THE DISCOVERY

The concept for "The Discovery" drove me crazy for about a year before I finally cracked it. Proof-of-concept shots with the Astronaut and the rocket haunted me... what was it missing? I liked the contrast of the explorer and his discovery against the stark, inky black background. 

But it still needed something. 

This specific piece was originally created for Bear & Bird Gallery's Out of this World art show, which I had to drop out of, unfortunately. The original idea was inspired by the classic black & white Twilight Zone. At the time I shot it, though, I was also binge-watching Unsealed: Conspiracy Files and Unsealed: Alien Files on Netflix. What can I say? It's a guilty pleasure. 

The first, initial image that emerged from that brainstorm session remains intact, but now with a delicious, candy coating of terror... two very different alien encounters with two very different species. The Astronaut's thrill and joy of discovering proof of intelligent alien life is short-lived, only to be replaced with abject horror seconds later. 

The Astronaut is a 4" GI Joe custom figure I built specifically for this photo. Composed primarily of a 25th Anniversary Ace, the paint job is loosely based on the mid-60s NASA spacesuits worn by the Gemini crews. I hand-built the rocket from scrap pieces on my workbench, and the tiny spaceman is a scale model figurine. The large alien in the background was in a random box of toys I had to sell (I remembered last-minute), and the stone "alien" head is an aquarium decoration, of all things.

With "The Discovery" now out of my brain, I've moved onto other, more ambitious dream projects...

CMN ARTIST OF THE WEEK

Recently, I was honored to be named Artist of the Week by Compositum Musicae Novae. It genuinely took me aback, since CMN normally features the work of world-famous musicians, visual artists, sculptors, dancers, writers, and architects. Humbled and inspired, it's only made me work harder on pieces and concepts for future shows. 

The folks at Compositum Musicae Novae are fighting the good fight for Miami's local art and cultural scene. This past Fall, they began their second year bringing the best in music, visual art, and performance to South Florida via their CMN Concert Series.

For more information about CMN, please check out their website:

http://www.compositummusicaenovae.org

Also check out their Instagram feed:

cmusicaenovae

W.I.P. IT GOOD

Work-in-progress (W.I.P.) teaser from The Lab, shot a few weeks back.

There're at least four figures drying in the shot... at least two of them are from TOYLAND, and, as of this post, they are either totally done and ready to shoot, or just need a couple touch-ups.

Keep it locked. 

More updates and cool teasers on the way!

FORCES OF EVIL

No trick, just a little treat for Halloween: A teaser of something major coming from Strange Labs... more details to come...

SPARTAN

Spartan originally started as a Bandai Sprukit. It immediately caught my eye at a local Toys R Us, so I grabbed it and did a quick repaint. Highly articulated with a great design, this guy's from a line of other robots. There are also licensed kits of HALO's Master Chief and various Batman characters, but I haven't seen them in person just yet. 

The piece is a perfect example of a project that begins as its own thing, then evolves into something much more different. Spartan was initially created for an art challenge that my close friends and I did... while working on the piece, though, I slowly started coming up with a story and background for him and decided to incorporate the character into TOYLAND, my next major project, currently in pre-production. 

The creation of Spartan then led to other characters and an entirely new, different plot and story for TOYLAND. Getting VERY close to production, and I can't wait to share my most ambitious project yet. 

It's a doozy. 

BUMPS IN THE NIGHT

I'm thrilled to announce that Strange Labs has been invited for the second year in a row to participate in CMN's concert series!

CMN is a Miami-based organization that showcases up-and-coming local artists and hosts cutting-edge cultural events around the city. The concert series opener-- happening on October 17th, 2014-- will feature visual artists, classical musicians, and even electronic artists... there's been nothing quite like it in the Magic City before. 

To celebrate my favorite holiday of Halloween, I'll be showing four of my favorite horror and sci-fi themed pieces, including my newest, "The Discovery," which will be making its debut at the concert. 

The plan is to print the photos at 11" x 14", so you've never seen these pieces quite like this...

For ticket info and more about CMN, please visit their fantastic website and Instagram feed:

http://www.compositummusicaenovae.org

Instagram: CMUSICAENOVAE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BATS!

