Tag Archive for: comic book

Famous European military story C
Famous European military story C

Description:

Fun parody tribute to the Wu-Tang Clan rappers in a shoot-out. The design was for apparel and a vehicle wrap for the russefeiring tradition.  If you haven’t heard of it, basically russefeiring involves an entire class of Norwegian students renting a bus (a Russebuss), painting every inch of it with really cool street art, and then partying in it night and day for an entire month during graduation.  The different classes wear their designs ever where they go as they clash with rival classes.  I’ve done a bunch of these now, and really enjoy it.

Psychedelic imagery of a gray sp
Psychedelic imagery of a gray sp

Client:

Personal

Description:

Psychedelic imagery of a gray space alien meditating amongst spaceships, planets, stars and galaxies.

This artwork is available for licensing:

An evil magical tiki mask surrou

An evil magical tiki mask surrou

Client:

Personal

Description:

An evil magical tiki mask surrounded by psychedelic imagery and visions of faraway places and things.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Psychedelic and trippy colorful

Psychedelic and trippy colorful

Client:

Personal

Description:

Psychedelic and trippy colorful image of a blue-skinned many armed god meditating and transcending the realm. He achieves nirvana even as he floats alone on an island of land.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Client:

Personal

Description:

Parody of famous Nintendo characters as gangsters.

This artwork is available for licensing:

The legendary grim reaper with b

The legendary grim reaper with b

Personal

Description:

The legendary grim reaper with billowing dark hooded cloak complete with his scythe and hourglass surrounded by flaming skulls and candles.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Parody illustration of the crew

Parody illustration of the crew

Client:

Personal

Description:

Parody illustration of the crew from classic TV cartoon The Flintstones crammed into Fred’s iconic foot-powered vehicle.

This artwork is available for licensing:

A metal skinned firefighter with

A metal skinned firefighter with

Client:

Personal

Description:

A metal skinned firefighter with a fire axe coming out of a metal logo. Banner can be customized!

This artwork is available for licensing:

Character design sketches of the

Designing The Philadelphia Flyers Mascot, Gritty

Client:
The Philadelphia Flyers

Project
The Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL hockey team, hired me to design the costume for their new mascot, completely from the ground up. They reached out to me because they had liked some edgy mascot artwork I had done for a television commercial by Chick-Fil-A.

The Flyers gave me a lot of freedom with the design. They had previously commissioned some designs, but nothing had hit the mark yet. They told me that the mascot design had to be “someone you’d want to high-five, but not hug.” He had to be fun enough to attract kids and younger fans, yet had to still be tough enough to earn the respect of the tough and gritty Philadelphia fans.

I began the project by sketching over 20 different possible mascots, including, bats, bulls, groundhogs, dragons, tough guys, yetis, and even a flying squirrel.

Once the client saw the sketches, they picked a big dumpy monster I had drawn as the starting point.

Early Gritty concept sketches

Early on, we still hadn’t decided on a name for the mascot. The Marketing team decided on Gritty, which is a perfect fit.

Early Gritty Concept Sketches
Character design sketches of the
Pencil Drawing of Gritty, Front
Character design sketches of the
Pencil Drawing of Gritty, Side

Final Turn-Around Illustration

Character design sketches of the
© Brian Allen 2016

After we nailed down the foundation of Gritty, the Art Directors and I experimented with many different variations to tweak Gritty’s look.

Working digitally with a Wacom Cintiq tablet, Clip Studio Paint, and Adobe Photoshop, I swapped different details on Gritty, including:

  • 10 Different mouths
  • With and without shorts
  • Wings (a bunch of different kinds)
  • Many different fur colors
  • …and even a tail!

Once approved, this front, side, and back view of Gritty was submitted to Character Translations Inc. so they could begin work on the costume.

Additional poses for the mascot

Character design sketches of the
© Brian Allen 2016

Once the concept phase was over, the Flyers hired me to create a series of 10 different poses showing Gritty in action. The different illustrations were to be used primarily for promotion during the rollout.

The mascot illustrations were also used for merch designs sold at the Flyers’ stadium and online – from t-shirts, hockey pucks, sticks, and keychains.

Gritty introduced to the world!

Periodically throughout the process, the Flyers would send me photos of how the costume was coming together, but I usually only saw pieces. It wasn’t until just a few days before the official release that I saw Gritty for the first time. The costume creation team at Character Translations Inc. did an amazing job bringing my drawing to life.

Some of Gritty’s most unique features, such as the googly eyes, and squeaky hands, were added by the creative team at the Flyers. I was just as surprised as everyone else when they were first revealed!

The initial reaction seemed negative at first, and it was a little overwhelming. But the momentum changed very quickly. Within a couple of days, people were sending me fan art they had created of Gritty, and it was clear he had become more than just the mascot for the Flyers: he was now the mascot of the internet!

