Mike the Bloggard

2011-11-03T17:36:00.002+10:30

Tis the season to whip up and print some big fat family cheer. Here it be...

And one for the punters to buy...

New mascot and illustration commissions: RUXCON

2011-10-25T10:09:00.001+10:30

The good folk from RUXCON hired me to create a crocodile mascot for their upcoming Computer Security Conference.

The second best brief ever... "Crocodile holding a beer and a lap top."

However, the best brief ever must go to "crocodile fighting robots" for their handbook...

Generic, nude and non-affiliated mascots from those sporting teams that people like

2011-05-14T16:17:00.000+09:30

Recently, the legal team of a major Australian sporting corporation ordered my confreres at Red Bubble to cease selling and displaying my mascot series. These little labours of love reaped me no profit, they only paid homage to certain teams of a certain sport that I’m quite fond of.

Their order was not only a wee bit petty, but also a tad tenuous. Afterall, I cannot see how they can lay claim to all avian, feline and canine representations, when these furry and feathery beasts appear prominently in varied codes of varied sports all over this great blue globe of ours.

However, with the fear of some orange-hued, alcopop swilling, man-child from said legal team knocking at my hovel’s door, I’ve decided to scrap the whole lovingly hewed series.

Good opportunity to announce the first in my new series… generic, nude and non-affiliated mascots from those sporting teams that people like. Wear them with pride, and with the knowledge that each purchase will save a kitten from a hungry lawyer.

Sexy documentary about sexy sex

2011-03-31T16:39:00.003+10:30

My beloved and I made a human. Apparently my pants-swimmers, as a complete surprise to me, were not the lifeless dust of a misspent youth, but an oozing, potent brew of fecundity. I decided to make a scientific documentary describing to my son how he was made, and here it is...

Show me the ... Cash

2011-03-31T15:36:00.000+10:30

It's been quite a busy year so far, because my beloved and I made a human after a saucy weekend some 10 months ago. Here's a limited edition card I whipped up to celebrate said happy consequence ...

New client: Sunstainable

2011-03-18T11:22:00.000+10:30

Just whipped up a new website and printed material for the fine folk at Sunstainable...

Double jump your butts to the Fanboy show

2011-03-11T12:42:00.000+10:30

I have 2 pieces of acrylically rendered joy showing at the Artboy Gallery this long weekend only. For all those in Melbourne please go to 99 Greville St Prahran and rub your chin, whilst pondering loudly at how awesome my art is.

Clockwork Baby

2011-02-05T20:18:00.001+10:30

It's only 3 weeks away until our little chap bursts into the world, so I thought I’d whip up a little homage to his inevitable naughty side...

WIPs for the FanBoy vs. ArtBoy show

2011-01-28T18:01:00.000+10:30

Here they be, my WIPs for the upcoming Artboy show.

Detoxing month

2011-01-28T17:42:00.002+10:30

Those of you who know me well, know that I like the occasional full bottle of full-bodied alcohol. Well prepare to gasp, as I’ve decided to do the unthinkable … I shall be detoxing… for a month. Some may say, “sure, pick February the shortest month you lousy, urine-soaked, drunken bum”. Well, that is just too unkind. Instead you should wish me well on my last weekend of booze and giggles, before I swim in the unchartered waters of sobriety for a month. In said waters, there be dragons, I’ve heard. Nasty things that bite with the gnashing teeth of reality, and spit with the fire of regret.

New logo: reemerge

2011-01-28T15:10:00.003+10:30

I whipped up a new logo, for a new company. Watch this space for more soon...

New web site: Clear Security

2011-01-28T15:03:00.002+10:30

Recently dotted the Ts and crossed the Is on a web site for the good people from Clear Security...

Exciting news und FanBoy vs. ArtBoy

2011-01-07T17:39:00.001+10:30

Happy new year to you, my dwindling stalkers.

2011 will proof to be quite the interesting year for this old hack. My sperm, as a complete surprise to me, was not the lifeless dust of a misspent youth, but an oozing, potent brew of fecundancy. Consequently, late February will see the arrival of a bouncing baby boy of my DNA-ing. That's numero uno exciting news.

Numero two-o exciting news is that I'm back painting (Pro Hart must be shaking in his grave). The good folks at Artboy asked me to whip up some canvasy goodness to grace their walls. "The only requirement for any pieces of work is that it MUST relate to gaming...anything from old school table-top FROGGER through to WORLD OF WARCRAFT." Below is a WIP. A prize for those who guess what games inspired them...

I think they may be inspired by God of War and Guitar Hero... yay, I won the the thing that I won.

Sticker: Li'l Misfit On Board

2010-11-25T12:47:00.001+10:30

OMG, I’m becoming one of those parents, you know the ones, the ones with “Baby on board” stickers on their cars. Maybe you are one of those parents. well, word up, brothers and sisters, so is Biggie… with a mild twist.

20% big fat discount on all big fat tshirts

2010-11-23T13:15:00.004+10:30

20% big fat discount on all big fat tshirts

20% discount + 100% coolness = 120% of awecoolsomeness!

We at the Big Fat love you so much that we created a new word, just for you: awecoolsomeness!

Now you can impress all your friends with this swell new adjective. Imagine how tingly in the pants they will be when you bellow “That math lesson was awecoolsomeness!”, or how chuffed your mom will be, when you chirp, “Mom, that slightly burned meatloaf was so awecoolsomeness, I will do the dishes, and pick up puppy’s poo!”

Our love and gift-giving does not end with a mere neologism! In fact, we love you eternally. This is not the kind of love that lasts until a week after Christmas, and is then sent to the Lost Love Home, with the other smelly discarded loves. This eternal love will last… well, eternally. To prove it we are giving you 20 big fat percent off our cotton thsirt finery at our good friends at Red Bubble.

Unlike our eternal love, the discount will end on the dawn of 2011, and will be sent to the Lost Discount Home, where we are hoping it will be adopted by young, professional couple.

Don’t forget kids, Big Fat Robot only has 2 settings: pleasurin’ and destroyin’ (all humans). I recommend we nurture the former.

Kids' Clothes - Bubs is on his way

2010-10-26T17:31:00.002+10:30

For our future little misfit...

Buyers DoWear... in Mongolia

2010-10-22T17:27:00.000+10:30

That's right, you heard it here first. Our big fat friend has made its first, and perhaps only, appearance in the land of the Mongols... Mongolia.

Before Attila the Hun was a green-hued, slug-like nemesis of Jedis and freedom lovers alike, he was a significant historical figure that did some stuff.

I bet he would be rolling in his yak-lined coffin if he saw this cheeky number rolling along his horse-hewed tracks.

New tshirts: Magpies and Saints

2010-10-01T16:34:00.001+09:30

Buyers do-wear

2010-10-01T16:29:00.000+09:30

Buyers do-wear

2010-09-19T17:08:00.000+09:30

New tshirt: Captain Kirk Cherub

2010-07-09T08:03:00.001+09:30

By massive demand (ie 2 peeps) I now make available my nudey Captain Kirk cherub, from this tee

Live long and nudey, Star Trek style!

Buyers do-wear

2010-05-19T14:34:00.004+09:30

Big Fat Robot on Big Fat Babies

2010-05-19T14:31:00.003+09:30

My good friends at RedBubble now have print options for the bubs of the world...

New tshirt: Green Girls Have More Fun with nudey cherubs

2010-04-23T17:10:00.003+09:30

My odd fascination with green women and cherubs continues unabated.

This time the cheeky cherubs are none other than the Star Trek Lotharios: Captain James Tiberius Kirk and Commander William Thomas Riker.

The Stardate is meant to represent when the Orion Syndicate (the hot green people) were first encountered by the Federation. However, there is much nerdish zealotry and conjecture to this, which I won’t bother to discussing here.

New tees: Green girls have more fun

2010-04-05T14:23:00.004+09:30

A couple versions of my Orion Slave Girl in the buff. For us nerds who like a little sauciness with their Star Trek.

Green Girls
est Stardate 7564.1

Green bottom Girls

Make the Rockin’
Orion Syndicate
Go round

Itty Bitty Ditties - Teaser 'Bladder'

2010-02-11T15:58:00.004+10:30

Oh joy of joys, an animated song that purports that love does not originate in the heart, but in the bladder, something I've always suspected.

This bladder-ladened teaser is from Itty Bitty Ditties - a 10-part TV series from PRA (the fine folk that conjured the wonderful Nick Cave-narrated Cat Piano) featuring Brian the Budgie and his reliable Hog named Ernst as they travel far and wide singing nonsensical songs about frivolous subjects in harmony with their musical cohorts.

It will be airing on the new children’s channel, ABC3, at the ungodly (and oddly precise) hour of 6.53am. So I may have to get the DVD.

It also features lyrics by Tom Bettany of The Beards, my favourite hirsute band from Adders.

ConfusedUs Says: ep. 1 Lip synching foolery

2010-02-05T16:16:00.003+10:30

Just a little lip synching test...

