Monta Money!

Here's an oldie but goodie! During the "We Believe" playoff run of 2007 vs. The Dallas Mavericks, I decided to print up some money signs during the game with our players like Monta and Baron on it... why? Because everyone loves to look at money! It was a fun project to work on and wish i could have made more... I recently found the template I used in Illustrator so I think it's about time I updated some of these dead presidents! Oh yeah, the design was approved by Monta Ellis!

Bob Bash 2009

Oh how I can use a vacation right now! If you're gonna be in Hawaii on the 6th of February, swing on by Shiver Inc.'s Bob Bash 2009 featuring some of Hawaii's finest bands. It's gonna be an exciting night as these folks pay tribute to the late, great Bob Marley! It isn't often I get requests for flyer paying tribute to one of my favorite music artists so i wanted to make sure I got it down right. Enjoy the show!

"Believe" What You Want

There's something real inspiring about this illustration... taking "We Believe" to the next level!

Just diggin' up a few illustrations I had posted in my old website. I really didn't want this to go to waste even if it was from last season. With the Warriors current funk... I'll believe anything, especially finishing the season with at least 30 wins! This was one of my favorite pieces from last season. It's so inspirational. Stephen Jackson's been through a lot of negative publicity throughout his career and since his arrival to Golden State, He's become a model citizen to the community (especially the kids) and it's fans. I couldn't be happier for the guy! He's possibly one of the nicest guys off court. Appreciate the positive feedback!

Thoughts on GSoM Night 6

I am very fortunate to work with a special group of people who organize big events for Warrior Fans and our loyal following at Golden State of Mind. The idea of a GSoM Night event is simple, get Warrior fans, family and friends together and have a great time out! Special thanks goes out to Fantasy Junkie (of GSoM) and Chris Murphy (Warriors ticket sales) for organizing and planning each event. GSoM Night isn't just going out to a game. It's spending it with family and friends, hanging out and cheering your team on. Chris Murphy is also able to get big groups in sections where we can all sit together. I personally enjoy GSoM Night for some of the little perks... Going down to the lower level and watching the team shoot around is a big plus for my wife and I. We always have giveaways including a commemorative shirt that comes with the deal and the tickets are usually discounted which is great, especially with the state of our economy.

I had a real good time during the last GSoM Night. I spent it with my wife Gemma, which we celebrated our 9 year anniversary. My cousins came along and made it even fun. I also had a close friend who I've known since Kindergarten join us for the festivities. That's what it's all about, getting together with the Homies and cheering the team on for a victory. I'd like to thank GSoM, The Warriors Organization and all of its supporters for including me in making these events possible!

The Infamous Lil' Dubz (2007-08 Roster)

A little over 2 years ago, Pharrell of the Neptunes dropped this album called "In My Mind" which didn't gain too much critical success. What did catch a buzz was the artwork for the cover... a block headed like caricature of Pharrell all animated like. It didn't take long for folks to start making their own lil' guys down the stretch which actually was really fun. For me, I actually started drawing a few of the Golden State Warriors Players as Pharrell-like characters. Rather than drawing them in single form, I ended up drawing a whole community of caricature we like to call "Lil' Dubz." I got everyone from the starting line up (Baron, Monta, Stephen) to the bench players (Barnes and Pietrus) including past favorites, the cheerleaders and even their Mascot!

Their was some popularity within the Golden State Community over these Lil' Dubz. We even sold them on-line and did quite well. (unhappy with Zazzle's marketing) I can see how folks liked the idea but I actually wanted to stop doing them. It's not my concept, and even if I tweaked or revamped certain elements, I just felt like I was piggy backing off of Pharrell's concept. It's great to see the Lil' Dubz represented in a different form but I didn't want to try and earn a living off of Pharrell's success!

What I'm Working on Today

It's still a work in progress close to its final stages but I'm really enjoying how this is turning out. To think, I've spent the past few years catering to sports personalities and it's loyal fans. (no complaints there) This right here, is back to the basics, and I'm really digging it. The color tones and light pen strokes make it visually appealing and suttle. We're not dealing with chiseled athletes, this one is for the ladies! Anyways, the project is for the good folks at Day by Day Entertainment. More to follow...