75 years ago, my all-time favorite superhero made his debut.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BATMAN!

...And THANK YOU Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Denny O'Neil, Neal Adams, Frank Miller, David Mazzucchelli, Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale, Paul Dini, Alex Ross, Tim Burton, Christopher Nolan, and every other creator/artist who helped me fall in love with some six foot weirdo dressed as a bat. 

STRANGE LABS IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE WIZARD ARMY!

45 years ago today, humanity set foot on another world for the first time in recorded history. Join Wizard Army as we conjure and explore worlds of pure imagination and magic. Let us take you on a journey through space, time, spirit, and mind... "A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to..."

https://www.facebook.com/wizardarmyart

THE WOUND IN THE FORCE

"He is a wound in the Force, more presence than flesh, and in his wake life dies… sacrificing itself to his hunger."

Produced in May 2014, Darth Nihilus was commissioned by a private collector as a gift. While I don't have much knowledge of the character, I have a rabid obsession for all things Star Wars, so this project was right up my alley. The fact that he's a bad-ass Dark Lord of the Sith with a killer design doesn't hurt. 

The collector who commissioned the piece is a friend, so I wanted to keep the project as cost-effective as possible. After looking at Nihilus's design, Hasbro's 6" Black Series Darth Maul immediately came to mind as the base. Their costumes are so similar, that, even if not 100% accurate, it's close enough. 

The figure is entirely Black Series Maul. I utilized the cloaked head, and realized that the hood peeled right off with a little Force. The mask was sculpted over Darth Maul's face with plumber's putty, with a few greebles glued on for detail. I slightly adapted the mask's design; amped it up by being a little more alien and ghostly.

Just prior to delivery. Darth Maul's non-cloaked head is visible in the bottom left of the plastic bubble. Darth Nihilus was a commission I fell in love with, so it was hard letting him go. The client was ecstatic with the result, so I know he's going to a good home... but I just might have to make another one for myself...

NEW ADVENTURES

Strange Labs 2.0 is now open for business and already busy working on commissions and some really fun experiments! To celebrate, here's the first official image from the new Strange Labs workbench. 

What seems like a cluttered desk is actually a still life filled with clues about upcoming projects. Perception is everything. Keep it locked. 

HELLO AGAIN!

This past weekend, Strange Labs had the pleasure and honor of once again working with CMN Arts-- this time for their Spring 2014 Concert.

It was there that I debuted the final version of "Hello New Friends":

Here's the text that accompanies the piece:

Dr. Robert Strange
"Hello New Friends" 2014
Photograph of small toys
11" x 14"

"Hello New Friends" began as a whim; something made and shot for fun between projects.

The tiny scene was staged on my workbench and composed primarily of Lego bricks (background), small gumball machine toys, a tiny scale model astronaut, and a hand-made miniature rocket ship.

Despite appearances, the diorama is actually quite small-- no figure in the piece is larger than 2 inches tall. The rocket itself measures less than an inch, and its pilot is about the size of an ant.

I've always been fascinated by the difference between small and tiny. "Hello New Friends" is a further exploration of that.

-Dr. Robert Strange

"Hello New Friends" was a hit at the show, with a lot of interest and inquiries about the work. CMN's Summer Concert will happen in June, and Strange Labs is happy to announce that we'll be debuting brand-new work once again...

For more info about CMN and the cultural events they put on around Miami, please visit their site here:

http://www.compositummusicaenovae.org

Many thanks to CMN for having my work in the show, and, as always, to YOU for checking it out!

HELLO NEW FRIENDS!

Just goofing off here at Strange Labs with some new friends picked up after a screening of The Lego Movie. Taken in the early hours of 2/11/14, the photo features gumball machine prizes, a Lego Robot, handmade custom rocket ship, and tiny scale model of a person.

The Lego Movie was a lot of fun-- much better than expected. I went to see the bricks brought to life in 3-D, but there were a good deal of well-written gags, and the voice acting is terrific. 

...And there was a trailer for a 3-D Imax movie about lemurs. Which, if you don't like lemurs, you're wrong. Away with you, grammar!

THE BLUEPRINT FOR ADVENTURE

If adventure has a name, it's Jim Steranko... 