Maybe not as polished and rivetting as my former post, but from an ugly seed an agreeable shrub may bloom.

Great animation

2010-02-05T15:11:00.003+10:30

Stumbled upon the Last of the Dashkin by Adam Phillips. A beautifully told and executed story of a lonely, yet tyrannical beast on a forest planet. Done in Flash, it's a must-see.

Putting some nerd cool on my noggin

2010-02-05T09:40:00.005+10:30

I took the plunge and ordered some Shuron Sidewinders spectacle frames from the interwebs the other day. I couldn't resist when my partner found eyeglassboy.com, who have a section for people with "Huge Noggins: XL frames for men with big brain boxes". Not sure about the brain bit, but the box is huge!

My head is Bert Newtonian in girth. So, I need a little more moulded plastic than most.

The rest of my body is in proportion, but I suspect that is because it is needed to support the superstructure of my head.

Yet to receive them, but hopefully soon a little bit of 50s nerdery will be sitting pretty on my noggin.

New tshirt: Zombie like guitar

2010-02-04T10:50:00.003+10:30

When not eating braiiins, our undead friends like to unwind with bit of Guitar Hero...

A character for an animation I'm working on.

CGChallenge 25: short story... 'Attack of the Werewolf Cheerleaders from Outer Space'

2010-01-19T09:56:00.004+10:30

I wrote a short story in homage to B-grade storytelling (I did it in a drunken hour whilst waiting for a friend in a pub). Here it be in all its gory gooness...

'Attack of the Werewolf Cheerleaders from Outer Space'
by Michael "Wolfman" Hepburn

“Oh Chuck, you are the swellest boy I ever did meet,” chirped a pretty blonde girl, whose curvaceous body was barely covered by a cheerleader's uniform.

“Oh Cherry May, you are the sweetest girl I ever did see,” replied Chuck, a tall, muscular quarterback, who had only a moment before gave Cherry May his varsity jacket. She looked excitedly at it and repeatedly kissed the B-shaped chenille patch; symbol of their High School's football team - the Mighty, Fighting Beavertown Beavers. State Champions, 10 years in a row.

They sat in his father's convertible Oldsmobile, on the edge of Lovers' Cliff, which overlooked the quaint, small mid-western town they called home. A town full of simple, hard-working folk.

Cherry May stopped kissing the jacket and looked at Chuck's big blue eyes, and then his mouth. Though delightfully coy, she gathered the courage to say “Chuck, I think we should go to... second base now.” Chuck bellowed a “yee-haw” and nervously kissed his sweetheart's lips.

While in their fumbling embrace, they didn't notice the ground shaking and the trees swaying. Nor did they notice the clouds parting... revealing a full moon.

Cherry May's breathing began to get heavy. At first, Chuck thought it was because of the heat of their passion, but then she started to hyperventilate.

“What's the matter?” Chuck spluttered.

Just as he asked this, he caught a glimpse of little hairs growing - and glimmering in the moonlight - on Cherry May's upper lip,. “Cherry May, you have a … mustache,” he exclaimed in disgust, wiping his tongue with his hand.

Cherry May paid this no heed, because she was staring at a cylindrical speck that was emerging from the moon. The speck was getting larger. Suddenly, more appeared. They could now see that they were gray saucer shaped flying objects. Countless scores of these “flying saucers” filled the skies.

Chuck saw the fear in Cherry May's eyes, and took a deep breath, forgot about the hair issue, swelled his chest up with all the football courage he could muster and said “Don't you worry none Cherry May, ain't nothin' goin' hurt you when I'm around.”

Cherry looked at Chuck with immense pride and love, but was suddenly wracked with convulsions.

“Oh gosh, not now," she managed to squeeze out of her clenched teeth. "They can't be back yet. Run Chuck, they're coming.”

“Who are 'they'?”

'M-m-m my family.” As she stuttered this, more hair started to sprout all over her face and body. Her mouth started to elongate, stretching her lipstick into a hideous parody of a hairy clown. Her hands and feet grew longer, and stronger. She stood up and howled at the moon. All that remained of the Cherry May that Chuck once lusted after was her little cheerleader's uniform, which was stretched almost to bursting on her now muscular, hirsute frame.

"Oh Cherry May, you are ever so hairy," cried a shocked Chuck. Then he noticed the look of hunger in her eyes... this was the last thing he ever saw. He didn't get to see the flying saucers land, nor the countless werewolf cheerleaders alight, all hungry for jocks.

The beginning ... of the end!

Press Release: CGChallenge 25: B-Movie

2010-01-19T09:50:00.005+10:30

Well, it's that crazy time of year... CGChallenge time! The 25th CGChallenge revolves around a genre that is very dear to me... the B-Movie.

I wrote the Press Release for my good chums, and overlords at CGSociety...

The CGSociety's 25th CGChallenge - 'B-Movie: Attack of the 50 foot CGChallenge' - Emerges from the Black Lagoon

CGSociety's 25th CGChallenge calls for artists to delve into the startling world of cheesy horror, schlock and the amusingly bad storylines of B-grade movies, via a still image, video, or, for the first time, sound. Big prizes from CG giants like Dell and Autodesk are on offer.

(PRWEB) January 20, 2010 -- The CGSociety is searching the world for entries to its latest Digital Art competition: "CGChallenge XXV: B-Movie, Attack of the 50 foot CGChallenge".

Adelaide, South Australia (PRWEB) Jan 20th, 2010 -- The CGSociety launches the 25th CGChallenge - 'B-Movie.'

Since the dawn of movies there was always a creepier, scarier, and unintentionally funnier cousin to the big budget blockbusters... the B-grade movie. Cinema screens around the world flickered with startling images of wolfmen, zombies, nuclear-mutated monsters, and, bug-eyed aliens who had a penchant for probing. The 25th CGChallenge - "Attack of the 50ft CG Challenge" - asks artists from all over the Milky Way, to bring these gems back to life, or create their own in the B-Movie spirit.

The CGSociety want A-grade art which celebrates the B-Movie genre. This could be a monster about to attack, an animated scene/trailer for your own imaginary B-Movie, a creepy set piece oozing with fog and the threat of the unknown, or a movie poster with a suitably corny title splashed across it. Let your imagination run riot! However, ensure that it embodies the cheesiness and sense of fun that is the essence of the B-Movie. Many prizes from companies like Autodesk, Luxology, Pixologic and our exciting new partner Dell, await those brave enough to wade into the murky swamp of B-Movie glory.

To help sow the seeds of artists' imaginations, the CGSociety has included inspirational images and short stories to jump-start entrants on the path of gore and mayhem! Here is a mere taste of the spectacle that awaits you:

"Oh Cherry May, you are ever so hairy," cried a shocked Chuck. Then he noticed the look of hunger in her eyes... this was the last thing he ever saw. He didn't get to see the flying saucers land, nor the countless werewolf cheerleaders alight, all hungry for jocks.

"What's wrong?" Justin asked. "There's a… a thing, in the kitchen," replied Caitlin between sobs."A thing? What kind of a thing?" "A man-eating thing. It came after me. Luckily I managed to close the door on it in time. I'm not sure Ralph was so lucky."

"Right, it's settled then. We'll unleash the mutating ray-guns on the Earth's animals and plant-life after lunch," concluded Ishaka of planet Golgonoa. It had been a long meeting. Ishaka looked down the long table at the weary faces of the various leaders from the planets of all the known galaxies. At last, they had come to a decision...

For further inspiration, plunge into cult classics such as "Creature from the Black Lagoon", "The Blob", "Forbidden Planet", "Bride of Frankenstein", "Invasion of the Saucer Men", "Attack of the 50 foot Woman", as well as, the films of Roger Corman, George A. Romero, Russ Meyer, the stylized horror of Hammer Films, 1970s Grindhouse, Japanese monster movies and the 'worse movie ever made' "Plan 9 from Outer Space".

Challenge Sponsors:
The CGSociety is very proud to introduce Dell, Inc. to the growing list of CGChallenge partners. They join the CG industry's best, including: Autodesk, NVIDIA, Luxology, E-On, Stash Media, Pixologic, Gnomon Workshop, ImagineFX, Craft Animations, SideFX, NewTek, TopOGun, Kickstand Labs, Imagineer System, Smith Micro, Maxon, 3D Connexion, 3DVIA, Massive, StudioGPU, and Ballistic Publishing. There's a big list of prizes, which will ensure that the standard will be very high.

Challenge Judges:
This year's Challenge judging panel includes the cream of the CG crop who have worked for the likes of: Activision, Electronic Arts, Eidos, The Moving Picture Company, on game and film titles such as 'Tomb Raider: Underworld', 'Tomb Raider: Anniversary Edition', 'Gun', 'Sin City', 'The Pan's Labyrinth', VFX Oscar winner 'The Golden Compass', 'The Tale of Despereaux', and the upcoming 'Clash of the Titans'.

