"Throwback Bearkat" Poster Creation Timelapse {video}

I'm very excited to share the poster for Sam Houston State's Homecoming 2015. The theme chosen is ‪#‎ThrowbackBearkat‬ and features Sammy through most of the last century.

This was a really fun project to work on, partly because I got to reimagine Sammy for almost every decade of the 20th Century in iconic hairstyles and costumes.

Thanks to Brandon Cooper and the Department of Student Activities at SHSU for being willing to have some fun with the Homecoming theme!

Here's a behind the scenes video showing what went into the making of the 2015 Sam Houston State University Homecoming poster:

Kat Post Sammy Timelapse

The Kat Post is a new post office just off the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. This is "Kat Post Sammy," which will be featured on the front of the building.

I can't wait to see Sammy Bearkat larger than life!

This is a timelapse video of the creation of Kat Post Sammy from inking to completion. I forgot to turn on the screen capture when I inked Sammy's face.

Enjoy!

The Making of The Great Katsby {Video}

Katsby Creation Timelapse from James Pharaon on Vimeo.

This is a time lapse video showing the inking and coloring of The Great Katsby Sammy Bearkat illustration for Sam Houston State's Homecoming later this year. Enjoy, old sport!

The Great Katsby {Illustration}

I just finished this image for Sam Houston State's 2014 Homecoming. Introducing... the Great Katsby!

When they contacted me a couple of months ago about this, I got REALLY excited because I knew EXACTLY what they wanted. And I'm very happy with how it turned out, old sport.

I really love that Sam Houston State has been having fun with its Homecoming themes the past few years, and I'm very thankful to play a part in it.

Kat Comedy Showcase {Design}

When I was first asked to do this logo, I wasn't so sure it was going to be very interesting. The requirements were that it was to say "Kat Comedy Showcase" and that they wanted it to contain a microphone.

It's a logo for a program at Sam Houston State, so naturally I wanted to slip Sammy in there  somewhere. I've spent quite a bit of time watching standup comedy, and one of my favorite things to watch is when a comedian and an audience connect so well that they start cracking each other up. So Sammy is holding the mic and laughing so hard he's crying at the same time.

And then there's the brick wall. That was a late addition to this logo. After the first proof, the client wanted something else. They suggested spotlights (which I tried and didn't care for) before I realized one day while driving that a brick wall as a design element would be perfect for a comedy logo.

You see, the brick wall is an almost universal symbol in standup comedy. It symbolizes small, intimate clubs where many of today's great comedians got their start. I've never been to a comedy club where the comedian didn't either perform in front of a brick wall or where they didn't have one (often painted on) somewhere in the club as a testament to their roots.

In the end, the client was very pleased with the result. I don't usually share testimonials, but this one from the client made my day when the logo was approved: "Honestly, this is the best logo I could imagine for this event. You are a logo hero, sir!"

I always enjoy working on logos and illustrations for my alma mater, but especially so when they are fun to work on and are so much appreciated. 

Rise Above the Influence (Illustration}

I was contacted out of the blue a few months ago (while in Austin shooting photos at Zilker Park, if you must know...) by the SHSU Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative office about doing an illustration for their upcoming annual summit. I had just finished the Big Top Sammy Family Weekend illustration and noticed that the dates coincided, so when I heard that the theme of the summit would be "Rise Above the Influence," I thought there might be a way to tie in the two.

That's how Sammy ended up on a tightrope.

The original idea was to have Sammy as an acrobat above a three ring circus with no net and "influence" items down below him.

However, as I got started sketching, I quickly realized that the circus theme didn't quite work for this and I kept seeing all these influences swirling below Sammy, just below him, tempting and threatening him. That idea became very stark in my mind, and that's the direction it went.

I'm very happy with the final product. It turned out almost exactly as I envisioned it in my head. And it was a lot of fun to work on, as well, creating dozens of swirls and spending more than an hour creating the lined, confusing, grungy darkness shape that appears to be closing in on Sammy from all sides. That Sammy is the only real color in the design isn't an accident, either. He represents hope and color where the bad influences represent evil and death and darkness.

Wow. Did I just write that? That's deep. Coffee must've kicked in.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this illustration and I hope that the 8th Annual Drug and Alcohol Summit at SHSU is a great success.

Bearkat Dynasty {Illustration}

Another fun project for the SHSU Department of Student Activities! This year's Homecoming theme as voted on by the student body is "Bearkat Dynasty" - a takeoff on the popular TV show "Duck Dynasty!"

Kudos once again on the university and the Department of Student Activities for being willing to have a little fun with an event!

And speaking of fun, this illustration was quite a bit of fun to work on. I've never drawn Sammy with a beard before (I've drawn his with a mustache, but not a beard) and I've never tried to draw him this rough looking, either. It was quite a challenge!

Here's to a great Homecoming! It's on like Donkey Kong!

The Great and Powerful Bearkats (Illustration)

I love working on projects for Sam Houston State, and I love it even more when they have a theme idea for an event that lends itself to having a little bit of fun in the process.

This is an illustration for Welcome Week 2013. The theme is The Great and Powerful Bearkats, which is based on the recent movie "Oz, the Great and Powerful." But when the Wizard of Oz is involved, there's nothing more iconic or instantly recognizable (which is what you want out of a logo illustration, right?) than Dorothy and her friends skipping down the yellow (orange in this case) brick road to the Emerald City. Only in this case, the Emerald City is Emerald Austin Hall and Sammy is the Wizard of Oz, appearing larger than life in a cloud of smoke over Austin Hall.

This was a fun illustration to work on because I got to mix photography with illustration and work with a bright, fun color palette.

If you're an incoming student at Sam Houston State, I hope you have a Great and Powerful Welcome Week!

Bearkat Family Weekend 2013 {Illustration}

I'm excited to show you the finished illustration that goes with Ringmaster Sammy that I shared with you a couple of weeks ago...

Ringmaster Sammy

A sneak peek at a new Sammy illustration for Sam Houston State's Family Weekend: "Bearkat Family Circus!"

Here's Ringmaster Sammy!

I Have a New Favorite Sammy