Client Testimonial:
Thank you again for all your great work throughout the project! Appreciate the quality work, quick turnarounds and accommodating the many changes we sent your way.
Ben DiCandilo
Philadelphia Flyers, Marketing Manager

Character design sketches of the

Thank you, Flyers!

I owe a large debt of gratitude to the Flyers for making me a part of something so big (and orange!).

Thank you to the Marketing Team – They had great ideas and clear communication.

Thank you to the costume company for their incredible work!

And thank you to the man inside the Gritty suit, who has really brought this two-dimensional drawing to life!

The full story behind the creation of Gritty:

Interview by Mark Brickey on the popular art and design podcast, Adventures in Design

I go into full detail of the process of how I designed Gritty with the Flyers, and how I dealt with the outpouring of reactions to the mascot I helped create, both negative and positive. Adventures in Design is a really great podcast that has interviewed many of the best artists in the industry, so it was an honor to be included!

SquareVideo SquareVideo Gritty

Interviews and Press about the creation of Gritty:

Gritty took the world by storm, and I was very fortunate to be part of it. It was really humbling to be interviewed by over 20 news outlets, several of them on camera, and to be a guest on my favorite art podcast, Adventures in Design.

https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/12/24/18145323/gritty-explained-mascot-flyers-meme-leftist

• VOX

https://www.businessinsider.com/artist-behind-gritty-on-marketing-gritty-does-not-go-away-2020-11

• BUSINESS INSIDER

Gritty: How Brian Allen Created The Philadelphia Flyers Hockey Legend

• POP ICON

Gritty is the internet mascot for a world that’s broken in 2018

• CNET

The 15 Best Marketing Stunts, Activations and Odd Creations of 2018

• ADWEEK

Gritty’s First Month: The Heroic Ascendance of a ‘Ghastly Empty-Eyed Muppet’

• NY Times

I Learned to Love Gritty the Terrifying Mascot and So Can You

• USA Today

Flyers Introduce New Orange, Fuzzy Mascot Gritty, Relish Reaction

• ESPN

Gritty, the Flyers’ new mascot, is up to all sorts of shenanigans on his 1st night out

• NBC Sports

Meet Gritty: The Flyers’ New Team Mascot

• 6ABC News

LOOK: New Flyers mascot Gritty dances with Jimmy Fallon, gets punched by Ricky Gervais

• CBS Sports

Philadelphia Flyers’ new mascot, ‘Gritty,’ sparks backlash, calls for euthanization

• Fox News

Gritty, Stuff Of Nightmares, Has Been Officially Welcomed To Philadelphia

• NPR

Gritty: why the Philadelphia Flyers’ new acid trip of a mascot must be stopped

• The Guardian

‘Gritty’, the internet’s most beloved mascot, explained

• SB Nation

TRUE GRITTY, OR HOW A MYSTIFYING NEW NHL MASCOT WON THE INTERNET

• AdAge

Are You In or Out on “Gritty,” the Philadelphia Flyers’ New Googly-Eyed Mascot?

• The Ringer

Classic EMS star of life logo wi

Classic EMS star of life logo wi

Client:

Personal

Description:

Classic EMS star of life logo with a snake intertwined around it, perfect for the paramedic or emergency medical personnel in your life.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Psychedelic new age illustration


Client:

Waz Shop

Description:

Psychedelic Tapestry and t-shirt design I created for Waz Shop to be sold at music festivals of a massive tree formed from the bodies of elephants, chimpanzees, whales, turtles, and other animals.

I tried to use muted earth-tone colors for this design to give it a more natural Look.

A bald eagle is covered in the A

A bald eagle is covered in the A

Client:

Personal

Description:

A bald eagle is covered in the American USA flag and holds a banner that says “Liberty or Death” in true patriotic spirit.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Viking warrior clutching a sword


Client:

Titan Fitness

Description:

Wrestling singlet I illustrated of a warrior viking clutching a sword and shield in front of a raging ocean.

The design was set up for full color direct-to-garment printing, and designed to cover the entire garment with sweet, sweet viking detail.

Two heroic police officers stand

 


Client:

Traxier Printing

Description:

I created this t-shirt design in conjunction with Traxler Tees to commemorate a tragic police shooting in Westerville where two police officers lost their lives in the line of duty.

Traxler hired me to create a design that illustrated police officers in general as bold and proud, which they later sold to raise significant charitable donations to support the department and their families.

Client Testimonial:

Im *** crying man. 

This is amazing. 

-Zachary Traxler

Owner, Traxler Printing

The dark demonic face of a demon

The dark demonic face of a demon

Client:

Personal

Description:

The dark demonic face of a demon monster and his many eyes and horns in front of flaming skulls and a burning city.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Two zombie soldiers face off on

Client:

Tim Bauer

Description:

Zombie soldiers facing off in this logo design I did for a major paintball tournament in Europe.

I love working on logos like this that are created primarily for the web and full-color printing, because I can just go nuts with shading and colors.

