BoB LOGan

Pokemon...

2012-02-24T23:31:00.002-08:00

"Drunk on Pecha Berry Juice"

acrylic, 14 x 11"

I enjoy playing Pokemon White (Nintendo DS) with my son. This painting is for him. I'm proud to say I have a Lv. 77 Pikachu and all of my gym badges. For this painting, I wanted to capture a group of Pikachus in the wild. I'm guessing this would be the one rare moment you could catch them lying still.

The Beast...

2012-02-24T22:23:00.001-08:00

"The Beast"

Prismacolor Pencil on tracing vellum, 12 x 18"

When I found this sketch in the attic, I was surprised to see it still in fairly good shape. Vellum seems so fragile to me. I did this drawing a while ago in preparation of a storyboard for a Disney direct-to-video special.

Gift for Mike & Tasha...

Centaur Rock Party Update!

2012-01-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

I still have a lot to do, but I've been plugging away.

Trip to Disneyland!

2011-12-25T23:36:00.000-08:00

(Shot on a Nikon D90 with a AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1:1.8 G lens)

A special thanks to my mother-in-law, Polly for taking the family to Disneyland for some Christmas fun! I love the shapes and textures within the various attractions, so I tried to capture some of them with photos.

Twelve Humpties Laughing...

2011-12-18T00:23:00.000-08:00

"Humpty"

wood, acrylic, and fluffy cloud

Humpty Dumpty Sits On My Wall (for now)...

2011-11-07T22:51:00.000-08:00

"Humpty Alexander Dumpty"

Winsor & Newton Ink, gouache, and acrylic, 11 x 14"

To the wonderfully talented cast and crew of the film, Puss In Boots...

Congratulations!

My Favorite Bookmark...

2011-11-06T22:00:00.000-08:00

My favorite bookmark is a Christmas card envelope adorned with an original Jenny Lerew drawing. I-love-this-drawing! (And I love reading Sherlock Holmes on rainy days). If you are visiting my blog, then it is highly likely you know of Jenny's blogs. If you don't, they are a real treat!

Check out Jenny Lerew's Blackwing Diaries and Blackwing Sketchbook.

Pinewood Derby!

2011-11-03T23:16:00.000-07:00

My son and I are looking forward to his first BSA Pinewood Derby this weekend. His car weighs in tomorrow night. Weighing in at 4.45oz with a graphite-lubricated-reinforced wheel base, added chassis weight, and a mean looking paint job (including a painted scythe), he is ready for the big race on Saturday!

We have an extra engine block (if needed) to get the car closer to the maximum weight allowed (5oz).

Ready, Set, GO!!!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

"Dracula"

pen & marker, 6 x 9"

"Frankenstein's Monster"

pen & marker, 8 x 10"

Happy Lil' Rain God...

2011-09-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

My plant loves him.

A little green food coloring in the water...

...or maybe some Midori and ginger ale?

This reminds me of Scooby Doo for some reason...

Primed and sanded...

Awesome sound effects!

Story artist, Maggie Kang gave me her office fountain. Story artist, Will Mata said, "Paint a face on it". Done! I'm not sure I'm completely happy with the end result. If I go back into it, it will have to be at a later time. I have centaurs to paint!

Europa & The Bull...

2011-09-28T23:14:00.000-07:00

This study will eventually become my next painting. I did this sketch a little while ago. I've been behind on my posting.

Hangin' with the Centaurs...

2011-09-28T23:06:00.000-07:00

I have been chippin' away at this painting. The original ink drawing on the canvas (bottom image) has long since disappeared. These guys just keep evolving. You may have noticed my smokin' easel. Jealous? It's a combination card table and children's easel by Melissa & Doug. (My kid hasn't used it in years). It all works perfectly. Rather than get an easel upgrade, I think I would rather save up for a record player. I've been missing records lately.

A Day at the Aquarium...

2011-08-22T23:54:00.000-07:00

Smile!

(Shot on a Nikon D90 with a AF-S Nikkor 35mm 1:1.8 G lens)

In honor of my son getting his first fish tank, we spent a nice Sunday afternoon at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif. The jellies were the favorite. The lorikeets were playful. And even when converted to a fruit smoothie-stand sign, a great white shark can still catch a pigeon (see above). Not a bad day.

I also saw my buddy Dave Derrick's beautiful children's book, Sid the Squid in the gift shop!

Pretty cool!

Rocket Town Wallpapers!

2011-08-22T21:16:00.000-07:00

(Click on an image to see the actual size, then put it on your desktop!)
Do it! Do it now!

Chippin' Away at my Centaurs...

2011-08-20T18:03:00.000-07:00

Not quite ready for their guitar solo...

Am I in over my head with this painting? Yes.

Do I know what I'm doing? No.

Am I having fun? Absolutely.

It's not been pretty working on these centaurs. I have lines on top of lines. The good news is, you can just paint over everything!

Will post more...

Centaur Rock Party!

2011-08-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

Rough sketch for Centaur Rock Party

I've been giving my paintings to friends and family whether they want them or not. My kid was feeling left out so I did something unusual... I took a request.

He wanted a centaur rock party.

Hopefully, this will be awesome because it's going to be huge!

Huntington Library Studies...

2011-08-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

Sketches from the North Vista lawn at The Huntington Library

ink and pastel, 12 x 18"

Excerpt from The Huntington Library Website:

The 17th century limestone statues on each side of the North Vista depict characters from classical mythology and folklore. Each statue was originally matched to a stately palm. The baroque fountain at the end of the North Vista was shipped in 48 boxes with a total weight of 42 tons. The boxes filled an entire railway car when shipped from New York.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens (link).

Clark Kent...