Andris Double-Double Meal

...2 all beef patties, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and your special "Latvian Sauce" on a sesame seed bun!

I almost forgot about this piece I did a few months ago, wanted to showcase it minus all of the wording when it was originally posted on GSoM. Leave it to me to come up with this oddball concept... a larger than life Andris Biedrins "Double-Double" value meal served at every Golden State Warriors game! 2 all-beef patty's, steak fries and a big ass drink! I used this idea early in the season in commemorating his double-double onslaught. (I believe 19 straight games!) The idea was amusing, chalked fup of laughs at the Arena and the best part was... the design was Andris approved.

A Night to Remember

Big ups to everybody that made it out! Friends, Family, Fear The Beard and the GSoM Crew!

My wife and I celebrated our anniversary like no other. Rather than going out fancy with the fine dining and expensive gifts we celebrated with what little we had and bought two $30 tickets and hung out at the Oracle Arena to see our Golden State Warriors take on the Los Angeles Clippers. (it was also GSoM Night 6!) It's one of those nights you just can't forget. Spending good company with my loving wife, family, friends and getting the chance to take advantage of some of the fun perks within the Arena. (thanks to the GSoM Crew for all of that!) Who would have known Gemma and I would be on tv? (well my wife anyways with her Ellis-obama like signage!) Getting the chance to hang out court side with friends and shooting some hoops (I was injured lol) was also a wonderful and rare experience, we made sure we took a lot of pics to cherish the moment! (Thanks Chris Murphy!) Overall, celebrating our 9 year anniversary was a great time out!

Our 9 Year Anniversary

Celebrating 9 years of Anthony and Gemmalyn! I love my wife Gemma very, very much!

This story never gets old. 9 Years ago this girl named Gemmalyn walked into Campbell, CA's Rasputin Music store and meets Tony Robles in the Rap section... letter "G" for (The Grouch of The Living Legends) hoping to find some CD's for her friend down south of LA. She walks out with 2 of the 3 CD's and my heart. 9 years to this day, Gemma and I first met accidentally on a day we had never expected would be our fate. I'm so happy for her coming into the store. We've had our up and downs (mostly ups!) and are happily married now. (3 years going strong) I am so blessed to have Gemmalyn in my life, she's the absolute best!

For todays activities, we'll be cheering our favorite team at the Oracle Arena as the Warriors host against the Los Angelas Clippers on GSoM Night 6! We'll be carrying big ass signs and welcoming Monta Ellis back in the line up! Today is a good day!

Lanie's Big Day

She likes it! When she gets a little older, I'll be getting her Adobe Creative Suite for her Birthday!

Today was a very special day for our friends Daniel and Anna. Their beautiful daughter Lanie was blessed with a wonderful dedication into their Christian Church among friends and family. I remember when Dan called me up at work last summer, it wasn't the best few days in the world... I was dealing with stress and had an exhausting schedule. When he called, he asked me and Gemma if we wanted to be God Parents to their daughter. How could we say no?! The offer was such a blessing and we were so honored to Accept! 8 months later, Lanie has been a beautiful joy in all of our lives. She's an absolute bundle of joy that brings smiles to all of our faces. She's just that precious!

Golden State Redemption

I'm sure you all heard the news by now? I sure did... at work, during a meeting. You name it: voice mail, instant messenger, myspace, facebook, missed calls and text messages! Monta Ellis is back! ...and folks are happy about it! While some folks kind of aren't... (lol) It's gonna be real interesting to see how he reacts to his first game back at the Oracle Friday Night. (Take it slow Monta!) The kids gotta be mad hungry for some playtime. We'll be there no doubt this Sunday for GSoM Night 6 with this bad boy posted on some foam core! Welcome Back Monta Ellis!

The 44th President

"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord..."