The judging panel consists of: Gonçalo Pereira, Ishan Shukla, Jose Alves da Silva, Jon Rush, Mark Snoswell, Leigh A. van der Byl and Anton Fletcher. Entrants will need to gather the best of their artistic arsenal to impress these CG luminaries!

The challenge starts now. Image and Video categories will run for different periods of time:

The Image category will run for 8 weeks. Deadline: 19th March, 2010.
The Video categories will run for 12 weeks. Deadline: 19th April, 2010.

Entries must be made in one of the following categories:

Image: Individual
Video: Individual
Video: Team

All entries will also be eligible for any of the following awards:

Modeling
Texturing
Animation
Lighting
Visual Effects
Landscape/Matte Painting
Art Direction
Compositing and Editing
Best Character
Music and Sound

About The CGSociety:
The CGSociety is the most respected and accessible global organization for creative digital artists. The CGSociety supports artists at every level by offering a range of services to connect, inform, educate and promote, by celebrating achievement, excellence and innovation in all aspects of digital art. The CGSociety, along with its sister organization Ballistic Publishing, is a division of Ballistic Media.
http://www.cgsociety.org
http://www.ballisticpublishing.com

AFL Mascot tees: Number 5

2010-01-04T15:56:00.003+10:30

Number 5 in the AFL Mascot tshirt challenge... the Eagles

Other tees in the series...
#1: Demons…
#2: Hawks…
#3 Bombers…
#4 Bullies...

Tshirty ideas I wish I had #1

2009-12-22T16:20:00.004+10:30

This is the first of what will probably be quite a long list, as I'm often #00FF00 with envy when it comes to the genius of other designers...

This delectable pop mash combines the arcade glory of Space Invaders with the "I BELIEVE" poster, which adorned Mulder's wall in the televised gold that was X-Files.

Find it here at SPLITREASON.

Robot of the Week#2: Bad RoboSanta

2009-12-22T10:15:00.004+10:30

This is what happens when you leave light beer out for Santa, rather than the good stuff...

Tshirt by UK artist Hammo.

New tee: Biggie taking a ride

2009-12-21T17:53:00.002+10:30

Just a self-aggrandizing portrait of me in a ‘57 Chevy

AFL Mascot tees: Number 3 and 4

2009-12-21T16:54:00.003+10:30

Number 3 in my mini challenge to myself – an AFL mascot every week. This time the Dons get a little Big Fat Robot tinkering.

Number 4 in the mini AFL mascot challenge … the Bullies.

Other tees in the series...
#1: Demons…
#2: Hawks…
#3 Bombers…

Week 2 of AFL mascot tee challenge: Hawks

2009-12-16T13:50:00.005+10:30

Second week of my little challenge to myself – an AFL mascot every week. This time tis the Hawks...

Week 1: Demons…

Flip book to the max!

2009-12-10T09:05:00.004+10:30

My first juicy taste of animation came in the form of turning all my school books into flip books, with crudely drawn creatures crudely doing crude things on multiple pages. They were childish scrawlings in comparison to the recently discovered twisted stop motion/flipbook gem, “VIDEOGIOCO” , by Donato Sansone (milkyeyes) with sound by Enrico Ascoli.

New tee: I'll give you zen!

2009-12-08T08:15:00.002+10:30

A request from a chum...

Latest CGS Features

2009-12-08T07:46:00.007+10:30

The latest crop of CG goodness, which I have whipped up for the fine fellows at CGSociety...

New tee: Nerd of War

2009-12-07T17:31:00.004+10:30

Us nerds are highly trained in the deadly arts, and we have extremely high Charisma points

New tee: Hard Guitar Hero

2009-12-07T17:27:00.002+10:30

Based on one of my besties, Damian, lead guitarist from the Order of the Buzzard

Week 1: AFL mascot tee challenge - Melbourne Demons

2009-12-07T17:04:00.003+10:30

With around 16 weeks until the 2010 AFL season, I thought I’d give myself a little challenge and whip up a mascot tee every week.

First cab off the rank is a redux of the Melbourne Demon, which I did sometime ago.

Wish me luck!

Robot of the Week#001: ROPID - jumping straight into the future!

2009-10-29T10:58:00.005+10:30

A jumping robot has been built by scientists at Kyoto university in Japan.

It uses sensors to balance itself and responds to spoken instructions.

The droid has been named the ROPID, a combination of "rapid" and "robot".

Tomotaka Takahashi, who developed it, said he wanted to build a robot that entertained people rather than one that performed specific tasks.

Press release: Gun-toting Goons Infiltrate the CGCHALLENGE XXIV: Secret Agent

2009-10-21T14:01:00.000+10:30

Over a thousand digital artists competed for big prizes in the latest CGChallenge. Their mission was to create characters and stories worthy of a James Bond or Bladerunner spy thriller.

Adelaide, South Australia (PRWEB) October 9, 2009 -- The winners of the CGSociety's CGChallenge XXIV: 'Secret Agent' have been announced. Digital artists, from around the world, used their skills to claim more prizes than an evil henchman could carry on his burly shoulders. Well over $100,000 worth of software and hardware were on offer in many categories, including Video, Animation, Modeling and Illustration. To win, the artists' task was to depict characters and events, which involved espionage, gadgets, guns and evil geniuses, via a still image or video.

The Master Award winners of the three main prize categories - Individual Video, Team Video, and Image - all showed not only outstanding technical ability but were also able to successfully delve into the daring and dangerous world of Secret Agents.
Good lighting and a nice story twist

The Image Master was awarded to Portugal's Jose Alves da Silva (http://zeoyn.cgsociety.org) for his 'Mouse Love', a whimsical tale of lab rat revenge. “Good lighting and a nice story twist,” said judge, Mark Snoswell. “There's a wonderful mood in this piece,” added Jon Rush. “Lots of nice details to look at, but they don't derail the composition.” The excited artist replied that this “eight week journey with my fellow challengers definitely pushed me to the limit … if you are willing to listen to what other people say, your work will rise to a whole new level. Knowledge and a great brotherhood spirit are the prizes that all contestants can be sure to take from these Challenges.”

The Individual Video Master Award went to France's Aurelien Rantet (http://aurel0988.cgsociety.org/) for his 'Run for the Artifact', a futuristic tale of a bumbling spy and his tenacious attempts at securing a curious object. Hal Milton exclaimed ”Wow! Great gags, great designs ... This tells an amazingly satisfying story by brilliantly squeezing meaning into every single second on screen. Once again, you individual contributors scare me with your giant, assumed to be pulsing, brains!" Marc Mordelet added: "Amazing sense of colors. How can a young man do all of this professional work alone? I am feeling old now." The winning artist said "I'm pretty new in the CG world so this award is a real honor for me, especially considering the level of the other participants...Thanks to everyone who offered me encouragement and critiques during my work."

The Video (Team) Master Award went to Germany/Japan's 'Agent Omicron'.The team consisted of Goro Fujita (http://goro.cgsociety.org), Kory Heinzen, Nico Sanghrajka and Ryosuke Fujita. This campy masterpiece features characters from an imaginary 80s TV show, and has a pulsating jazz soundtrack. Alexandra Ciolac judged it as having a “lovely graphic style. I believe this piece is the best expression of the classic secret agent concept. Nicely timed animation consistent with the style, full of life characters. Great eyes and facial animations.” Marc Mordelet thought it was “something between Cobra and Dirty Harry. Great animation and beautiful music. I wish to see this on TV!”

A full list of winners for the Secret Agent CGChallenge and their winning entries can be viewed at The CGSociety website (http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/secret_agent/). Previous CGChallenges can also be viewed at The CGSociety website (http://features.CGSociety.org/challenge/).

Prizes were awarded in Video, Animation, Art Direction, Best Character, Compositing and Editing, Concept Art, Digital Painting, Landscape/Matte Painting, Lighting, Modeling, Sculpture, Texturing, VFX and Illustration categories.

The prizes were sponsored by BOXX, Autodesk, Wacom, NVIDIA, Luxology, e-on Software, stash DVD Magazine, Maxon, Corel, Craft Animations, Side Effects Software, The Gnomon Workshop, Zbrush, ImagineFX, 3dvia, Ballistic Publishing, and CGSociety.

The judges came from the film, game and illustration worlds, past Challenge winners, and leading luminaries within the CGSociety community. Judges were David Wright, Jeff Mottle , Hal Milton, Coro, Brom, Coro, Sasha Ciolac, Marcin Jakubowski , Vasile Brovcenco, Thiago Pires, Arthur Mirzoyam, Tomasz Jedruszek, Marc Mordelet, Martin Köhler, Yap Kun Rong, ru | bonsaininja, David Luong, Don Seegmiller, Jon Rush, Todd Widup, Bryan Silva, Boaz Livny, Roger Cusson, Mark Snoswell, Leigh A. van der Byl, and Anton Fletcher.