2011-08-09T01:07:00.000-07:00

"Superman, Where Are You?"

Winsor & Newton Ink & gouache, 8 x 10"

A gift for my brother...

The Sedalia Ragtime Orchestra...

2011-08-09T00:53:00.000-07:00

I know I keep saying it, but I LOVE my local public library in Thousand Oaks! This weekend, the library hosted a free concert with the wonderful Sedalia Ragtime Orchestra. Aside from playing great music, the band leader enlightened a packed house with the interesting (and sometimes sad) history behind the songs they played.

Europa & The Bull...

2011-08-09T00:38:00.000-07:00

"Europa"

Winsor & Newton ink & gouache, 8 x 10"

"The White Bull"

Winsor & Newton Ink and gouache, 8 x 10"

I have officially started painting for fun. I have a list of subjects and ideas I want to tackle. First, I need to test some materials. I've been working mainly with brush and ink on paper. I've recently taken a liking to gouache over watercolor for tone. Both will come in handy, but gouache is great for bold, flat color. In working with brushes, I do want to free up a bit. I want to work large! My friend, Aurian Redson suggested working on canvas and so I did these tests on small canvases to see if the ink and and gouache would even adhere to the surface. I think it works due to the canvas being primed with gesso. (Bear in mind, this is all new to me). If I go big-big, I may need to switch to acrylic for color.

Europa's eyes are a little big and buggy, but I still wanted to post it. I'm hoping by working larger, my linework will loosen up a bit. Ultimately, I'm working toward illustrating a tribute to Paul Manship's The Flight of Europa.

The Mayor...

2011-07-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's Mayor McCheese. I'm painting Mayor McCheese. This is yet another preliminary color/sketch test while I wait for my 18 x 24 inch Arches Watercolor Blocks to arrive from Dick Blick's. (They have great prices on art supplies by the way).

The Mayor and other beloved McDonald's characters kinda have a shady past. You can read the story here.

More to come...

Warrior...

2011-07-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

"Seated Warrior"

Winsor & Newton Ink, watercolor, and gouache, 14 x 17"

I've been sketching with watercolor and ink whenever I get the chance. I've now added gouache to the mix. It's been fun playing with various opacities of paint.

The warrior is a gift for a friend at DreamWorks.

Society of the Trepidatious Barkeeps...

2011-06-23T21:42:00.000-07:00

Study for the Society of the Trepidatious Barkeeps

Winsor & Newton ink, watercolor, 9 x 12"

This fellow is the subject of an ongoing interest of mine, ink and watercolor. I've been experimenting with various brushes and pen nibs. I hope to continue posting my progress as the illustration changes.

Rocket Town visits Barnes & Noble...

2011-06-04T20:32:00.000-07:00

Many thanks again to Pam at Barnes & Noble, Thousand Oaks for having me back. She's becoming a true friend! And a special thanks to Saint Aidan's Preschool in Malibu for hosting the book reading.

It was a lot of fun. I now have rocket puppets!

I even sold a few books.

Sea of Bath Concept Sketch...

2011-05-31T21:07:00.000-07:00

graphite, digital color

Rocket Town Review: School Library Journal

2011-05-15T16:42:00.000-07:00

Concept sketch for Rocket Town rockets

digital, Illustrator 10

The School Library Journal had some nice words to say about Rocket Town!

Here is the review:

What if rockets dominated an entire town and every other mode of transportation were converted into a spaceship version of its former self? That is the premise of this richly illustrated offering. With helmet in hand and accompanied by his dog, a man drives his pickup truck from a rural setting to a place where fast-food joints, school buses, unicycles, and fire trucks have all turned into rocket ships, alongside an array of other ships whose origins are less apparent, like Chopper, Guzzler, and the green Stinky Onion. In this graphical feast for the eyes, filled with dark concentrated colors and abundant geometric shapes, Logan does not so much tell a story as state that each invention is either big, small, fast, slow, or moving up or down. At Rocket Ray’s Pre-Owned Rockets, the protagonist makes his own purchase, leading to the inevitable “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...BLAST OFF!” Reminiscent of Donald Crews’s vehicle books (HarperCollins), this board book will appeal to young transportation buffs.

–Gloria Koster, West School, New Canaan, CT

On the 4th @ 4!

2011-05-15T16:14:00.000-07:00

On June 4th @ 4pm, join me as I read/perform Rocket Town and sign books at:

Barnes & Noble in Thousand Oaks, CA.

More praise for Rocket Town at the following links...

My Busy Children

Mom Most Traveled

Bless Their Hearts Mom

Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

OC Family (review: by Kristen Schott)

Life with the Stevens

Target Children's Stage...

2011-05-02T23:26:00.000-07:00

As a first-time author, being on the Target Children's Stage at the Los Angeles Festival of Books was a pretty scary ride. I will say that the MC and the event staff were super helpful and kind!

(Thank you, Shannon!)

And Mo Willems is a really nice person.

Save the Date!

2011-04-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

I will be on the...

at the

Sunday, May 1st @ 11:15 am!

I will be signing copies of Rocket Town & The Sea of Bath!

(Click Here) for the full schedule!

The Iroquois Longhouse Project...

2011-04-23T00:28:00.000-07:00

Reference Illustration (above):

Iroquois Longhouse: by Jack Logan (3rd Grade)

School Visit!

2011-04-11T23:33:00.000-07:00

Meet Jill Mowdy, Super Librarian!

Ms. Annie Bigelow from Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Book Shop.

Today I enjoyed paying a visit to the school library of Cullen Elementary in Glendora, CA. The kids were really great. They asked some really good questions. I only hope I answered them clearly. We had fun reading books. While we were waiting for my books to arrive, I had the rare pleasure of reading aloud one of my favorites, The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein. (I love singing the song!)

