Golden State Night at the Movies (part 1)

Just for kicks... I've done my fair share of photoshop quickies on GSoM. They were funny enough to get folks chuckling and was pretty much intended for that effect. There's just so much you can do with em'... since a lot of the images were low res and tough to find on the web, think of them as eye candy. (I like to call em' Dirty Photoshops) Anyways, from Star Wars to Demolition Man, I covered them all! I didn't just change the faces, I had to mess around with the wording too to make em' complete! Another oldie but goodie segment!

Paul Wong no longer "Believes"

Paul Wong (left) "We Believe" founder. Tony.psd (right) inspired illustrator

I know this news is old, and broke out a few days ago but I didn't have a computer on me to blog up this post. (technical difficulties the past few days) If ya'll are from the Bay and love Warriors Basketball, ya'll know who started that "We Believe" movement... The Bay's very own Paul Wong! This big time fan had everyone believing in the W's in 2007 with his homemade "We Believe" signs. Dubs later made it to the playoffs upsetting the 1st seed Mavs! I was reading up on an article on the San Jose Mercury news and was sad to hear "Warriors "We Believe" fan no longer believes." The title alone was sad, but what became more of a bummer was seeing how the front office treated the guy. (I'll let ya'll read up and see for yourself)

For me, Paul Wong was an inspiration on my artistic tip. He made use of what he had and went to the home games with 1 simple message: Believe. I would see folks like him and other people make cardboard signs and get there messages up on TV... I wanted that that feeling too, but I wanted to get my drawings out for everyone to see and have fun with it. Thanks Paul for showing me the way... and best of luck. The Warriors just lost their biggest fan.

Illustrator quickies

Call em' Saturday morning ideas laid out on digital canvas... I wake up like any other kid on the weekend, turn on the morning cartoons and power on my Adobe Illustrator on my mac book. Some of these ideas are things I randomly think of throughout the day. I give it some thought and than put in some work. While much of my ideas knock off some pop cultures favorite moments, my idea can sticks to your head till you realized I just did a parody of it. They're fun, cute, laughable... but will they make good on a shirt? This is one of the things I am blessed (and fortunate) to do as a designer... recreate my thoughts and see whether or not I like em'?

The Suisun City (top right) is a given... but how many folks in my small town will actually wear it? "Husky Boy" (bottom right) is a work in progress, somethings missing. (like a Husky dude, LOL) I'm digging the "Sexy Manangs strike back" (top left, this years "Miss Independent) but how many of em' actually watch Star Wars. The only one I'm in agreement with is the 3-color Santa Cruz inspired "Sexy Manangs" idea (bottom left) me and my investors wanna put out. That's basically how I work ideas out for myself... I think about it... create it and than look at it (for a while) and see if I want to actually go with it. No harm done, I'm my own boss and it's my time to make the call. Fun stuff!

They printed it in Japanese

Word up. It's been a busy and hectic week since I jumped in the T-Shirt design biz. I can't complain at all. I put in the hours at my day job and jumped on my personal venture in the evening time... processing orders, hyping the goods, setting up shipping orders. I ain't mad at all! You gotta put in the work to make it happen. Success ain't gonna grow by itself. It's taken away some of my drawing time but that's what the weekends are for! Get the serious work done in the weekend, LOL!

Anyways, I was walking through the office building and passed by one of my designs for an Engineering magazine printed in Japan. Couldn't help but appreciate the translation work set up around the graphic I provided. It isn't often I put my Photoshop skills to use at work. Had to represent! Happy Friday Ya'll!

Sealed for freshness... Shirts are in the mail!

Here's another look at the Pac-Man T's. Man, what a busy day! The orders have been prepared, folded and are ready to ship! Once again, thanks to everyone for showing support and to those that pushed me to open up shop and chase my dreams. I'm my own boss today! All this hard works paid off, I'm getting the satisfaction of seeing the fruits of my labor. Smiles all around, there's more to come! Enjoy the shirts :-)

"Job well done"... The shirts are here!

What can I say? It took some time and a few delays, but my Manny Pacquiao inspired T's have arrived! I'm officially in the T-shirt business and boy, it's a lot of work! I've never felt satisfaction like this before. For years, I was working for my pay... taking in various clients and at times feeling like I've been short changed. This is just the start of the beginning... today, I'm my own boss and am having the time of my life drawing it up and making my own decisions! Damn it feels good! Although the order for this batch was small, it's the first of many designs on the horizon. I've got a limited number of sizes remaining on this one but theres more on the way June 21st! Thanks again for all your support. Have fun with em' folks!

