The Tonight Show: Coco Style!

He is Not Yosemite Sam

Roarrrrrrrr!

In a Snowy Mood

きつね -Kitsune

Kitsune means fox in Japanese. It's often referred to as fox spirit which possesses the power to disguise itself as a human being.
There are two kinds; Zenko, the good fox, served as messenger of the god of agriculture, and the Yako, the outsider.

Last year we took a trip to Kyoto and visited Fushimi Inari Shrine. The endless rows of bright orange gates led us along the quiet, chilly forest on a Fall afternoon. Stone sculptures of the kitsune stands beside the path every half a mile or so. It was pretty creepy at the time since I didn't know these foxes are on the good team with the Shinto god (but would it make any difference?)

I have to say though, these tricky little fox can't quite compete with Tanuki when it comes to who gets the most shelf space in Kyoto gift shops. And of course, they both get beaten out by that waving kitty. Cats always win.

Tanuki poses

Ripening Tanuki

I've been all over the place with my Tanuki designs. Initially, I had given him quite a bit of detail, but I wasn't nailing that fox-like appearance that the actual animal has. Then I experimented with simpler shapes, but I always felt that the face didn't have the same appeal that the Kyoto sculptures have. Trying to meet somewhere in the middle always made Tanuki generically cartoony.

I'm really liking this version, as he's the closest to my default drawing style, but I'm concerned that he's too Disney-ish (is that a negative thing?). I feel like his face has the most instant appeal out of any design I've drawn so far.

Bon Voyage, Nok!

I drew this for a friend who is about to spend some time in Singapore. She's a huge Snoopy fan. Come back soon, Nok!

In n' Out Truck Is Coming to Feed Us.

Spotted this poster on the wall in our building earlier this week. It's a dream come true.
What's next? Taco truck from Van Nuys?

Another tanuki

Excuse the lack of inventive posing. I've been playing with different styles/proportions/colors and it's easiest to work out the kinks in a standard, standing pose.