Both Rocket Town and The Sea of Bath were well received, which is pretty cool! I would like to thank school librarian, Jill Mowdy, the teachers, and the students of Cullen Elementary for having me. Thanks to Annie Bigelow for bringing the books from Mrs. Nelson's and handling the orders.

Hey! Check this out...

"Click" on pic...

It's a reading dragon that spans the entire half of the room! Now if I understand this correctly, each dragon scale represents a book read and reviewed by a student. This dragon is quite impressive in person! The photo doesn't do it justice. The Reading Dragon was created by: Jill Mowdy.

Saturday Storytime at Mrs. Nelson's!

2011-04-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

Thank you Mrs. Nelson's for allowing me to participate in Saturday Storytime! This is such an incredible store!

I would like to extend a special thanks to Caitlin for running the event and coming up with yet another awesomely creative activity for the kids.

This was a nice surprise too...

Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Book Shop this Saturday!

2011-04-07T22:51:00.000-07:00

"Father & Son"

Early concept design for citizens of Rocket Town

pastel, 8 x 7"

I will be at Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Book Shop this Saturday, April 9th reading and signing copies of Rocket Town!

Saturday Storytime starts @ 11am!

Location: Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Book Shop

1030 Bonita Avenue

LaVerne, CA 91750

(909) 599-4558

mrsnelsons.com

Rocket Town has arrived in stores!

2011-03-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

Rocket Town is due to land in stores tomorrow, March 31st! (I think).

If or when I do see it in stores, I'm going for ice cream!

Here are some (blog) reviews for both The Sea of Bath and Rocket Town...

Books4yourkids.com

F.I.R.R. Kids! (For Immediate Release Reviews - Kids!)

Dad of Divas' Reviews

Chronicle of an Infant Bibliophile

And in the Daily News, Los Angeles...

"The Sea of Bath" (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $17) by Bob Logan is perfect for children ages 4 and older to read while wrapped in a warm robe. The tale follows the adventures of the captain of the S.S. Rubb A. Dubb when the tide brings in an assortment of odd creatures and vessels. Bright, playful illustrations and simple text make this a book children will want to read over and over. Logan was a story artist on the films, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" and "Madagascar." He lives in Thousand Oaks with his wife, son and two pugs.

-Michelle J. Mills

Some recent events...

2011-03-26T11:45:00.000-07:00

First, Chris Mitchell and Miki Panteepo are holding an ongoing auction at their Q Pop store and website for HELP JAPAN. Please check it out! There are some really fantastic art pieces for sale and the funds go towards hospitals and relief groups in areas affected by the tsunami.

Thank you, Denise Koyama for getting my piece to the auction on time. You really helped me out!

Here is the link for Q Pop!

Second, I had the pleasure of participating in the CSLA Library Advocacy Campaign. You can learn more about this campaign at the following websites...

http://librarycampaign.csla.net/

http://www.cafepress.com/csla

http://bookcompany.mrsnelsons.com/support.html

Rocket Town!

2011-03-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I came home to a box of Rocket Towns sitting on my doorstep!

Once again, Sourcebooks did a fantastic job!

The release date is at the end of this month, but I think a few are popping up on websites already!

How I Made My First Picture Book...

2011-03-06T01:05:00.000-08:00

How did I create my high-seas adventure? Well, first I started with some scribbly-dibbly thumbnails to try and figure out what I wanted to see on the pages...

Then I started designing all the characters I would want to see in a nautical-themed book. This was really fun for me! Many of the designs were based on these sketches. Here are some early designs for The Sea of Bath...

One of my favorite characters, (who unfortunately didn't make it into the book)...

As designs were being finished, I started a "dummy" or rough version of the book to show my publisher.

My first sketches were, again... scribbly-dibblies, mostly for my benefit, with usually just enough information on the page for me to see where I wanted to place my characters...

Then I set off on creating the actual rough or "dummy" version of the book for my editor and art director...

With some feedback from my publisher, I arrived at these final layouts...

Here are some more before-and-after examples...

The Wandering Minstrel!

2011-03-05T00:29:00.000-08:00

Two nights ago at a book signing event in Moorpark, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Mr. Paul Tracey, "The Wandering Minstrel". What is a wandering minstrel? And where do you go to learn how to become a wandering minstrel? Only Paul Tracey can tell you!

I must say, meeting Paul was a special treat. His stories were told through song. Paul also demonstrated a wide array of musical instruments to the children and talked a little bit about each instrument's distinct personality.

Paul and his slide didge!

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, raised in England, Paul Tracey has performed internationally, appeared on broadway, and has written songs for (drum roll please)...

My favorite song of the evening, the one that got everyone singing, was "The Ugly Song".

(CLICK HERE TO SEE IT!)

I highly recommend Paul for elementary school events, festivals, and parties!

You can visit his website for bookings here!

Images Copyright Paul Tracey 2011.

Book Event!

2011-02-28T22:20:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, March 2, 2011 from 5 - 8 pm,

at Arroyo West Elementary in Moorpark, California,

I will be reading and signing copies of The Sea of Bath

at the Reading Night Carnival.

With a little luck, I will also be reading a special advanced copy of ROCKET TOWN!

(Even I haven't seen it yet!)

There will be food, treats, books, balloons, jugglers, and the musical stylings of,

Paul Tracey "The Wandering Minstrel"

Last night's SCIBA event...

2011-02-27T18:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! Where do I begin?

Last night's event with SCIBA in Pasadena was an enlightening experience to say the least. It was a great deal of fun and I got a small taste of what the publishing world is like. It is a lot different from animation!