We witnessed history today, the inauguration of America's 1st African American President, Barack Obama. It felt real good, the feeling of change and hope. After listening to President Obama's speech I felt even more proud to be an American. Now more than ever I want to do my part in help strengthening our economy by working hard and taking pride in my skill to help support my family. Together, with the right leadership... we can make America strong again. It's a brand new day!

Your 2009 "Warrior Friends"

Warrior Friends 2009: (Roll call please)... Jamal Crawford (Green Lantern), Ronny Turiaf (Hawkman), Franco Finn (Warriors Twins), Kelenna Azubuike (Martian Man Hunter), Andris Biedrins (Aquaman), Anthony Morrow (Robin), Stephen Jackson (Batman), Marco Belinelli (SuperMan), Ruby Lopez (Warrior Twins), WG Brianna (Wonder Woman) and Monta Ellis (The Flash)

I guess it's a yearly tradition now with the Warrior Friends gig. Again, I just wanted to have some fun with the idea. I think I'm gonna haul this out as a sign for the upcoming GSoM 6 Night. The fans and Players should get a kick out of it. The drawing isn't complete, Maggette is missing and I've decided to draw him as Bizarro. (lol) Just looking at it as a whole, seeing Belinelli as Superman is outta sight, Jackson and Morrow as Batman and Robin is just as amazing. Everyones signature character is down right funny. Which has always been my motto. Be on the lookout for it next Sunday vs. The Clippers.

The Harlem Globetrotters are in town

The Harlem Globetrotters are in town. (My bad, tonight is the last night in Oakland) If you haven't seen the Trotters in action, you're missing out. The best thing about their events is that its so affordable for families. You can get lower lever seats for as low as $35 dollars (upper level as cheap as $17) and it's a very entertaining show. They really get the crowd involved and is just downright fun. I remember the last Globetrotters game I went to was last year and it was pretty hype reliving childhood memories. Check em' out yo'!

Prince Akeem is coming to the Bay Area

This was one of my favorite pieces to work on! As usual, the good folks over at Kingdom deserve all the credit. I enjoy working with Mr. Pabros and company. They always have a fresh outlook on concepts that benefit their company's look and trend. Drawing out Prince Akeem overlooking San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge has me all excited for another Coming to America movie, this time set in the Bay Area!

Number 24

Prior to the start of the season I found myself drawing a couple Kobe Bryant illustrations for folks wanting to give them out as gifts to their loved ones. While I'm not the biggest Lakers fan, I couldn't help but oblige for some extra cash. (remember when gas was $4.30 a gallon? ) While I'm not obligated to draw Golden State folks on a regular basis which seems to be the case at times, I try to sneak in a few of my favorites from time to time. Be on the look out for Greg Oden and Chris Paul illustrations in the near future!

Mac Jax is... "Thizzle Jackson"

Since Golden State's last season, a handful of fans at the games would tell me "You should do a Mac Dre drawing of Stephen Jackson..." I could picture it in my head but couldn't get an idea out till my homie told me to draw Mac Dre's "Thizzelle Washington" cover. Check it out... yaDAdaMEan?!

Wedding Reception jam session!

LOL... rather than uploading hundreds of pics, I decided to cram them all in one!

Here's our wedding reception pictures, in a nutshell. These were some really good times we'll never forget. Gem and I wish we could do it again, without the planning of course! The pics are all set up in the order it was taken, line for line courtesy of our photographer Ken Kato. (fantastic job!) Check out a bigger version and relive the moment with us!

"Notorious" Music. Media. Fashion.

Ummm... it has nothing to do with the flick, the events just so happened to cross paths!

The homies at Kingdom, along with Social Lush and Global Impact Productions are throwing down a major event up in the city this Saturday night. Enjoy yourselves with some dancing, stocked bar, fashion and a good time Located at Club 6 in the heart of San Francisco. For more info, peep the flyer and check out Kingdom's myspace page for more details.

It's all good baby... BABY!

I'm blowin' up like you thought I would, call the crib, same number, same hood... It's all good.

