Comic-Con 2008 Sets Up for Record Crowds

The San Diego Convention Center was the scene of non-stop work so the doors to Comic-Con 2008 could open at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 23. Workers at the Marvel booths "had their hands full" to get The Incredible Hulk and Iron Man ready for display. A record 125,000 fans were expected to attend the annual celebration of comics and pop-culture.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Personalizing Copies of "Unpublished Sneyd" at Comic-Con 2007

Doug was busy at Comic-Con last year personalizing copies of his 52-page book Unpublished Sneyd with profile sketches.

At this week's convention in San Diego, he will again sell Unpublished Sneyd as well as original art and published Playboy finishes.

*** last blog for a while because Doug and I are leaving for San Diego today; look for photos from this year's Comic-Con after August 1st.

If you plan to attend Comic-Con, July 23-27, stop by the Big Wow Art booths and say "hello."

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Doug Exhibited at Comic-Con 2007 - Returns Again with Big Wow Art

Billed as the largest comic/cartoon convention in North America, Comic-Con has an international following - nearly 125,000 attended last year.

Before the doors opened at 9:30 a.m. and the aisles were packed with fans, Steve Morger, (standing in booth) Big Wow Art owner, talked with artist Travis Charest; I had a chance to visit with Doug's good friend Todd Freeman from Belmont, CA.

Doug joins artists Ted McKeever, Joe Jusko, Ernie Chan and Travis Charest exhibiting at the Big Wow Art booths at next week's Comic-Con in San Diego July 23-27.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Doug's Style Adds Humor to Satire on Driving

Doug's readily recognized artistic style and signature added to the whimsical interpretations and humorous insights in the 124-page book, You: the Road Warrior, published in 1990 by Challex Books.

In the May 26, 2008, Globe and Mail, B8, it asks: "How recognizable is your logo? Have you created it in such a way that over time your clients - or in Doug's case, your readers - may be able to identify it simply by seeing the first letter?" (Source: the Marketing Minute)

The answer is YES for Playboy readers scanning the monthly issues for Doug's full-page color artwork.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

National Archives of Canada Owns 235 Sneyd Works

The National Archives of Canada in Ottawa recently acquisitioned 6 additional Playboy cartoons done by Doug; there are now 30 full-page color Playboy cartoons among the 235 Sneyd works catalogued there.

During his early freelance days, when Doug lived and worked in Toronto, he was commissioned by a number of Canadian publishers, including W. J. Gage Limited, J.M. Dent & Sons Limited, Macmillan, Ginn and Company, and Little, Brown and Company for illustrations in over 60 books for children. He also illustrated 4 books of poetry - The Asphalt Octopus, the Concrete Giraffe, Nature's Big Top, and Classy Cat - by Canadian poet Lola Sneyd (no relation to Doug).

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Meeting Friends at Comic-Con 2007

At Comic-Con 2007 Doug and Heidi enjoyed talking with fans of his Playboy artwork and meeting so many people, including Suzanne Wilson, widow of long-time Playboy cartoonist Rowland B. Wilson.

Doug had Suzanne pose for a profile sketch he added to her personalized copy of Unpublished Sneyd.

At the close of the convention, fellow Playboy cartoonist Dean Yaegle and wife Barbara, Suzanne, and Doug and Heidi met for dinner in the Gaslamp Quarter in the historic section of downtown San Diego.

Both Dean and Doug are exhibiting at this year's Comic-Con, July 23-27, at the San Diego Convention Center. Doug will be at the Big Wow Art booth.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

"Loose, Airy" Drawing Style Gives Flair to Satire on Driving

Doug's drawing style of luscious, girl-next-door blondes, featured in Playboy cartoons since 1964, is as readily recognizable as is his stylized signature and "loose, airy" illustrations, used throughout the 124-page book You: The Road Warrior, written by Dan Hales and published in 1990 by Challex Books.

Having traveled extensively throughout Canada and the U.S. by car and motor home, Doug felt quite qualified as an insightful and objective observer well able to use his "artistic savvy" to comment graphically on the hurried, crowded and sometimes laughable routine drivers often endure in traffic.

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)

Favorite "Unpublished Sneyd" Gag Roughs

In Doug's 52-page book, Unpublished Sneyd, he's selected 100 of his favorite rejects from the thousands of color and B & W cartoon gag roughs that he has submitted to Playboy since 1963.

While exhibiting at Comic-Con, July 23-27 in San Diego at the Big Wow Art booth, Doug will personalize copies of Unpublished Sneyd.

(This "favorite" is from pg. 16.) Enjoy!

(blog entries by Heidi Hutson)