Ace Frehley and Peter Criss Crayon Drawings

I did these two crayon sketches for my great nephew Julian, age six, who asks (or sometimes demands) that I draw for him every time I see him. I'm a Kiss fan, he doesn't even know who they are, but I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter. A drawing is a drawing when you're six.

I rarely have the opportunity to sketch with a pencil first when I'm drawing for Julian, and I don't usually do well drawing in pen, marker or crayon without some kind of guide, but I was happy with the way these came out - probably because the faces of the four original members of Kiss are burned into my brain so I didn't actually have to think too much. I guess that's why I wound up stealing these back from Julian. Don't tell.

These were draw with a dark colored crayon, but when I scanned them I altered the colors to Ace and Peter's "theme colors". Yes, members of Kiss have theme colors. That's one of the many things that makes them cool.

Gene and Paul, you're next. Well, maybe just Paul - Gene would probably sue me for drawing his likeness without his permission.

My Secret Lair (or "Home Office")

When I started doing freelance work, I was living in a one-bedroom apartment. When I'd sketch, ink, or color an illustration, I'd clear off my coffee table and work right there. And when I eventually got a workable Mac, it sat on a tiny corner shelf in the middle of my living room. Not the most inspiring of environments.

A few years later, I met my wife (no, she wasn't my wife then - that would be weird) and we moved into a larger apartment together. We set up the second bedroom as an office for both of us, and I began acquiring the kind of art and objects that would inspire me when I was working. It was a start, but my office didn't fully take shape until we bought a house. Just being able to paint the walls my favorite color (a kind of pukey, limey green) was a huge head start.


It's difficult for me to really remember what it was like working anywhere other than in this office. I tried to convince myself that working in a sparse environment, like that apartment living room, would keep my head clear and allow me to focus on my work - but that really never worked for me. I like to be in the midst of fun, interesting, and meaningful things, as you can see by the photos.


Surrounding my workstation are a collection of monsters (mostly from Universal films), Kiss paraphernalia, superhero pieces, Star Wars and other science fiction elements, and other assorted collectibles from comics, cartoons, television shows and other sources.

Now that we have a baby, the dusting has become an issue, but I wouldn't trade my green palace for any other workspace on the planet. It's my secret lair, my Fortress of Solitude, my Sanctum Sanctorum (that one's for the comic nerds) - and I know my work output benefits from the rich surroundings. That stuff just seeps right in - osmosis, you see.

For a detailed description of the contents of my office, click below.

My Home Office: A Nerd's-Eye View