A cyborg robot zombie head with

A cyborg robot zombie head with

Client:

Personal

Description:

A cyborg robot zombie head with red laser eyes flies through the air in this frisbee design.

This artwork is available for licensing:

An evil witchdoctor holding vood


Client:

The Jokers

Description:

Album cover illustration I created for the UK-based rock band The Jokers for their newest album “Voodoo,” illustrating an evil witchdoctor holding voodoo doll likenesses of each member of the band.

Always enjoy working with these guys – they don’t take themselves too seriously, and it’s exactly the kind of music I grew up with. It’s often very tricky to get so much of the scene into such a tiny space, but I’m happy with the composition we came up with. I love the crow chewing up the Union Jack.

Trippy, psychedelic illustration

Trippy, psychedelic illustration

Client:

Personal

Description:

Trippy, psychedelic illustration of a green natural skull with mushrooms and pot plants coming out of it.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Dark heavy metal t-shirt design


Client:

Spiral Direct

Description:

Apparel design I illustrated for the Gothic apparel brand Spiral Direct with plenty of skulls, roses, and a sweet heavy metal axe guitar.

The design was set up for full-color printing, front and back, and will be available in their catalogs soon.

A marijuana pot leaf, but each b

A marijuana pot leaf, but each b

Client:

Personal

Description:

A marijuana pot leaf, but each branch of the leaf is made up of a different entity, such as a skull, tentacles and wings.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Giant purple skull with pot leaf

Giant purple skull with pot leaf

Client:

Personal

Description:

Trippy, psychedelic illustration of a purple natural skull with mushrooms.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Cute little polar bear cub smili


Client:

Nome Elementary School

Description:

Elementary school mascot redesign I was commissioned to create of a polar bear for this school in Alaska.

We produced a series of sketches in different styles and positions, and then had the students of the school vote and pick the best direction. Really fun group to work with, and they were thrilled with the result. The graphic was set up as a vector to be easily printable in all sorts of situations.

A marijuana pot leaf with each l

A marijuana pot leaf with each l

Client:

Personal

Description:

A psychedelic marijuana pot leaf with each leaf a different entity, the main ones being a mischievous skull, flames, and bones.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Psychedelic t-shirt design featu


Client:

Kris Roestenburg

Description:

My Australian friends at Vape Nation hired me to illustrate this t-shirt design with the Kiwi bird mascot we created for their logo previously.

It’s pretty challenging making a Kiwi bird look tough, but I tried my best. This t-shirt design was set up for limited color silk-screen.

An eagle with spread wings holdi

An eagle with spread wings holdi

Client:

Personal

Description:

Large patriotic bald eagle with outspread wings holding banner that says “Liberty or Death”. A pristine blue sky with white clouds make up the background.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Fun illustrations of a mean gree


Client:

Great Lakes

Description:

Stylized angry mutant Mahi-Mahi fish I created for an apparel graphics company leaping from the water.

This was the first time I explored drawing fish in a more crazy creepy style, rather than realistic, and I love it.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Fantastical illustration of a vi


Client:

Discraft

Description:

Another fun design I created for the leaders of disc golf equipment, Discraft, of a crazed zombie cyborg, because cyborg’s are zombies, too!

We designed a full-color version, as well as a single color foil option. The discs have become collectors editions, and I’m always thrilled when Discraft sends me a box of the discs with my artwork on them. Really cool to see the art come to life!

 

Album cover Illustration of meta


Client:

Crimshaw Band

Description:

The heavy metal band Crimshaw commissioned me to illustrate each member of the band as classic movie monsters based on their personalities for their new album.

It’s always such a fun challenge to draw the likenesses of people I’ve never met, just based on a few photographs. Luckily, turning them into savage creatures masks any errors.

Fantastical illustration of a be


Client:

Pandora’s Unboxing

Description:

I created this custom YouTube banner of the mythical Pandora’s box for a political channel out of the UK, discussing potential economic and political disasters (fun!).

The client wanted something really dark and mysterious, and hand-illustrated, to differentiate himself from similar channels.


Client:

Darius Walker

Description:

Fantasy children’s book I illustrated for author Darius Walker about a family that rides a magical pirate ship bed into a strange world.

This was probably my favorite children’s book to date, because it’s strange and surreal tone really lended itself perfectly to my quirky illustration style. It’s not often that I can illustrate monsters, robots, and pirates in the same book!

Two muscular wrestlers battling


Client:

Blue Chip Athletics

Description:

Blue Chip Athletics hired me to create this customize-able wrestling singlet apparel template they could offer to their different teams. I set up the design so that the team colors were easily modifiable and could be printed in limited color silk-screen to save cost. They were really thrilled with the result.

illustration of a tiki totem wit

Client:

Personal

Description:

A trio of tiki faces ready and willing to grace the underside of a skateboard.

This artwork is available for licensing:

Tag Archive for: comic book