The Art of David W. Derks

Agent 88 isn't your typical assassin

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending a launch party for an original Web series and gallery exhibition supporting an original digital property. From 8pm on I was surrounded by comic book artists, actors, and a few players in digital media. Who would have thought a Web series about an 88-year-old British woman with Alzheimers could produce an evening as edgy as a Quentin Tarantino film?

Supported by fans and investors through Kickstarter, Agent 88 is extreme comic book style cinematic romp full of martial arts action, special effects and interesting characters. Agent 88 is the story of the world’s deadliest assassin who makes being an octogenarian with a disease feel like a kick in the head.

Entering the event was a feast for my eyes. Hosted by the Petra Gallerie in Beverly Hills I was surrounded by 88 pieces of art portraying Agent 88 by 88 different artists. That’s a lot of the number 8 isn’t it? Each piece had its own unique style for the principal character, which I thought was very interesting. There were also a few guitars that were covered in art in honor of the Web series. As I was perusing through the gallery I knew that the person behind this event knew what they were doing and how to market digital media. As an added bonus, the artwork has been printed into a book which will help pay production costs on future episodes. Heavy Metal published the books, which made the book even that more special. I was a fan of Heavy Metal Magazine growing up and still have most of the copies I purchased as a kid.

The red carpet outside Petra Gallerie

As I walked out the side door into the back of the building, the parking lot was set up as an outdoor screening room. This was a brilliant idea for two reasons: 1) the creators really thought about the crowd and how to handle the gallery hitting maximum occupancy and 2) the weather in Los Angeles is usually balmy in May so the venue took advantage of the warm evening. There was also a bar that was sponsored by a beverage company I had never heard of. Sadly, I didn’t take a photo of their marketing materials or the folks behind the bar wearing t-shirts with the company logo…oops.

To my delight, I ran into quite a few people I knew so I didn’t spend much time at the event alone (I sometimes like to step away at crowded events and take a breath). There was one person in particular who I hadn’t seen in a long time and found out he is currently living in Portland producing his own Web series with a very talented crew. After about an hour of discussing his creation, I congratulated him on his efforts. I remember two years ago when he was pitching the idea around town and after pursuing his dream, he took action and made it happen. How cool is that?

A world of wonder: 88 drawings from 88 different artists of Agent 88. In Chinese culture, the number 8 is lucky. I hope this is true for the filmmakers.

As the evening went on, I mingled with anyone that was within listening distance. This wasn’t too hard, as the party was wall-to-wall people with very limited breathing room. With drinks and food within reach, I kept myself nourished to continue the good fight of networking. This activity kept me active until the screening began. To the delight of the crowd, the entire cast was introduced, as well as the creator of E! Television.

If you’re interested in seeing Agent 88, check out their website by clicking here and go to the “Episodes” page.

An event like this reminds me that creators can take full control of their own properties. With a little creativity and a lot of courage, anyone with vision can take a step into the unknown and bring their dreams out of their heads and into the material world. You know the old saying: To the victor belong the spoils.

Earlier today, I learned that animation titan Ray Harryhausen passed away at the age of 92. I’ve known for a while he hasn’t been feeling well and didn’t make trips to the United States from his home in England. I understand how tough it can be to travel around when you’re tired, but I’m sure he would have visited Hollywood a lot more if he wasn’t in failing health.

One of the joys of growing up in California was the thought that a visit to a local drive-in would occur. My dad worked lots of hours so a visit to one of these outdoor movie wonderlands didn’t happen as much as I would have liked, but when we did go it was a special time. The playground, sitting in the car with a blanket on and eating greasy food was a past time most kids on the West Coast were familiar with, and one of the people I looked forward to watching was anything that included Ray Harryhausen.

The first film I vividly remember seeing that had Ray’s thumbprint on it at the drive-in was The Golden Voyage of Sinbad. The commercials for this wonderful movie somehow creeped me out. I think the scene with the statue pulling itself away from the boat and swinging a blunt object at the crew was something that scared me and amazed me at the same time. I knew that when I grew up I would want to do the same for moviegoers as he did: create worlds that didn’t exist and make them feel like it was real.

With much aloha, I will miss Ray being on the same planet I’m on. His body of work left a positive mark on my generation and I am eternally grateful for his contributions to film.

Here’s an article from The New York Times that I really liked: Ray Harryhausen, Effects Innovator Behind Jason and Sinbad, Dies at 92

Recently, I’ve been working feverishly on a graphic novel and have had my face buried in sketchpads and my Cintiq tablet. From writing notes on the script, figuring out how to stage a scene and finally putting it down on paper, I have to admit I’m enjoying the process!

As time goes by, turning words into drawings has become a little easier (although I wouldn’t say creating visual literature is easy). By that I mean it isn’t a struggle to pick up my hand and put pencil to paper. Now that I’m a little older I think I can safely say this without admitting I’m wrong: one of the challenges I struggle with is getting started. Does anyone else have this struggle? I’m sure the answer is yes but then I’ve never taken a poll.

