Loveless Society...

Coming soon...

Dolemite 2000!!! lmao!

I was not ready for this insanity today. I'm a lover of blaxplotation films, so I'm no stranger to Dolemite. I can't say I've seen any whole Dolemite movie as I'm more of a Superfly, Blackbelt Jones, the Mack type of guy. Hell I even liked black dynamite.

So I guess they made an updated version of Dolemite, but still used the original actor who looks like he done been through some things. It was hard enough to watch as they expected us to believe that this old man could do any of these stunts. But when he pops out that bottle of Voodoo Potion #10 (aka liquid crackrock aparrently) crazy shit starts to happen. I aint about to go start no fight with no Jay no time soon.

I was laughing too hard at this...I'm still laughing as I look at it

just click it please...lmao smh

RIP Michael Jackson

Like everybody else in the world, I want to claim ain't nobody as big of a Michael Jackson fan as me. The truth is the guy was just so amazing that we all were hardcore fans. Me and my girlfriend debate whether there will ever be another Michael Jackson...entertaining and can sing his ass off...being great at every stage of their career from kid to adult...while breaking all race divisions in music...a guy capable of making whole albums that can have every song turned into a single.

I don't think we'll see it in our lifetime, so we have to appreciate that we got to witness his magic while he was here. His legacy will live on....the music's just too good to deny. Little kids can pop out some Michael lyrics and dance moves for you right now, lol.

Yesterday I had a customer fly in from DC to get a tattoo dedicated to her love for music. At the same time it was a Michael Jackson dedication piece. She had the sheet music for "Man in the Mirror" (which was her favorite song), music symbols making the phrase "I love Music" and Michael on his toes from Moonwalker. She gave me free range so I threw my specialty of realism in the mix and added his eyes for the background. While we were doing it, she brought it to my attention that those were the eyes from "Man in the mirror". That was pretty cool cause I can't say I planned that. those eyes just had so much power.

I'm glad I was apart of this piece and can finally say I got to do a Michael tat which is something I've wanted to do for awhile.

You guys have a good day,
I got some tats to draw

out

Lol!

It's no secret that I love the comics...I definitely don't keep that hidden.

But most people assume that I only love big heroes doing all types of crazy action.

On the contrary, I actually love funny paper comics and indie comics quite a bit more. i used to love reading full color sunday comics. Those things used to be the shit. for a short time I thought that that would be my destiny, but for one, I'm not funny enough to come up with a clever joke everyday of the week and two, I do have an appreciation for stories. So naturally I'm taking my personal comics to the indie side. Doesn't mean i still don't love those quick gag comics.

One of my favorite ones was Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. His Jokes were always on point and above all, I felt like it was masterfully drawn for a funny paper comic. Look back at some of them, they are quite detailed.

So I found out in the new issue of Superman/batman that they were gonna pay homage to the series by replacing the characters with Joker and Lex Luther. i was skeptical at how this would turn out, but it's done so well I'm surprised Watterson didn't do it himself. Great job coming from Brian Azzarello on the keyboard and Lee Bermejo handling the art.

Maggie the tattoo model

I got tons and tons of cool tattoos I've done and really need to upload the pictures. I just had to immediately post this one though.

A new customer of mines, David, came down from Connecticut with his wife to get a couple of tattoos from me after going to melvintodd.com. What made this special is that he really wanted me to do one with Maggie as the model! I was ecstatic. My lil chica was going to get to add to her resume.

What was really interesting is that Maggie is more cartoony, but my tattooing style is realistic. with that, I got to give her even more life in the tattoo giving more dimension. Man I had a blast on this piece and thank David for being apart of it. I may have to get Maggie tattooed on me one day, I was kinda jealous. And yes the words in the banner say "pink panties over a bald monkey". You know I make Maggie do all types of things she dont wanna do. boobie exposed and all, lol.