The emcee of the evening, the funny and talented, Cecil Castellucci hosted several speaking authors, Judy Blundell, Dr. Cuthbert Soup, Brandon Mull, and Andrew Smith. All were hilarious and inspiring!

Even though Grandma's Gloves kept my book from having any salad,
I was excited to receive a copy, being a fan of Julia Denos' illustrations.
(see my links)

After dinner, I was busy signing books, which is a good thing! But I did enjoy meeting and talking with authors, C. Alexander London and Fablehaven's Brandon Mull.

Me with Brandon Mull, author of the Fablehaven Series.

I really enjoyed Brandon Mull's presentation. He has a splendiferous sense of humor. My son and I are nearing the end of the Harry Potter saga for our storytime and I've been wondering for a while now what to read next. As it turns out, Brandon finds inspiration in the works of C.S. Lewis, and being that my son and I thoroughly enjoyed the Narnia books, the Fablehaven Series seems the perfect choice for our next storytime adventure.

My wife, Jill thought she was in for a relaxing evening. She thought wrong and ended up working. She made for a great impromptu publicist. Actually, I think a few people thought she was my publicist. She was fan-tas-tic! She really helped me out. She scored some autographed books for our son too! Here are just a few of the young adult titles that we are both excited about...

We Are Not Eaten by Yaks: An Accidental Adventure by C. Alexander London

Another Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup

A World Without Heroes (Beyonders) by Brandon Mull (an advanced copy!)

The Loser List by H.N. Kowitt

Thank you Kay Mitchell, Publicist for Sourcebooks, Inc, Jennifer Bigelow with SCIBA, and Andrea Vuleta with Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Book Shop for having me! It was a lot of fun!

SCIBA's Children's Books & Literacy Dinner...

2011-02-25T17:32:00.000-08:00

I will be signing copies of The Sea of Bath at

SCIBA's Children's Books & Literacy Dinner in Pasadena, California on Saturday, February 26.

I hope to see you there!

Happy President's Day Weekend!

2011-02-17T22:53:00.000-08:00

"Young George Washington"
Berol China Marker & charcoal, approx. 8 x 11"

I've kept this sketch that I did of President Washington for a while now in hopes that it may someday inspire a children's book. I recently read an interesting account of the life and times of the commander of the Continental army entitled, His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis. Though I have fond memories of all of those grade school field trips to Washington D.C. and Mount Vernon, I now realize that my knowledge of George Washington may lean more towards the myth and not the man. Ellis's biography intrigued me because it explores more of Washington's all-too-human qualities.

Some Upcoming Events!

2011-02-16T23:26:00.000-08:00

I will be reading my book and signing copies at the following events...

On February 26, 2011...

The Sea Of Bath by Bob Logan

early rough and final layout

SCIBA's Children's Books & Literacy Dinner

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Westin Pasadena Hotel

Registration Forms available on SoCalBookScene.com

6:00 PM - Reception & Bookstore Exhibits

7:15 PM - Dinner & Program

9:30 PM - Book Signings

On March 2, 2011...

The Reading Night Carnival will be held on

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

at Arroyo West Elementary in Moorpark, CA from 5 - 8 pm

On April 9th, 2011...

Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Book Shop

Saturday Storytime @ 11am!

On May 1st 2011...

Target Children's Stage

I hope to see you there!

Rocket Town Review!

2011-02-08T20:19:00.000-08:00

Rocket Town arrives in April, but Michelle J. Mills, Staff Writer of the Pasadena Star-News has already said some nice words about it...

"Rocket Town" (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $8) by Bob Logan is a blast for children ages 1-5. Follow a cute beagle and his owner as they drive by all kinds of rockets - small, big, fast, slow and more - on the way to their own. Simple text and retro-pop illustrations make the journey one kids (and parents) will want to take again and again. Logan has worked as a story artist for films such as "Madagascar" and "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs." His lives in Thousand Oaks with his wife, son and two pugs.

Thank you, Kay Mitchell at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for the clipping.

This is Serious Business!

2011-02-06T13:35:00.001-08:00

'Cause I got some business cards!

Thank you MOO.com! I'm really pleased with the results.

I'm showing them off because they look like candies!

Bolly & Wally...

2011-02-06T13:25:00.000-08:00

Wally is on the right.

"Bolly" was a recent purchase from Q Pop.
Wally is not.

SW: LEGO Imperial Shuttle...

2011-02-06T13:15:00.000-08:00

Another Jack Logan homemade creation!

The kid is on fire!

Q Pop Grand Opening Event!

2011-01-30T18:09:00.000-08:00

It's Q-Overload, so I'm going to allow the pictures to tell the story. I will say, that last night's event was a lot of fun! The store itself looked like a cute monster swallowing visitors up all night long. I'm very happy for shop owners, Chris Mitchell and Miki Panteepo. I wish them all the best in their new adventure.

UPDATE: Feb 06, 2011: You can now visit here to see who did what for "What Is Q?".

"Yum-yum-yum-yum-yum... people!"

The awesome duo who put this whole event together!

LEGO Poké Ball...

2011-01-30T17:29:00.000-08:00

Proud Dad? Maybe.

Still, this Jack Logan (age 9) creation looks pretty cool!

Check out his X-Wing fighter here!

Captain Sourpuss & Vince...

2011-01-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

It rained today, so I can't mow my lawn. Darn. It's a good day for drinking coffee and blogging. These are my latest experiments in watercolor and ink...

I mentioned to my story supervisor at work, Bob Persichetti, that I was looking for a really black ink to draw with, one that "sits" on top of the paper. He lent me his bottle of Winsor & Newton ink to try.

