Vote For My Cartoon

I'm a finalist in the Union of Concerned Scientists' annual scientific integrity cartoon calendar competition. Help me get my cartoon on the calendar's cover by voting at the UCS website. I'm number eight "8. Michael O'Brien"

Neil Young remixed

My friends Mike O'Brien and Danny Falsafi remixed a bunch of Neil Young. O'Brien asked me to remix the original "Rust Never Sleeps" album cover. This is what it looks like. Listen to the beats that never rust here. It's worth listening the whole way through.

Squirrel

Colors and Characters

The New Retro

I created this flier for my friends' band the New Retro awhile back, but I wanted to post it because I'm working on a design for their new website which is turning out nicely. I'll post a link to the myspace when it's fully functional.

I missed MAY

Folks, I've not blogged for over a month. It's not that I haven't done anything, I've just been lazy...and my computer crashed and I lost lots of files. Heartwrenching stuff, but only to me. My computer's back in business no, so so check out this latest flier for my friends' Matt, Andrew and Grady's new ska band, The Moderators. They're playing their first show this Thursday and they're super siked/totally nervous because it's with the Aggrolites. So if you've got $15 and a hankering for ska this Thursday, hit up the DC9.

As for those lost files from the computer crash and the missing month of May, I'm gonna be going through my Gmail account and recovering any work I emailed out, because I know there's a good amount of it stored in there. As I do it I'll make sure to post stuff up here in a "Recovering May" series of postings. Until then, enjoy the rest of the internet.

Blogger's been giving me the business

Blogger's been having trouble uploading my images lately so I haven't been able to post as many as I'd like to. I've got some screen printing images to show and stories to tell. Hopefully when it stops being a bitch to load images I'll be able to post some stuff. Also cartoons.

I'm considering this for my next screen print

...which I will sell for five bucks. Email me if you're interested in a copy. It'll be 7in wide by 22in tall. obriencomics@gmail.com

I was reading my own blog and...

...noticed my last three posts each contained a drawing of a dude with both fists up in the air like he's flexing. Look at that. That is weird. Something must be subliminally happening to me...it took me this long to notice.

UMD fraternities get too drunk, Greek life events cut short

A while back I drew a lot of cartoons that made fun of fraternities. It was free material, poking fun at their antics, but it got old. Now I don't do frat cartoons unless something happens that makes it too easy to pass up. This one was really easy. Sweetening the deal is the fact that people can't suggest I'm playing off a worn out stereotype-- this was a case in which the organizers of Greek Week events, had to cancel activities because people got too drunk to properly participate. We're not talking puzzle games either, more like tug of war. "Here dude, grab this rope and pull that way...oh...you're puking on it..."

Check out the story about drunken fraternity members causing Greek Week events to be cut short. There's some good commentary there too.

College Park bars give beer on the cheap

Check the story this cartoon's about here:

BTMI, Good Luck, TMLE, etc Flier designed

I don't have a lot of rhythm, but these bands make me dance...or whatever it is I do at their shows...exceptionally. I can't make it out to this event because I'll be out of town, TCOB at a wedding, but thanks to Jon of the Max Levine Ensemble for letting me draw this flier. Contributing artwork to excellent musicians is a pleasure.

Check out my rough draft too. Originally I wanted to have a giant rocket coming in at the top right of the flier, but the longer I looked at it, the more and more it looked like a dong wagging about in front of this rocket man's face. I like a good porn reference, but this was drawing too much attention away from the important stuff, so I Lorena Bobbitt'd it.

Booting Scooters

Scooters run rampant on UMD's campus. They zip around, make a lot of noise and puff out smelly smoke, and make you feel like a total dope for walking. I hate them. That is to say, I hate that I don't have one. Anyhow, that's not a big deal anymore because according to the Diamondback, university police are cracking down on scooters that drive illegally on sidewalks. I don't know how they're going to catch them, though. I see a police patrolling on a segway, when suddenly a scooter flies past him. The segway cop flips on his sirens and attempts pursuit, yelling, "Stop! I am the law!" hoping to god he won't have to go over a curb or something tricky like that.

Maybe they'll use spike strips.

Don't take his cartoon as me saying athletes are stupid...it's more that athletes don't seem to realize that the things they do (ie driving their scooter up to an ATM on campus and revving the engine while they make a withdrawal) are fucking annoying.

I wasn't sure if folks would understand that its a boot I've photoshopped on there--it looks sort of odd on a scooter--so I went ahead and labeled the thing. It's hokey, but I didn't want people missing out on the joke.

Lonely in California

Congrats to Vermont for legalizing gay marriage today and to the D.C. Council who voted to recognize same-sex unions performed in other states.

Tortoise Porn

There's been a bit of hullabaloo in the news lately about the MD legislature stepping in to stop the campus movie theater from showing a hardcore porn flick. Catch the Washington Post coverage here.

How do your drug habits affect poor people abroad.

Something tickles me about stoner activists who don't drink Starbucks because they claim the company exploits coffee bean farmers.

New Animation

I've made another animation. It's running on the Diamondback website tomorrow and my vimeo page forever. Enjoy.

Madoff

Fantasia America

New Cartoon & Animation

I've completed a new cartoon, and now watch it move.

Stress Test

Drawing poop in cartoons

I've really got to stop doing this.

Hi Quality version via Vimeo

Want to give out the quality source.

And here's the single frame...

Which ran in the news paper. The animation took over 12 hours to complete. The still frame took 1.5 hours.

Editorial Animation

I've finally done it folks, I've created an editorial animation. Here you go:

And here's a link to the cartoon online at the Diamondback.

Cooperation

Cartoon

Latest cartoon.

Indeed.

I got a comment on my last cartoon post:

No need to apologize, anonymous internet user, you courageous detractor you. Revel in your glory.

Cartoon

Another fluffy one.

Here's another cartoon I'm not super proud of because it fails to say anything substantial. It works more as an editorial illustration to accompany an article rather than a standalone cartoon. However, deadline calls.

Flying Flier

For this flier, I used a photo of the balsa wood, rubber band-powered "Flying Machine" my parents got me for Christmas. Rock on retro toys.

Snow Day cartoon

The University of Maryland closed early yesterday, the second day of the new semester. A good number of classes will have to wait begin, but there were SNOWBALLS!

I'll admit this cartoon says very little, it's more of a goofy illustration. But it was fun to draw.

Surviving the economy for dummies

Here's my first cartoon of the new semester.

I've also just joined twitter @obriencomics is my name

Flier

My friend's band is playing in Towson next week. I drew up the flier.

Iraq veterans are having trouble getting in-state tuition at UMd

"It's just a slap in the face."- Diamondback article on the issue.

Yay, he's president! Now, what's on tv?

Three Big Flat Tires

Here's hoping I won't offend gay people.

Turkey delicious.