Well til the next time,
outtie

Second video appearance...Rick Ross x wiz khalifa

This is kind of a late post, but nontheless noteworthy. I appeared in my second video cameo...by just simply coming into work and doing my job.

you never really know who's gonna come into the shop.

I'm a big Rick Ross fan, and an even bigger Wiz Khalifa fan, so to be in a video with those two is a good look. I'm not one to be star struck or anything and this was no exception. When it comes to getting nice tats, we're all one and the same.

Shout out to those guys for supporting one of the best tattoo shops in the nation.

Ninja turtle time lapse drawing

Well I promised the drawing process...Enjoy.

My favorite Saturday morning cartoon

Earlier today I checked facebook (like I usually do...sad addiction actually). It's not unusual for me to find questions about tattoo requests and such but today, I got one that really got my attention.

This guy I used to tattoo in Auburn told me he's gonna come soon and get a half sleeve...
again nothing unusual. Until he told me of what...

A NINJA TURTLE HALF SLEEVE!!!

Dude, me and the ninja turtles go wayyyy back. For one, my love of that cartoon is what let me find out at the tender age of 8 that I could draw. My classmates shared the same psychotically intense love of these half shelled creatures, but they were forced to trace them if they wanted to create them. Not I. I could draw them, and while they probably sucked, they were easily identifiable by anyone who saw it.

"Wow that's a ninja turtle! You can really draw!"

You hear that shit enough and you start to believe it, lol. That lead to much practice and the artist you see here today.

I can't wait to do that tattoo, but in my excitement I decided to draw a ninja turtle for old times sake. Man, I've gotten a little rusty, lol. above is the image. I have a video recording of the drawing I'm editing now so come back to see that tomorrow.

Enjoy

MELVINTODD.COM is up and running!!!

I've been working alot harder than you guys may think... The comic is definitely coming and trust me when I say it's gonna be good. I already got the story for the first four issues pinned and drawing is about to commence soon. In short, I can't wait. In the meantime, I've gotten my personal site up and running...

and no it's not replacing the blog
(which I've been neglecting anyway)

It's just the place to make me look good, with all the new work and all that good stuff.

No worries, my random talk will still be here.

Go ahead, check it out and let me know what you guys think...

http://www.Melvintodd.com

sketches from the trip

Like I promised, here go a couple of sketches from the trip... just a lil teaser of course. And I know the quality is all crappy...i was trying to be artsy and shit. You guys get to view tons of cool art when I launch the official site coming in July. there will even be better copies of this crap.

sit back and enjoy, more updates for the comic coming very soon. If you're not following me on twitter you should do so as I'm giving all the update notices there (or you can just check the site everyday...follow me @tat2king)

*Fun fact...that aint really fun*

(both of these guys are from that lil strip with Maggie...go ahead, scroll down if you dont know what the hell I'm talking bout....)

l8r

Straight up jacked...

I'm in my hotel room in DC and my Lakers just redeemed themselves in a must win game...

with that said, I've been redeeming a focus that I thought was


Lost...

I think I've started to really like how I'm drawing...I analyzed my style and took it back to basics for a second. then I decided to add a level of detail and dynamics that I was always scared to explore because of time consumption and I didn't want my art cluttered.

What has emerged is a unique style I didn't even know I had. what's being affected most by it is my comic. I will be posting the first officially unofficial sketches of the characters soon. All my free time is being devoted to my cartoon and I am loving it.

In the meantime, check out this bike above I saw on the streets of DC....

crime is outta hand...but sometimes its just funny

check back monday for some art drawings...

straight up

the completed time lapse video image

A 9mag exclusive for the loyals...here is the image done in the latest time lapse video. Save it, do whatever...

It's yours...promise. lol

dueces

a cooler time lapse drawin

If I haven't neglected this blog...

My bad...

Promise I'm gone be posting like crazy soon enough...I mean the comics comin

...Eventually.

Til then here's a drawing. I had fun doing it...took an hour, but you guys get to see it in six lil minutes...talk about convenience. Just sayin, have fun and enjoy. More time lapse stuff coming soon to fill the creative gaps that my 9mag peeps are havin. don't relapse on me...i gotcha, lol. Out.