For what it's worth, I'm pretty stoked for the release "Notorious" hitting theaters today. I'm a pretty devoted Biggie Smalls fan and I'm hoping the movie will do it's justice. I'm gonna go in with a positive outlook. It's about time Hollywood took a shot at showing Big's rise to fame. The film stars Jamal Woolard as "Christopher Wallace" and Angella Bassette as Biggies Mother, Voletta Wallace. (Word has it 2pacs in the film as well!)

No dream is too big.

Warriors... come out to play!

Can you dig it? One gang could run this city!

I've read numerous articles about Golden State finally revising their team jerseys. Everything from revising the classic "City" look and making it more modern and trendy. Whatever the case is, it's going to criticism- both good and bad. Let me throw this idea in the air, which I know will never make the cut... Go Oakland Blue and yellow and throw in that classic "Warriors" movie logo from the late 1970's film! I was gonna draw it out sooner or later... Love the basketball team... and the cult-classic movie!

Monta: we could have used him tonight.

That's something we've been missing all season: Monta's faster breaks!

Ouch. Anybody catch tonight's triple overtime let down? If you were at the game, you practically got your moneys worth seeing the Dubz take on a struggling Sacramento Kings team. I just can't believe our W's couldn't close out the game with a win against one of the NBA's worst teams. Anyways, we're less than weeks away now from seeing the return of Monta Ellis. (peep some workout videos of Monta at full speed) I'm pretty stoked to see his return, I'm sure it'll take some time for him to get back at 100% but it should be interesting to see how the team functions as a complete roster. Imagine Ellis, Crawford, Jackson, Maggette and Biedrins on the floor... that's line ups too small! Let the countdown begin...

Sharks

Note to self: draw more Sharks players. I didn't want this piece to go to waste... I originally worked on this for the folks over at Fear The Finn repping San Jose's very own Devin Setoguchi. I gave them two comps, this wasn't rejected or anything I just wanted to draw out as much detail as I could versus the original silhouette requested concept. I really owe it to these guys, (Fear the Fin), it's fans and my hometown of San Jose! Look at their record! (as of today, 36-5-5) After years of drawing basketball jerseys and high tops, it's about time to hit the ice. (It's gonna be real fun drawing the Sharks uniforms) Be on the look out in the coming days!

"Knee-Mac" out for another 2 weeks.

You know how when you get past the 1st round of the Playoff's... it feels like... a bag of sand.

Ugh. Story of my life, Tracy McGrady injured again... yep his knee. (the left one) I don't really broadcast this to folks, not that I'm a shamed or anything but I'm a big T-Mac fan. Since the Raptors days I've followed his career and the teams he's moved on to year after year. He's like my Kobe or LeBron when it comes to Superstar envy. We all know he hasn't made it past the 1st round of any playoff series he's been involved with. He doesn't have a ring, but its okay. The guys exciting to watch.

Anyways, McGrady's gonna be out for another 2 weeks, to rest his sore left knee. General manager Daryl Morey and coach Rick Adelman decided to keep McGrady out until he can fully recover. Check out this crazy article from the Houston Chronicle, Club sends message to McGrady. Between all the nice words, the club is pretty blunt: Learn to deal with the pain in your left knee.

Taking a break from Sign designs

2 weeks ago for the Warriors vs. Raptors game I decided to hit up arena without my trusty illustrated sign designs. It had been a tradition I've enjoyed doing for about 3 seasons now. Carry a big sign with something positive to say about the team and hopefully make folks laugh. I can't believe I did this for every game! The players and fans seemed to have appreciated it and I enjoyed doing it on a regular basis. Fun had always been a key word. Sad to say, I'll be taking a time out from this somewhat expensive hobby and just attend games like everyone else. Simply, I've exhausted my funds in producing these poster like designs. They're fun, but expensive, LOL. I'm sure on various occasions I'll sport a fun one or two (Baorn's return to Oracle, Monta's return from injury) It was a tough decision but hey, I'm sure it's only temporary.

I would love to attend your Luau!