"Capt. Sourpuss"

Winsor & Newton Indian Ink & watercolor on Arches cold-pressed

watercolor block, 9 x 12"

In doing these studies, I had no specific subjects in mind. I just wanted to get a couple of sketchpads going at the same time. Aside from the burly bearded gentleman we shall call "Captain Sourpuss", I did a spontaneous portrait of Vince Guaraldi after glancing at an album cover of his.

For the Winsor & Newton, I used a sable brush. It definitely feels different from a pen. I think my next experiment will be to find a way of combining the two. I love the boldness of the brush ink, but I also favor being able to carve out a drawing with a big Sharpie. A fun discovery with our friend Captain Sourpuss, was laying down the blue shadows first, then going over him with a ghoulish green. I think the effect feels natural, yet there is a graphic poster quality to working this way. It definitely warrants further exploration.

"Vince"

Winsor & Newton Indian Ink & watercolor

on Arches hot-pressed watercolor block, 7 x 10"

"Vince" was done on smooth, hot-pressed paper. I didn't care for this as much. I like seeing the tooth of the paper. Watering down the ink was fun though.I think I'll try adding granules of salt next time.

Well, the Winsor & Newton definitely "sits" on top of the paper. I saw it in an art store two weeks ago and thought the bottle looked fun, but I passed on it. Luckily, Bob hooked me up with his supply. I will be buying more.

What Is Q?

2011-01-24T20:57:00.000-08:00

"Q is for Quest"

Sharpie and gouache, 9 x 20"

My small contribution is brought to you by the letter "Q". Q POP is having its grand opening and first gallery show this Saturday, January 29th!

Q POP

128 Astronaut E S Onizuka St

Los Angeles, CA 90012

Read a recent interview with shop owners, Chris Mitchell and Miki Panteepo here. Read another interview here!

I was supposed to mow the lawn, but drew pictures instead.

2011-01-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I enjoyed experimenting with drawing. I have a love/hate relationship with watercolors. I love the way they look, but hate how I can't control them. I think I'm afraid of them, actually. It's early yet, but this little guy was one of my more successful doodles. I've been searching for interesting ways to color my pen sketches.

Uniball Pen, watercolor, & Prismacolor Pencil
on cold-pressed watercolor paper.

This next chap is an experiment in opacity. I love drawing with chisel-tipped Sharpies, the really big markers. Sharpie takes to textured paper very well, allows you to draw big, and does not bleed when you layer in the watercolors. I wanted to play with varying opacities by bringing gouache into the mix. I added a little colored pencil to try different textures. Again, this is just me learning by trial and error. I thought it would be fun to blog my results, to see where this eventually goes.

Sharpie, watercolor, gouache,

& Prismacolor Pencil on cold-press

My New Schwinn...

2011-01-08T16:00:00.000-08:00

Ding-Dong!

Fully-Loaded!

This is the year of the beach cruiser! No gears to contend with, just pedal power and my whitewalls. They sell these bikes pre-built at Target for around $120 dollars. I added some extras, a coffee cup holder, a basket for errands, a big ol' bell which sounds amazing, and some matching skull tire valves. I took a test drive to my local library and it works great! If you are interested, I would recommend buying a pre-built one at a Target so you can check for any significant dents or scratches, then get it tuned up at a bike shop. My research revealed some problems with the disassembled boxed bikes.

My family and I are looking forward to riding bikes at the beach this spring and summer. I may even pinstripe my fenders! I think I'll call my bike... "Bleu Bell"

Noted on 01/17/11: Since the purchase of my new bike, I have now added a headlamp and a blinking taillamp taken from my old bike. Now I can night ride!

Temple Shapes...

2011-01-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

"Temple Madness"

Pencil and marker, 12 x 24"

Over Christmas, we got the new Donkey Kong game for the Wii. It is absolutely bee-yoo-ti-ful!
I think it crossed over into my doodles a bit.

New Year... New Sketchbook...

2010-12-28T23:39:00.000-08:00

"Country Bear Gin-bor-ee"

Pencil & marker, 12 x 24"

I realize it's not the new year yet, but I'm really excited about a recent discovery, "CinemaScopic Sketchbooks"! Strathmore has these super-wide sketchbooks available. Okay, I don't know the exact ratio or how long they've been available, but they're really great!

I love to draw, but often hit that wall commonly known as the I-hate-everything-I-draw-phase. So, I'm going to mix it up a bit.

I usually draw digitally (with Adobe Illustrator), but lately I've been missing the grit and smudge of paper. I also miss getting high on markers. This sketchbook was a timely discovery.

I've been enjoying blocking in solid, basic shapes with marker, then using a Prismacolor pencil to play with various line and shape textures. When I start drawing, I have no idea what I'll end up with (hence the drunken bear).

I'm really excited about this format for sketching. I think I will explore random elements for a while. You know, get the rust out.

It may even get weird. Who knows?

My Juno...

2010-12-17T15:58:00.000-08:00

Nothing rings in the holidays like a digitally controlled oscillator.

I decided to break out and dust off my old polyphonic synthesizer, a Roland JUNO-106.

It's a poor man's JUPITER-8, but the 106 does have some nice textures and sounds.

The last time I used this instrument was in college to compose some student film scores for friends, but I got the most use out of it the year after high school when I played in a Top 40 band called, "Off The Wall". (The lead singer named the group). That was 1986.

(Clippings: courtesy of Rose Kuras, my grandmother)

Behold!

OFF... THE... WALL!

November 26, 1986

"Sir Richard's Room"

Freddie's Inn, Johnstown PA

L to R: Steve France (amazing lead guitarist!), the Prebolski Brothers,

Dave (lead singer), Chris (bass),

Eddie...ah, I'm blanking on his last name (on drums),

and me looking unhappy on my Juno.