Like many boys who grew up in the 1980s, I was obsessed with Indiana Jones. Practically rabid, I devoured ANYTHING I could get my hands on regarding the whip-cracking adventurer. Unlike a lot of my friends and other kids, what really captured my imagination were concepts mentioned, but never shown onscreen. This was the world partially created by Raiders of the Lost Ark concept artist  (and comics legend) Jim Steranko. 

Steranko's art perfectly captured the Saturday morning serial/pulp adventure style-- he helped create the language of the Indiana Jones universe. Before any actors had been approached (including Tom Selleck and Burt Reynolds!), it was Steranko's square-jawed bad-ass that sold the character and, essentially, created "The Look" of "The Man With the Hat." 

This custom was a long time coming; I had been wanting to make a Concept Indy literally for years, specifically based on Steranko's design, as well as the design from the Raiders storyboards. For whatever reason, I've always been fascinated by incarnations of Indy not played by Harrison Ford. I'm guessing that's why I had, like, zero issue with The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles growing up...

Concept Indy originally began as a Logan figure from the terrible Wolverine movie that came out years ago. At first I intended it to be my legit Indy figure for the collection, but when I saw how stylized it was, that project sat on the back burner... until I saw it on my bench a few weeks ago and said, "Steranko Indy's been sitting here the whole time..." and immediately got to work. 

The figure is a borderline LBC (lazy bastard custom); primarily that Logan, with a bunch of Indiana Jones pieces swiped from the Raiders of the Lost Ark and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Indy figures. The 40s-style web belt is from a BBI WWII soldier I had in the fodder bin. The head is from a random Duke I found. 

Fortune & glory in The Far East...

Up in the rafters, avoiding a Nazi search party...

Knocking out a Ratzi bastard!

"Feel like I'm being watched..."

"What sort of experiments were performed here?"

"...It's right behind me. I can smell it..."

What I love about Steranko's concept art is the action and adventure-- you're right in the moment and feel it. Steranko's Indiana Jones is so pure. The quiet, bookish Professor Jones is gone, replaced with a two-fisted adventurer who's as good with his guns as he is with his wits. His Indiana Jones is a distilled bad-ass. 

                           

I'm so happy with my Steranko Indy that I might not even make the Indiana Jones from the storyboards. As far as Concept Indy goes, this guy's my definitive statement. What I really like about him is that, since he exists in a conceptual universe, I can go crazy with villains for him, ranging from cyborg Nazis to supernatural creatures.

The adventures are limitless...

"LEG GODT"

When taking my final shots for my holiday series 'Twas Christmas Told The Merriest Tale, on a whim I decided to remove the majority of the toys and replace them with a miniature hand-built rocket and tiny astronaut, just to see what the juxtaposition would look like-- I ended up with one of my favorite pieces I've ever done. 

I was so pleased with the result that I submitted it to this year's Bear & Bird Gallery's Square Show, my first of 2014. The exhibition opened Friday, January 17th, and runs through March 1st. 

Bear & Bird's site: http://www.bearandbird.com

Complete transparency, when I shot "Leg Godt"-- which, translated from Danish, means "Play Well"-- I didn't realize 2014 was the 65th anniversary of LEGO. The name of the company comes from the phrase, and I thought it was apropos because the tiny explorer is about to have a wild (but fun) adventure. Since LEGO bricks feature so prominently, "Leg Godt" it had to be, as a loving tribute to my favorite toy growing up. 

...Now that I know about the anniversary, though, a celebration is on!

For the rest of the year, I have a series of LEGO-themed images planned... and now comes the fun part of stocking up on pieces!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! FIRST SHOW OF 2014!

HAPPY 2014 EVERYBODY!

I'm thrilled to start the New Year by announcing the debut of my newest piece, "Leg Godt" on January 17th at Bear & Bird Gallery! It's part of the Square Show group exhibition, and I couldn't be more excited! 

Not only is it my first show of 2014, but it also signals a new evolution of my art. The image launches a brand-new project, which is my most sprawling and encompassing to date. I've been doing concept work and camera/proof-of-concept tests for months, and I can't wait to show you...