Another Shybird Finish

Can't form words...
So tired.
No more all nighters, please.
Another finish with Antoine Revoy below.

Tekkon Kinkreet

Holy smokes. Crazy awesome rock your socks off blend of traditional and digital animation. The reeeeeal awesome stuff is in the concept art book. Here' a link to a pretty good article about the people involved in it's production.


I'm still drooling.

Ah, Ah, *Leinenkugel*

The name almost sounds like the noises made when sneezing, but this beer is nothing TO sneeze at. The acclaimed pride of Chippewa Falls (second to Jack from Titanic) I literally squealed like a schoolgirl when I first put Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat to my lips. I believe my exact words were, "It's like Fruity Pebbles in liquid form!"

They are the seventh oldest brewers in the United States, and are celebrating their 140th year of production. When Jacob Leinenkugel first came to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, in 1866, he found wide rivers, lush forests, clean water, all surrounded by a land of thirsty lumberjacks and trappers. As the son of a German brew master and brother to two others, Jacob knew an opportunity when he saw one. So he and business partner John Miller set to work building the Spring Brewery. The name held the secret of their rich, tasty product—the pure water that flowed from the Big Eddy Spring. Neither acidic nor alkaline, the water was perfect for brewing full-bodied beer. And, in 1867, the first batch of Leinenkugel’s beer was born. Bless you.

Within thirteen years, Jacob and his crew were handcrafting 1800 barrels of Leinie’s per year to meet the growing thirst for quality beer in the Chippewa Valley. By 1890 he had expanded the renamed Jacob Leinenkugel’s Spring Brewery to include a new brew house, three-story malt house and a barn to house the teams of horses that drew the Leinie’s delivery wagons. After Jacob’s death in 1899, son Matt stepped in as the second-generation Leinenkugel to oversee the precious family heritage that is Leinenkugel’s beer.

"Leinie’s" (I still pronounce this all wrong) has grown from one variety to seven and has won loyal fans throughout Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, and even Arizona and Massychusetts! But, since the company's founding in 1867, Leinenkugel's beer had been sold only in the northwoods area of Wisconsin known as the Chippewa Valley. Sales had been steady enough to allow the company to expand its facilities, but it was not until 1970 that Leinenkugel began to reach out to bigger markets. The company began selling its beer in Minnesota that year, and in 1972 also reached into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan market. One barrier to greater distribution of Leinenkugel's was that the beer was made with no chemicals, unlike most national brand beers. This gave it a short shelf life, and so it was difficult for the company to imagine it could penetrate into wider markets. But the beer was becoming known outside its limited Midwestern market. Northern Wisconsin attracted a lot of tourists in the summer, and the hospitality center was devised to bring them to Chippewa Falls and introduce them to the taste of Leinenkugel's. Besides tourists, the company also thought it could reach out more to college students. A number of small colleges dotted the upper Midwest, and by 1982, Leinenkugel was planning ways to appeal to these young drinkers. Way to go, fellas!

By 1987, Leinenkugel was a profitable company, comfortable in its geographic niche. Still a small, family-controlled company, Leinenkugel seemed to be making the most of its regional market without straining for greater growth. But in some ways the company was trapped. While it was doing well in its region, the company did not have the resources in terms of marketing and distribution to get its beer beyond the Midwest. The company wanted to branch out in a different way, too. Specialty brewing--small-scale production of "hand-crafted" special recipe beers--was a market category that was just starting to boom in the late 1980s, and Leinenkugel wanted to get in on it. But the company did not have the cash to finance a switch to a new product. In the meantime, Miller Brewing Company, one of the American beer giants, was experiencing stagnant sales. It was also locked into its core product, and was having difficulty breaking into new areas. Miller first approached Leinenkugel about a sale in 1987. According to Leinenkugel family legend, the father of current company president Jake Leinenkugel thought Miller wanted Leinenkugel to buy it. But it came to pass the other way around. Leinenkugel became a wholly owned subsidiary of Miller Brewing Company on April 1, 1988.

The sale was a shock for many Leinenkugel fans and employees, who feared the giant beer company would adulterate the Leinenkugel recipe and perhaps close down the historic brewery. The brand lost an estimated ten percent of its core customers in the year following the sale. After that, however, sales took off as Miller's marketing expertise and deep pockets allowed the smaller company to branch out. Although sales were still primarily in the four states Leinenkugel had traditionally sold in, Miller managed to get the brand distributed in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Nebraska, and Colorado by 1994. Sales in the upper Midwest market grew by double digits, and soon after the sale to Miller, Leinenkugel began producing new beers. Since the sale to Miller, Leinenkugel's production capacity nearly tripled, and the brand began appearing in markets as far from the Wisconsin northwoods as California and Florida. The company managed to do this without sacrificing its historic brewery or modifying the recipe for its Leinenkugel's Original brand. By the late 1990s, Leinenkugel's was in places it would hardly have imagined ten years earlier, like the hands of an illustrating Noew Englander. Thank goodness.