Watch me draw...

I have gotten hold to some futuristic technology that is letting me let you guys see how it feels to be...


well....

Me!

Yeah, I guess I'm gonna start updating again. Even a simple drawing looks cool when you can see it being done. I can't wait to do some really detailed things. This is a new era fuckers....so enjoy, lol.

l8r

Some art show shit...

man,

It's been awhile...

A long little while actually...

But I'm glad to be typing on the old blog.

Hell, feels pretty good actually.

I wish I had some cool and deep shit to tell you guys during my hiatus, but I just don't. Just know that me and my co workers at the City of Ink have some big things coming up, and my cartoon is progressing on a daily basis.

In short good things are happening. With that being said, we had an artshow the other day at the shop. Tons of people showed and had a blast. For all the people that didn;t come, here is what I submitted. It's called "Star Life." I had a little girl...dreaming of being a rockstar. I thought it was a nice little spin on a popular theme.

Enjoy!

Hopefully I will be able to do my blog sketchin thang again one day...lord knows I want to. In the meantime, check back periodically...you never know when I'll get in that drawing mood.

lates

Last day of daily sketches

it gives me a lil sadness today to say that I am suspending the daily sketch for a minute. I will bring it back one day, but right now (especially after this week of getting back into comics) I see that I need to develop my time on creating my passion. As much as I liked the comic this week, it's just not up to the standards that I have for it, and its because of the time constraints.

many nights after drawing the daily sketch, I feel as if I should've devoted that time to the real 9mag site (which is coming and will make this blog look like child's play) and my cartoon.

With that said, I gotta take one step back so I can take a couple forward.

To the people who came everyday, thank you. You guys inspired me to stay up and draw. I hope that dedication follows onto the new site.

Don't get a nigga wrong, I'm gonna still post stuff, just not the daily sketch
so by all means continue to check back.

"HOLD UP NIGGA, WEREN'T YOU IN THE MIDDLE OF A STORY, i WAS READING THAT SHIT"

Lol, my bad...

I'm gonna redo the art on that story and finish it out on the new 9mag site, but just so you know...

9mag isn't a gun or any other crazy shit...

It's just my favorite tattoo needle grouping. It can make the smoothest, softest marks. But on the flip side it can make the darkest and most colorful marks...I can do a whole tattoo with that thing. It's multi-versatile and has gotten me tons of $$$, lol.

I want the site to reflect that same tool and be able to show so many types of different art...that is why the site has this name.

With that said, the above sketches are just some tattoo sketches I did.

Some I got to do, others...not so much
It's me trying to give a couple sketches on the last day of the daily thang...

With that said I'm out...lol but I'm coming back with 100% of myself instead of 10

So smile fuckas...be happy, lol

page 3...well kinda

Whew, I had fun on this, but damn sure started it this morning before work.

I don't wanna cheat you guys so I'll post it finished tomorrow along with the next page.

Man, I still ain't got around to the point...maybe tomorrow?

Out

Dead Prez

I haven't posted a tattoo picture in awhile, which is funny considering I tattoo every damn day just about, lol. I've got a few cool ones that I need to get computer friendly and such (resizing and blah blah blah).

With that said, here goes some.

I did them on my homeboy Jason. The first is on his inner bicep and has a chick rocking his chain and sweatshirt. That really needs no explanation, lol.

The second is from the movie DEAD PRESIDENTS...

the movie that showed me what Chris Tucker would be like
if he was on crack... (nowhere near as entertaining as pookie amazingly)

Ok, I'm out for real this time.

l8r

what is 9mag pt2

Who all saw this coming...

It's Fuckin Maggie...she's the detention teacher

I hope the boys can stay focused. Tomorrow should begin some type of explanation of the reason of this comic.

til then
peace

what is 9mag pt1

So what the hell is 9mag?