About the CG Society:
The CG Society is the most respected and accessible global organization for creative digital artists. The CGSociety supports artists at every level by offering a range of services to connect, inform, educate and promote, by celebrating achievement, excellence and innovation in all aspects of digital art. The CGSociety, along with its sister organisation Ballistic Publishing, is a division of Ballistic Media.

http://www.cgsociety.org
http://www.ballisticpublishing.com

Latest CGS Features

2009-09-08T08:13:00.003+09:30

The latest tasty fruits picked from the CGSociety tree of delectable knowledge are a story about a painterly short animation from Germany, URS. A rundown on the creation of an EXPOSE 7 image by Phil McDarby. An interview with the digital matte painters of GI JOE: The Rise of Cobra. And a look under the render engine of Pandemic's World War II FPS The Saboteur.

New products in my Zazzle store

2009-09-03T07:28:00.001+09:30

make custom gifts at Zazzle

Bucky walk and jump cycle

2009-09-01T10:52:00.005+09:30

Working on the walk and jump cycles for the Mighty, Fighty Cherubs Game.

Hulk the Musical?

2009-09-01T10:25:00.003+09:30

Looks like Disney wants to break into the boy's market with their recent $4 billion acquisition of the comic giants, Marvel. Looking forward to seeing Iron Man accidently crushing Cinderalla's glass slipper.

Tarboy

2009-09-01T08:20:00.004+09:30

Tarboy is an animated feast with the souls of angry robots and explosions galore. The entire short film was animated using Flash. Do yourself a favour, and watch it...

Famous Singer Impersonator Zombie

2009-08-30T14:14:00.005+09:30

This is the pill-poppin', hamburger tossin’ boss from my little Cherub vs Zombie game … The Mighty, fighty Cherubs

Any resemblance to persons alive or undead is purely a coincidence.

Game tweaked a little bit more

2009-08-26T17:49:00.003+09:30

The Mighty, Fighty Cherub Game has been tweaked. Needs a lot more TLC. But have to get onto bigger and better things now!!

New characters for game

2009-08-24T12:05:00.004+09:30

The mini boss, and big boss zombies will soon be alive (in a walking dead kinda way) and ready for Cherub braiiiiiins in the Mighty Fighty Cherubs game I'm currently developing.

Below is a little silhouetted sneak preview. To see them in all their gory glory, you'll have to 1. wait until I've actually coded them into the game, and 2. fight the zombie minion hordes to get to the boss stages.

Now, all I have to do is pop them in the game and get them munchin'. Stay tuned, they will be in the game real soon - yee-haaaaaw!

Interview with Cult of Pop

2009-08-24T09:28:00.005+09:30

The fine folk from Cult of Pop were deluded enough to think that my misssives are worthy of publishing. Here is a transcript....

What’s the easiest way to make a fashion statement?? Simple. Wear a t-shirt…. but not just any t-shirt, we here at the Cult recommend a 100% Australian designed Big Fat Robot t-shirt. Why you ask?? Well, because Mike Hepburn, the man behind the label is one cool guy (and you should always listen to cool guys!) and here’s the interview to prove it….

C.O.P- Tell us the basics- where are you from, where do you live now and what do you do to earn your crust?
I was born in the bustling metropolis of Adelaide, South Australia. My dad was in the Army, so I lived around a goodly portion of this sunburned land of ours. As an adult I spent over 6 years travelling and living abroad, mainly USA, Europe and Japan.

Now I have finally settled in my favourite city in the whole Milky Way, Melbourne (well, it’s on a par with Tokyo, San Francisco, Berlin and, of course, the sexiest Mmm-Class planet of all – Risa… yep, I’m a Star Trek nerd!)

I live with my wonderfully talented partner in a rambling, creaky old weatherboard in the inner northern suburbs. We are surrounded by art, more toys than a spoilt kid could shrilly demand, and curios from all corners of this glimmering blue globe of ours. Robots figure quite prominently (as you can imagine given my moniker) and I have a teak bar from the 60s which I can never seem to keep stocked.

All of this messy, drunky happiness is financed primarily by web design…

C.O.P- So you’re a web designer by day and a big fat robot by night- tell us a little about the two sides of your work??
I’ve been in the web design game for well over a decade now. It certainly is a fine way to pay the bills.

I love tinkering with code, and battling with alignment, but at night I happily shed the monogrammed tie of corporate bondage and pop on my Mexican wrestler’s mask of creative freedom. Whilst so garbed, I head into the vector mill to create my little guys. It’s my happy place. I will hopefully soon have more time to make the Big Fat Robot Empire even bigger and so much fatter.

C.O.P- You’ve been in the design game for a few years now- tell us about your artistic journey (where did it all start) and the highlights along the way…
I started as a scrawny Army brat with a large, Bert Newtonian head, and welfare glasses (the big 80s kind that all the cool kids are wearing in clubs these days – I bled for your ironic fashion!). Therefore, I was a weedy target in every school I went to. My skeletal limbs did not offer a decent upper cut, nor sufficient defence capabilities. The only thing they could do effectively, in my battle with the bullies, was draw delightfully slanderous renderings of their least favourite teachers. These skills, forged from fear, led to a lifelong passion of escaping the real world into my crudely sketched Land of Odd.

As I got older, and my body caught up with my hitherto out of proportioned head, I kept sketching, but got more and more immersed in the world of computers. As a result, I became a web designer.

The biggest highlight in my webby world was when I led a team of Web Wizards for Nike, and together our shiny, 72 dpi little gem won a Bronze Lion at Cannes.

C.O.P- T-Shirt design has become a huge industry now-for you, is it more business or artistic outlet?
To me it’s purely an artistic outlet at the moment. T-shirts are mobile canvases that have given me a forum to get my odd little characters out in the public eye.

The fact that other people dig my designs enough to not only buy, but wear them, makes me burst with delightfully surprised glee.

It was sites like Red Bubble that gave me the confidence to get them out of my many battered notebooks, and into the world. This oasis, in the violent seas of the interwebs, and the wonderful peeps I found there, actually helped me stride out of years of depression. These good folks and my colourful bunch of nuttery tore asunder a dark, passionless time.

C.O.P- What makes a good t-shirt design- because it is a lot different style wise than a canvas artwork, for instance?
To me a good t-shirt design has strong lines, colours that complement the t-shirt colour, and unique, poignant or odd subject matter.

T-shirts are wearable culture. With them you can ally yourself to certain movements or brands. They can be a body hugging, cottony signifier of what you believe in or desire.

C.O.P- What influences the designs you put on your own range of clothing? Who and what are your biggest influences now and why?
Pop Culture, DC and Marvel masters, Kustom Kulture, and Japanese culture, Zombie movies, and Hammer Horror classics. My studio is a bulging museum of pop-culture. Toys (Dunnies, Munnies, Qees, 60/70/80s robots, Star Wars – yep folks, I’m a nerd). Sci-fi, 60s/70s vampire DVDs are buckling my shelves. Old tattoo art (Sailor Jerry, and the more contemporary Angelique Houtkamp) fills me with lowbrow glee. As do pop-surrealists artists such as Mark Ryden, Audrey Kawasaki (soft palette with darker, erotic themes), Tara McPherson (bold colours and strong lines), Mike Giant, Sheppard Fairy (brilliant lines and an unwavering conscience),, Lori Earley, Tokidoki and the old master Osamu Tezuka (because I still study his work, like Astroboy, for his dynamism, proportion and sense of wonder). Romance, horror and sci-fi comics from the 50s and 60s. I’m basically that weird kid, that happily sits by himself in class. I refuse to fully grow up. Life is too short to be normal.

C.O.P- What’s next for you- you’re wanting to get a bit more into animation as well from what I hear??
Animation is definitely on top of the list. Every character illustration I do has a back story, each design is a frozen frame in a larger story. So the natural progression is getting my little guys and gals moving and talking. They have some tales to tell!

There’s a couple of animation examples on the interwebs. I did an ad for a Doritos competition, and an odd little, unfinished piece for a Canadian client. Click here to see both The latter involves a singing Salmon Dion.

I’m also prototyping plushes. And, a big dream is turning some of my characters into urban vinyl toys. Does anyone know anybody in Kid Robot?:)

Plus, kids’ books. I just bought Meomi’s Octonauts, lush design coupled with a rollicking good story for young and old. Awesome stuff!

Lastly, but not leastly, I’m happy to announce an exclusive to my good friends at Cult of Pop a beta Flash game- “The Mighty Fighty Cherubs” This is a rough, and very unfinished, idea of what a level in my “Mighty Fighting Cherubs” Flash game will look like.

On the drawing board is a much more elaborate multilevel/RPG/platform/puzzle-solving extravaganza with a witty story, a little saucy cherub lovin’ and twists aplenty. I will soon be working on it with a friend, who can actually code, so it will be considerably more complex and engaging.

Stay tuned, there will be plenty more button mashing where this came from!