I was probably focusing on my mad solo for Van Halen's, JUMP!

(Photo: courtesy of the Prebolski family).

Steven A. MacLeod...

2010-12-15T23:17:00.000-08:00

Sketch drawn at the table by Steve MacLeod.

Clockwise from top left: Bob L, Mike Lester, Aurian Redson, and Will Mata.

Sketch by Steve MacLeod.

Clockwise from the top: Aurian Redson (w/ dark cloud), Steve M,

Will Mata, Bob L, and Mike Lester.

I had to post some of the amazing quick sketches of DreamWorks' story artist, Steve MacLeod. A few of us enjoy playing foosball. We even have our own "rules", meaning no rules!

Steve wonderfully captured the insanity of our game in these loose, gestural drawings. Check out his blog to view his amazing work. When you see the sketches in person, you think they are right out of The New Yorker.

Sea Of Bath: Sketches!

2010-12-08T23:43:00.000-08:00

These are early pencil sketches of some of the characters for the book...

Sea Of Bath: Toys!

2010-12-08T23:13:00.000-08:00

Before I started my book, I shot pictures of a bunch of toys floating around in a bathtub for reference...

(Images were taken with a Nikon D90)

Spongebob Squarepants served as the perfect "double" for my main character.

Thousand Oaks, California...

2010-12-07T08:18:00.000-08:00

I had my camera with me and caught this beautiful morning after a night of rain.

Sighhhh... [cue birds].

Lumos!

2010-12-07T08:15:00.000-08:00

Harry Potter has hit the Logan household in a big way. I've been reading the series to my son and he's hooked! We are currently on Year 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix:

It's been a pleasure experiencing the journey again, this time with my son. "A Day at Hogwarts" became the favored-theme of a recent birthday party in our home. We had to take some creative liberties, but hopefully the spirit of the books was retained.

The Sorting Hat awaits!

We started the party off by having the birthday boy "act" the role of the Sorting Hat by sorting the students into their proper houses. Then... a day of classes began that included, the "Quidditch Snitch Toss", "Care of Magical Creatures Balloon Toss", "Transfiguration Charades", and a "Potions Scavenger Hunt".

Professor Snape demands perfection when it comes to potions.
Luckily, he was kind enough to provide the first clue!

Once the students found all of the proper ingredients for their potion, added them in the correct order, and spoke the funniest chant they could think of, they were amazed and astonished to find that they indeed created gold coins worthy of Gringotts to be spent at none other than the Honeydukes Candy Bar and Zonko's Joke Shop!

Dumbledore's Favorite Lemondrops!

"Mad-Eye" Moody Rubber Balls

Old Disney Chalkboard…

2010-12-04T14:47:00.002-08:00

When I went to visit Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Book Shop a while back, I walked around the historic area of San Dimas. It was really charming. I wandered into an antique store and found this old chalkboard lined with Walt Disney’s characters. It was an impulse buy. It didn’t cost much and it had someone’s name written in the corner in ink that I was able to remove. I figured it might come in handy should I ever want to draw up plans for building a space station or something.

I found a similar one on eBay. They were dating theirs back to the 40’s or 50’s, but Professor Ludwig von Drake (one of my favorite characters) didn’t arrive until the early 60’s. It feels like it’s from the 60’s, maybe the early 70’s.

I like the color green they used in the chalkboard area. The characters are screened on there really well. The slightly off-model Mickey is pretty cool too!

Arrrrgh, Pirates!

2010-12-04T08:54:00.000-08:00

"Pirates"

Sharpie & graphite, 14 x 17"

Q-Pop Shop!

2010-11-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

Painting Q Pop from Kevin's Worldwide Adventures on Vimeo.

I recently discovered this amazing video online! It looks as if Chris Mitchell's shop is open for business! It warms my heart and soul to see Chris Turnham, Liz Ito, and Kevin Dart painting amazing murals for the store. Mitchell is in good hands with these folks!

Q Pop! Los Angeles

Looking Back...

2010-11-29T00:42:00.000-08:00

Well, I just finished the last of the revisions for Rocket Town, which is due to release through Sourcebooks Jabberwocky in Spring 2011. Now what? The truth is, I simply don’t know. Although it’s been over a year, I remember like it was yesterday getting the go-ahead to start The Sea of Bath.

Early concept of the toy captain for The Sea of Bath.

My brief history in the world of picture books started with a fellow by the name of Jason Lethcoe. In 2003, I went over to the newly created Sony Pictures Animation to work with him in story on a film scheduled back then to be directed by Paul and Gaëtan Brizzi (of Disney) involving meatballs falling from the sky. (Yep, that movie underwent some changes over the years). Being friends with Jason and the fact that Sony Animation was rapidly growing with limited space, we elected to share an office.

Our office...

Now the way Jason works, he gets an idea and pursues it with no fear or reservations. During the time we shared an office, I witnessed him get an idea for a book, find a printer, design one layout per day (on a thirty day schedule), and ultimately ship off his creation to be made. He just did it! The result was a spontaneous and charming alphabet book based on children with extraordinary superpowers called, The ABC's of Superpowers.

I had (and still have) tremendous respect for him for simply acting without questioning the realities or potential problems often associated with self-publishing. I also realized I wanted the same. Working in story in animation, everything is a sketch or an idea. Holding a final thought in the form of a book was seductive to say the least.

I was learning Illustrator at the time and was playing with “non-human-type” objects practicing my vector coloring and Bezier curves. I sketched out a bunch of stylized rocket ships of various shapes and sizes with pencil that I was going to bring into the program to work on. Upon seeing the pile of drawings, Jason thought I should make a book about these rockets. And so, I began to work on a book called, The Rocket Museum, which was about a place where people could visit “odd” rockets with distinct personalities and names, not unlike visiting a collection of Ed “Big-Daddy” Roth cars at the Petersen Automotive Museum in southern California.

