New stuff on matthewcordell.com

It's been a long time coming, but I just finished a much needed update to the old website. Seeing as I'll be gearing up soon to promo TROUBLE GUM, I put a drawing from TG on the home page. Also, in the "work" section, I've added work from TROUBLE GUM, TOOT TOOT ZOOM!, and MIGHTY CASEY. For each of these books there are sample spreads to view as well as details of artwork from each book to click through.

Whenever possible, I like to ask my publisher to supply me with the top-notch scans that are done when the book is in production. The publisher pays to have the original art scanned and color-balanced and contrast-adjusted so that, when in print, it looks as close to the originals as possible. I got the good scans for MIGHTY CASEY and TROUBLE GUM. It never quite came together though, for TOOT. Please don't judge my sub-par scannings in that click through! D.I.Y., baby.

Anyhow, please do go for a look, starting here:

http://www.matthewcordell.com

These Old Things

Now that I've joined Facebook, I have a lot of people, in the list of friends, from the college years. Which, for me, closed up in spring 1997. I kicked around in that college town for an additional two years after, finally leaving Rock Hill, SC (and the Winthrop University community) in the spring of 1999. Anyhow, now that I've put this into some context, I've gotten a little nostalgic (Facebook) about some of those days. Not just for the people memories, but also for some of the art I was making at the time. Back then, I was shooting exclusively for the world of "fine art"--with mixed-media drawing/painting. Last week I sucked it up and opened some of the old slide files. Thumbed through some old work. I tend to not like doing this.

But, interestingly enough, I do think this stuff, in parts, holds relatively strong (which is saying a lot, cause typically I cringe up tight when I look at anything I've done in past times). So, why not share some here? Definitely a shift from these to where I'm at now, illustration-wise, but my emphasis was on drawing then, and my emphasis is on drawing now. So it makes sense. There was another transitional work period, for me, in between these drawings and today. Maybe I'll show that work at another time. To connect the dots.

These are/were mostly medium-to-large in size. In the 20" x 30" range. And mostly on paper. If interested, click on the image to get a closer look.




From the group, I like this one best. The bat up top--I like it. The two down low kinda throw the composition though...





This is a collaborative painting I did with painting and printmaking Prof., Paul Martyka. Acrylic, graphite, charcoal, gesso, on board (wood panel).



This is the smallest piece of the bunch. About 8" x 8". On paper. Collaborative with pal, Paul Matheny. He's a museum curator down in Columbia, SC now. And still painting. Nice guy.



Large mixed-media drawing/painting on a found piece of drywall. Left this behind in my move from SC to Chicago. Sits above friends' fireplace mantle today. Still in the south.



The bird is cool. The rest is rubbish.


Thanks for allowing my indulgence down memory lane. I also got to use my scanner, for the first time, to scan 35mm slides in doing this. All in all, a decent exercise.

RUSH

There is nothing quite like seeing a bound, finished book for the first time. It is not always good, but more often than not, it is good. Yesterday, I got an advance copy of TROUBLE GUM. And it was quite a rush. Thanks to my team of Rich Deas, Rebecca Davis, and Liz Szabla, I'm very, very happy with it.

Something new from the sketchbook...

TROUBLE GUM gum!

In September, my first author/illo picture book comes out, TROUBLE GUM. This is the first kids book I both illustrated and wrote. So it holds a dear place in my heart. I was really glad to hear it was getting a good reception over at the publisher, Feiwel and Friends. Then, I was really glad again to hear that they were going to be making giveaways to promote the book--TROUBLE GUM gum. Nice.

Then, I got an envelope full of these babies and I was totally psyched. Little boxes of colorful Chiclet-style gum--decorated in art from the book. Too nice.

Go Feiwel and Friends! Go TROUBLE GUM! September '09!

Get yer contest on (again!)

Dear readers,

My lovely wife, Julie Halpern, talented scribe of YA lit (and picture books alike) is holding a contest on her blog. It's much like the one I just held for TOOT TOOT ZOOM! in that, if you place your name in a comment on her latest blog post, you are entered into a raffle to win a free copy of her upcoming novel, INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER. This book is not yet released--drops in September this year. So the winner will receive an Advance Reader Copy (or "ARC" or "galley") of the book. She's also just posted a hot-off-the-Adobe-InDesign pic of the tres COOL cover design. Done up by our friend and bad boy designer, Rich Deas, at Feiwel and Friends. Take a look!


