Thank you Steve.

Truth be told, I have imagined this day in my mind for quite some time. Not because I was wishing for it, but because on some level, I was curious as to how I’d deal with it. I’ve thought about the death of my grandmother and my parents, but is it weird that I’ve also thought about the death of Steve Jobs? It’s no secret to my family and close friends that to me, he was more than the dude who created Apple. I wouldn’t even call him an inspiration. He was the reason. The reason I started a business at 23. The reason I believe in a cosmic consciousness. And the reason I continue to blindly push forward, and believe that I will be able to somehow connect the dots looking backward. It should then come as no surprise that when my friend texted me the tragic news, I was left dumbfounded. I was on a film set, and suddenly I was stuck in my chair and unable to speak. What do you even text back to that? Thankfully, our workday was almost over and I just needed to wrap and get out to my car. It was an awkward 20 minutes of hollow conversations that I simply did not care about, but I eventually made it to the parking lot. And as I drove home to write this, in a very private moment, I started to cry. I cried like I had lost a family member but it was almost somehow worse. I had lost my reason.

My first years out of college were heavy ones for me, having gone through a series of events that to this day I don't speak about with everyone. In the funk of depression and an intense period of self discovery, I became interested in the story of how Steve Jobs came to be Steve Jobs. I quickly realized that your dreams don’t simply show up if you work in your room and hope someone notices. Having a vision isn’t enough. You must be willing to create your own opportunities. Where I once saw life as a series of closed doors, suddenly they became unlocked. And even if the door is locked, you can pick the key. And if you can’t pick the key, break in through the window. And if you can’t get in through the window, well than jump down the fucking chimney. The point is that if you’re meant to be there, it doesn’t matter how you got in. What matters is what you do when you get there. As the man himself once said, “Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

My first illustration I ever got published, was fittingly of Mr. Jobs himself back in 2006. I had done it on my own time and contacted a few local newspapers to see if they wanted to use it to accompany the story of the Disney/Pixar merger. Eventually the Contra Costa Times paid me $100 for use of the image in their Sunday paper. And just like that I became a professional illustrator. I was always proud of that piece, and I am still proud of how I got it out there. It was my first lesson in business and I've continued to push forward everyday since then.

Thank you Steve, for giving me courage when I most needed it, and for giving me the strength to believe in myself when I didn't even know I could. Like most men who didn't really know their fathers, you look for the strongest role model to take his place. You have forever changed me, and will always have a special place in my life.

Captain Abstinence

Here's some concept art I did on a short film for a comic book superhero who promotes the ideas of abstinence. He is accompanied by his trusty profilactic gun. Needless to say, this was a fun one...

The Wizard of Oz-lamabad

Well it's been quite a while since I've last posted. In fact, almost a year to the day. And here it is: The poster for the second Middle Eastern Comedy Festival in Los Angeles. This year, a Middles Eastern Wizard of Oz was commissioned and thus this drawing was born. There are extra spaces left for text to be filled in later, but I wanted to just show the image. Not to toot my own horn, but I am proud of the Lion from the former Iranian flag as the Cowardly Lion. Funny stuff.

Comedy Festival Illustration

Here's an illustration that was commissioned by the Middle Eastern Comedy Festival. The client asked for something very peculiar, which was a movie set filming pyramids with wigs to look like the three stooges. Not sure how clear it came out, but it was fun working with a variety of mediums which included sketches, photo collage, and vector parts.

If you are in LA next week, check out the festival! :

mideastcomedyfest.com

Doodles

Here's a random page from my current sketchbook

Peace in Iran

I created this in Adobe Illustrator in one sitting. My goal was to use the center part of the Iranian flag to make a peace sign. I got a happy accident out of it since it also looks like a person crying. And seeing as how this is all being covered on Twitter, Facebook, etc, I wanted it to have that web/iphone app feel. I am printing this up large and plan to show it off at the local rallies in Westwood.

If you are interested in using this in your town, please email me directly and I will be happy to send you a high rez copy suitable for large printing. In the meantime, stay safe everyone...

Swine Flu

Published on LAist.com

Joyce

A caricature for the lady. She seemed to liked it...

Created in Adobe Illustrator.

Meow 2.0

Here's a second pass I did at an old favorite.

Bad Brody

After I scanned this drawing and took a look at it on the computer, I realized that in terms of his proportions, his eyes should be way farther apart. Regardless, I thought it was an interesting drawing which deserved to be posted. I might go back and redo it seeing as how I enjoyed working with all the crazy shapes.

D.D. Lew

A very loose and quick sketch of the great Daniel Day Lewis to start off the new year.