Whoa! For a second there, I mistook The Towner Twins rsvp invitation for one of those magazine subscription forms tucked away between the pages of your favorite magazine! That was pretty much the concept behind this customized invite request from our good friend Melody and her twins first birthday! There are so many choices to make when you're figuring out what kind of invite to go with for your kids birthday event. 90% of the people out there choose invites from the store, bundled in packs of 20 with resealable envelopes included. The other 10% have special ideas that involve me helping out with whatever I can... You got a birthday invite concept? I have Adobe CS4, lets work together!

Oh... to be a Warriors Fan.

Warrior Fans seem to always roll deep... we like family when we roll up into the building!

I'm touching on a subject matter someone on Comcast Sports brought up during the Indiana game last night... no matter how bad our economy is struggling along with Golden States disappointing record, we are still able to sell out Warrior Games! I don't know how we do it but it happens on a regular basis. Shoot, I could be broke as joke with payday a week away but I always find a way into the Oracle. (legally, lol) Of course thats something to be proud of, it represents how dedicated us Warrior fans are. I couldn't speak for other teams struggling to get their attendance up, but for us it's such a dedicated feeling... Toronto comes into town or even Oklahoma City and The Oracle Arena is a packed house!

We as fans bleed Golden State Basketball. We can stink up the joint and lose by 30 points but the fans will always be there. Is it the $9 dollar beers and $7 dollar hot dogs bringing folks back? The over priced "Foam Fingers?" What ever the deal is, for every Warrior Game you go to, it really is "A great time out." I remember reading on GSoM someone trying to organize a walk out... or stop attending Warrior Games, how do you organize that with +18,000 in attendance to a game? When I think of bad ownership, I sort of leave that on the message boards and forget about it when I get to the game. Warrior fans, just keep doing what you're doing.

Just Her Luck!

It isn't easy getting the attention of your favorite NBA Player during game time. I've seen folks shout out everything from cell numbers and "I love you" chants, and still not get their attention. So... lets get creative with the idea. Take Andris Biedrins for example: One of the NBA's leading rebounding machines (next to Dwight Howard), Use that bit of information and draw up a fun piece with him serving out his double-double stats (points/rebounding per game) in the form of a Happy Meal and try getting his attention. The result, a very happy wife and an amused Andris who decided to take the artwork home. (no shouting involved!) It's the little things we do that make everyone happy. She gets a picture with him... he gets the artwork.

Have you heard... "We Suck"

I'm not saying that I'm giving up on my favorite team, The Golden State Warriors but have you seen our record lately? We're 10-28 midway into the season! There's always room for a good laugh. Which is what I'm representing here... a parody like visual, capturing the Warriors "We Believe" movement of 2007. It takes a lot of heart to admit "We Suck," especially to a team I love so much. Again, no disrespect, it's all out of good fun!

Heck, represent "We Suck" as your desktop! For the old school city heads, try this wallpaper!

Kill at Will... Classic Ice Cube (Kingdom 209)

Possibly one of Ice Cube's best albums. (shoot, it was an EP release!) I could never pass up a request to draw one of the West's O.G. Gangsters from back in the day. When I got the idea from Mr. Pabros over at Kingdom 209, the turnaround time to complete the concept was on the same day! I would totally rock this shirt design.

Golden State goes Giant-Sized!

The comparison between both covers are Uncanny! Gotta love the Warriors parody!

It's pretty obvious... I'm a big Uncanny X-Men fan and flipping the cover concept to Giant Sized X-Men #1 has been a project I've wanted to work on since I joined Golden State of Mind last year. The gang is just about all here:

Monta Ellis= Daredevil (dedicated to his infamous moped accident!)
Brandon Wright = Mr. Fantastic (just had to do it, the guys arm span is major)
Andris Biedrins = Colossus (The X-Men's Big Man)
Stephen Jackson= Wolverine (Leadership skills)
Corey Maggette= Ice Man
Al Harrington= Cyclops (GSW's 3rd Team Captain! I know he's not on the team anymore...)

GSoM Night 6: "Throwback Classic"

Yup... The shirt is free! All you need to do is buy a ticket to GSoM Night 6!