And since this review is already long, I'll leave it up to you to check out their individual brews. They have an arsenal of year round brews in addition to the seasonal. I haven't had a chance to try all of them since the stores only stock the Sunset Wheat, but I can already say that nothing beats it's fruity yet still beerlike taste that the other fruit beers lack. Check out their website (http://www.leinie.com) for more information. It's one of the better designed and easy to read ones I've seen. I am almost booking a trip to visit a friend in Minniesota, but don't tell him that it's mainly to try the other Leinies! Oh, please. You try the Sunset Wheat and you'd do the same thing.

Hats Off to Bud Averts

If I worked in an office, I would also put out a swear jar. And you @#$%*& know it.

Another Hobby

Typically a relaxed person decides that he or shee needs a break away from the daily grind of their job. You know, something to unwind and have fun with. For some reason all of my hobbies (since the three torn ligaments) all revolve around the visual world... and eating. I should pick up and instrument, but I know it would be thrown so far across the room with pure frustration. So... I'll stick to cake making. Cooking is foreign to me, but I LOVE to bake! This cake Lily's eyeing is for my friend Tracey! Here's to many more Trace!

Keepin' On Keepin' On

I feel like my books are like a marathon of labor. Me giving birth to 20 angry babies at one time, but spread over months. Ok, what? Here's the latest dragon spread.

Illustration Friday: Camouflage

Here's another oldie. Camouflage is a method to conceal, correct? It can let everything seep into the blackness of your closed eyes.

Root, Root, Root for the Home Team!

I got the chance to see my first minor league game the other night! I'd been to a few major ones, but I have to admit... I like the small stadium atmosphere. No mean lines at the concession, minimal wait at the ladies room, and yet they still have killer scoreboard graphics! Oh, and no 2 hr wait to get out of the parking lot. Minor leagues RULE!

Puzzles from Mudpuppy

Well, my posting habits are, to put it bluntly, awful. I promise, one day, I will be bored out of my mind and have about 20 posts a day. I wanted to just show the final product of the puzzles I was working on awhile back. I think the ladies at Galison and Mudpuppy did a great job on the packaging. Click here to the company website!

Illustration Friday: Cars

This was an early reader I did as one of my first jobs. I remember being all stressed out because I had to create a car. Maybe it was all the boys in elementary and high school that intimidated me. But by the end I learned that girls can draw cars, too!

On My Wishlist!

Stop the presses. Look at this thing. How rediculously awesome is this. If only I had the counter space. The day I do... it's game over man, game over!

Beer Caddy
"If the idea of lugging yourself to the ice box over and over again for a beer turns you off, consider this Beer Caddy currently on sale over at Neiman Marcus to help alleviate your frustrations. This beer lover's gadget holds a five liter beer (or soda) keg, keeping it cool and providing a nice way to enjoy a frosty one."

You can purchase one of these things at Uncrate, a web magazine for guys who love stuff. Their team finds the best gadgets, clothes, cars, DVDs and more. Ehemm, girls too, chicos!

Juxtapoz Reader Artist

Just wanted to mention that I am featured on the Juxtapoz website, as a Reader Artist. If you have some time, check out the others who were selected! And if you are not familiar with the magazine, what's wrong with you!? That was harsh, but go check it out!

I'm Dragon

Ok, that was a really bad pun. Here are some of latest spreads, hot off the desk.

Caught in the Act!

People caught on film, actually stealing my beer!


Ok, they weren't stealing my beer, but they were bringing it to E.L.'s birthday. And Anne Smith actually owned the keg. But, I felt a real emotion towards that rotund metal can!

And since I have metioned them, here is an amazing video shot by the aforementioned beerstealers. Involved with the shooting of this was EL, Anne, Maris, Joe, and Bill. I think they got some shoes for wearing those masks, but I die laughing everytime I see this.

Illustration Friday: Signs

Holy bottom of the portfolio box! This one is from sooooo long ago. We're talking 10 plus years. I was hesitant to use such an old piece, but honest to betsey I have zero time to come up with anything else. This image was from an assignment that had to do with two sisters who were fighting and one eventually left the car on the side of the road and was never seen again. Kind of sad, right? It was my excuse for the over-abundance of darkness and black. I think the teacher saw through the b.s. and knew my color skills were lame. In the last few years I've tried my best to improve them, though!