I was just gonna tell you guys, but I've decided to put it in the daily sketch,
plus it's good practice for the comic I'm about to do.

I haven't drawn a comic in ages. It's like being a director, and from looking at this I'm a bit

rusty...

But repetition makes all the difference so it's good that I got a start.

Come back tomorrow to see who has gotten the boys attention and learn about 9mag.

til the day after today, l8r

Why is this shit called 9mag???

Next week i'm going to give a mini comic (every weekday of course) on why I chose to name the site 9mag... Til then I'm gonna have to be out. I got another tattoo appointment, so I can't really stay and entertain today.

Check back monday tho erbody, for what I hope to be an entertaining week.

l8s

Yesssss!!!

Guess what fuckas!!!

I'm starting to feel better again! So what that mean?

I can draw again!!!
(2 people got hype...)

I still got a bit of weight to gain back but hey.

Speaking of that, It actually inspired me to draw this. See I was feeling small so I drew a girl looking down at....um...what appears to be me...

Why no clothes?

man that would just get in the way of the moment. lol

I had fun drawing this shit and I'm glad, cause it had been awhile.

Til tomorrow

enjoi----->out

Cupid

Told you guys it was pretty random this week...

I drew this because I wanted to draw a lil devil guy...
doing something good.

sometimes even the bad guy isn't as bad as people may think.

...nothing wrong with mending broken hearts

(nigga u ain't deep...i know)

BAOW!

more scribblin

Yeah I had to postpone rapper week due to being ill...

But i'm still dedicated to the week daily post.

So this one really has no explanation...
sometimes u just wish you could fly above it all

outtie

Under the weather

Man, I was so ready to start the rapper week sketches...

then yesterday I woke up sick as shit!!!

Couldn't keep food or anything down....
Man it sucked all the ass.

With that being said, I'm just gonna do some random sketches this week, cause the rapper drawings are a bit more detailed than my not fully functional ass can handle.

So for the first image of the week, here is a position I spent the majority of yesterday in

Enjoy (or not, lol)

baaaaabbbbe!!!

I gotta repost this picture for you guys,

Even though I'm supposed to be off from the blog, lol

My gf (the lovely Lauren) begged me to redraw this image cause it was urking her

So what were the problems?

• Her forehead was too big
• Her shoulders look too broad
• Her boobs are too big
• her neck is not in the center of her body
• her forearm is to long
  
• She just looks too top heavy

I kid you not, she pleaded with me to do it...

And believe it or not, I take criticism quite well...

Shout out to anyone who took Leflore High art with me

Our critiques were ruthless...

With that said, we used to always draw rappers in that class and I'm drawing rappers all next week. check back Monday fuckas

(Oh I'm putting the old image under the new one so you guys can peep the changes)

NIte

Lay it down

Well Maggie is exhausted...

her week was a success just as I'd figure it would be so I'm proud of her lil rude ass...

I'm even more glad I get a lil rest to come up with the sketches for next week...

All next week I'm drawing...

RAPPERS (I actually listen too)

l8r

so you gone just do ur nails on the job?

Lol, I think that Maggie is starting to get a bit rebellious of her week...

I mean look at this...

that's definitely not a pose.

Well she just has one more day. Even with her being a lil punk, she's so damn photogenic. Sigh... she deserves her full check even when she's the worst worker.

Enough rambling, enjoy this shit

out

I ain got no panties on...

Here's the new sketch. I must say that I like this one the best of the Maggie week...

I wanted to have her chillin @ home...on the bed

And for added measure of course she's checking out

9mag.blogspot.com!!!

(and trying to figure out why she ain't hardly got on clothes on the whole site, lol)

Save it, turn it into a background, or just put it on your site...
but most of all enjoy.

More Maggie tomorrow
out

I fux wit this tough like...Fiasco

If this blog had an official song,

this would definitely be it...

