The Ephemerist

One of M.C. Escher’s most mindboggling inventions is the Droste Effect, in which an image is endlessly repeated within itself. Escher used this effect in his “Print Gallery“, but was limited in his reduction by the possibilities of his medium. A team of researchers at the University Of Leiden later used the possibilities of new technologies to create an infinite canvas, allowing Escher’s artwork literally endlessly quoting intself

A group of German cartoonists has used this method in a collaborative artwork called the Zoomquilt. This Maelstrom of art embeds each work within the previous one. And since all artists seem to have found their inspiriation in the works of Bosch, Breugel and the like, the result is even more mind-boggling.

Not to be watched when drunk !

(Thank you, Cartoonist)

Add to :

10 Beasts! is a beautiful project by Jacob Covey and Tiny Showcase, presenting a small selection of artists involved in the Fantagraphics Beasts project to create a collection of original letterpress artwork. Since I’m a big fan of Jordan Crane’s work, I’m including his contribution here, but the list also contains Tony Millionnaire and other luminaries.

Incidentally, Beasts itself also has a blog, where I found a Johnny Ryan cover for The Stranger, that I didn’t know about yet. So here it is :

(Thanks, Flog)

Add to :

In the 1940s, National Periodicals began to carry educational features scattered throughout the pages of its comics. One such feature, written and drawn by unidentified creators, was the “Animal Alphabet”. These were half vertical pages pairing a cartoony animal with a short rhyme - and a plug for a current comic thrown in for good measure.

Arthur Lortie has gone and collected all of these features on The DC Alphabet, featuring good scans of each of the 25 episodes (indeed, DC stopped at Y).

Add to :

Compare :

with :

More

(via Miss Cellania)

Add to :

clogwork.net is a new blog by a group of illustrators and cartoonists from the Low Lands, i.e. the Netherlands and Belgium. Current contributors include Wilbert Plijnaar, Peter Pontiac, Maarten vande Wiele, Lectrr and Erik Kriek.

The above illo is by Pieter Hogenbirk.

(Thank you, Draw!)

Add to :

Mattias Adolfson is a Swedish artist who posts an enormous amount of incredibly good art on his website.

I particularly like the intricate cityscapes he draws, and the strange vehicles he comes up with. Most of his work is scanned immediately from his Moleskine, which is a nice extra.

As I go over his recent posts, I can’t help but wonder wether he works in ink directly, or rather first makes elaborate sketches. Hmm…

Add to :

A while ago, Spanish illustrator and cartoonist Javier Olivares posted two very nice new year’s cards.

note : I originally wanted to write about a series of drawings illustrating the myth of the Minotaur I grabbed from his rss feed, but I can’t find them anymore on his site. Strange…

Add to :

Peter Venables takes Wally Wood’s “22 Panels That Always Work” one step further in the 22 Little Panels Project.

This Oubapo-like project challenges cartoonists to draw their own comic, using only Wood’s panels in sequence. Venables own comic is quite a good example of what this can lead to…

(Thanks, Oubapo America)

Add to :

Back in 2005, the Belgian Post Office issued a set of special stamps to be used on letters an cards announcing the birth of a new baby. Ever Meulen created two very nice stamps : one for girls, and one for boys. Later that year, Ever would also create two special Summer stamps. I’ll post those later.

Add to :

My ever elusive contacts sent me this scan. It’s an old image, but it still makes a nice cover…

Add to :