gathering of artists, friends, and colleagues, but also an opportunity to view the 50th Annual Exhibition, organized by Peter DeSeve (Illustration, ’80) and featuring a host of works including gold medal winning pieces by Illustration Faculty Nora Krug and Jillian Tamaki.

It’s also an excellent way to remind people of how valuable the Society of Illustrators is as a resource and artistic institution. Illustrator Ronnie del Carmen recently blogged, “I walk into the the building on 128 East 63rd street and up to the second floor where I encountered the pantheon to classic illustration in America. I had to hold my jaw up.” And that’s the truth. Read the rest of Ronnie’s entry here and make sure that even if you can’t attend the event tonight, take the time to visit the Society sometime soon.

alumni event info

[lettering and illustration done by Julian Hector (Illustration ’07 ) ]

R. Sikoryak’s upcoming events

Events, General Info, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, Publications, , ,

bob

Adjunct faculty member (and Illustration Alum) R. Sikoryak is a busy guy these days. In addition to working on his upcoming book, Bob is also taking part in the events below. Check ’em out!

_______

Fantagraphics Books & Rocketship Brooklyn are proud to present:

A HOTWIRE COMICS RELEASE PARTY & SIGNING!

WHO: Craig Yoe, Mark Newgarden, Glenn Head, Danny Hellman, Sam Henderson, R. Sikoryak, Jonathon Rosen, Mark Dean Veca, Chadwick Whitehead…

WHAT: HOTWIRE COMICS Vol. 2 Release Party & Signing

WHERE: ROCKETSHIP
208 Smith St. b/w Butler and Baltic in Brooklyn.
ph# 718-797-1348

WHEN: Friday, March 14, at 8PM

HOTWIRE COMICS Vol. 2 weighs in at 136 pages, 64 in full color, with an eye-popping fold-out and big 9×12 format. Edited by Glenn Head (Snake Eyes). Featuring all new work by these GREAT talents: Tim Lane, Jonathon Rosen, Mark Newgarden, R. Sikoryak, David Sandlin, Mary Fleener, Johnny Ryan, Matti Hagelberg, David Paleo, Sam Henderson, Danny Hellman, Glenn Head, Carol Swain, Mark dean Veca, Stephane Blanquet, Mack White, Onsmith, Lorna Miller, Chris Estey, David Lasky, Ivan Brunetti, Tobias Tak, Craig Yoe, and Christian Northeast….

HOTWIRE puts the kicks back in comics! Yes, the Eisner and Harvey award nominated comics’ anthology is back for another mindbending, madcap, mash-up of thrills, spills, and glorious cartoon mayhem!

_______

SPLAT! A Graphic Novel Symposium will take place on Saturday, March 15 at the New York Center of Independent Publishing (NYCIP) in Manhattan, with keynote speaker Scott McCloud . The NYCIP is a non-profit educational program (part of the General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen) dedicated to promoting and supporting independent publishers across the United States.

Graphic novels are becoming increasingly popular, creating a groundswell of excitement and interest. Addressing the graphic novel’s considerable impact on the public consciousness, the SPLAT! Symposium, organized by the NYCIP, will provide an intensive educational forum for the publishing community, educators, librarians, and people eager to find out more about the comics universe. It will also supply prospective creators with a unique opportunity to learn what it takes to be a graphic novelist.

The conference will feature a number of movers and shakers from the graphic novel world, including: Scott McCloud (one of the most influential and highly regarded cartoonists in the country, who will be the Symposium’s keynote speaker); Jim Killen (Barnes and Noble); David Saylor (Scholastic), Raina Telgemeier (The Baby-Sitters Club), CB Cebulski (Marvel Comics); Bob Mecoy (Bob Mecoy Literary Agency); R. Sikoryak (Drawn & Quarterly); Nick Bertozzi (The Salon); Charles Brownstein (CBLDF); and many more…

Andy and Ben Kehoe show at Green Lantern Gallery

Events, Exhibitions, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Industry, , , , ,
kehoe brothers

Chicago’s Green Lantern Gallery is hosting an exhibition of works by Parsons Illustration Alum Andy Kehoe and his brother Ben. The official press release reads:

Though the days are shorter, it is still a bitter cold outside. It is impossible to recall the heat of summer and sweaty green things. The body seems to have lost its memory. The mind conjures only phantoms of light and comfort. Yet there is also the anguish of spring and in spring there is a rebirth. Life takes on new shapes, adapting to the apprehension of growth. There is anticipation in life.

We are born in violence. The passage is both catastrophic and forgettable. In this show, violence is depicted through ornate designs of medieval horror, friendship, monsters and the sometimes contemporary wink. There is a new splash of color that takes up the page as we enter the worlds of Andy and Benjamin Kehoe—a compelling place with rich metaphors and soft jokes. It is better in this world. In this world the fantasy offers some respite from the otherwise urban gray of winter decreptitude. They prepare us for the summer, refurbishing the idea of color.

Andy has posted a preview of the show here. If you’re in the Chicago area, make sure to check it out!

The Safest Place in the World
Andy and Ben Kehoe
February 29th-March 29th, 2008
Green Lantern Gallery
1511 N. Milwaukee Ave., 2nd Floor
Chicago, IL

Upcoming: Illustration Alum William Buzzell show at Giant Robot NY

Events, Exhibitions, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Industry, News, , , ,
buzzell at giant robot

Illustration Alum William Buzzell presents his first solo show in New York –“Class Action,”–opening this weekend at Giant Robot New York. Here’s the official press release:

Working almost entirely with found wood or metal and common latex house paint, Buzzell’s pieces are characterized by a surface of intricate brushwork and often feature three-dimensional elements. William Buzzell dips into the mundane, the practical world and a deep well of popular culture, often using maps, logos, charts, text, and familiar cartoon characters or TV icons to fill every inch of his paintings. A native of Providence, RI, much of Buzzell’s early work was installed on the streets of his hometown and New York under the alias Rotgut.