Early concepts and original layout for The Rocket Museum.

Jason also advised me to stick to his one-layout per day schedule.

Three years later…

I gathered the courage to finally send the files off to Hong Kong to be made into a book; only the book no longer involved a museum. It was a small, functioning town where the rockets played a role in the townspeople's lives. I wanted to do “Ray-Bradbury-for-kids” by having a familiar looking mid-western town juxtaposed with these strange and extraordinary modes of transportation. My wife, thankfully, kept me grounded by giving the book a framework children would grasp (colors, sizes, speeds). I then chose to make it a book about opposites.

Cover of Rocket Town (orig. self-published version).

My self-published book came out okay. I had some printing glitches. I did a short print run and friends, family, and some actual customers were gracious enough to buy it. (I also gave out a few). I enjoyed sharing a booth at APE in San Francisco with my pal, Liz Ito. However, I didn’t enjoy having to deal with ISBN numbers, port fees, printing problems, Pay pal, and damaged books.

By now, Jason was now on the road to becoming an author of young-adult fiction. He has since written numerous books. (You can check out his titles here). He was kind enough to pass along a copy of Rocket Town to his agency. Originally, I don’t think the agent thought much of it, but luckily something changed her mind.

She asked me for another premise and then started shopping around both Rocket Town and the concept for the Sea Of Bath. After a couple of years and a few rejection letters later, she informed me that a publisher by the name of Sourcebooks wanted to do both books.

I was excited!

Then I panicked.

Career? Family? New bosses? Deadlines? More bosses? Deadlines!? Paranoia aside, I enjoy and have enjoyed every moment of making children's books. I love doing the research, scribbling out the “dummy” version, collaborating with experienced editors and art directors, and seeing the final product. I feel I've been given a tremendous gift with this opportunity and I'm grateful.

Early pencil sketch of "The Captain" for The Sea of Bath.

I guess this blog entry is a thank you (complete with a back-story) for the people involved with this adventure…

To Jason, for your continued support and encouragement...

To Jennifer, the super-agent who didn’t give up on my books...

To Rebecca and Kelly at Sourcebooks, for allowing me to experience the joy, hard work, and collaboration that goes into making a children’s book...

To my wife Jill, for her advice on children, keeping my nerves at bay, and putting up with my long nights working...

To my pugs, for supervising me during those long nights at work...

To my son, for whom the books are dedicated...

And to my readers, who I hope enjoy the books!

Remembering Michael J. Smollin...

2010-11-23T00:16:00.000-08:00

For me, illustrator Michael Smollin played a vital role within Jim Henson’s universe. As a child, I loved his illustrations for The Monster at the End of This Book. But I also have fond memories of Smollin’s beautifully designed booklets that accompanied a few of the Sesame Street albums in the early seventies.

In his illustrations, Smollin best captures the slightly psychedelic color palette and textures that make Sesame Street unique and unmistakable. He will be missed.

(from: The Monster at the End of This Book)

(from: The Official Sesame Street 2 Book-and-Record Album)

(from: Havin' Fun with Ernie & Bert)

Images from Muppet Wiki & Smollin.com

Me at my local Barnes & Noble...

2010-11-15T21:39:00.000-08:00

(photo taken of me with my phone by a helpful mom).

(an ad for my book and a NOOK).

I would like to extend a hearty thanks to Pam at Barnes & Noble in Thousand Oaks, California for allowing me to visit the store to read and sign my book. I was really excited and (I might add) a little bit nervous! The turnout was great! I should have brought my camera to better document the moment. I had to make do with my phone.

I would like to thank the staff and volunteers at Westlake Elementary for allowing me to take part in their book event as well!

Flying Business People!

2010-11-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

There are some new citizens in Rocket Town!

Rocket Town...

2010-11-13T09:38:00.000-08:00

I'm plugging away on the final changes for Rocket Town. Above, is the new cover from the publisher, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. The"collage-style" reminds me a little of the cover of one of my all-time favorite radio shows, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

Sourcebooks Jabberwocky To Release Rocket Town!

2010-11-13T09:19:00.000-08:00

Arriving Spring 2011!

More Sea Of Bath News...

2010-11-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

The Sea Of Bath made the 2010 Book of the Week List on Embracing the Child.org!

A Day at Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Book Shop…

2010-11-07T23:01:00.000-08:00

I would like to thank Mrs. Nelson’s Toy & Book Shop in La Verne, CA for inviting me to visit their really amazing store! If there is a center to the galaxy where all the children’s books hang out, this place is most likely it. A special thanks is in order to bookseller and story-time gal, Caitlin for organizing the book-signing event and including a special Sea Of Bath arts & crafts activity for the children! Here is my artsy craft…

I really enjoyed visiting with the parents, staff, and children. I hope to do it again soon!

Books!

2010-11-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

I couldn’t leave Mrs. Nelson’s without picking up a few titles. Here are three that caught my eye...

I haven't read them yet. Admittedly, when I shop for picture books, I buy for the illustrations. I like the bold and confident illustrations in Sarah Adams' book, Gary and Ray. Troy Cummings' illustrations for More Bears! boast a fun use of shapes and a color palette reminiscent of classic Hanna Barbera. And Ronald Searle is... well, let's face it. It's Ronald Searle!

LEGO® STAR WARS™: BOMBAD BOUNTY

2010-11-04T01:06:00.000-07:00

Watch this in HD on You Tube! It's amazing!

(Click on image or here).

