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.