A Zombie A Day

Not sure why a rug salesman. I guess in a post apocalyptic world people will still want to have sweet persian rugs in their suvival shanties?

Just in time for Halloween! A Des Moines Zombie walk!!!

Check it out here

Also be sure to get out and see Zombie Land!!!

Be Unead! Be Be Undead!

I saw this one searching for food at high school football stadium concession stand. She jittered towards me still clutching those ridiculous pom poms in her hands.

I grabbed what sugar packed treats I could find and stuffed them into my coat. At this point she was getting pretty close. I looked around for something to protect my self with but the only thing small enough to throw I could see was one of those hot dog cooking machines. You know the ones you'd see at a truck stop with the heated rollers. I mean, it was small  enough to throw but big enough that I would only get one real shot at it.

There is something very wrong about bashing in a cheerleaders head with hot dog machine. Wong but satisfying.

May I help you?

Me versus the undead!

If you're a fan of this site you should already know about this movie. check it out!

Cartooney Zombie Concept

"When hell is full the dead shall walk the Earth" or "When the devil sees that mother loving disgustache, he's gonna kick you the eff out!"

Just a rough concept of a gun slinging zombie. I thought the idea of Native Americans and Cowboys battling zombies sounds pretty kick-ass.

This poor sucker was turned as he exited a football game. He thought he was running into a crowd of joyous fans but as it turns out they were all just brain starved zombies. After drawing this I pulled out my .45 and put him out of his misery. Not because he was a zombie, but because he was wearing that effing hat!

I'm in there somewhere. 

So I'm back in this saddle again. It has been a nice hiatus but it is time to get back to the grind stone. I promise I'm back for the long haul. Thanks to those that have been checking in to see if I mmanaged to get off my ass and get this place updated!

I had sought refuge in the frigid cold of the Arctic Circle. There it was to be so cold that exposed flesh would freeze solid in moments rendering any zombie immobile and possibly dead. I hypothesized that as the cells froze the moisture inside them would  expand causing the cells to burst. This would in turn destroy the brain of a zombie on a cellular scale, one small explosion at a time. Most of my assumptions had been correct. The one thing I hadn't done is allowed myself to believe in more than one creature of science fiction. It wouldn't have ever occurred to me that such a monster existed, but then again, I was here because a zombie legion had begun to encompass the world. And there it was, soaring in skies above me, a dragon. 

 But this would prove to be no ordinary dragon. It's flesh was all but gone. Icy blue and white flames leaped out from its maw, they licked at it's teeth. The dragon leered out across the sheets of ice with eyes of pure light, white and cold.  If I had to put a more accurate name to it, it could only be one thing.

It is far too ridiculous to say aloud so I write it in my journal. I read it over and over in dis belief. 

 "Draco lich"

"I must be crazy" I say to myself.

"Draco lich" I say it again and chuckle a little this time.

"Draco lich" I almost had myself believing that it was surely some kind of hallucination or apparition.

Then a gust of wind knocked me to my feet. It blew a freezing cloud about me, blinding me in a fog snow and ice . It ground shook violently beneath me and the ice groaned loudly and cracked like thunder. 

 I could hear the draco lich's breath above me.

Still recovering from the trip. Luckily I didn't have class so I was able to sit around and watch some Wold Poker Tour. 

Got home around 6:30 pm today. That makes our little run a 49 hour drive with about 6 hours of sleep. Turns out it was 1000+ miles to the road the guy lived on. Sweet I thought, no problem, once we get to his road were are there! NOT EVEN CLOSE. Dude lived TWO HOURS OFF THE INTERSTATE. Who lives 2 hours from an interstate. WHO'S ROAD IS 150+ miles long??? At 35 mph  that last leg of the trip was 100% MURDER.  The guy selling the boat was priceless. He was a turbo charger little guy. Basically skin and bones. And if he was breathing he was smoking. I think he sucked down half a pack whilst we were loading up. He also talked a million miles per hour. All the while his lit cigarette just flopped up and down as he jabbered away.

 All in all it was rough drive but a lot of fun. Haven't had a road trip like that with my dad since I was a little kid. I honestly hope I get to do it again sometime!

 This s what I imagine it would look like if I were a zombie and I were to pull my dad (as a zombie) behind the new boat!

I'm what feels like a million miles from home right now on my way to pick up a non-running Glass Master speed boat from S.Carolina. It is an estimated 17 hour trip, over 1000 miles. I did this little ditty to fill in while I was gone.

