Self Portrait Series - Doofy

Character from the film "Scary Movie".  A cross between Deputy Dwight 'Dewey' Riley (Scream) and Verbal Kint (The Usual Suspects).  I created this portrait just for fun.  Sadly "Doofy" is a nickname Michelle likes to call me when I exhibit retardish tendencies.  I guess it could be worst.

Self Portrait Series - Joe Dirt

Great movie.  Created this picture for an email to our HR team asking a question on how to donate the the United Way using payroll deduction.  This year we decided not to do a big campaign (Money is tight) but I felt that if the current situation is rough for us, imagine how hard it must be for the people who usually benefit from the donations made to the United Way.  As far as the email, of course I knew the answer, but I thought if I asked and CC: the studio, they can learn the answer and I snuck in a line in the email about what a great cause it was.  I titled the email "I ain't too smart"

Self Portrait Series - Journey

Had a tour coming through the studio the other day.  Usually I send out a message and remind everybody to act interesting.  Then I remembered it was "Journey Thursday".  No need to fake it.  Every week the design team cranks the classics.  Not unusual to have "Anyway You Want It" or "Don't Stop Believin" playing in the background of my weekly check in.  Got to love it.  Here is the shot I sent out with the email to remind them to stay as cool as they are.  Yikes!

Self Portrait Series - Tom Selleck

Did this picture as a demo for my Projects in Graphic Design class at Champlain College. With Magnum's stash - Looking a lot like my Pa.  

Portrait Series - Ted, Michael, and Byron

A collection of attachments to emails.  Something about adult heads on little bodies, cracks me up.  I find the best source for the base photo is costume websites.  

Portrait Series - Roberta Horrocks

Here is a little insight into how my brain works.  First, an email goes out to the studio about a controversy brewing over a couple of snowboard designs that the studio designed for Burton.

The "Love" graphics included Playboy centerfolds and was getting local responses like "I feel ashamed for Vermont" on www.burlingtonfreepress.com.  Second, internally the email flies around the studio with comments from Bert Horrocks ending on "The only problem is that Burton did not provide a companion line for us ladies, with some beefcake (Sawyer from Lost would do nicely, thanks)".  Third, I quickly find a shot of Bert, a cheesy picture of James Holloway, and an overtly sexy picture of snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler from FHM magazine. Fourth, Photoshop magic and the laughter commences...How could I resist.

Self Portrait Series - Dr. Douglas Howser

Doogie Says - WTF (Where are my emails...)  This was one of a long series created for the launch of the new email client.  I think anytime you can bring together the word Doogie and WTF in the same sentence, you are having a good day.  

Tour Time - The Squirrel Suit Makes a Comeback

A group of high school students from the Center for Technology came into the studio for a tour. The Design and Print Program is two years,  and each year you have the advanced second year students come back for another tour.  To make it a little more interesting for them, I thought I would mix it up and wear the squirrel suit that the studio has lying around.  Also I included the email to the studio, giving them a head's up.  The funny part is I wasn't planning on wearing the suit but I was inspired by the nature theme of the email.

Portrait Series - Anthony and Underroos

This was created for a poster that was given as a going away present for one of the studio's designers Anthony Russo.  He is the guy who is responsible for creating KTB (Kick the Ball) our local Kickball League.  A real american hero.  He will be missed.

Self Portrait Series - Captain Morgan

It looks like I have a bit o' the captain in me.  This is a special request going out to Lauren Brownell and Heidi Miller.  I am also going to be working on Cobi-Wan Kenobi for them.  Trying to figure out if I should go with Ewan McGregor or Alex Guiness.  Maybe both.  Check back in to find out...

Self Portrait Series - Tom Cruise

This one was a follow up to an email sent out to everybody in the studio.  The original email was an invitation to play in the Super Secret Kickball Society.  It was a hilarious collection of old 50's style photography with witty comments on them.  Then completely unrelated to the rest of the presentation there was a single slide of Cruise, saying simply "I am a douch bag".  Very funny.  I sent out my email about having to cancel a a meeting with the phrase "I too am feeling rather douchbagish...".  Note I also included our kickball logo for the "Enformance Perhancers" on my lapel.