Check this out, and get yourself entered here!

The name will be pulled and announced on Friday, June 12th, so act now!

And the TOOT goes to...

Thanks very much to all who participated in the TOOT TOOT ZOOM! giveaway contest. I wish I had enough to go all around, but like the Highlander, there can be only one.

The winner is...

Liz Briesemeister!

Please email me, Liz, with your address, and I will get your signed copy of TOOT TOOT ZOOM! in the mail right away.

matthew@matthewcordell.com

Thank you, again, to all who played. Keep checking in often for more games, more prizes, and more fun.

Win a copy of Toot Toot Zoom!

Now that my latest illustrated picture book, TOOT TOOT ZOOM! is out (written by the great Phyllis Root), I would like to open up a contest to you, dear reader. Simply make a quick comment on this blog post with your name (or a pseudonym, if you so wish) and I will add you to a drawing for a complimentary copy of TOOT. In one week, I will pull a name from a hat and post the winner's name in a new blog post (and in the comments section of this post). Easy enough?

Shipping and handling, it's all on me. So this is at no cost--absolutely no cost--to you.

Drawing will be on Wednesday, June 3. Good luck and Toot Toot!

Facebook'd

I have, for years, completely avoided joining any of these social networking sites. You know--myspace, facebook, whatever. Julie had, a few months back, set up a more professional presence for my illustration news and stuff on Facebook (since she was already a member). And that was good. But I was still holding out. Not sure revisiting the glory days was for me. But I started seeing people--old friends--joining the Facebook group, whose names I hadn't seen in 10 plus years. It was weird. Then there was the idea that now that I'm stay-at-home Dad, my days are pretty much shut-in. Which was making me a little isolated. A little crazy. Yeah. So, I gave in and I joined the 'book.

It's been a mixed bag. A complete dismissal of the past is unhealthy, just as it is to live only in the past (or the future for that matter). It's a pretty fine line. So, it's good, but still sometimes weird, to remember the high school and college days.For better or for worse. Hard not to get too sucked back in.

The interesting thing is, I've really been inspired by reconnecting with some of these folks. Though some people are living basically the same as they were 10 years ago, some people are doing new and cool things, with art, work, life and family. It's refreshing. It made me want to look at some of my old artwork. Pre-kid books. And it made me remember what was going on, with art and motivation many years ago. And it's making me want to try and do some more drawing that's not necessarily just for existing jobs. I haven't been doing too much of this for a while. For the past few weeks, I've been trying to keep up an exercise of working in the ol' sketchbook for about 5 times a week. It's been a lot of fun. For this, Facebook has been a good thing. I mean, I'm still an advocate of that whole "don't look back" thing. But I'm starting to think it's ok to just take an occasional peek.

Here's something new from the sketchbook (click on it for a closer look):


We'll see how it goes.

Deadlines hovering

Something new from the sketchbook. To keep current.

TOOT TOOT ZOOM! out now!

Out now, is my second of the two books I have newly released this spring--TOOT TOOT ZOOM!, published by Candlewick, written by Phyllis Root, and illustrated by yours truly. It's a good, fun romp. Four animals, a little red car, a long drive up a tall mountain, a car crash off the side of said mountain... it's crazy. Good stuff! Please check it out online, here, or find it/order it at your local independent bookseller.

And this just in! A nice early review for TTZ! by way of School Library Journal:

ROOT, Phyllis. Toot Toot Zoom! illus. by Matthew Cordell. unpaged.
Candlewick. 2009. Tr $15.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-3452-0. LC 2008934781.

PreS-K­Pierre, a red fox, lives alone at the foot of a mountain. One day he drives off in his little red sports convertible, hoping to make a friend on the other side. Children must turn the book sideways to fully appreciate the spreads showing a "sky-high mountain" with a spiral road. They will love vocalizing "toot! toot! screech!" at each of the cumulative encounters Pierre has as Goat, Sheep, and Bear join in the quest. Although no one lives on the other side of the mountain, a satisfying conclusion marks several successful friendships. The quartet settle down together in a house that incorporates pieces of the car. A large font with generous spacing between the lines adds much to the book's pleasing design. The spirited cartoonlike illustrations are done in ink and watercolor. Front endpapers show Pierre driving alone; final endpapers picture him riding with his three new pals. Expect requests for repeated readings.­Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA



TOOT! TOOT!!