Jonny Lang Show

Got to see Jonny Lang in concert at the House of Blues two weeks ago. What a great show. I have never been a huge fan, but I have always had a lot of respect for his abilities. I first saw him on Austin City Limits when he was a 15 year old guitar prodigy, and thought "wow...I'm 15...er, uh...I can play video games?...I suck."

So the show kinda made me a fan. Here are some shots...



These pix were taken with my camera phone. What do you expect? If you wanted quality content, you are reading the wrong blog my, friend.

Here he is on ACL with Double Trouble (Link)

X-TREME!!!...ly small boxes...

I have been meaning to post pics from my last snowboarding trip, so I put together some sequential shots of me riding some X-TREME!!!...ly small boxes in one of the terrain parks.

Next year...X-GAMES!

The Brown Report

So, the day before I left for vacation, we had a bit of an emergency in the office. Without being too graphic, let's just say that the Big Boss' private restroom had a bit of a downward flow problem. He had just left for vacation, and we had a skeleton crew in the office...so my immediate boss and I were left with the er...um...mess. Enough time had passed (pun intended) for his entire office and the hall to be floating (again) in toilet water.

Now, I know that there are a million funny turn of phrases to insert into this entry...

...but I realize now why he is the Big Boss. :)

It all sounds so horrific, "What did you do before the holiday?"

"Oh, not much, just cleaned up the boss' private office, bathroom eruption...that man loves him some breakfast muffins!"

Here is the email that my immediate boss sent out at the end of the day (names withheld to protect the guilty):

Big Boss,

Erik & I just cleaned up a leak caused by your blocked office toilet. We had to break and enter. I guess you had quite the feast for Xmas? The water appears to have dripped down mostly into open floor space in below showroom, but there were a few drips on at least one of their alcoves. It doesn't appear any of their furnishings or fabrics were affected.

The water went into the closet next to your bathroom and so any boxes sitting on the floor were sitting in water. So, from now on when you talk about the brown slip we'll know what exactly you mean...

Happy Hew Year!

Bundesrepublik Deutschland Loves Ninjas

I was looking through my blog statistics today (the service is free from Google, and keeps track of how many people visit your site and what city in the world they are from). When I realized an amazing trend on the weekly graph...When I posted the celebrated Ninja Bobble Erik entry, there was an enigmatic spike in viewers from Germany.

I'm sorry...What?! What the deuce is going on around here! I don't even know anyone that currently resides in Germany.

I looked into the phenomenon and found the only logical conclusion...the Federal Republic of Germany loves ninjas. I don't mean a few of the residents, I mean all of the residents.

In an effort to promote friendship and unity between our two ninja loving countries, I have decided to research (and share with you) this mysterious and backward country called Germany.

Information I have learned about Germany and the proud Germy people (Germy is the preferred moniker used by Germys everywhere):

• Germany is filled with people that love Kung Fu movies. I could not find any evidence for this except that there is not really any other way to look upon a ninja and live. And we have already established that Germanic People = Ninja Love.
• German peoples love Monopoly, as seen by their currency (see below). Which in turn, it can be inferred that the most expensive regions to live in Germany are named Park Place and Boardwalk. Side note - Germans travel from city to city in giant shoes, or in giant top hats.
• Germans have very elaborate movie theaters where all of the newest releases are shown in THX (see photo below)

Germys pouring into the AMC for the release of Spiderman 3

• Germany has many entertaining television shows including remakes of American classics such as The A-team (pronounced Auch-Team), Touched by an Angel, and Spencer for Hire.

Here we see the cast of the German version of Friends

This is just a small taste of some of the amazing and true facts that I have learned about the country of Germany. If anyone reading this has more insight into this complex society please let me know, so that we can add to the collective knowledge.

Now, I would very much like to sincerely welcome all of my new Germanic friends to my humble blog, and I hope that this will be the start of a wonderful kinship...

...involving ninjas.

