Mad About Cartoons

Bill Wray is trying to make the transition fine art but is known as a cartoonist, a background painter/ Art director and sometimes animation director. This will be the place he post his ocasional animation and cartooning work and also be a place to bitch or wax sentimentally about cartoons in general. It’s been a love and hate relationship for many years and the long journey may not be quite over.

Monday, October 30, 2006

never made it













The Beatnik was for a guy who wanted his image to say Jazz. I was so sure he would like it I went to final pencil on illustration board, before I ran out of steam. He wanted an million things added to the pencil so I passed on the job, giving it to Miles. He was smart and suggested three separate images instead of cramming them all in one. What the guy really wanted was Jim Flora meets Tim Biskup. I hate when people come to me and want something else besides my work.

The other was for a CD by and obscure space funk band from the eighties for some small foreign label. Everything went fine until the color stage. They didn't like my black light style color and wanted more detail, my problem was I agreed to do it cheap if they would promise not to try and art direct me. I alread made some samll changes in the pencil to be nice. They lied and pussed for the second time, so I told them to fuck off. I'll take art direction if you have a budget for it, otherwise please don't try to power trip for free.







28 Comments:

Blogger Matt Taylor said...

that's lame how the space funkers pussed out on the cover. I'm more of a fan of the first one with black shadows. The second one where it's lightened...is that another version you did to try and please them? Nice bat in the jazz cover too.

6:36 PM  
Blogger sdestefano said...

Those babies are hilarious, Bill!
Sde

4:59 AM  
Blogger Matt Jones said...

WONDERFUL stuff Bill, keep it up!
Whatever became of your collaboration with Jose Agreda?

5:29 AM  
Blogger Chris Battle said...

You truly do kick ass. Always inspiring. Thanks for feeding my blog addiction with yet another crack fix!

9:44 AM  
Blogger John S. said...

I love the new blog Bill!!! Lots of cartoony goodness!!!
Dig the paintings, dig the babies!!!

10:47 AM  
Blogger Mark said...

bill if you have time do you think you could look at my blog and comment on some of the drawings?

acidtoons.blogspot.com

10:51 AM  
Blogger Patrick Owsley said...

Hi Bill -- The black light style color space scene, the beatnik and the super babies all look great! I'll be checking back often!

11:08 AM  
Blogger chris chua said...

Bill, this stuff is great....I know you're sick of the babies but I think theyre cooL:)

1:37 PM  
Blogger Pat Pakula said...

great stuff Bill! i love your work! very inspiring!

5:07 PM  
Blogger Brubaker said...

Great stuff, Bill. Thanks for posting!

Just wondering. What happened to your gig at "Monroe" for MAD Magazine? I don't like the new guy much.

5:54 PM  
Blogger Kevin Langley said...

Wow Bill, everything here is great. I love that Mad cover. I'm glad you started a second blog to showcase your cartoon work.

6:01 PM  
Blogger Mukpuddy said...

Its great to see you blogging your cartoon stuff dude, I'm a big fan!! Its a total inspiration... love those Super Babies!!!

6:07 PM  
Blogger keenan said...

YAY i can't believe i found your cartoony blog! i'm so happeee now! =D .... i was really annoyed that you didn't have a blog that showcased your awesome cartoony stuff .... but now i found it so hooray!!! .... don't mind me i'm being retarded!!! =P ... anyway its great that you're posting these cartoony things ... and those babies are awesome!!! ... and so is the beetnik thing!!! *thumbs up* ...weeeeeeeeeee

8:32 AM  
Blogger Miles Thompson said...

cool shit - very cool

10:07 AM  
Blogger Andy J Smith illustration said...

that sucks when things don't go as well as initially planned with clients. i think everyone, no matter how successful, must have stories where things don't work out so hot. it's cool to know that cartoon bigshots sometimes butt heads with clients now and again too.
-Andy

2:03 PM  
Blogger Gary Fields said...

Great blog, Bill. I've always liked your color work, even way back from the CRACKED days. The babies are well done, very Blair-esque and really liked the beatnik sketches. Glad to see you're still showing us all your cartoony stuff. Interesting comments on the Juxtapoz/gallery art thing.

8:22 AM  
Blogger william wray said...

Hey Mad, No I quit and they did there own. I deleted it the second they sent it to me. I guess they thought I was kidding about my holding them to there word. it's a world off back pissers.

4:40 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Stephen,

not as funny as if you drew them!

4:54 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Matt -- He got to busy-- he's a popular guy, we were doing it for free,

10:43 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

thanks chris your work is tops too.

10:50 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

nar, I do charge more for changes. this was a simple agreement that It was a favor, because of their low budget. They promised total control and lied. It happens, lucky for everyone they are in Germany. To bad for the next guy who asks, I'll say no or ask for a contract.

6:35 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

thanks Robot-- We all love babies... Except ugly ones.

6:37 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Am -- Your drawings don't have enoung formal study in them for me to comment. I suggest you take more drawing at school or try john K. bolg drawing posts.

6:40 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

thanks Pat!

6:40 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

Hey Chris- I don't hate the babie , my tounge was in my cheek-- as it often is.

6:42 PM  
Blogger a guy in a gorilla suit said...

the cd-cover solidly rocks ! whatever was wrong with this guys, it must have been serious.
I especially like the hard contrasts on the space band cover; for a moment I even wondered who did the penicl drawing with all the detail and stuff. The 'lighter' version also looks pretty funky, but the one with the hard edges clearly speaks: BLAM!


I know of one creative person who always quotes a low price but then tells his clients "You make ONE change and the price doubles!" He got rich doing that.

Lots to learn here... lately I had a talk with a friend of mine who works as a professional (sound engineer) about getting good people for hard money or 'dedicated' people for no money - with the result that among the really good people the ones who actually love what they are doing and working wholeheartedly are more seldom, whereas the among the committed ones... well: commitment isn't always the full rent.
Now reading the whole discussion from the other side of the table is quite interesting...

4:33 PM  
Blogger william wray said...

I'm on a project now were they give me pretty wide range and life is so much better for everyone.

4:47 PM  
Blogger oakleyses said...

herve leger, abercrombie and fitch, beats by dre, uggs, birkin bag, north face outlet, marc jacobs, giuseppe zanotti, ferragamo shoes, moncler, instyler, lululemon outlet, nike roshe run, hollister, valentino shoes, ugg boots, ugg pas cher, bottega veneta, ugg, ghd, p90x, rolex watches, uggs outlet, asics running shoes, vans shoes, ugg boots, mac cosmetics, new balance shoes, canada goose jackets, ugg australia, ugg boots clearance, nfl jerseys, canada goose outlet, insanity workout, north face jackets, mont blanc, longchamp, celine handbags, wedding dresses, reebok outlet, soccer shoes, canada goose, canada goose, mcm handbags, chi flat iron, jimmy choo outlet, babyliss pro, canada goose uk, soccer jerseys, canada goose

11:23 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home