C.O.P- What’s your idea of a perfect day? This should be easy, ‘coz you do now live in one of the best cities in the world (yes, I am bias!!)…
Yep, Melbourne does make a perfect day easy. Let’s see, I’d wake up, have a nice strong coffee, quickly followed by a slightly less strong, coffee. Check my emails and RSS feeds. Squeal with girlish glee at the overnight sales. Put the finishing touches on some work. Start another work. Watch a Star Trek episode. Get another tattoo. Meet my partner and friends at the Robot Bar, where I’ll sup on a few sakes. Go to an opening at one of the many fine Melbourne galleries. Then put on my best threads for a evening of Burlesque.

C.O.P- Lastly, you’re marooned on a desert island- you need to construct an “SOS” message on the sand- what font do you use??
A well kerned, bold, serif font with some extra faux bolding, a heavy stroke, subtle drop shadow, and a fiery glow effect.

C-O-P- here’s a quick artists impression for the non-designers out there… ;P We might add however, that if stuck on a real desert island wingdings is a perfectly valid font option, as is 4 palm trees, 6 coconuts, 3 hermit crabs and a shoelace (you figure it out….)

Anyway, thanks for your time Mike!!!

If you want to check out more of Mike’s ultra cool t-shirt designs then head over to Big Fat Robot…. www.bigfatrobot.com ….do it, do it now!

Latest CGS Features

2009-08-21T08:37:00.005+09:30

Whipped up some features for my very good chums at CGSociety. There are walkthroughs for both Alex Popescu's dreamy Sail City and Marta Dahlig's steamy Judith. An expose on the genius that is ILM's Christopher Horvath and a game review of inFamous.

Might Fighty Cherubs Game Beta v0.000000001 ready for a giggle

2009-08-21T07:11:00.006+09:30

The Mighty Fighty Cherub game beta v 0.000001 is available for a giggle. It doesn't really do too much yet. You play Bucky Buck Buckington, a cigar smokin', gun totin', whiskey sippin' cherub vigilante who is not fond of brain chuckin' zombie cherubs.

Working on the boss fights now. Also want to improve the scrolling background, add sound fx, and power ups. Should get all of this done soon. Then onto a major big project!

Branding for Boston Taco folk

2009-08-21T07:00:00.006+09:30

The good folk at Ivy Restaurants in Boston, MA, got me to modify one of my Lucha Libres for their Taco Cart branding: Taco Libre. Mmmm carts made out of taco.

New Website: Mighty Fighty Cherub Flash Game

2009-08-18T17:46:00.006+09:30

I whipped up a holding page for my beta computer game - The Mighty, Fighty Cherubs, starring Bucky Buck Buckington Jnr.

The web site will soon contain a rough, and very unfinished, Flash experiment of what a level will look like.

On the drawing board is a much more elaborate multilevel/RPG/platform/puzzle-solving extravaganza with a witty story, a little saucy cherub lovin' and twists aplenty. I will soon be working on it with a friend, who can actually code, so it will be considerably more complex and engaging.

Stay tuned, there will be plenty more button mashing where this came from!

New illustration: Zombie Cherub

2009-08-14T09:38:00.004+09:30

This little guy finds brains the best asset in a potential partner. Mmmmm brains. He is the first minion in my upcoming game, starring Bucky Buck Buckington Jnr the gun toting, cigar-smoking trucker cherub.

Available in all its glorious tshirtiness here...

New illustration: Shotgun Wedding

2009-08-12T14:18:00.002+09:30

Meet my little mighty, fighty cherub, Bucky Buck Buckington Jnr. He's the protagonist in a game I’m working on…

You can get him in tshirty form here.

Latest CGS Features

2009-08-12T10:50:00.003+09:30

Stop Blythe nudity with these handmade gems...

2009-08-01T18:47:00.003+09:30

My amazingly talented girlfriend has whipped up these amazingly well crafted clothes for Blythe enthusiasts. Get them at Etsy...

Featured on Gift.com

2009-08-01T18:15:00.001+09:30

The very nice folk from gifts.com have featured one of my tees...

New web site

2009-08-01T13:50:00.002+09:30

Third illo for Cotton On

2009-08-01T13:38:00.004+09:30

The third and final week of competitions at Cotton On, required a third, and, unfortunately, final illustration. In this one, she has finally walked out of the shadows, to reveal one hot mama. She is also sporting some comic book themed ugg boots, available now at the your nearest Cotton On.

Big Fat Plushes

2009-07-26T11:25:00.006+09:30

Here at the Big Fat HQ I've been getting all crafty of late. Started whipping up some limited edition plushes based on some of my characters.

Below are the felty fruits of my labours.

More to come!

Cotton On illo number 2

2009-07-25T16:21:00.003+09:30

The purveyors of cottony goodness, Cotton On, got me to do a slightly different illustration for the second part of their superhero campaign. Here she is in all her flexing finery...

Latest CGS Articles

2009-07-19T14:09:00.003+09:30

New illo for Cotton On

2009-07-16T14:21:00.005+09:30

The good folk from Cotton On, got me to whip up a super girl illustration for their new competition. The main request was that she had to be wearing Cotton On super undies and ugg boots. Hence the partly clothed lass - silhouetted for the prudish - you see below...

"Disturbing" new animation

2009-07-05T14:53:00.006+09:30

A Canadian client is about to leave our fair shores, to the chillier shores of his home. I decided to put together a little goodbye animated Flash card for the fine fellow. However, it was deemed (understandably) "disturbing" by my overlord, so I have hesitantly put it on the scrapheap unfinished.

You be the judge ...

Latest web sites

2009-07-05T14:22:00.007+09:30

Some fruits of my labour...

Cotton On site refresh for Mustard

Typo - new brand campaign for Cotton On and Mustard

PrimeX Tyres for Mustard

West Wing for Bonsai Media

Latest CGS Articles

2009-07-05T13:52:00.007+09:30

Wow! I haven't blogged for ages! Darn work getting in the way of my blogginess:(

Anyhoo, here are the latest CGS articles I did for my good chums at CGS...

Latest CG Features

2009-04-27T15:10:00.004+09:30

Star Trek is coming. You need to wear these tees...

2009-04-23T13:14:00.007+09:30

I'm all aflutter with the thought of a new Star Trek... well, actually an old one. And it looks like an absolute pearler! Perhaps it's timely to hock my Star Trek inspired cottony wares ...

New tshirt: The 3 Cacmigos

2009-04-23T13:03:00.002+09:30

These 3 little flying cactus cherubs serenade Cornzilla in my 29 seconds of nonsense for the Doritos ad comp. (please vote if you get a chance …. link then hit “view & vote” then search for “monster”)

Latest CGS Articles

2009-04-14T09:35:00.003+09:30

The latest lot of wordy gems involve two geniuses, monsters tackling aliens and a first person smash 'em in the gob game...

Animation of serenading cacti and giant killer corn

2009-04-07T15:16:00.011+09:30

A little while ago I conjured up Ukulele-playing, flying cactus cherub takes to the skies, which was an updated version of my little guys in Lucha Libre...

Because of a little downtime at work -thanks to the economic boogeyman scaring away all the jobs - I decided to try and animate the little green dude in Flash.

At first, I got him plucking a riff from his ukukele and then got him flapping his wings furiously. This produced a giggle from both me and my beloved, so I decided to get a little bit more adventurous... that's when an ad for Doritos (> view & vote > search for "monster) came on.

The triangular snack food company has a competition for people to create a TV ad, so, rising to the challenge, after a full day of animating experience, I decided to do a 29 second TV commercial. (> view & vote > search for "monster") If you get a chance, please vote for my ad by following this link, hitting View & vote and searching for "monster".

The first, and main horror, was to not only get my little guy flapping about whilst playing guitar, but to lip synch him ... in Spanish.

Unfortuantely my Spanish only extends to asking for beer and where the toilet is. However, after much keyframe shifting and cussing, I got him serenading quite nicely - and managed to hide his mouth, a-la Austin Powers' style, for half the ad.

I had to add a trumpet guy, so I created Prick, the trumpet -playing, flying cactus cherub. And there was a clap-break at the end, so I'm proud to introduce Clappy the clapping, flying ca ... you get the idea.

Then came Cornzilla - the devourer of tasty flavours, who basically eats all the other characters except for our flying friends.

Below are all my little guys in all their static glory.

Please vote for my ad... here. You could win prizes too!

Hurty, Clappy and Prick

Cornzilla
Lil' Corn, Sweet Sweet Chilli, Cheesey Magoo, La Mescaline, MC Cheesey Cheese

Latest CGS Articles

2009-03-24T10:48:00.003+10:30

The last batch of CGS tales come to us from various realms in the CG Kingdom. From the movies, I digitally inked up a suitably comic book-styled piece on Watchmen. From the book world, comes a nice walkthrough on how a key image, Zhetri, was created for the shiny EXOTIQUE 4 tome. Another walkthrough steps us through the glorious Steamnocchio - a major winner in the latest CGChallenge. Finally, the games world get 2 big features for the Mirror's Edge and Killzone 2.