In the next few weeks I hope to share images from the two titles I have been painting. I've never pumped out this much artwork, and at the same time felt like I've gotten nowhere. Oh well! I'm dreaming of the fall when I can work on just one project and maybe, just maybe finally start animating. WEE!

Quick Character Sketches

Nothing mindblowing, but just a quick sampling of an upcoming chapter book. I am not too sure about them... I think the beetle is getting there, but I'd like to make the boy a bit less "realistic", but we'll have to wait and see back from the editor!

Illustration Friday: Neighbor

They say fences make good neighbors, but I feel oceans make the best fences and sadder neighbors.

Struck down with a few days of fever has put the studio in a standstill, but I tried to eak out a new sketch for this week's theme. I wish I could paint, but youknow how everything smells different and the lights feel extra yellow when you are sick... it makes using my oils impossible. It's nature's way of letting us know we aren't machines!

Kirin = Kicking!

Indeed, Kirin is one kicking beer... a high flying, acrobatic, goat hooved, horn-tastic kick. I figured I'd give it a rest with the Belgian whites for awhile, and celebrate this fantastically refreshing Japanese brew. Oddly enough, I had it for the first time in Paris, but at least it was at Saporo, a japanese restaurant near the Opera. It's light crisp taste, totally wetted my whistle, and left a wonderfully clean after taste.

I admit, I could not find too much of a backstory to the brewery itself, but was able to find out a few facts. The first Kirin beer factory was established in Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama in 1907 with help from Thomas Glover, the Scottish trader. God bless the Scotts. The brewery had originally been founded as Spring Valley Brewery in 1870, by the Norwegian-American William Copeland, but misfortune was headed his way. In 1872 Copeland left Yokohama temporarily to search for a bride in Norway; later, he returned with his wife, but she died in 1879. Shortly thereafter Copeland, who seemed dogged by misfortune, found that he lacked the necessary capital to improve and expand the business. By 1884 he had closed the brewery and sailed for the United States.

A year later W.H. Talbot and E. Abbott, both foreign entrepreneurs, entered into partnership with two Japanese businessmen, Yonosuke Iwasaki and Eiichi Shibusawa, to reopen Copeland's brewery. With sound financial backing, the newly formed Japan Brewery Company, Ltd. soon became a profitable enterprise. By 1888, all of its beer carried the "Kirin" label. According to ancient Chinese legend, the Kirin, which is half horse and half dragon, heralds good fortune to those able to catch a glimpse of it. Under the name Japan Brewery Company the company continued and combined with Meiji-ya to market Kirin Beer for the first time in 1888.

With more than 100 years of experience in the brewing business, Kirin now applies its fermentation technology to areas such as plant genetics, pharmaceuticals, and bioengineering. Although brewing and related businesses remain the core of Kirin's activities, the company is also involved in several other sectors: hard liquor, wine, soft drinks, and food products, logistics, engineering, real-estate and restaurants. Another reason for me to think that beer rules the world. Known as canned “chu-hi” in Japan, Kirin produces a range hit canned alcoholic beverages based on ingredients including brown rice tea, green tea and wheat based grain spirit. The portfolio of brands includes Kirin Lager and Ichiban Shibori, as well as Kirin Tanrei happo-shu (low-malt) beer. Kirin Light boast 95 calories per bottle too!

So what the heck is a kirin? It's a bitching looking monster with the head of a dragon, body of a deer, serpent's scales instead of hair, tail of an ox, hooves of a goat and a small, fleshy horn protruding from its forehead. It is a gentle, shy creature that will not harm anything unless it feels threatened. What a cool name that would be to give to someone. "Mommy? Why did you pick the name Kirin?" "Well... let me tell you a story..."

I was also recently told that when pronounced phonetically in the japanese language, kirin also means giraffe! I think I fancy a beer giraffe of Kirin right now!

*sidenote: I don't know what this says, but the Kirin Beer University looks the awesomest. A wicked fun website.

Illustration Friday: Polar

First, is a spread from the arctic tale Loony Little. An obvious example of the word polar. Inspiration for the whole book came from Rockwell Kent's arctic series. He was my absolutely savior when it creating artwork for this book.

But sencondly, I always thought of an attitude when I heard the word polar. I think of icey-stares from dark eyed beauties. Woo woo!

Drawn! Revoy-style.

Fellow Shybird member, Antoine Revoy has been featured on Drawn! Antoine will be featured in Freistil's 2007 edition, a yearly collaboration of over 200 European creatives. Check out his site to see more. Guaranteed to knock your socks off, even if you aren't wearing any.