A few weeks ago, I finished up a book project that kept me busy for a few months. I’ll discuss more about that project once it’s released. As is the case with any project, I have a huge sense of relief once it is all done. I like to reward myself at the end of a project somehow. Maybe I’ll finally play a video game I’ve been wanting to play, or I’ll go see a movie, or just finally catch up on sleep. But this time the reward came right to my doorstep. I finished this book project and the very next day a package had arrived from my buddy, Brian Ewing. I knew what it was because Brian said he would send me a copy of his just released book, Brian Ewing: Don’t Hold Your Breath.

I now had my reward. A killer book by a killer artist that I could pour over for the next week or so. And I did. I’ve known Brian for more than 18 years and I’ve watched his artwork grow and get better every single year. A book collecting his art has been a long time coming for us fans of his craft. And the book doesn’t disappoint. One of the things I’ve always disliked about many artbooks is that the artist never talks about each piece of art, its creation process, concept behind it, techniques applied, etc. Brian, however, gives fans exactly what they want. He has included his own personal notes about almost every piece of art in the book, including preliminary sketches. There isn’t a single wasted space in the book, as it is packed with cool art, awesome tidbits, and really nifty photos sprinkled throughout. You’ll also find quotes from some of the top people in the art and rock fields (Brian must have paid these people hefty amounts of cash to say such nice things about him).

All kidding aside, I can’t say enough great things about Brian. Even though he has risen to the heights of rock poster super stardom, he has remained one of the most down-to-earth artists and friends I know. I suspect this won’t be the only book collecting his work, as he is a non-stop, art-making machine. Thank goodness for all of us!

If you’ve read this far and you don’t know who Brian is, you’re some kind of nerd that’s apparently been living in a cave. Go check out his website, then stop being such a stingy punk and drop a few bucks to buy his book. You won’t regret it.

Hey everyone, my buddy Scott Fischer recently had his latest children’s book released by Simon & Schuster. The book is called JUMP! and is absolutely perfect for little ones from 4 to 8 years-old. The book is full of exciting, energetic illustrations (but then you’d expect no less from Scott, right?). It’s a perfect book for reading out loud and getting your kids to jump along with the animals in the book. They’ll absolutely love doing that! Buy the book from Amazon here.

Jason’s book, Salvaged: The Art of Jason Felix, has finally arrived and it is more amazing than I had imagined it would be. It’s wonderful to see his mind-blowing work put together in this highly polished and well-designed collection. With over 120 pages of art and design, you’ll surely get your “Felix Fix” out of this one! Those of you familiar with Jason’s work will be happy to see many familiar pieces along with a slew of never-before-seen pieces created just for this book.

The thoughtful forward by artist Rick Berry and superb design of the book by JS Rossbach only add to the glamour of this collection. JS and Jason make a good team. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do more collaborative work in the future.

Jason will be signing copies of his book at the official launch party at the Virgin Megastore in San Francisco on February 22, 2008. If you can’t make it to the party, you can go over to his site and buy a copy. You won’t be disappointed. Keep in mind this book is not for children. There is nudity and disturbing imagery like only Jason can create. The guy is so talented!

I took my kids, Corina, Antonia and Armando, as well as their friends out to see the Spiderwick Chronicles movie this afternoon. I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time. To finally see Tony and Holly’s story on the big screen was unreal. All the kids loved the movie. My kids read all the books multiple times, so Corina was quick to point out what things were missing or different from the book. But then she realizes such is the case with every book to movie adaptation. The kids want me to say the movie was COOL!

I’m sure the kids will be drawing goblins for a while. I’ll make sure to share some of those drawings. Maybe I’ll even try drawing a few

If you haven’t gone to see the movie, make sure you do. You won’t be disappointed. And ofcourse, pick up the books if you haven’t done so.

I’m crossing my fingers that there will be a sequel. This first movie only scratched the surface of a rich world created by Tony and Holly.

I am completely devastated at the news of the death of my friend and fellow artist Glen Angus. Glen was so young and leaves behind a wife and two children, 5 and 2 years old. My heart goes out to them. I have been in shock and disbelief after learning of this news days ago but have only just been able to talk about it.

Anyone who met Glen couldn’t help but immediately love the guy. He was an amazing artist, a devoted father and husband and was always joking, smiling and making everyone around him happy. To say his energy and humor was infectious is an understatement. I smile and laugh just thinking about Glen and the good times we had. Whether it was rubberband fights at GenCon or clowning around during a Magic Pro Tour, Glen was a blast to be around.

I’m proud to say that Glen’s artwork graces my walls and I have been a fan of his work from the moment I saw it. The fantasy art community has suffered a terrible lose, that’s for sure. To see more of Glen’s fantastic work, please head over to http://www.gangus.net.

There is a thread over at Conceptart.org for those who would like to say their goodbyes to Glen or learn how to help his wife and children.

Glen’s son, Ted, is autistic and Glen was trying all he could to urge local lawmakers in Wisconsin to pass legislation that would speed up the process of getting financial assistance to families of autistic children who are in need of therapy. Back in February 2007, Glen opened his heart to the CG community and let everyone know that his son was autistic. I imagine it must have been a tough thing for Glen to do. But it illustrates just how dedicated he was to getting help not just for his son, but for other families in his situation. You can learn more about Glen’s plight here.

I will continue to proudly display Glen’s artwork on my walls and share stories of the great guy he was to all who will listen. I am proud to have known Glen. Again, my heart goes out to his wife and children. Rest In Peace, Glen. You will be sorely missed.