William’s work was also recently featured in the Illustration Department’s show “Expatriates,” curated by Jordin Isip. Congratulations, William and our thanks to the fine folks at Giant Robot for the information.

William Buzzell’s Class Action
Giant Robot New York
February 16 – March 12, 2008
Reception: Saturday, 6:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
437 East 9th Street
New York, New York 10009
(212) 674-GRNY

Illustration Alum & Faculty featured in Society of Illustrators Exhibition

Exhibitions, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, , , , , ,
nora for society of illustrators
Gold Medal Winner Nora Krug (Associate Professor, Illustration)

Congratulations go out to Nora Krug on being awarded the Gold Medal by the Society of Illustrators for her illustration work, which is included, along with works by Parsons faculty Steven Guarnaccia and George Bates (who is also an alum) in the Society’s Sequential Category.

 

august wilson by george
George Bates (Illustration Alum and Adjunct Faculty)

 

Here’s the official announcement from the Society:

January 30—February 16, 2008: Kicking off the 50th Anniversary of the ILLUSTRATORS ANNUAL is the Sequential Category of the Annual Exhibition. This juried competition features the best sequential illustrations of the year. This category includes any multi-image project for which a sequence of images is necessary to fully convey an idea or story. Examples include: comic books, art journalism, graphic novels, pre-production art and animation.

steven @ society

Steven Guarnaccia (Illustration Department Chair)


Society of Illustrators
128 East 63rd Street (between Park and Lexington Avenues)
New York, NY 10065
Tel: (212) 838-2560
Fax: (212) 838-2561
E-Mail: info@societyillustrators.org

Early Notice: Splat: A Graphic Novel Symposium, featuring R. Sikoryak

Events, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Faculty, Illustration Industry, News, , , , , ,

splat

Among a host of others, Illustration Adjunct Faculty and Alum Bob Sikoryak will be taking part in Splat: A Graphic Novel Symposium. Here’s the official scoop:

SPLAT! A Graphic Novel Symposium will take place on Saturday, March 15
at the New York Center for Independent Publishing (NYCIP) in
Manhattan, with keynote speaker Scott McCloud. The NYCIP is a
non-profit educational program (part of the General Society of
Mechanics and Tradesmen) dedicated to promoting and supporting
independent publishers across the United States.

Graphic novels are becoming increasingly popular, creating a
groundswell of excitement and interest. Addressing the graphic
novel’s considerable impact on the public consciousness, the SPLAT!
Symposium, organized by the NYCIP, will provide an intensive
educational forum for the publishing community, educators, librarians,
and people eager to find out more about the comics universe. It will
also supply prospective creators with a unique opportunity to learn
what it takes to be a graphic novelist.

The conference will feature a number of movers and shakers from the
graphic novel world, including: Scott McCloud (Zot! and Making
Comics); Jim Killen (Barnes and Noble); David Saylor (Scholastic),
Raina Telgemeier (The Baby-Sitters Club), Ted Rall (Attitude), CB
Cebulski (Marvel Comics); Bob Mecoy (Bob Mecoy Literary Agency); R.
Sikoryak (The Seduction of Mike); Nick Bertozzi (The Salon); and
Charles Brownstein (CBLDF).

SPLAT will consist of three different tracks of panels, seminars, and
workshops designed for the publishing industry, would-be creators, and
librarians to be followed by the SPLAT Gala Reception. The first track
will feature panels, including “Who Reads Graphic Novels?” and “How to
Get Published;” the second track will consist of hands-on workshops
such as “Storytelling” and “Where to Start with Art;” and the final
library-oriented track will include seminars on “Using Anime & Manga
to Light the Fire in Your Young Adult Collection” and “Defending Your
Graphic Novel Collections from Challenges and Censorship.”

The cost of the day-long Symposium will be $125; this will include
lunch and the Gala Reception with the keynote speaker, Scott McCloud.

Spread the word and catch this great event if you can. More information about registration can be found here and a complete breakdown of the panels can be found here. Don’t miss it!

SPLAT
NYCIP, The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen
20 West 44th Street, New York City. For more
212-764-7021
nycip@nycip.org.

Quick Hit: Illustration Alum in show at Cinders Gallery

Exhibitions, Illustration Alumni, Illustration Industry, News, , , ,

Illustration alum Keren Richter (whose wonderful work has been recently featured in the Illustration Department display cases as part of the Jordin Isip-curated show “Expatriates”) is part of a group show at Cinders Gallery in Brooklyn, called “Brevity’s Rainbow.”  Here’s an excerpt from the curator’s note:

Nothing against Christo and Jean Claude, but art isn’t meant to be big grand flourishes of orange gates. And really, I love Olafur, and huge waterfalls under the great bridges of New York are really cool, but art is supposed to be an intimate affair.

Which is why I asked some of my favorite artists and some of my best friends to interpret the idea of the Lilliputian and the temporal, the specks of dust that make up the world, the fleeting moments of pleasure and pain. I wanted the artists to bend over their workbenches and canvases and get inside of their tiny artworks. I wanted to freeze a moment so you could all lean in, get our faces right up next to the artwork, as close as you can possibly get, and see a tiny beautiful thing.

I wanted to make a galaxy of tiny art, a prismatic assemblage of little moments: this is Brevity’s Rainbow.

If you’re in the New York area, make sure you check it out. Congrats to Keren on her work!

Brevity’s Rainbow
A Group Show of Tiny Works
February 8th – February 17th 2008
Opening Reception Friday Feb. 8th 2008
Curated by Maxwell Williams