Monday, March 25, 2013

C!'s spin off project!

While waiting for Jeff to return from the evil clutches of paid work, Celeste! has been solicited to start blogging for an additional website! 


BLORG the blog is hosted by PortSports Social Club!  PortSports is a Maine-based company that offers fun, casual sports leagues and events, with the goal of connecting people and helping them give back to the community without thinking about it.  They have helped raise over $35,000 for local and national charities since 2008!

Expanding into hosting orginigal content for its members, PortSports hosts 2 blogs and counting.  Check out BLORG the blog today, and let us know what you think!

Monday, March 18, 2013

Get to Know the Author: Celeste!

What's your current gig? I work full time in an outpatient psychiatry clinic, part-time as Director of Development and Board Member of a community theater/creative center, and I freelance as a choreographer/dance instructor, hair stylist, and editor.  I also spend a lot of my time volunteering for [mostly non-profit] events. 

Name 3 pop culture influences that effect you and your work currently: "Archer," "How I Met Your Mother," and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." 

One word that best describes how you work: Organized.  I'll map every project out more times than I need to before I can get started.  It's a sickness. 

What do you need in order to work most effectively? A huge block of uninterrupted time (I have trouble starting if I know I have to stop soon), music or ambient noise, and a self-confident attitude.  Also: some sort of computer and/or pen and paper helps, right?

If you weren’t an author, what would you want to be? An executive director of a [preferably creative and/or my own] business.  But if I'm not allowed to be traditionally creative, everyone says I should have been a lawyer.  So I guess that.

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else? I'm certainly not better than everyone else, but I have a knack for cleaning a room pretty quickly.
What motivates you? Other people's success and creativity.  I can get competitve....  Also: good weather.  I feel like a new person if it's nice out.

What inspires you? Art, definitely.  Also: bright colors. 

What's the best advice you've ever received? "Just do it."  Yes, it's the Nike slogan, but my mother had ingrained that in us long before Nike entered our lives.  I've been able to accomplish a lot without doubting myself, beacuse of that.  Also: "Look it up."  I asked a million questions as a kid and my parents always responded with that.  It helped me establish a knack for research and finding solutions on my own. And of course: "Keep moving forward, or the bus explodes!"  Jeff already covered why that one is important. ;)


Have any more questions for Celeste!? Leave them in the comments!

Monday, March 11, 2013

Get to Know the Artist: Jeff!

What's your current gig: I'm an illustrator/character designer for Disney Learning which is part of Disney Publishing Worldwide.

Name 3 pop culture influences that effect you and your work currently: Hmmm, I'd have to say Batman, Hulk, and Disney...I don't know if that answers the question. But I have noticed that if I manage to find the time to draw random artwork, if it's not an original idea of mine then I tend to lean towards those topics.

One word that best describes how you work: Always or non-stop haha. Does that count?

What do you need in order to work most effectively? I definitely need my Cintiq or my tablet and depending on whether or not I'm at home or at work, a great selection of tv shows to have running in the background while I draw.

If you weren’t an artist, what would you want to be? I honestly have no idea. I've always wanted to be a Disney artist for as long as I could remember. However, there was a time when I wanted to play professional football as well...but I wanted to work for Disney at the same time sooooo yeah...that wasn't possible haha.

What everyday thing are you better at than anyone else? I'm the best at being Jeffrey Thomas...unless there's an even more awesome Jeffrey Thomas...if there is, I don't wanna know.

What motivates you? Watching a good movie or tv show or reading a good comic or book always motivates me. It's one of the main reasons I like to have tv shows on while I draw so it can help fuel my imagination.

What inspires you? I'm inspired by the work of my three favorite artists: Glen Keane, Bruce Timm, and Chuck Jones.

What's the best advice you've ever received? There's actually two bits of advice, the first is best summed up by Ron Swanson from Parks and Rec - "Never half ass two things...whole ass one thing." I use to have a problem trying to decide a focus in my field and because of that I was just okay at a bunch of different art styles. It wasn't until I picked one style to focus on did I manage to become more than okay haha. The second bit of advice is actually something that Celeste and I came up with when combining a Walt Disney quote with the premise for the movie Speed..."Keep moving forward, or the bus explodes!" I think that's pretty self-explanatory haha. Always strive to be the best because if you become complacent and stop you explode...yep.



Have any more questions for Jeff? Leave them in the comments!  We'll add them to the list, next time. :)

Monday, March 4, 2013

Have you bought "Beatrice: Volume One" yet?

Make sure you have a copy of our first publication: "Beatrice: Volume One"!


While work continues to keep us away from all the blog-related activities we'd like to be doing, any support for our comics is greatly appreciated!  And stay tuned for the return of the LE Beatrice T-shirt and brand new Beatrice merchanise!

REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK:
If Jeff is unable to keep up with a weekly art-demand on top of his 9-5, art-filled job, what updates can Celeste! provide that you'd be interested in?  Blog posts about Back to the Future?  Random pictures of cats?  Opinion pieces on life, television shows, or ethics?  Interviews with Jeff?  You name it!  Let us know what YOU want in the comments. :)