Another images from the "Hell on Earth project"

WW2 spawned some of the deadliest zombies that had ever been seen at that point in history. Zombies, that with a bit of Nazi engineering, were actually capable of maintaining their abilities to drive, shoot, and even pilot vehicles. This mean that Hitler would now have an endless supply of soldiers at his disposal. He however failed to realize the threat that these Nazi abominations posed  to his own troops. This is a photo taken  from the cockpit of a Luftwaffe pilot as he is attacked by one of Hitler's Zombie Nazis. Germany's "Hell on Earth" projects were ceased and all of its progeny were destroyed shortly after this photo was taken. 

 OR WERE THEY!?!?!?!?? 

The word for Thursday is "Fly" 

Here it is all painted up and fancy. Npw all he has to is track down some BRAIIINSSSSSS.

The word forTuesdat is"Elated". This is a happy zombie that has invented the "Medula Suck 9000". It is a brain sucking robot.

So I don't have any painter programs. But tonight I felt like doing some drawing. That basically left me playing with Photoshop and it's brushes. This is almost 100% smudge tool and variations of that tool. I also did this with just the mouse. My right hand is killing me! I am looking into getting a Wacom tablet now. 

 So it is not exactly a zombie but it is a guy that has a lot to do with getting people at least part of the way there. He takes care of the "dead" part of "the walking dead". 

 Grim Reaper

In honor of SpongeBob's 10th year on the air! The SpongBob Sponge Bash is runnig all weekend. I was up until 5am last night watching. I love this crap! The weekend celebration culminates with the premeir of the first of ten new episodes. You can find all of the information here.

 I...was...barely able to update this week...I was overcome...by...GRAHHHH BRRAAaaaaaiiiIINNNNNSSSSS

The word for today was "regret". The line at the bottom is not mine. It is from the "Zombie Survival Guide" by Max Brooks. He wrote a couple of very funny books on surviving the zombie apacalypse. You can check them out here:  Max Brooks info

Here is an animation you'll remeber. I just wanted to clean a few things up and represent it for you. Its getting there!

 UltraZombicus

I'm ready for the Sequel to "Shan of the Dead"!

The word of the day was"serendipity". What came to my mind was the scene in "Shawn of the Dead" when the BBC reporter tells everyone how to kill a zombie. 

It seems that public radio may have something to do with the spread of the zombie infestation. An infected repoter was allowed to travel from Jackson. Mississippi to Topeka, Kansas. It appears that he was able to use his "press pass" to avoid heightened security at border crossings and quarantine zones. I was reluctant to believe these rumors until I saw "it" for myself. It was without a doubt the same Zombie that I had seen earlier only this time he was standing right there in fron of me in Topeka Kansas. He must have traveled across country in his Ford Taurus. As he staggered towards me he mumbled somethig about a comment regarding Garrison Keillor eating Ira Glass' BRRRRAAAAaaaiinss!

Me just screwing around in Photoshop. 

Something totally random ...

I had to draw what was on my mind this weekend! We hit the Good Guy's Rod and Custom show in Des Moines. It was pretty awesome. It usually is. I rediscovered my love of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's work (this guy). So here is a little Roth inspired Zombie Hot Rodder stuff that I whipped out. ENJOY!

The word of the day is "Nightmare"

Another playmat of mine! 

 Billy Mays here for my newest product Zoxy Clean! 100% guaranteed to strip flesh, steal breath and put you down for that eternal sleep, well... almost! Why wait for the zombies to get you. Try my new product and beat them to the punch! Getting bitten is painful, getting eaten alive is the worst!. Get all of the fun and none of the ouch of your typical zombie attack.  Zoxy Clean is the gift that keeps on giving. Just one container of Zoxy Clean and your whole family will be ripe and roaring to go. Buy it now forrrrrrgurrhhhaaaaaBRRRRAAAAAAINSSSSSS!!!!

So I was up in Hutchinson Minnesota last weekend. My mom and wife are garage sale freaks. I don't mind them I'm just not nutso over them. That might have changed for me this weekend. From the ashes of my childhood rises one of the games that set me on the artistic path I am on today. Behold.........HERO QUEST....(zombies included) I gotta tell ya I am pretty dammed stoked to play this. That said I am missing the Elf Hero Card and the Warrior Hero Card. If you happen to have those laying let me know via e-mail thomasgartindesign@gmail.com I would love some photo copies or scans! Thanks everyone and thanks for sticking with me as I corrected my technical issues. Have a great week!!!

And Charlie almost got his Angel, but you cant go to heaven if you never really die!!!! MUhahhahhahhahhahhahaa

The day the music died AND ROSE FROM THE GRAVE TO ROCK YOUR FACE OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seriously though you will be greatly missed. I am a huge fan and will always remember watching you and listening to your music. You sir were greatness!

 Michael Jackson August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009

Zombie Gartin err ah Garden Gnome. That's not a smoke in his mouth...ITS A FINGER!!!

