One Year!

One year ago I was in an artistic funk. I had been freelancing like crazy - adapting my drawing/storytelling style every couple of months - but I needed a creative outlet that was more...me. I wanted to give myself the chance to explore and experiment with my own asthetic preferences without committing to one visual style.

As I scribbled bunny ears on some crappy drawings in my sketchbook, I brainstormed the possibilities... "Should I illustrate a book? Animate a short? Paint the bathroom? Hey...wait a minute! This horrible drawing of a girl looks kinda appealing in those ears. And that dinosaur sucked ass before, but now he looks like he's got some personality." The rest of the day I rode an obsessive, bipolar wave of adrenalin...signing up for a new blog, buying the domain name "Cuter in Bunny Ears," brainstorming concepts and scribbling sketches.

It's one year later and I'm a little surprised that I was able to post every day (FINE PRINT: Minus weekends and Union holidays). Thank you to everyone who submitted a bunny ears image. I love seeing how other people approach this concept in their own bizarre ways. Keep the submissions coming and I'll keep posting.

In honor of Cuter in Bunny Ears' first birthday, my talented wife, Fawn Veerasunthorn, made this plushy of CiBE (pronounced SEE-be), the little logo/mascot I have been scribbling lately.



Also, I've created a Facebook page for Cuter in Bunny Ears. I plan on posting photos, drawings, and other info that doesn't have a place on the daily blog. If you enjoy the blog, please sign up for the Facebook page.

Thanks for reading and see you tomorrow!

Bi-Winning

"I've got one speed; I've got one gear: Go!"

I really don't mean to perpetuate the whole Charlie Sheen faisco, but I couldn't resist doing a topical caricature.

Strangers Who Ask "Are You a Cop?"

Yesterday, I joined a handful of animation peers for a 15-mile bike ride. We met at Union Station and rode to Burbank by way of the LA River Bike Path. Halfway up the bike path, one of our crew decided to pull into a resting stop called Marsh Park. It's basically a small patch of dirt with a giant rattlesnake sculpture, one bench, one broken waterfountain...and one shady dude. The shady dude eyed us as we gathered around the rattlesnake for a picture. I had been taking a photo of a sign, so I was the last person to pass him. He asked, "Are you guys cops?"

Are we cops?? You mean you can't tell we're animators with our pasty skin, ungroomed hair, and silly cartoon t-shirts? I replied, "Heh...no," and looked over at my group. They were parking their bikes and making silly poses with the snake. Apparently, no one had heard this guy's question. I joined the group, trying to accelerate the picture-taking process. While we were posing, the stranger started getting nervous. He paced around the dirt, peering at his cell phone every few seconds. Eventually he had the phone to his ear, but I didn't actually see him talking.

Did someone call him or was he pretending to be occupied? Or maybe he was contacting someone. Maybe he was contacting a bunch of people. With guns. To shoot us. In the face.

Okay...I admit that I can be a bit paranoid, but "Are you cops?" is not the first question you usually ask someone. With our photo now taken, we all mounted our bikes and rolled back onto the bike path, allowing the man to be shady in private once again.

Suicidal Robots

Women Who Do Their Makeup While Driving

Rube Goldberg Plants

GUEST ARTIST: John Anderson

John is a story artist in the LA animation industry, currently working on Tinker Bell's Pixie Hollow Games at DisneyToon Studios.

Rabbit Jugglers

Vultures That Whistle "Taps"

Drawings by Three-Year-Olds

This one goes on the fridge. High seven!

Discovery's Last Mission

GUEST ARTIST: Akiko Crawford

Today in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the space shuttle Discovery took its 39th and final launch into space. This closes a chapter in NASA technology, allowing the scientists to move on to their next challenge: producing bunny ears that won't burn up in the atmosphere.

Akiko was born in Japan and raised in the suburbs of Manhattan. She currently makes a living painting backgrounds and concept designs for the LA animation industry.