So, I just learned that

So, I just learned that I can blog from my mobile phone, which is where this is coming from. Short messages, and bad grammer...

SWEET!

Bobble Head!

My Boss arrived back from Asia about 2 weeks ago, and excitedly told me that he had gotten me the ultimate gift while he was there, but there was one catch. It was being shipped to the states and would not arrive for a few weeks.

I thought over it briefly, then thought about it no more...

...that is until today!

Behold the newest member of my desk family...

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Bobble Erik

I know! Right?!

It's the most amazing thing that you have seen in your lifetime! It captures not only my rugged good looks, but also the Karate suit that I am so well know for wearing everywhere I go!

I am also surprised that they knew about the small blue disk that I stand on at home to help me reach my nunchucks, (which I keep on high shelving units).

Regular Erik

Article for Digital Apple Juice

So, I was asked recently to write an article for Digital Apple Juice. Which is an online magazine for creative types that use Macs. I'm sure that makes some of you PC's eyes roll, but it could be pretty cool.

I'm gonna do a tutorial on digital illustration, which will be not only my first tutorial...but also the first thing that I've written that I didn't end up turning in for a grade (and usually not a very good grade). So we'll see; I'll keep ya'll updated.

Dallas Design Center

Well, I'm back at it...

...I have decided to start writing some updates.

Starting with my workplace in Dallas. I figured that most of ya'll haven't seen the new office, and I am working on 4 months here.

First is my office - complete with jungle themed, furry feeling, animal print, wall fabric.


mmmmmm...furry.

The view from my office window is the W. hotel. The open center balcony section of the building is the new Ghost Bar, which I am pretty sure that I am not attractive enough to get into. :)

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Although, they had ?uestlove spin last month...and everyone knows how often we are mistaken for each other.

eerie...
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This is the entry way to the office. Which I have a hard time not thinking about what would happen if I fell over the rail onto the corner of one of those spikey walls. Twisted, I know.

Top floor

Friend/co-worker Kurt.

Pinup in progress

Well, I figured that I would post another Pinup that I was currently working on. The Painting is still pretty rough, and is being done in Corel Painter. Still have a good ways to go, but I want to include the old Sinclair gas station in the background as well as a Sinclair dinosaur.

iKitty

time to wake up...

I did this sketch the other day of an exuberant riser. I thought it was pretty unrealistically funny...I'm sure she is on her way to the gym...or rushing to her job - mentoring underpriviledged endangered baby seal orphans.

Happy Birthday from the Scotch Drinkin' Deer!!!

Ok, this is an inter-office birthday card I just created for a Co-worker...

...Deer Warnings are a product that...you know what? Maybe it's better if you decide what to take from this...

Bike Trip in Prescott...Finally posting pictures!!!

New Illustration

Giraffe Illustration

Hey Y'all,

I'm doing a little traveling lately. I just got back from Vegas last night from a fashion show, and I'm leaving tomorrow for Mexico to lay on the beach at the Sea of Cortez with some friends. Hard work, I know.

In between the traveling, I managed to crank out this Illustration for a children's SKU. Click on the images for the larger version...

Sketch

Finished Piece

I'll get some more junk up here after I get back to the States.

Hiking in the Rocky Mountains

So, I have been busy lately.

Sometimes you get caught up in living, I guess. I was talking to my Mom and Pop the other day, telling them what I've been up to, and I realized that I never have a night when I'm not doing anything...or a weekend that I don't have plans.

So here's what I did two weekends ago.

Mike, Tony and I went the the Sneffels wilderness in the Rockies, and spent three days backpacking over the summit of Mt. Emma.

Click on the images for bigger pictures...

Click image for a TOPO...

Mike and I

Purifying Water

Above the Timberline...

Above the Clouds...

Mike

Tony

At the summit

Timberline (too high for the trees)

MARMOT!!!

It was a strenuous hike at 13,700ft. of elevation, which is alot for some one that lives in Scottsdale (not much higher than sea level...).