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

"Vampire"

digital, Illustrator CS4

Ed Emberley Titles I Never Knew Existed...

2010-10-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

(Image from Night's Nice by Barbara and Ed Emberley)

It’s about a thirty-minute walk to my local library. I was returning these rare Ed Emberley books I had checked out. I guess it was lucky for me that the library was still closed. Standing outside at the drop-off box hemming and hawing, I found myself unable to part with them just yet.

Sea Of Bath, Captain's Journal: Ship's Entry #2: Secret Code Words!

2010-10-25T23:35:00.000-07:00

Sea Of Bath Review...

2010-10-25T23:08:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to share a favorable review for The Sea Of Bath:

From: Young Adult Books Central (www.yabookscentral.com)

Come Sail the Sea of Bath With Me!
a review by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, The Original H.I.R. (Historical Investigative Reporter)

Remember the old saying, "There's nothing new under the sun?" Well, that certainly doesn't apply to author-illustrator Bob Logan's newest picture book, The Sea of Bath. This book is fresh, new, and one of the cutest, cleverest, and most unique picture books I've read in awhile.

The Sea of Bath is all about fun on the high seas (or in the bathtub, depending on how you look at it). The story is told by an unassuming sea captain who spends his time snoozing...until the water begins to rise. When it does, he enjoys sailing his boat, the S.S. Rubb A. Dubb, on the bubbly Sea of Bath, where he encounters curious squeaking ducks, odd deep-sea divers, and bars of soap that challenge his ship to a water race.

This book is super-brief, but the pictures of the wide-eyed captain trying to make sense of the curious objects floating along on the choppy sea will have you and your little one laughing out loud. Logan's illustrations are both simple and outstanding, and capture all the exciting possibilities an afternoon in the watery tub can offer, if one only uses one's imagination.

The Sea of Bath has all the elements of a classic picture book, right down to ts "Can-we-read-it-again?" potential.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Link to the website's review: here!

Mini-X-Wing!

2010-10-25T22:47:00.000-07:00

I wanted to post my 8-year old's mini-LEGO X-Wing fighter

that he made from scratch. Simple and stylized, with working wings that open!

I especially like Artoo!

Sea Of Bath, Captain's Journal: Ship's Entry #1: Captain Bell

2010-10-16T01:20:00.000-07:00

It must be duly noted, that Captain "Fireboat" Bell is none other than story artist, director, and writer, Mike Bell. I had the privilege of meeting Mike upon my return to DreamWorks. Funny and likeable, Mike Bell is a man worthy of patrolling shipping lanes with a pug.

The Force Is Strong With This One!

2010-10-16T00:47:00.000-07:00

Images 1 thru 3 by Jack Logan, age 7

( graphite, colored pencil, and marker)

Images 4 thru 9 by Bob Logan, age 9

(marker)

The impact of the Star Wars phenomenon never ceases to amaze me. I never would have imagined my son drawing images from a movie that I used to draw when I was around his age. The lesson learned today is, Star Wars is fun to draw!

Here is a bonus for you! I call it, "Darth Vader Choking A Guy"

Skateboard Idea #3: The Mata Deck!

2010-10-15T11:40:00.000-07:00

"MATA!"

digital, Illustrator CS4

Will Mata. Talented story artist. Excellent skateboard decal!

Skateboard Idea #2: Clown Deck

2010-10-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

"Clown"

digital, Illustrator CS4

In Stores!

2010-10-09T18:22:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it!

Time to celebrate! I'm going for ice cream!

Dave Pimentel's Sketchbook!

2010-10-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

Evoke by DreamWorks story supervisor, David Pimentel is a remarkable collection of some of his favorite sketches over the years all beautifully bound. I should keep my copy at work for all to see, but I just picked it up and wanted to enjoy it over the weekend!

The Sea Of Bath!

2010-10-05T08:50:00.000-07:00

My book has arrived! I guess it’s available…NOW!

The book turned out really nice largely due to the talented staff at Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. They’ve added a lot of nice details to the book. I am in their debt.

I am grateful to my editor, Rebecca Frazer and project editor/art director, Kelly Barrales-Saylor for their support, talent, and expertise.

And to my literary agent Jennifer Unter, thank you for believing in rubber ducks and a sleepy old seafarer.

Q POP!

2010-10-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

My friend Chris Mitchell is opening Q Pop, a shop/gallery in the historic Little Tokyo area of Los Angeles. Check out his blog and help him decide what color to paint his store! No doubt, Q Pop will offer rare, fun, and unique merchandise!

Funky Punky!

Fun Find!

2010-09-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

Scholastic Parent & Child Magazine mentions The Sea Of Bath in the Fun Finds section of their October issue!

Movie Time!

2010-09-19T10:45:00.000-07:00

Sourcebooks Fall 2010 Catalog...

2010-08-12T22:55:00.000-07:00

Sourcebooks has a nice two-page spread for The Sea Of Bath in their Fall 2010 Catalog!

Wally...

2010-08-12T21:40:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give a special nod to our family pug, Wally. We took him on our recent trip. He's an excellent traveler and has a particular fondness for hotels. Now I know why Kay Thompson used a pug in Eloise.

The Odd-Day Sketch Theme is: SNOW!

2010-08-10T23:49:00.000-07:00

"SNOW!"

digital, Illustrator CS4

...as in Jeff Snow! Accomplished artist, musician, and a known connoisseur of chocolate!

Um...

2010-08-09T00:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I ran into R2-D2 this morning in a hotel lobby. He waltzed right up to me burpin' and a chirpin'! I had this stupid grin that I could not pry off of my face if I tried. This is one of my all-time favorite STAR WARS characters! He was very humble and polite for a guy who has saved the universe numerous times.