This is a playmat for Magic: The Gathering. I have been drawing playmats and selling them online for eight years or so. This has been one of my more popular designs. Its eight existing artworks in a collage. Black Lotus, Mox Sapphire, Mox Jet, Mox Ruby, Mox Pearl, and Emerald, Tendrils of Agony, and Yawgmoth's Will. Yawgmoth's Will is the zombie in the center there. The card allows the player to play cards from their graveyard, pretty much allowing you to zombify everything you've got! You can see more of my mats here: www.tomgartin.com or  http://mtgia.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1136&st=0&sk=t&sd=a or here http://s587.photobucket.com/albums/ss312/Tontomtoofat/

Bop in down for the best. ZeeeEeEEeeeEe-bops! Impecibable service despite the undead staff. I was slightly disturbed when the cashiers severed arm "handed" me my change...

The ninja could not understand how this monster withstood their attacks.  They hacked, they slashed, and they stabbed but to no avail. The monster lumbered fourth lurching at the ninja, snapping wildly at them beneath it's mask.

The Colonels recipe seems to have changed. There is a lot more fingers, ears, toes, and BRAINZ than there ever used to be!

 This was my first try at illustrating in Photoshop. Not great but not bad for just an hour or so. I promise they'll get better. 

Sorry to disappoint but time is running short tonight. Here is step one of two or three. I am going to be trying out a new method of illustrating these so please hang in there!

This is good ole Colonel Sanders. KFC is currently holding a contest for the next Colonel. Perhaps an undead one? I'll have the finished Colonel up tomarrow. 

Self portrait 2.

 Ok, so this is one of the last rough "Zoofs" I plan on posting up. My hope is to finish these and get them all re-posted later on in all their finished glory. This latest one is a tribute to the iconic and arguably most expensive and hard to find movie posters today. I need to adjust the proportions and get it scanned in and then I am goign to start adding color. This is what I should have done with yesterdays post but I got to excited about coloring it in. Anyways, thanks again for looking in!

I like this movie Zoofing stuff. I knocked this out pretty fast this morning. I am goign to completely overhaul it next week sometime. Anyways, thanks again for all the support , ideas, and praise. They are whats keeping me going!

This is going to be the first in what will be many movie poster zombie spoofs or "Zoofs".  

Not sure what spurred me on to draw a skater zombie. It just kind of flows off the tip of my pencil sometimes. He did end up being pretty blinged out with all his piercings and eight ball glass eye. I think you'll be seeing more of this drawing in the future as I improve/modify it with Photoshop. We'll see. 

For my dearest wife on her birthday. A FRICKING ZOMBIE CAKE! Love you, you're the greatest! By the way there is a hidden message for you in there!

Conan's take over of the "Tonight Show"  was much anticipated. Little did we know what had transpired behind the scenes. Conan's old friend and co-host Andy Richter had begun the introductions when Zombie Conan shuffled out from behind the curtains.

The introduction was cut short by a quick witted Max Weinberg. Max leaped over his drum set, snapped a drum stick in half creating a make-shift wooden skewer. The whiley drummer drove it deep into Zombie Conan's head destroying the monster's brain. Zombie Conan's mouth fell agape and he let out a gutteral growl as he stumbled to the ground.

Max Weinberg had saved the day.

Andy turned to Max and in appreciation said, "Wow Max you nailed that Zombie Conan just in time" to which Max replied, "What Zombie?"

The crowd burst in chants of "CIRCLE! CIRCLE! CIRCLE!"

Once zombified the typical  human brain reverts to an extremely primal state. All the memories, desires, and needs that once drove them as humans has vanished. That said every once in a great while the traces of their previous lives remain. Such was the case for this sad fellow I found today. This guy just outside of Fort Madison Iowa was still sitting behind the wheel of his car.Perhaps on his daily commute or on his way to the nunnery.

So here is the first of what will eventually be everyone I know as I am beginning to think that 365 of these things might start to drain what little is left of my creative pool.

This is the desperate NPR reporter zombie. He fiends not for brains but comments and perspectives. He lurks the halls of your state capital buildings. Shuffling from office to office hoping to quench his thirst for 15 second sound bites. 

I have had WarHammer 40K on my mind for a few weeks now. I have been scratch building my own Great Daemon of Nurgle for a couple weeks and just wrapped up a 13-week campaign. Here is what I think an Ultra Marine zombie might look like.

I really need to get myself a new scanner. These crappy digital pictures don't say much for my design abilities but I swear they are there! Once I have my new scanner I will be sure to reload all of these images.

Thanks to all that have visited and be sure to keep checking back! Iam starting on my first request for Sunday's update...

So this whole idea was spurred on by a lecture in which I was introduced to "The Daily Monster". I wanted to do something of my pwn but of course it has to be scary and dark. That is kind of my thing. Anyways. Here is to a fuzzy, out of focus, yellowish start.