Here's the info: January 25, 2009 at 6:00pm, Baron Davis and the LA Clippers come down to Oakland to take on our beloved Warriors. Golden State of Mind and Chris Murphy (ticket sales) of the Warriors want to make this as smooth and enjoyable as possible. All the info you need to do is click on the link. Tickets have been reduced to last year's pricing of $45 for sideline tickets and $30 for corner/baseline tickets, both in the upper bowl. With every ticket purchase, you'll receive a Free commemorative GSoM Night T-shirt from GSoM and Tony.psd!

With the popularity of the old school classic shirt I did for last season, I really wanted to get this one done. Paying respect to the throwback style of the late 70's and 80's don't miss out on this free giveaway. Always a pleasure to give back to our devoted readers and fans of Golden State.

Obey... Nellie.

Ouch... in the beginning of the season I had all hopes on Coach Don Nelson of the Golden State Warriors to bail the team out of it's early funk. (Davis's departure, Eliis's moped accident) We needed hope from somewhere so I focused on a little Nellie campaign that didn't last very long. (Obama like designs, Nellie on the GSoM 5 shirt...) 2 months into the season and a below .500 record, I hope Nellie's got some new tricks up his sleeve. At least the "Hope" like design looked fly!

Funeral for a Mascot

They Killed The Warriors Mascot Thunder?!

Whether you liked The Warriors mascot "Thunder" or not, Golden State is in need of a new masked Hero. The time-out entertainment and Player Intro's prior to tip-off just isn't the same without his antics! As Warrior fans, we lost a lot in a single season... Baron, Monta, Air France, Harrington, Matt Barnes, Patrick O'Bryant (really?!?)... and now our Team Mascot!?! When I found out the front office was gonna let go of Thunder, this concept from The death of Superman came to mind on how much of a jip it was to Golden State Fans. Maybe the new Mascot will be a Spartan Warrior from 300?

My desktop can get a little busy...

Rowell and Cohan made a big mistake... ya'll should have let Jessica stay with the Warrior Girls.

Sometimes, I wish my laptop would have identical dual monitors. There's a lot going on in my desktop when I try do work. Thankfully my Mac makes it easy to navigate various tasks like seeing who's on-line in my Instant Messenger or getting quick access to iTunes. Thank goodness for the dock below that displays other applications, that's a plus! Within the coming weeks, I'll be making the switch to Adobe CS4, and there's already a lot of different palettes I use to get my work done... I heard theres gonna be even more perks in the new version! As long as the illustrations remain looking fly, maintaining an organized desktop is like cleaning your room!

GSoM Throwback Jerseys 07-08

When I took stab at designing a throwback GSoM logo for Golden State of Mind's GSoM Night 3 event, I wanted to make sure I respected the architects that created of the original The City logo. Out of all the T's we gave away to our loyal readers that attended GSoM Night's, this is one shirt I'd actually reprint and give to folks. One of my favorite Photoshop sessions, embedding that fun GSoM logo onto Jax and BD's jersey was priceless. The look was convincing enough to have GSoM readers wonder if we were actually selling the throwback jersey!

The" Golden State" Tricycle

"The Golden State Tricycle" design is a celebration of 2 interests. A Warriors colored Tricycle with Monta driving it in style! (oversized shirt, comfortable summer shorts and slippers) You'd be surprised at how many folks can fit in a Tricycle!

Rock it on your desktop!

Coz' it's like that... RUN-BMS

"RUN-BMS" was Monta Ellis, Baron Davis and Stephen Jackson

It's a shame Baron Davis left a few months after I dropped this dime piece. This was a real fun project recapturing that classic RUN-TMC vibe from from back in the days. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted! We'll always have memories.

"Pac-Manny" (Kingdom 209)

I'm not going to lie, when I first saw these pics, I was very happy! For the first time, I had a professional Model sport a design I helped make possible. Usually, I would just use a tacky "Zazzle" model from the internet to sport my designs but having Import Model Ashley Malia represent Kingdom 209's "Pac-Manny" shirt is truly a blessing. The concept was provided by Mr. Pabros (Kingdom 209) and at first, all he wanted was Pac-Man eating a line of Filipino Suns (from the National flag) but something was missing. I blew up the Filipino Sun and cut off a chunk giving it that "Pac-Man" looking effect... end of story.