I’ve noticed an interesting by-product of logging so much drawing time: the people I’m developing are starting to become real in my head. The woman who’s one of the main characters is turning into someone I feel sorry for. She was written with a lot of faults built into her. Although I think she should get help for her perceptions, it’s interesting to put her onto paper to have her act out her mental breakdowns. Do I have a problem with her behavior? Yes, most certainly. However, her faults are what’s pushing the story forward and without her shortcomings coming to life there isn’t much of a story. I suppose I could equate this with the way a writer feels after building a story

With this new found freedom of creating something out of nothing, I’ve started other projects  I never had the discipline to begin. It’s kind of a cool feeling to get concepts that have festered so long in my head. With comedy and fantasy in mind, I can start bringing other worlds into our dimension through the magic of drawing.

I would love to attach a drawing from the graphic novel but I promised the writer I wouldn’t do it. However, when it’s completed I’ll definitely post a few pages here and there!

(L-R) Actors Peter Fonda, Kevin Spacey, Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field, Kurt Russell, and Harrison Ford attend the after party for Target Presents AFI's Night at the Movies at Hollywood Athletic Club on April 24, 2013 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for AFI)

This past Wednesday, I was invited to attend a very special event hosted by the American Film Institute (AFI) at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood. With 13 movies being presented in each separate theater going all the way back to 1967 and presented by the star of each respective film, I was only able to chose one movie. Lucky for me there was one film I had never seen and its star would be there to present it: In The Heat of The Night with Sidney Poitier. When I arrived at the venue, the marquee stated the film would be screened in the dome theater, the original structure that used to be called the Cinerama Dome.

My friend Brian came along for the ride and really enjoyed the event. He’s a filmmaker and it’s always good to share these kinds of events with folks who appreciate it for what it is.

AFI wrangled some of Hollywood’s finest actors, filmmakers and films for the one-night-only ode to classic cinema, including birthday girl Shirley MacLaine, Kevin Spacey, Harrison Ford, Sally Field and Peter Fonda.

Here’s a breakdown of what films were screened and who presented them: Kathy Bates, Misery (1990); Cher, Moonstruck (1987); Sally Field, Norma Rae (1979); Peter Fonda, Easy Rider (1969); Harrison Ford, Blade Runner: The Final Cut; Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction (1994); Shirley MacLaine, Terms of Endearment (1983); Demi Moore, Ghost (1990); Mike Myers, Shrek (2001); Sidney Poitier, In the Heat of the Night (1967); Kurt Russell, The Thing (1982); and Kevin Spacey, The Usual Suspects (1995).

I was honored to be at the event and be at the same theater where I saw Fantasia as a young boy. I have great memories of the Arclight and it was a treat to add one more memory to the list. I thought In The Heat of The Night was an excellent film, and it deserved the Oscar for best film. In contrast to today’s films the pacing and acting went at a slower pace, which I thought was appealing.

Thank you AFI for putting on a great event that showcases the best from Hollywood.

Last weekend I called a couple of my friends who are currently living on the East Coast. They sent me an email as asked if I was still interested in completing a project I began a year or so ago with them. This project includes heavy drawing and storytelling, two things I’ve been exploring the past few years.

To my delight, I’ll be resurrecting a graphic novel I began development on. When I began the project it had been twenty or so years since I had picked up a pencil, so this project got me to cut my teeth on the drawing board again.

I’ll admit it was kind of tough drawing again. In fact, I felt like a former body builder who went back to the gym and had to start from the beginning just to get a feel for the equipment. Lifting weights is a good thing, but after not doing it for so many years you wake up the next morning with tight muscles and just like art, my creative muscles were sore.

I’ll be working like a dog to get the pages up and running with as much quality as I can. I’m sure the experience will change the way I perceive my art.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending Monsterpalooza, a 3-day event celebrating the art and craft of horror films and TV.

Based on the feedback I heard from the organizers and visitors, the convention was a rousing success. Last year’s event was crowded so I anticipated the same thing. However, the amount of people in attendance far exceeded what I was expecting – in fact, there were record crowds. This is a good thing because it secures another year for the scarefest. I will go out on a limb and say the event has outgrown the venue, the Burbank Marriott Hotel.

The FX-focused horror convention attracted record crowds and showcased the talents of such FX gurus as Tom Savini, Megan Areford, Mike Hill and Jordu Schell as well as dozens of other top-notch FX artists and companies in addition to an array of horror talent including Creature from the Black Lagoon’s Julie Adams, Linda Blair (The Exorcist), Virginia Madsen (Candyman), Martin Landau (Ed Wood), Barbara Steele (Black Sunday), Kyra Schon (Night of the Living Dead), horror veteran and fave Danielle Harris, and many, many others.

When I arrived Saturday afternoon, I called ahead to my friends to set a place to rendezvous. With the size of the crowds, there was no way I’d find them on my own. After we met, we went into the venue to see the gruesome displays. The first thought that came to mind was the craftsmanship of all the pieces. From masks and monsters to statues and makeup demonstrations, there wasn’t a corner of the building not covered with talent.