Self Portrait Series - Little Monkey

I can't even remember what this one was for, but I am sure it was monkey related.  I love bananas.  

Portrait Series - Rush Sucks

This is a photoshopped portrait of my coworker James Lindars.  He has this odd hatred for the band Rush.  Something about how they are all really talented artists but don't live up to their potential...I never could quite understand it.  But anyway, on their wall he put up a picture of the band, and was throwing darts at it.  When he was out of the office, I grabbed the picture, scanned it in and found some pictures of him on the server, and worked my magic.  I then placed it back on the dart board and waited to see how long it took him to notice the difference.  

Self Portrait Series - Magua

The Last of the Big Tours.  Created for an email announcing a group of 60 students from Governor's Institute of Vermont coming in for a tour of the studio.   Summer is a slow tour season.  Who better to announce it than the Sly Fox himself.

Self Portrait Series - Virtual Roses

Different offices have different standards on what is considered appropriate.  When my fiance was having a tough day at her office, I thought maybe sending a virtual rose would lighten her mood.  When I sent the first "Rose" I got an immediate NSFW email back from her talking about the shot being too sexy.  My mistake... I quickly saved the day by creating a new "Office Friendly" rose and sending it out.  

The Story of the Leg Lamp

The studio has had an authentic Leg Lamp from Christmas Story for years.  We are trying to trick out the video editing suite, and it was decided that the kitsch was too much.  It was high jacked in the middle of the night.  We wanted it to have a new life with the member of the team that had been there the longest.  After a couple of weeks, we started posting this shot of Kevin around the office.  After we snuck out and delivered to his condo during lunch.  Complete with Fragile printed on the side.

Simple Directions

I love Google Maps.  They are very useful when giving someone directions.  Here is a quick map I sent to a visiting class from Champlain College.  I wonder why they showed up late.

It Is Not As Bad As It Seems...

As our studio switched to Entourage there were concerns that it might not be the best program.  I did some highly scientific research to help support the idea that we made the right choice. 

Self Portrait Series - St. Sebastian

I am teaching a class in Graphic Print Production at Champlain College this semester.  At the end of the year the students are given the opportunity to evaluate the teachers and give feedback on how the class has been taught.  I created this graphic as a back drop for the classroom as they filled out their forms.  Always good to inject a little art history, when you can.  Poor St. Sebastian.

Self Portrait Series - Kaneda (Akira)

Received an invitation to an event in NYC that requires you to dress up as your favorite Anime character.  I think I could rock Kaneda from the movie Akira.  Here is what it might look like. If I actually had free time to create a costume, I have always been impressed with these guys...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akNJ6UqsE

Kids Are Smarter Than You Think

Our studio gives tours to students interested in Art and Design throughout the school year.  This was an email I sent out to give a heads up to the crew to cover their unmentionables and make sure and smile.  Kids are smarter than you think and can spot a fake smile from a mile away.  Can you tell which smile is genuine? Hint: It is in eyes.

Self Portrait Series - Body Builder

Sometimes in life you make a mistake.  This was an image I sent with an email to apologize for being a massive tool.  I was teaching a lesson in how to import work paths from photoshop into Indesign to use for text wrap and it wasn't working properly.  I couldn't figure out what the problem was.  After class I realized I needed to place the text layer on top of the image.  Duh!  I hate to think I wasted somebody valuable time.

Studio Announcement - Free Furniture

You have never seen everybody drop what they were doing so fast.  The same thing happens anytime there is free food.  I find if you include the word "pizza" people start getting injured from the stampede. 

United Way Poster - Rejected Idea 02

A skew on the traditional thermometer to measure the progress of a fund raising campaign.  Now that I think about it, this one may make some people not want to donate.  

Evil Twin

We just switched over to Entourage as our email client in the studio, and as we were trying to set up group contacts there were a few mistyped addresses that made it into everybody's auto complete address function.   This was in an email to help people correct the problem.