Shirts are limited, for more information check out: I Love Kicks

Sheow! It's Anjelah Johnson!

Anjelah Johnson loves comedy. She loves making people laugh and this San Jose native inspired me to get her illustrated! I gotta love the shirt design and kicks (left) and the graffiti piece to the right brought back memories! (right) If you haven't seen Anjelah's "Beautiful nail" stand up routine, you're in for a treat... it's hella fuuny! (and true) Stay classy San Jose!

We can't help it...

So! I couldn't help plug Me and the Wifey on my blogsite! (it's only right!)

For those of you that know us, we like going to Warrior Home Games with very big signs. As far as I'm concern sporting artistic signs are fun, they get folks to laugh and it helps me get extra exposure with the work I enjoy doing. It also gets the attention of various Basketball Players we want to meet. I take very careful consideration on what type of signs I make. They can be a hit or miss with fans and players and if there's too much going on, folks will shy away from trying to make any sense of it. When my illustrations work out to my advantage, everyone is happy... take for example Warriors Center Andris Biedrins and my Wife... Former Warriors Player Austin Croshere also enjoyed my concept... and when the followup season to our "We Believe" playoff run began, a Bay Area newspaper took notice of the skills... it pay's to be a little extra creative!

Vote: "Setoguchi" (Fear the Fin)

Golden State of Mind gets some pretty heavy traffic here in the Bay Area... which is how I came in contact with the good folks over at Fear The Fin, a dedicated San Jose Sharks blogsite. I couldn't say no to helping these guys out and represent San Jose's hottest franchise (next to the Sabercats!) Our conversation was simple: "Hey tony, can you help us out and draw some stuff over at Fear the Fin?" (something like that...) That's pretty much how this concept became a reality... with guys like Marlou already getting all-star nods, they wanted to see if we could get a third participant into the all-star west lineup. The concept itself was recommended to be similar to the now infamous "Obama Hope campaign" but using Sharks-like colors.

Why so serious? (Kingdom 209)

The good folks over at Kingdom 209 collaborated with me to put out a very creepy looking Joker portrayed by the late Heath Ledger. I really enjoyed drawing this one on illustrator... the simplicity of shapes and colors overlapping each other. Don't sleep on "The Dark Knight Returns!" That was the mother load of all comic movies! Big ups to Mr. Pabros and Kingdom for always keeping me busy and giving me some extra projects to work on. These guys looked out for me and in return, I continue to give them the best I can for a bright future.

If you thought that was creepy, peep my other Joker contribution to the film.

The Death of "We Believe"

I gotta say, this was one of my favorite illustrations I got to work on within the past year. I know, it's a complete knock off of the "Death of Superman" but look at The Golden State Warriors current season... a losing record... injuries... and shady ownership that shipped out the majority of the Warriors magical 2007's "We Believe" playoff roster. We're pretty much stuck with a below .500 season. (2 months into the season) While I'm not the blogging type to write out my frustrations, I wanted to illustrate what I felt and that classic Superman issue 75 cover pretty much said it all. Sooner or later folks will be believing again, for now... just try and enjoy Golden State Basketball.

Peep what folks are saying when I unveiled this piece on Golden State of Mind!

Let's get it started for the 09'!

Happy New Year Everybody! To set off 2009, I've decided to cancel my previous website in favor of just using a blogspot site to feature my artwork. This way, folks can directly interact with me and give me feedback on my work. (good, bad, whatever you like!) To set off the new year, I wanted to take a stab at drawing one of my favorite Super Hero Teams from way back when... "The Super Friends!" (courtesy of DC Comics) Everybody from Superman, Aquaman, Batman, Robin, Wonder Woman and The Wonder Twins are represented, (including the Hall of Justice) I really had fun with this one, I just wanted to use a loose style and recreate that old-school cartoon flavor using Adobe Illustrator.

2009 is gonna be a great year... don't forget to wallpaper up the Super Friends on your desktop!