Paternity Leave

THE BEST PART OF HAVING A SON: GARAGE GUNFIGHTS!

THE BEST PART OF HAVING A DAUGHTER: HAIR STYLIN' TIME!

THE BEST PART OF HAVING A BABY: NEWBORN SMELL!!

Dudes and Dudettes,

Sorry for the radio silence. I've been at home with my family spending some quality time with OUR NEW BABY!! I'm back at work now, but I did get to take a couple of weeks of paternity leave which was amazing. You guys, if you haven't had a baby you should definitely give it a try. I mean after you get married, that is. Let's not get carried away here. Anyway, babies are seriously the BEST.

Things at home are super busy these days, but I'll try to check in with new doodles when I can. Until then be good, everyone!

Instead of Sleeping

I stayed up to make this terrible joke.

You're welcome.

If You Can't Take the Heat...

True Story.

Just in One of Those Moods

A little update from the Holden house.

I used to hate it when people wouldn't post for weeks at a time...and now I am that person.
Sorry!!

Things at work have been super busy. I haven't checked my google reader in several weeks either (which explains why I haven't been commenting on your blogs, dear readers). Hopefully I'll get back into the swing of things soon!

Some Simple Math

Given the fact that I haven't done math in an academic sense for well over a decade now, this calculation may be slightly inaccurate...but I think the principle is correct.


I don't know what to tell Allison.

Click the image to enlarge. Bonus points to anyone who can name all of the celebrities (and their best starring roles).

Finally Some Sketches!

So, if any of you have been thinking what I have (and I know you probably have), you're wondering whether it's even okay to call a blog sketch adventure and post so few sketches lately.
You'd be right in thinking this.
So, here are a bunch of sketches of Sawyer, who grows increasingly fun to draw as he ages and figures out how to get into more stuff. These sketches were done in pen when I should have been helping my wife, Allison, with our crazy baby. The simple color was done with ye olde photoeshoppe when I should have been working on my film.
But, I wanted to share some sketches, so I hope you enjoy this little tangent as much as I did!
Back with more sketches soon.

A Contest!

So, as everyone knows, with today's computers you can do basically anything. As we saw in the recent blockbuster sensation The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, computers can make Brad Pitt look like an old man or a baby.
Given these incredible leaps in technology, I've contacted Digital Domain (the effects house responsible for the amazing computer graphics that allow us to know what Brad Pitt will look like in 30 years) and they have agreed to produce a feature length film about our son Sawyer's first year of life.
It's a really fortunate multimillion dollar deal that basically guarantees that I will be able to draw cartoons for the rest of my life, since I obviously won't be worrying about money any more.
The only really tricky part now is that we have to settle on an actor who will portray Sawyer in the film. This is where you come in--place your votes in the comments section (a special bonus prize to anyone who can name all of the candidates, spelling their names correctly)!

1)

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9)

10)

Of course, you know, I realize that many of the potential stars of this film are either long since passed, or on their way out (or in and out of jail), but you're forgetting one thing:

Computers can do anything.

Now cast your vote...because the one thing computers can't do is win this contest.

Dear Internet

I know that you keep sending me those emails. You can stop now.

I've finally given in--or rather my lovely wife, Allison has given in.
She started a Sawyer blog, and you can see it HERE. There will be many pictures and videos to come, I'm sure. And while I understand a large reason this site has any draw at all is because I'm Sawyer's dad, I humbly request that you continue visiting even though all the photos and videos will be posted ELSEWHERE.

Thanks, and have a cute time.

PS, internet, you can also stop sending me your Nigerian deposed royalty money laundering scams. I've told you this before and it's still true--I don't have any money. And if I did, it would already be spent on something chocolaty.

Yours truly,
Me

What seems like many moons

It's seems like it's been awhile. Here's some new sketches--I hope you love them!

Baby Sawyer-saurus under attack.
A dudette with a rose-laden hat.
Raar.
Sometimes, when I'm bored in class, I like to pretend that I'm Lupin III.
Or I doodle aimlessly on Japanese homework. I like defying the laws of natural physics.
A hooded figure from a recent figure drawing session.
And I can't take all the credit for this last one. Sawyer and I went for a walk when we saw this El Camino; Sawyer was strapped to my front side at the time, so he helped me draw it...and asked that I post it here for everyone to see.

The Tale of Sawyer-saurus: a comic in photographs

T'is the Season

Yup. From our friends at Man Groomer.com--everything you've been waiting for. So, I don't know that this is necessarily any scarier than a home paternity test, but the idea that an adjustable-armed back hair trimmer is available for purchase to the general public kind of frightens me. There are some jobs that only a professional should attempt. And even then, I feel sorta sorry for the professional whose job it is to take care of the hairy back of society.

On a related note, today our little family happened to travel up north to visit some close family friends (who are practically family) for a dinner get together. On the way there we counted a number of billboards that advertised either laser hair removal or liposuction--I can't believe how obsessed we are with our bodies; it's unhealthy.

But, I digress--now, onto the funny pictures!


Here are some recent sketches from around church and school.
The look on this kid (the one on the right hand page)'s face was priceless. His parents walked away and he had no idea what to do with himself. Of course, instead of helping him I drew him.

And speaking of helpless children. Here's one of Sawyer at dinner time...which is another instance of me drawing instead of helping. I'd better be careful before this becomes a habit.

On Thursday of last week, Disney story artist Mark Walton (who is also the voice of the hamster Rhino in the upcoming Disney feature animation Bolt) came to lecture at our school. He sort of looks a little bit like Sigmund Freud, but Mark is Mormon so I'm pretty sure he doesn't smoke--let's pretend it's a bubble pipe.

A sketch of somethin' brewin' in m'brain.


Some dudes from church today. After not drawing with this pen for so long, I forgot how much fun it is, but I really like my Uniball Jetstream 0.7 mm ball point. Unlike other Uniball pens, the ink doesn't come pouring out the minute you touch the pen to the page. Groovy.

More Comics!

Sorry it's been so long between comics--I've been busy with work; and anyone that has experienced the freelance art lifestyle knows that having too much work is definitely a good thing (in certain respects). I haven't been posting a ton of finished personal projects lately (just sketches), mostly because I've been pouring all of my efforts into freelance illustration and storyboarding (like I said, it could be worse). Anyway, here are some comics about the adventures we've been having lately--enjoy!

A sketch walk...

So, we are kind of an exercising family; and tonight, when Allison went on a run in scenic, shady Rock Canyon (away from the scorching Utah sun), Sawyer and I walked through the adjoining neighborhood. Of course I had my sketchbook on me.
Although, I hadn't really calculated how short a sketch has to be before a baby starts to freak out, so these are pretty quick (5-ish minutes).

A house in the hills of Provo, where--quite unexpectedly--there are a lot of large and extravagant homes. We also walked by what I thought was a local community center/park that I found out is probably the house of Franklin Covey (a rich guy). This is one of the smaller but cuter houses in the neighborhood.
We also caught this cool view from our scenic sidewalk.

Out of the corner of my eye, I happened to see this strange shadow moving across a wooden fence...upon closer observation I realized that it was me--and that I must have looked pretty funny pushing a carriage with a baby strapped to my front-side, while sketching the mountains.
"Why would you have a baby strapped to your front when there's a perfectly good carriage to put him in?" you might ask (and you'd be justified in doing so). Well, Sawyer is very particular about his orientation to the ground, and he doesn't appreciate going downhill in a stroller...yep.


On a separate note, here are a few sketches from church.