You stay classy Golden State!

Ohh, it's the deep burn. Oh, it's so deep. Oh, I can barely lift my right arm 'cause I did so many. I don't know if you heard me counting. I did over a thousand.

This was probably the funniest design I've ever brought to a game... not only did it keep heads laughing but the entire FSN staff (now Comcast Sports) made sure Warriors TV commentator Jim Barnett did not miss this one. Sure Jim asked "of all the people I remind you of it had to be Ron Burgandy?!" (Will Ferral of Anchorman) I had told him specifically that I wanted to draw him as a sign of appreciation, I just couldn't think of anything exciting that would fit him. Than one day I saw the cover to Anchorman and pictured Jim on that cover! Warrior fans are very lucky to have Jim Barnett (along with Bob Fitzgerald) commentate our games every season. They bring a certain level of respect to the organization and added excitement night in and night out. We appreciate the hard work fellas!

The lost illustrator files 07-08 (part 1)

Decided to finally put these out... you've seen em' in the past, think of em' as unreleased material!

There were a number of reasons why I decided to not show these drawings until now. Some of those reasons were that a few of these players were no longer playing with the Warriors, that and some of the hype simply passed on. (it was a great idea during that time frame though, lol) The whole idea last season was to bring a new sign design to every home game... why? I just did it for fun, a good laugh and to get some exposure of course. This is just a handful of designs, remember there's about 40+ home games! A lot of my ideas were based on movies, tv shows and of course comic books. I basically looked for ideas that people could get familiar with. When your at a sporting event and see a sign advertising something, how many seconds do you spend looking at it? I wanted folks to recognize the movie and realize their favorite Warrior was featured on it!

I personally liked them all, the fans got a kick out of them and the players included were always happy with the renditions. My personal favorites included the Biedrins/Jackson Top Gun parody and the Back to the Future design, these ideas were so true to the chemistry of things happening at the time. I also thought the Altered Beast sign was kick ass, gamers were really hyped with that one and Azubukie has always been a beast on court. A lot of these idea's were also pitched by GSoM's faithful readers including the "Austin Croshere Powers" Parody, who formerly played for the W's. I used the 300 based design (bottom left) to hype the upperlevel club 200 fans during a rally push late in the 4th quarter and I can't seem to forget Belinelli's reaction his Rambo inspired sign! For what it was worth, these signs really meant a lot to me. It was an escape from reality by having fun with different ideas and some lucky kid got to keep em' after the game! What can I say? We Believe started it all!

You just had to be there... We Believe 2007!

There was a lot of yellow that year... Better late than never, here's to great memories and great friendships!

I wish I had this blog site 2 years ago when the Warriors made it to the playoffs. It's never too late to post up such great memories and talk about it. Ya'll know the deal right? Your Golden State Warriors barely make the 8th spot to go head to head with the number 1 ranking Dallas Mavericks... and loses to your Dubs! It was some serious news here in the bay area and it was a tale I will never forget. I remember showing my support, through illustrated sign designs depicting our lovable Warriors of 2007. In 4 playoff home games I tried to draw as many designs as I could. A part of me wanted to just get on TV, but another part of me knew it was a good gesture towards the team. The fun I had got me some National exposure and a chance to post my stuff on Golden State of Mind. Everyone's a winner!

Sorry it took me so long to post these pics. 2007's We Believe Playoff run was memorable in part by all of the new friends I made. Our common interest was Warrior basketball but in the long run we all became very good friends. Whether its a "hey, how ya doin'" at a home game or a shout out or 2 on Facebook... friends will always be friends. I'd like to think of the Oracle Arena as the happiest place on earth for Warrior fans alike... even when we lose! Now if only our front office could get their act together and get us back to in the playoffs with the right chemistry! I don't have the same courtesy as winning teams like the Lakers or even the 76ers who make the playoffs... it's a decade thing for us Warrior Fans to take part in post season activities!

Bring Baron back to the Bay... again!

I've never really gotten over the fact that Baron Davis left the Warriors last season. I always thought of it as a bad dream I'd eventually wake up to. His stats weren't that great with the Clippers and with a 19-63 losing record, I kind of wish Baron had stayed with Golden State. There's a love and hate discussion over Baron coming back to the bay... some feel he fits better with GSW's run and gun full court offense vs. LA's half court system. Others feel his times up and its pointless to bring this discussion up. We're in need of a point guard, plain and simple... whether Davis is the answer, I welcome the idea of the change.

