Gottem Gottem Needem!!

Introducing GOTTEM GOTTEM NEEDEM, a graphic novel illustrated by Kensuke Okabayashi, and adapted and produced by Salt and Magic Studio, based on the original screenplay by William Vernick and Robert Sukys.

Though GOTTEM GOTTEM NEEDEM is set in a time past, collecting and gambling baseball cards is a genetic trait (usually male) that has survived countless generations and flourishes today. GOTTEM GOTTEM NEEDEM is the story of Robert, a kid with one goal in life: get back his most valuable baseball card - Rocky Colavito. To accomplish that, he's gotta gamble, beg, borrow or steal every single major league baseball card. If he somehow can do that, Robert has one chance. He must put all his cards on the line. If he wins, he gets back Rocky Colavito. If he loses…

Thing is, getting all those cards is almost impossible. Until one day, Phillip, who is blind, shows up at Robert's class one day. Their teacher volunteers Robert to guide Phillip to and from school every day. While they don't take to one another right away, the boys soon find they have a lot in common - and they discover a way for Phillip to help get Rocky back.

GOTTEM GOTTEM NEEDEM puts you in a world of friendship, baseball, bullies and gambling. It's a great combo of reality, fantasy, comedy and adventure.

KENSUKE OKABAYASHI is founder of Piggy Back Studios, (Jersey City, NJ). Ken is a professional artist. A graduate of Wheaton College (BS Pyschology) and School of Visual Arts (BFA Illustration), his work can be seen in everything from comic books, gaming and toy illustrations, graphic novels to advertising storyboards.

SALT AND MAGIC STUDIO is a multi-media production studio based in Brooklyn, NY.

WILLIAM VERNICK and ROBERT SUKYS are writers, producers and directors who have helped create numerous national advertising campaigns, including THE BEST PART OF WAKIN' UP IS FOLGERS IN YOUR CUP. Together, they have written a number of screenplays, such as CITY GOLF - about a legendary golf trickshot artist. Bill and Bob based GOTTEM GOTTEM NEEDEM on their own experiences growing up in Cleveland and New York.

If you're a publisher of graphic novels or producer of movies - or if you just love graphic novels and movies, you can read an outline of the graphic novel as well as the full screenplay - in PDF form. Please write to us at billyballgame5@hotmail.com

http://gottemgottemneedem.blogspot.com/

Figure Drawing for Dummies in French (kind of)

Well it caught my attention last night that the French version of Figure Drawing for Dummies is now being sold. Unfortunately, the French thought it in good taste to change the cover with a photo of a hand model drawing a portrait of a stranger. As frustrating as it is having being misrepresented (for being labeled for something I didn't do), sometimes you just have to grin and bare it (no pun intended).

Selected for Exhibition at the Visual Arts Gallery

I got word from my alma mater, School of Visual Arts. I'll be participating at the SVA alumni graphic novel exhibition Ink Plots, taking place October 8th through November 6th at the Visual Arts Gallery in Chelsea.

Java #2 Cover Teaser

Five Dysfunctions featured in the Jakarta Post

A raw and wet rainy morning in the Big Apple!

While wrapping up the first issue of Java, I'm meeting with my colleague to discuss plot and story for the second issue this week. I'll be posting the final cover. I'm also getting back into traditional painting again after meeting and getting inspired by hanging out with fellow Magic the Gathering illustrator, Randy Gallegos, at the Mets Game last weekend.

In the meantime, here is a link to a short article review featured in the Jakarta Post this month about my graphic novel I illustrated, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.

Stay dry!

Issue #1 Cover Image

I'm reworking the Logo to match the specs.

Fun in the Sun (Sakura Festival 2010)

It was another successful event at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden this past Sunday. A few were wondering where I was on Saturday (I was at a friend's wedding which went from 3pm to 12 midnight).

Update on JAVA! - The book lettering is in progress. I'm very excited about how the project is coming along. I'll be meeting up with my colleague to ramble some ideas about the next issue with the evil Swizz Mizz making her appearance again. Just as a follow up to some questions I've been getting about JAVA! Recaffeinated. While the story premise hasn't much from the original series from 2004. Over the years, I've felt that the characters and plot needed more depth in order to sustain a longer series. I'll be posting more updates as the first issue nears printing. All questions and comments are welcome as always.

Page four and five JAVA! Recaffeinated

page three JAVA! Recaffeinated

Page Two JAVA! Recaffeinated

Posting Page 2 from JAVA! Recaffeinated. This is a scene from Seattle before Dr. Grind's controversial coffee experiment goes awry.

digital figure painting

I'm posting "Part 2" version of the figure drawing I posted earlier this month with digital painting techniques. Comments welcome.

Page One JAVA! Recaffeinated

Another MOCCA Festival in the books. I'm posting a series of pages from JAVA! Recaffienated. As always, feed back is welcome.

MOCCA Festival this weekend (Sat and Sun)

I'll be attending the MOCCA annual festival this weekend at the NY Armory at East 26th Street and Lexington Avenue, NYC. I'll be promoting JAVA! Recaffeinated. Hope to see you there!

Another figure drawing at the Project of Living Artist in Brooklyn

If anyone cares to join an affordable and fun figure drawing session, I go to a drawing session on Saturdays from 10:30 to 2:30 at 30 Bushwick Avenue in Brooklyn.

Another figure drawing from this weekend.

Recent Figure Drawing

I tried out a different marker / brush pen combination technique this past weekend after having a frustrating time with my usual varnish based pencils. This was a fifteen minute pose. I've posted several more in the figure drawing section of my website.

Piggy Back Studios website

My main portfolio website, www.piggybackstudios.com, has been updated. The layout has been overhauled and condensed for quicker navigation and with easy-to-view larger images. I've also updated the artwork on all of the categories.

Wizards of the Coast (Unhinged)

I recently saw a link to a Magic Card illustration I did a while ago on the Wizards of the Coast website. Click here to view the image and download different wallpapers for your computer or iphone.

Supposedly, it's a strong card. I remember going to a tournament opening with fellow Magic artists where a judge was trying to explain to me the rules for playing.

Second piece sold.

Greetings. I have just returned from San Francisco vacation (well, not completely, since my rep called me to work on some frames from Saatchi and Saatchi). Among the places where I went were Mur Woods, Alcatraz, and Napa Valley. Some breath taking trees at Mur Woods. We had a rare opportunity to go below the surface of Alcatraz with a guide. He gave us the lecture of the basement structure of what used to be the fort during the Civil War. Napa Valley was quite the sight to see even though the vines weren't in bloom and the weather was cloudy. We went on the Wine Train (which I highly recommend). They serve really awesome food while you enjoy the sights of the wine estates.

Well returning back to business. Stephanie Seliskar and I sold our second piece at the Big Bar, New York City. I'm planning on having a meeting later this evening with Stephanie to talk about out our next piece. You can see our gallery at www.koss2.com.

JAVA! Recaffeinated has been fully inked and is now being colored.

I've been invited back to hold another two-day seminar in MO. I will be teaching a manga workshop.

I've met with a new design colleague, Tomonori Tsujita, about the redesign of Piggy Back Studios website. I'm jumping on the band wagon of people who think that html is probably the best way of creating websites. Flash is quite cumbersome (at least for me).

More to follow :) - Cheers!

Translated versions of The Five Dysfunctions are here!

I just got a copy of the translated version of the graphic novel I illustrated titled The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: Manga Edition. The first one is in Portuguese. The second one with the variant cover is the Bahasa translation.