Ukulele-playing, flying cactus cherub takes to the skies

2009-03-16T17:04:00.004+10:30

Based on my little flying dudes here.

I’ve been meaning to add a few more limbs to my spikey little friend for quite sometime...

RGB causes fisticuffs

2009-03-11T08:24:00.004+10:30

The good folk at red bubble use R,G and B as an example at trade shows. Apparently my three colourful, angry little guys are quite popular...

"If you happen to be at a trade show and you are test printing using a bigfatrobot tee then you must fight many men when it comes out the other side in order to claim it as yours. Some will even lie as you are standing beside them and tell everyone it’s their artwork. It can get nasty."

Oddly proud to think that my work induces fisticuffs.

Mike the Twit

2009-03-05T15:32:00.004+10:30

Had some spare moments last night and whipped up a Twitter mascot for my new soon-to-be finished portfolio site. Still needs some tweaks, but here I am in all my blue man glory.

Steampunk - the feature

2009-03-02T13:52:00.002+10:30

Also whipped this feature up to celebrate the announcement of the winners ...

Steampunked

2009-03-02T13:41:00.002+10:30

My good friends at CGSociety have announced the winners for the big Steampunk CGChallenge. It was my honour to write the Press Release ...

Steam Powered Beasts Battle for the Greatest Prize: CG CHALLENGE XXIII, 'Steampunk - Myths & Legends'

The greatest stories ever told get the Steampunk treatment. Almost 2000 digital artists created steam powered monsters and mayhem to win over $220,000 worth of prizes.

Adelaide, South Australia, February 22, 2009 – The winners of the CGSociety's CGChallenge XXIII: 'Steampunk - Myths & Legends' have been announced. Digital artists, from many nations, battled to claim the biggest prizes ever offered. Over US$220,000 worth of software and hardware were available in many categories, including Video, Animation, Modeling and Illustration. To win, CG wizards had to give a Steampunk edge to famous stories and legends - to create a future that could have been; an age when steel and steam propel machinery, men and monsters.

Steampunk is a thriving fantasy genre, which merges advanced steam age technology with a modern or science fiction setting. It also covers works set in an era where steam power is still widely used, such as 19^th century Victorian England. Think Jules Verne, H.G. Wells or Kashuhiro Otomo's 'Steamboy'.

The winners of the three main prize categories all showed outstanding technical ability along with world class storytelling skills, and a complete understanding of the genre.

The Image (Individual) Master was awarded to Fabricio Moraes for his 'Steamnocchio', a reinterpretation of Pinocchio. “This image just totally nails the steampunk theme,” said judge Leigh van der Byl. “The technical quality is simply fantastic too.” The excited artist replied, “I felt so great and could never imagine I could possibly win this competition, actually I still can't believe it. I got inspired by so many great artists.”

The Video (Team) Master award went to Bonsaininja Studio for 'EMET', a film that was “inspired by the legend of the Golem; telling the story of Rabbi Loew, who created an animated being entirely from inanimate matter to defend the Prague ghetto." “Epic,” exclaimed filmmaker Anthony Lucas, while Simon Dominic, his fellow judge, said that he felt “like I just stepped out of the cinema.” Philip Straub, from EA, simply said: “Outfreakinstanding!”

The Individual Video Master was awarded to Tyson Ibele's 'Hemlock'. Judge Michael Dashow said the film had a “great mood set throughout the entire piece. The lighting, camera-work, and sound were wonderfully effective, and the ending was terrific.” The winning artist said “the competition was very close due to the large number of high-quality entries... this challenge theme allowed for a lot of creativity, and since I've wanted to do a film set in the steampunk universe for a while now, it was a perfect motivator.”

"We now have digital artists of diverse skills working together to create astounding works of art and entertainment that are world class," summed up Mark Snoswell, President of CGSociety. "This is how it should be – it’s not how you create a work, it's the quality of the finished work and its impact on viewers that is important."

Prizes were also awarded in Video, Animation, Art Direction, Best Character, Compositing and Editing, Concept Art, Digital Painting, Landscape Matte, Lighting, Modeling, Sculpture, Texture, VFX and Illustration categories.

CGChallenge XXIII was proudly sponsored by BOXX, Autodesk, NVIDIA, Wacom, SOFTIMAGE, Luxology, Pixologic, Craft Animations, SideFX, e-on Software, Corel, Stash Media, The Gnomon Workshop, ImagineFX, Ballistic Publishing, Esperient, and CGSociety.

A full list of winners and their winning entries, can be viewed at The CGSociety website (link to 'winners' article).
Previous CGChallenges can also be viewed at The CGSociety website (http://features.CGSociety.org/challenge/).

Judges
The judges came from the game, film and illustration world, and included masters from Blizzard, EA, and the Jim Henson Company. Judges were Michael Dashow , Anthony Lucas , Grzegorz Jonkajtys, Simon Dominic, Brom, Coro, Phil Straub, Brajan Martinovic, Mark Snoswell, Kerry Shea, Leigh A. van der Byl, and Anton Fletcher.

About CGChallenge XXIII
CGSociety, one of the internet's largest computer artists' communities, holds regular competitions with many of the world's best digital artists competing. This, the 23rd CGChallenge, exceeded all past challenges in the quality of entries, number of contestants and the prize pool. 1,966 challengers submitted 9,410 submissions over almost 3 months of collaborative competition. The CGChallenges are work in progress competitions, in which entrants are required to show their work as it develops from concept to completion. They are hosted within the CGSociety online community, attracting enormous attention and feedback from the world's digital arts community.

About the CG Society:
The CG Society is the most respected and accessible global organization for creative digital artists. The CGSociety supports artists at every level by offering a range of services to connect, inform, educate and promote, by celebrating achievement, excellence and innovation in all aspects of digital art. The CGSociety, along with its sister organisation Ballistic Publishing, is a division of Ballistic Media.

http://www.cgsociety.org
http://www.ballisticpublishing.com
Press Contact: andrew@ballisticmedia.net

Sneak peak of Hepburn Design mascot

2009-02-19T13:03:00.006+10:30

I've had a chance to work on my hepburndesign.com.au domain.

I wanted to create a more conservative look but with a slight edge, compared to the illustrative nuttery of bigfatrobot.com.

Currently working on the logo and the site (so, not too much to see), but thought I'd pop the mascot up. Yep, it does resemble me quite a bit (when you work at home on your lonesome , the only face you see is yours or Oprah's!) ...

Latest CG Features

2009-02-18T08:41:00.003+10:30

The latest crop of features include an interview with the VFX wizrd Philippe Rebours, a rundown of the Annies Awards, VES Awards, a look at the puppetry gem Coraline and a preview of the new Ballistic Publishing release, Oddworld.

#00FF00 is alive

2009-02-04T13:53:00.005+10:30

Had a few moments to spare, so I put my lab coat on and glasses with the extra thick lenses, then smashed some atoms, sheared a few genes, and got jiggy with some diodes to create a 3d version of my little mate #00FF00 ...

Entertaining the masses

Keeping the bar safe

Email me for your very own copy - fun for the whole family. Just don't be running with those scissors!

Latest CGS Features

2009-02-04T13:28:00.003+10:30

Worked on a couple more feature layouts for the good folks at CGSociety...

Bettie Trooper featured on tattoo blog

2009-02-04T13:18:00.003+10:30

My ol' Space beauty was recently featured on the the Art of Tattoo website...

I was featured on the Artisan site

2009-01-30T10:14:00.003+10:30

The good folk from Artisan were deluded enough to think my ramblings were worthy of putting on their site. I was in the middle of a deadline when I had to rush them the answers to their questions, so I cannot guarantee a work of literary genius.

Here's the Q and A session ...

23 questions!

We knew we'd love Mike as soon as we learned of his passion for big fat robots, pyjamas, and cartoons. In fact, we knew it before then: when he sent us a self-designed Christmas card before we'd even seen his face. With a razor-sharp wit and a wealth of experience to boot, Mike is a dream Senior Web Designer and a Cannes International Advertising Festival winner - the kind of dude you really need to know.

1. What sparked your passion for design?
Winter mornings in my jimjams, eating coco pops and watching cartoon gems like Astroboy, Masters of the Universe, and various other caped and underpanted superheroes. Last winter was great!

2. How creative were you as a youngster?
I was so inspired by the aforementioned caped crusaders, that I drew an Aquaman for a nationwide Humphrey B Bear drawing comp. I was second to a crudely scrawled Batman … still bitter.

3. Do you come from a creative family? Were they supportive of your desire
to be a designer?
No not really. My mum had some very creative dance moves to ABBA. However, they were both brilliant, as long as I was happy, they supported me.

4. What sort of education and training have you had?
BA and Adv Dip in Design (Multimedia).

5. Who did you want to work for when you first entered the industry?
A small company in Canberra called Media Graphics – lots and lots of Government clients.