There's a great rumor article on Golden State of Mind titled "RUMOR: Clippers to offer Warriors Baron Davis for Corey Maggette if they land Ricky Rubio in 2009 NBA Draft." Check it out, it's a very great read with folks posting some very interesting thoughts and insight. What have we got to lose! Follow Baron Davis on his twitter!

Golden State Comic Books

LOL... just having fun with classic comic covers... just think if I actually drew out some content!

My friends and family know when I was growing up, I read a ton of comic books. As a young teen I blossomed a little late when it came to socializing and flirting with the ladies, LOL... I was happy as is, reading a good comic book and getting hyped for the next issue month after month. Yea it sounds kind of dorky but look at what it's rewarded me today. When I started posting ideas and artwork for Golden State of Mind, they gave me a lot of creative freedom. Because I was so comic book minded, I experimented with a number of classic covers and ideas within the comic book genre and gave it that Golden State Warriors touch. From Killing off We Believe and our Mascot Thunder (Death of Super Man saga) to introducing this years 08-09 Warriors Roster (Giant Sized X-Men issue 1) it was sky's the limit in just having some fun. We even poked fun at a "What If..." sceanrio that to this day, has people wondering what would have happened if KG joined the Warriors?

It's always been about having fun with the ideas, and getting people to bug out realizing their favorite comic book has a touch of that Warriors flavor! Don't forget to peep "Amazing Thunder" concept down below!

More Photoshop Fun: Mix Tape Designs

The wonders of Photoshop... grab a bunch of unrelated pics and put it all together!

Somewhere between 2003 and 2007, somebody told rappers that mix tapes were the new hustle. (I think it was 50 Cent) Everybody had a mix-tape and they used it to their advantage. While 95% of them sucked, there was a lot of money to be made until the hustle faded a few years ago. (DJ mix tapes are the way to go! They let the music speak for itself and sometimes there free!) I always thought rapper related mix-tapes were a mess... freestyles over recognizable beats, unreleased tracks that should have stayed that way, bad recordings and loud annoying rants in between and during the tracks of artists hyping the release of an album. (ask Whookid or DJ Clue) The cover art (if there was ever any) was usually loud, messy and unbelievable (yet way better than those old Master P covers) When done right, the design can be eye catching. Back in 2007, a few of my friends asked me to do a mix-tape cover for them and it was hard to pass up the chance to give it a try.

I wanted to have fun with this Paw Ray mix-tape cover. It was Hyphy related (Big Von spoiled all the fun) and the use of bright colors would be a great advantage to make it pop off to the masses. Like any other project, I start with the main folks (separate photos) and clip the pics nicely, dropping them over a black backdrop like a green screen in the movies, LOL. (see top left) Add a national monument in the backdrop and some smoke in the bottom for visual effects (see top right) and we're almost done. The wording is the fun part, my homie was preaching to me how the title should always be as big as the cover art... if not equal (Mix-tape design 101, lol) and added some bright blues and yellows to make it pop off. I think the feel of the cover works, if anything folks would pick it up and look at it. (see bottom left) The back cover art is basically elements taken from the front and the colors for the tracks are bright and bold... just had to make sure it complimented the cover. (see bottom right)

While I did my fair share of mix-tape designs in the past, the hype seems to have died down drastically in the music world for mix-tapes on demand. (I still take in work when I have the time) I wonder what the next big hustle in Hip-Hop will be?

It's been a busy week...

Adult Ho-Ho's is like a bad porno name! They ain't no joke, they're massive in size! You deserve one today!

Yooooo... it's been a busy week! Haven't had the chance to draw anything these past few days. Actually, one of the main reasons is I'm processing all the orders for the Manny Pacquiao "I'm just doing my Job" shirts coming out tomorrow! I've been busy with certain things I usually don't do like processing and setting up packages for shipping. It's a lot of hard work but very rewarding. It feels good running your own business, something I've never really done before. No doubt it's a pet project I'm gonna continue to do on the side.

After my hospital fiasco some 7 weeks ago, it's been hard for me to take up freelance work again... I'm afraid I'll overwork and hurt myself. By working for myself and going my own pace, I'm happy with what I do... and designing has never felt so much better! I haven't felt this great about myself in a long time. Be on the lookout for my limited Pac-Man shirts, they're comin' this week!

The Amazing Thunder!

Thoughts that come to mind... "Your Friendly Bay Area Thunder!" or "Thunder Senses Tingling!"