Are you wondering why Jonathan never comes to any of your meetings?  Does he hate you? Maybe...Or maybe it could be that you are sending your invitations to his evil twin brother.

You can tell the evil one by the telltale goatee (Star Trek: Mirror, Mirror)

Separated at Birth: Our Parking Lot and a Freakin Sweet Smash Up Derby

When winter comes in Burlington we lose half of our parking lot to huge piles of snow.  The entertainment value of watching my co-workers try and solve the parking issue is priceless.  

Photoshop Help

This request comes up all the time.  "I have a photo that I want to put on my home page, but I am holding a Mike Hard Lemonade, I don't know what people will think, can you use your Photoshop skills to edit it out?"

You bet I can.  Here are the results.

United Way Poster - Rejected Idea 01

Sometimes the concept is not quite right.  Just because it was rejected doesn't mean we didn't hang it up.  It was very effective.  Campaign made over a thousand dollars, without spending a dime.  What Would Jesus Do?

If you haven't seen "The Big Lebowski" yet, you are missing out on one of the best bowling movies ever.   Cohen brothers rule.

Self Portrait Series - Tron Guy

Created for email showing how to access email from a web browser.

The tron guy is a guy named Jay Maynard.  Check out his mind blowing site:

http://www.tronguy.net/ 

Self Portrait Series - Fonz

Created for a lesson on exporting contacts out of First Class.

"Fonz says Aaaa..."

Self Portrait Series - Robin

Created for some new features of Entourage.  

"Holy Helpful Tip Batman"

Monster Parade - Timesheet Reminder

Created for an email to remind staff to keep there timesheets up-to-date.  Drawing created in Maya, a 3D animation program.  Monster was inspired by a character created by Illustrator/Designer Tyler Stout.

Beer Drinking Series - Smokey the Bear

Created for email recruiting people for an Art Mentoring program.  Beer and Cartoon Icons are funny.

Lounge Sessions - Poster Series

Series of posters inviting staff to learn more about an application server that the studio created for accessing Filemaker while working remotely and platform access to a PC.  We are almost strictly a Mac based design firm.

United Way Poster - Squirrel Drinking Beer

A poster that I designed for the company's yearly United Way Fundraising Campaign.  Decided to have an Oktoberfest Party to raise money.  What says party like a huge squirrel and a carousel horse hanging out enjoying a beer and the sunset.  Photograph was taken by Alex Williams.  You can imagine the odd looks I got walking around the pier in that outfit.  

Class Photo - Human Resources Main Page

Needed a fun way to stylize main web page for our HR team.  Note cute girl in the front looks an aweful lot like the owner of the design firm - Michael Jager.  

Animation - Britney Doll Wars

A quick stop motion video made for a team website.

Experimental ideas to encourage team spirit.  This video compared the articulation of two different Britney Spears dolls.  A dance off that was easily won by the japanese doll maker Volks.

Check out their website

Volks.co.jp

Beer Drinking Series - Barney

Follow up email on getting involved in the community

Beer Drinking Series - Carebear

Created for an invitation to join a local mentoring group

Self Portrait Series - Disney Guy

Created for an email announcing a tour coming through the studio.

Self Portrait Series - Flexible Asian

Created for an email explaining that I was flexible to change times of training to suit someone's schedule.

Self Portrait Series - Doublemint Twins

Created for an invitation to double training sessions.  This one was a little creepy.  Fiancée asked me not to photoshop head on women again.  Fair enough.

Self Portrait Series - Gavin McCloud

Created for a follow up email regarding looking good in a sailor outfit.

Self Portrait Series - Danny Noonan

Created for an email responding to a found receipt to a high end Men's tie store.  You can't go wrong with a Caddyshack reference

Self Portrait Series - Mr Rogers

Created for a training video on adding public contacts to your address book

Self Portrait Series - Entourage

Created for an invitation to a training series using MS Entourage.

Self Portrait Series - The Cheesiest

Created for an email to get people to donate to the Emergency Food Shelf.