6. Tell us about your first project and what do you feel about it now?
I did the ACTION buses’ (Canberra) timetables back in the day when “cut and paste” actually involved a scalpel and hot wax. I remember at the time thinking how appreciative everyone was that I was doing it (because, as I soon discovered, it was the job that everyone least wanted to do). I believe my mum still has a handful of them. There is still a crick in my neck with ACTION buses name on it, so it mainly makes me feel sore.

7. What is your preferred software to work with and what has been the
greatest advancement in technology over the past 5 years?
Toss up between Illustrator and Photoshop – Illushop perhaps. The greatest advancement to me is the mobile phone. I no longer need a watch, television, calculator, currency converter, Walkman, games console. Nor do I need to remember birthdays/meetings/phone numbers or even who I am – because my phone tells me. These little beauties have it all, in one small, radiating-in-the-pocket package!

8. What are the various mediums that you¹ve worked with and are there any
that you would like to explore?
The last 12 years I've been firmly in the digital world – everything from cranking out Corporate vids on a Media 100 suite to building web sites for Nike. Prior to that I was cutting and pasting business cards, annual reports, and the aforementioned bus timetables. I would like to have a poke around the world of animation at some stage in the future.

9. Is digital technology going to eliminate the need for print?
I hope not! No matter how many RSS feeds I've subscribed to, I still get my copy of the Age delivered in the morning, and pore over it while I pour coffee down my gullet. I still get mags and books to flick through for inspiration.

10. Whose work do you really admire and why?
Illustrators I admire are Shepard Fairey (brilliant lines and an unwavering conscience), Tara McPherson (bold colours and strong lines), Audrey Kawasaki (soft palette with darker, erotic themes), and the old master Osamu Tezuka (because I still study his work, like Astroboy, for his dynamism, proportion and sense of wonder). As for Web design, the Apple people consistently come up with world-beating sites.

11. Who has been the greatest person that you¹ve ever had the pleasure of
working with and what have they taught you?
Unfortunately I've yet to meet my mentor. Maybe you are the one! …was that a little too clingy?

12. What has been your greatest achievement so far?
I led a team of web geniuses, and we won the Cyber Bronze Lion at the Cannes International Advertising Festival, 2001, for a Nike site.

13. How would you describe your work?
Quirky, clean, eclectic, quick and all at a low, low price.

14. What are your plans for the future?
More freelance work, or maybe a dream job, with a dream company who have dream clients. Plus, work at my pet project – www.bigfatrobot.com – t-shirts to clothe the nerds of the world.

15. What sort of company would you like to work with next?
The aforementioned dream company, or somewhere like Madman Interactive who create products that I would be proud to promote.

16. What is your opinion of Australian design?
It's heaps grouse! We are creating some gems, and the cultural cringe of yesteryear seems to be, thankfully, wilting away every year.

17. What is the best/worst thing about being a designer in Australia?
Best: The Australian dollar! Americans are knocking on my Internet door again. Worst: The Australian dollar! I can't get to my friends abroad as easily as this time last year.

18. In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge the Australian design
industry has to face in the near future?
Keeping the cream of the design industry here, and avoiding the lure of the big money and big clients in New York, London etc.

19. What is your creative outlet outside of design?
Cooking, eating, wining, dining, singing horribly out of key on Singstar, and wining.

20. What is the best designed bar in Melbourne?
I'm new to Melbourne, any suggestions?

21. What are your top 5 websites at the moment?
1. www.bigfatrobot.com - your one stop shop to stop nude nerds.
2. www.redbubble.com - a really well conceived art/social networking site, based in little ol' Melbourne.
3. www.threethousand.com.au - for a Melbourne noob, this gives me a nice snapshot of my new city.
4. www.smashingmagazine.com - great source of design tips/ideas.
5. www.google.com.au - not one day goes by without me questioning the wise one.

22. What CD are you currently listening to and is it any good?
At this exact point in time, I'm listening to the Dresden Dolls' “A is for Accident”. It is superb, nothing like witty dark Cabaret on a 45 degree day!

23. If I was a font, I'd be...?
Extremely well kerned.

Latest CG Features

2009-01-29T12:59:00.005+10:30

The latest little online tomes I've been working on are the following... a photoreal vixen, a stormy 2d vixen, a book review (with lots of vixens in it), and some gnarly dudes (who have probably had their share of vixens) in a gnarly title sequence.

Latest CGS features

2009-01-08T16:49:00.004+10:30

Been busy crafting quite a few features for my good friends at CGSociety. A bit of mixed bag this time around, with everything from a big-eared and heroic mouse, to a man that ages backwards. Something for everybody...

New web site

2008-12-17T10:21:00.003+10:30

It still needs a lick of paint here and there, and the tightening of some screws, but my latest site is up and ready for business...

Latest CGS Features

2008-12-17T09:56:00.005+10:30

Moo business cards are ace

2008-11-26T13:59:00.006+10:30

Just received my second lot of Big Fat business cards from the good people at Moo. I've got to say that I'm one impressed chappy. The print quality, the presentation (they come in a handy, and hardy, box made from recylced materials), the paper stock (also recycled) and the rapid delivery all add up to me wanting to give their whole company cuddles.

To think that I was initially disparaging to them, after they beat us at the Webby Awards. To be fair, I did add an addendum praising them almost immediately afterwards (mainly because after swallowing my bile-ish grapes of jealousy, I actually checked the site out and became quite enarmoured by it.)

The only unfortuante thing is, they are based in ol' London town, and I'm based in Australia, whose dollar has plummeted farther than Paris Hilton's under garments on a saturday night. Therefore, it's no longer fiscally feasible for me to partake in their papery prowess. However, I do recommend to my peeps abroad to check them out.

New CGS articles

2008-11-18T10:23:00.005+10:30

Latest features for my CGSociety confreres ...

Steampunk stories

2008-11-18T10:02:00.005+10:30

It's an exciting time in the Big Fat Lab - my good friends at CGSociety have commissioned me to write 3 short stories as inspirational pieces for their latest challenge. Their 23rd CGChallenge is called Steampunk Myths and Legends.

Artists have been tasked with creating "traditional myths and legends in the steampunk style using elements of gears, springs, brass and steam power. Re-imagine legendary characters from some of the world's most ancient stories, such as a steam-powered minotaur, or a Zeppelin-mounted Thor, hurling lightning bolts from the sky."

Here are 3 of my interpretations of this very cool genre ...

'Our modern times'
(c) Mike Hepburn, 2008

Voluminous red drapery slowly peeled apart to reveal a massive, flyspecked screen. All the eyes of the expectant audience looked up, as a sepia-tinged newsreel flickered to life.

“Mars has surrendered,” an aristocratic voice bellowed from loudspeakers placed throughout the steam-hazed room.

“This is truly an age where steel and steam have forged our glorious Empire,” the clipped accent continued, to the excited cheers of the patriotic crowd. “To think that all of this may not have been possible without the genius of Charles Babbage, and the prescience of our glorious Empress. Together they created computing powered by steam: the Analytical Engine. With this one invention the Steam Age is forever entwined with the Information Age.”

The screen was then filled with a small section of Babbage's computational device. The ever-evolving copper cage was larger than a city block. It contained countless valves, gears and ratchet wheels. Plumes of hot steam belched from giant boilers deep within its belly. Thousands of scientists were connected to it by copper wires, which were patched directly to their cerebral cortexes. The machine, combined with the many human minds, was capable of answering the most complex of scientific questions.

The Empire soon used these answers to conquer land, sea, sky, and now the very stars themselves. We learned how to harness the power of elecricity to reanimate vast armies of minotaurs and centaurs – long thought lost in the mists of myth. Our engineers built Titans. These colossal, metallic monsters stamped and tore apart all who would oppose us. Our legions of clockwork automatons crushed the rebel spirit from all that stood in our way. Finally, we built starships, with steam engines larger than mountains. With these we conquered Mars.

Here we are now on the angry red planet, once populated by a war-like race. The newsreel showed what they had become: hunched and emaciated, cowering under our technological superiority.

Their thin leaders, with heads hung low, bowed to our Empress, who was trussed into a most modern and becoming corset. Her husband, the Prince, was an exceedingly tall and bowlegged man with greying muttonchop whiskers and a florid face, into which he had poured a considerable amount of the finest Martian wine. He wore a traditional navy-blue, double-breasted frock-coat, and knee-high boots, which offered little comfort to his gout. One gloved hand rested on his 3 barreled pistol, while the other rested on the bejeweled hilt of his sword.

The Empress, with a smirk, accepted the Martians' terms of surrender, and said to her adoring legions of men and machines: “Today Mars. Tomorrow - with our steel, and our steam - the Universe!”

'Holmes and the case of the Steamborg'
(c) Mike Hepburn, 2008

It was late in summer when all of Londoninium was enthralled by a series of horrific murders. Over a period of a week, numerous men and women were found dead - with their limbs torn asunder.