I just can't get over the fact that The Warriors decided to dump their Mascot Thunder after Oklahoma City straight jacked their name. Did we really have to be one of the only NBA teams to not have a Mascot? Did it really matter? Yea, it actually did... halftime shows just weren't the same this season! Thunder was that extra push to a great time out. Anyways, I recall ending Thunders spotlight is a funeral like portrayal. So, as a final tribute, I'm making it a little more upbeat with some of that Amazing Fantasy flavor! Can't wait to see what the Warriors whip up next season in terms of a new Mascot!

Monta Ellis Flakes are back!

By Popular demand! 12x18 Photo Glossy Monta Ellis Cereal Prints Now Available for $22(includes shipping & handling)
Sorry Folks... Cereal Box not included... and neither is the Bobble Head.

I had to bring this one back, the problem was after I made this piece during one of our Golden State home games last season, I accidentally trashed the file from my computer without saving it. After a number of requests, I finally got my act together and redesigned the cereal box concept! The idea was a fun project to work with, I figured Golden State Fans and Cereal lovers in general would get a kick out of it.

Manny Pacquiao is "Just Doing His Job!"

Folks just can't see to get enough of Manny's knock out in the second round against Ricky Hatton. I thought it would be fitting to draw Manny on the animated tip as if he was getting his won cartoon series! Originally, I was trying to get this done before the match but the hype had me setting it aside for this morning. Manny's got a lot of heart and pride for his country. You see it in the way he fights and how proud he is to be Filipino and his people couldn't be more happy. If you get the chance, please read this article by Martin Rogers called "Pacquiao a Filipino Uniter." It's an excellent article that shows how much Manny is to the Philippines. This ones for you Manny, and you said it best last night... "I'm just doing my job"

Comic Book Day in Suisun City

Free Comic Book day has it all in Suisun... Comic Artists, Storm Troopers, Captain America, cake,
oh yea... and Free Comic Books!

Free Comic Book Day is a single day event (the first Saturday in May) when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely FREE* to anyone who comes into their stores. It's become a yearly event for me and my friends and I am very blessed to have a great comic store in my city, (Suisun City) that goes above and beyond just giving away free comics!

Water Front Comics is located in Suisun's Historical Waterfront plaza off Highway 12, one mile east of Interstate 80. It's got a great selection of comic books, graphic novels, collectibles and anything comicbook related. When I first moved to Suisun two and a half years ago and found Water Front Comics I was so happy to find a comic book store within an area that doesn't even have a Best Buy or Target in it's city. This was way better! What I enjoy most about this store is its friendly customer service, their shelves always being full and their quick turnaround time in special ordering books. I'd like to think Water Front Comics is Suisun's best kept secret next to Babs Delta Diner!

I just wanted to say thanks to the owner over at WF Comics for setting up an excellent comic store in Solano County. Thanks for opening your doors and letting me roam your store, read books and browse the shop even if I'm just looking. You've filled my studio with a great selection of books that came from your store! We all appreciate the hard work you've put into the store! Also, for those who haven't seen X-Men Origins: Wolverine, your in for a great film! I didn't go in with high expectations but I felt like I saw a 80's action film full of over the top action sequences and revenge all day! Think Rambo with claws! (had to plug that!)

*Check with your local shop for their participation and rules.

Back to the Hotel

By popular demand... drops June 21st! Now taking pre-orders, $20 gets you in!

Summer is just about here and I wanna rock some new flavor. This one is strictly for the Bay Area and it's gonna be limited. I'm only dropping 2 dozen of these shirts because that's all I can really afford to put out. If the shirt does good, I'll reprint more at a later date. I just wanna wear it, lol. I am taking pre-orders right now up until the 28th of May. Made famous by Vallejo, CA's very own N2Deep... Back to the Hotel represents the Bay to the fullest with some of that Back to the Future Flavor! FYI... we still taking orders for the infamous "Pek Pek" design dropping the same day! For more info, tonydotpsd@gmail.com or twitter me!

Print Sale

We got a print sale goin' on! 12x18 Photo Glossy Prints are $15 each or buy 3 for $40 and get 1 free.
For more info, contact me at tonydotpsd@gmail.com

I'm bad at setting up on-line stores and marketing my stuff. The only places I usually plug my work for sale is here, GSoM and my Facebook account and I really can't complain. While I'm not trying to jump out and get rich real quick on my art, I wanna make sure folks looking to purchase my work, can find it here on my blog. Business has been up and down, especially with this tough economy but as of late folks have been ordering enough for me to pay some bills. In return, I wanna make it real simple, buy 3 get 1 free. Chose any 4 from the pic above and I'll get it out within the same week. Questions? (on payments and shipping) Feel free to e-mail me. Now you know where you can get them! Oh yea, Holler at me at Twitter too! (shameless plug)