As we journeyed on, I began to learn that the scare community was tighter than I thought. In fact, there’s a camaraderie that connected everyone in the building that compares to the animation community. It also turns out everyone is very friendly with each other, which I found very appealing. After all was said and done, I think I may have found another group of friends to connect with (because — you know — I don’t have enough people to chat with already). During my time on Earth, I’ve learned that there are many different points of view and I can’t say one is better than the other. I’ve decided to enjoy the people that cross my path, even if they’re covered in zombie makeup and scare children.

I definitely plan to attend this event and others like it next year. If any of you readers want to challenge your view of the art of monster movies come out to this event next year — it’ll be a scream.

This past Wednesday, I had the pleasure of visiting one of the shows I currently work on and to my surprise, I enjoyed the experience more than I thought I would.

In scripted television, a script is written weeks before shooting begins on a episode. After the pages are broken down into shots and locations, a cast is hired to fill the roles and principal photography begins (this is a very abbreviated description of a large process). This creative process is fun to participate in and being on the set gets my artistic side pumping. In reality television, the cast – or in this case, real people – is found through individuals called stringers. They look high and low for folks who don’t mind being on camera. Once real people are found, the producers determine if they’ll play well to the camera and after some coordination, a shoot date is made and the cameras roll (again, this is a very abbreviated version of what happens).

During my day on the set, I was invited to sit in on a pitch meeting, meet the cast, get acquainted with the crew, and sat in the producers’ room with the director to watch 8 glorious episodes get filmed in a 9-hour time frame.

This new world that I’ve become a part has an energy that is different from what I experienced at ABC TV. Instead of actors learning their lines, the set was populated with everyday people trying not to be nervous and playing to a camera that would intimidate anyone. I found this process full of immediacy that kept the entire crew on its toes, which I found very appealing. I got the sense that something bigger than me was happening live in front of a global audience. It’s kind of like riding a roller coaster in the dark: it’s full of twists and turns and every so often a dip happens that you couldn’t see or expect.

My day there made me more excited to be part of a team. In fact, it made me want to work harder for the team.

Kudos to reality programming for keeping me energized!

After a year of devising character designs and storylines, I thought it was time I started posting artwork on the Graphic Novels page. Creating worlds out of nothing has been fun, but it doesn’t make sense to keep on drawing unless I share a few pieces.

The sketch in this post was a preliminary design for characters during the first round of renderings. As much as I loved the way they turned out, they’ve morphed into something else which I think works well for the style of storytelling they’ll be involved with.

I’ll be posting pieces of art as time and development go by so this is just the beginning of something new for me, as I’ve never shared development artwork. I hope everyone enjoys the drawings.

Wait Till Your Father Gets Home

The opening night of the Hanna-Barbera art show at Van Eaton Galleries is this Saturday, April 6th, from 6:00 until 10:00 and your truly has a piece it, as well as the very best from Toon Town (you all amaze me with your epic talents). I’m honored to be amongst the rock stars of animation…and maybe a little intimidated.

In a previous post I mentioned the stylus pen I use for my Cintiq tablet came apart and had to be replaced. With the deadline to deliver the artwork just a few days away I had to find a pen and get the piece pulled together and ready for showtime. You can read the entire story by clicking here.

In the process of getting past the little speed bump in the road, I learned I could get a lot accomplished with focused effort and imagination. I found a place that could print giclee prints and being the nice person the owner was, he was able to print the piece that afternoon. Since I had a few hours to wait, I went to the movies to watch Oz, The Great and Powerful. It was kind of fun kicking back with popcorn after getting the artwork completed and printed in a short period of time.Although the artwork wasn’t everything I hoped it would be (I tend to be hard on myself), I felt it was important to get the piece done withing the time frame requested by the gallery. The end result is just as important to me as the outcome. That being said, I did the best that I could under the circumstances so I’m happy.

The piece is now hanging in the gallery and this Saturday it’ll make it’s debut. Part of me feels like an average person going to a modelling agency to get print work at GQ Magazine against guys with 3% body fat. I’ve seen the other pieces from other artists and it’ll be one incredible showing. I hope my artwork stands tall amongst the giants that will be there.

If you’re in the Los Angeles area and want to see the artwork up close and personal, more information can be found at www.vegalleries.com.

For anyone who’s wondering what characters are in my artwork, check out this video:

I received this note today via Facebook and wanted to be sure I shared this so that anyone looking for a job (from LucasArts, Square Enix or any other gaming company) can put a bid in for a position:

If anyone knows people that were affected by the layoffs at LucasArts and Square Enix, WB Games is hiring and they need people for their various locations including Netherrealm (Mortal Kombat, Injustice etc), Turbine (LoTR Online), Burbank/SF (Publishing for all platforms, Mobile Games), Monolith (F.E.A.R.), etc. Just FYI!

For anyone who is wondering what’s happening with the force at LucasArts, Disney is moving forward with more Star Wars movies, but won’t be making any more video games based on the franchise. Employees at LucasArts were notified this morning that the Disney-owned company is discontinuing production and that its games strategy will shift to a licensing model. To see the article from Deadline Hollywood click here.

If anyone knows someone looking for a position at one of the companies listed above please forward the information to them. You’ll be glad you helped spread the wealth.