“I'm afraid Watson, that this may be a case we cannot solve,” said an unusually modest Sherlock Holmes.

The tall, rangy detective sat with his legs crossed, while staring into the embers of the ornate fireplace in his lodgings at 221B Baker Street. I, Dr Watson, stood with my back to him looking through an open stained glassed window, and watched as an airship sped past like an air-engorged leviathan. Its powerful engines shot out blue flames as it sped through the burgeoning storm clouds, towards some exotic distant destination. Two smaller winged craft flapped their wings furiously as they escorted the beast through the crowded airway. On particularly busy days, these crafts could blot out the sun. I cannot stop marvelling at our modern age of steel and steam.

The cosy room was bursting with miraculous and beautifully crafted devices, which Sherlock Holmes required for his detective work. Many of these connected to the numerous body modifications that jutted out here and there over the great detective's head and body. As I looked at these marvels, he unscrewed a brass ocular magnifier from his right eyesocket, revealing the complex clockwork moulded to his brain.

However, all these forensic instruments seemed like pretty curios when faced with crimes of such barbarity. Crimes that could have only been committed by someone with inhuman strength.

“Watson,” Holmes paused and turned his head towards me. “All the evidence points to Miss Hyde.”

I was taken aback by Holmes' statement, because mention of Miss Hyde sent shivers down my spine. She was truly an inhuman blight on humanity. “Holmes, it cannot be her, you killed that monstrous travesty with your own hand at Reichenbach Falls.”

Her story was familiar to all. It began many years ago when Dr Frank Jekyll - once a gentleman of great wealth and greater intelligence - lost his lover, Miss Hyde, to the Plague. Devastated, he froze her putrid body and spent his vast fortune on discovering ways to bring his beloved back to the land of the living.

His initial experiments, on the local graveyard corpses, proved promising. He was soon ready to operate on the frozen body of Miss Hyde. We are not completely sure how he did it, but Dr Jekyll merged her with the latest machinery. Miss Hyde's mind was powered by the finest Swiss clockwork. A small exhaust pipe protruded from the back of her neck, which let steam escape from the engine in the pit that was once her heart. Brass plates were rivetted onto her body to cover where wounds once seeped. Enhancements such as these were common amongst the living, but no-one had been able to reanimate the dead.

Something went horribly wrong, and instead of the love he so craved, Dr Jekyll only received anger and hatred from his creation. She became more machine than human. The deluded doctor was her first victim – the first of many. The heinous murders only ended with the famous duel at Reichenbach Falls.

“So, you see Holmes, she is dead. She can't be responsible for these murders.”

Just as I said this, with a thunderous explosion, a bolt of lightening hit the wrought iron gate on the balcony that I had just been looking out of. It filled the room with a blinding light. Our hair rose and the room was charged with invisible energy.

Holmes calmly puffed once more on his pipe, and his opiate-sullied eye suddenly cleared as he looked at me. He smiled, put on his deerstalker's hat, and said “The game is afoot.”

It seems that I must once more follow Sherlock Holmes, our age's greatest detective, into the mysterious night.

Baron of the Skies
(c) Mike Hepburn, 2008

Decades ago I was known as the Baron of the Skies.

Back then I lived in New City, which, contrary to the name, was built a very long time ago on the ruins of an even more ancient metropolis. Remnants of which jutted out from the foundations, creating a confusion of sun-bleached marble ruins, amongst grime-covered metal, glass and concrete.

In the middle of the city was a large park - a splash of green in a sea of grey. One road gouged its way through the trees and led to a sprawling mansion: the heavily guarded, and mysterious, Lost Boys' Orphanage. Stone gargoyles, frozen in mid-yelp, stood guard over its gothic towers, which pierced far into the sky. A sky that always had thick, black clouds, which oozed over the mansion - even when the rest of the city was bathed in sunshine.

The institution was run by Dr Saliva Grey; a thin, little man with pale, taut skin. He had a toupée, which was poorly adhered to his head, and flapped wildly in the wind. He constantly spat on his hand and pasted it back down onto his skull.

He was always flanked by two identical twins: the Brothers Gloom. Both were ghostly pale, with closely cropped white hair. They stood around 8 feet tall and wore black leather frock coats. Their hefty left arms had thick steel plates rivetted to them.

I was far too young to remember how or why I arrived there, but I'll never forget what they did to me and the others. The tortuous experiments in the relentless quest to create an army of steam powered soldiers.

I was one of the fortunate few who survived.

However, they ... transformed me.

I awoke groggily from this transformation, and was lying on a steel bed in a cavernous laboratory. Dr Grey was sneering at me.

At first, all that appeared to be different, was a small metal cap which had been implanted into the top of my head. Then I patted my chest and discovered a series of dials and buttons had been embedded into it.

In a panic I pressed one of the buttons. To begin with there was a just small tickle in my feet. Then, the tickle rushed through my body like a wave, until it reached the crest of my head. With an electric shock, the metal cap started to bloom and rapidly extended into a 4 foot steel pole. With a little steam, that puffed surprisingly out of my ears, four tapered blades unfolded. They started to turn, and rapidly gathered speed. I lifted from the ground. Only a little at first. Then, with confidence, I allowed myself to go slightly higher.

I turned my head, by just a fraction, to the right and zoomed unexpectedly into a row of bubbling test tubes, causing glass and hot chemicals to spit throughout the laboratory. This collision made me jerk to the left like a rag doll. With my knees scraping along the floor, I careened into a book case, and chewed up dozens of scientific tomes.

At that moment, I noticed Dr Grey fleeing the room, only to be replaced by his towering henchmen: the Brothers Gloom.

Escape was possible, if I only could reach the door that the brothers stood in front of. I raced towards it, but as I did, one of them stepped in front of me, barring my way. He smiled his steely smile. I sped towards him undettered, propeller first.

The brother put up his metallic left arm. I saw this too late and my blades hit the proffered limb, causing sparks, which lit the shredded books around us. As the flames grew, I battled both the metal-armed Glooms, who parried, and thrusted at my propellers.

The fire got higher and the smoke thicker. Both my spinning blades and the swinging metallic arms fanned the flames.

A Gloom brother looked warily at the encroaching fire, and let his guard down. This allowed me to get my blades close enough to gash his face. In response to the pain, he raised his other, fleshy, arm to his fresh wound. With a turn of my head I severed my foes real arm, and watched as he screamed; a loud, inhuman roar.

The roar was echoed all around me by many identical voices. Then there were resounding thuds, getting closer, like elephants stampeding. Through each of the walls smashed through dozens of men who looked exactly like the two Gloom brothers I had been battling. All eyes turned hungrily towards me.

All at once they rushed towards their prey - me. I parried as they all tried to grab me with their steam-strengthened arms. One managed to grab my blade and I became suspended in the air. Fearfully, I pressed all the buttons and twirled all the dials on my chest, willing my blades to spin again. After what seemed forever, plumes of hot steam billowed out of my ears. The brother Gloom struggled to hold me, and the force of the sudden release flipped me upside down with my blades near the unprotected legs of the Glooms. They could do nothing but jump as my blades came close to them.

I managed to get to my feet and jumped out of the window. I flew, unsteadily at first, trimming some of the parks’ trees. Several Glooms stood at the window, shaking their steel fists as I flew farther away.

This was only the beginning of my adventures.

New card for the festive season

2008-11-04T11:18:00.002+10:30

Everybody needs a flying Mexican wrestler to welcome in the festive season...

New favourite artist found at the V8 Vixens show

2008-10-28T16:51:00.008+10:30

My partner and I wandered down to Kustom Lane Gallery in Hawthorn on Sunday. On show were Sara Ray (USA), Leighderhosen (QLD), Isobel Von Finklestein (SA), and local lass Kat Weir.

Beatnik de Milo by Sara Ray

Overall, it is one impressive show - the walls are bulging with lowbrow brilliance, by this fantastic foursome.

For me, the one stand out collection of work was by Leigh Carnachan (aka Leighderhosen). The ex tattoo artist had 18 pieces on show, and we found ourselves constantly going back to them. In fact, we liked them so much, we bought 3!

Leigh in front of some of her works.

Miss Talulah, inspired by the showgirls of vintage Burlesque, both past and present.

Ida the Goose. Watercolour & ink. 5/6 Gangs Of New York series. Former burlesque performer, prostitute & member of The Gophers gang in the 1800s, Hells Kitchen, New York.

DEAD RAIBEADS Watercolour and ink. 2 of 6 Gangs of New York series. . ‘DEAD RAIBEADS (Irish for Dead Rabbits)’ was inspired by John Morrissey also known as ‘Old Smoke’, an Irish bare-knuckle boxer and a Dead Rabbits gang member in New York in the 1850s. Later he became a Democratic State Senator and U.S. Congressman.

The show ends 23 November, Kustom Lane Gallery, Luton Place, just off of Glenferrie Rd.

Latest CGS Features

2008-10-28T11:36:00.004+10:30

A few more features for my pals at CGSociety ...