Lupe...
+the Neptunes...
------------------
dat shit

Easily my favorite Lupe song ever. There you have it... I feel like drawing now, wonder if this song can inspire me a bit. Lets see

MAGGIE where yo ass at? It's drawing time, lol

peace

More Maggie

I'm just using Ms. 9mag to advertise today...and no I wasn't lazy and didn't color it. I just wanted to give it a different look.

Now I may color it later just to see how it would look without that negative effect.

I don't know, is it cheating on the week-daily sketch if I just color this for tomorrow?

Hell I don't know, in the meantime enjoy

Poof...gone

Maggie, the 9mag girl

This whole week is gonna be dedicated to our resident diva, Maggie.

She has way more attitude than just about anyone i know.

I mean look at her... I told her to smile...See how she do me.

I just don't think she likes the poses I make her do, but she has no choice...I'm her boss. lol
With that being said, come back everyday this week to see Maggie do what she naturally does best... Ignore my orders and do her own poses.

lates

Video cameo

It's the weekend....hell's yeah

there is money to be made at the shop as I'm booked for the day
(even had a regular come a week too early cause he forgot what day he scheduled, lol)

And most importantly, I get a lil baby break from the blog sketches (Well at least yesterday I did). I'm gonna get right back on em tonight, cause I care n shit. Sides I got these cool Ideas with Maggie that should be more entertaining than my normal posts. At any rate check back Monday for that.

On to Some more stuff, the video above is that MJG video that was shot at the shop last year. the shop is host to cameras all the time shooting various things and I just happened to get voted to do the cameo in this one (I had my magazine article coming out around the same time so it made sense). I came into work that day not even knowing shit about it. City of Ink lifestyle I guess.

I can't really say I like the video...I mean I wouldn't listen to the song, but hey, that's just another reason it probably didn't make it big, lol. to balance it out I've put a good MJG video below...lol. they should've put me in this one.

...I know I was about 10 yrs old, at the time,
but that would've been cool with a lil kid tatting all these niggas. lol

Well I'm out...see you guys Monday

PS- the animation in this thing is hilarious...lol. Nit picking, I'm out

Kids with GUNS pt4

I wanna do a some talkin on the image, but I gotta tattoo appointment, followed by more. You guys can hear me ramble later. HOpe you all enjoyed kids with GUNS.

See you MOnday with more sketches....sexyness all next week as we get some

Maggie the 9mag girl...

Out

Kids with GUNS pt3

And here is the third piece for kids with guns. This is the other cartoony one, but like I said before, I took time on it so I gotta post it. I'll post the last one tomorrow, but I feel like I've cheated the images I wanna bring across. Please believe I'm gonna dedicate more time to the kids with GUNS theme in a future week.

For now...Enjoy

Be sure to check back tomorrow, for what I think is the coolest image of the collection so far.

outtie

Kids with GUNS pt2

Here goes the new image...

I can't even lie...I don't like it as much as the one from yesterday...

Why is that....???

Well this was actually the first one I drew for the theme days ago(and there's another one close to it in style). See I was doing it all cartoony at first, like I've been doing at first in earlier drawings. Then I radically changed my digital style (as we can see from the first kids with GUNS and Lauren...Melvin Todd's--black nouveau. I should trademark that, lol). Now I want all the pieces to have that style but, man this drawing took awhile to do, so fuck it, I'm postin.

I shaded it a bit more cause it was super cartoony. See, I try to make sure the quality of these sketches mean something people. I'll leave the super colorful cartoony style to certain images. These kid's with guns aren't the normal funny things I draw...they're supposed to be

deep...

I got one I'm working on now, and trust me, it's tight as fuck.

Enough typing, I'm talking way too much. Enjoy the new image and check back tomorrow.

l8r

Ohhh come on, I know my cartoon gone make it now, lol

So T-Pain and Lil Wayne got a cartoon...coming on Adult Swim...

After looking at this...

Especially considering all I want in life is for my cartoon to be on Adult Swim...

they better not deny my shit. lol.

Am I gonna watch...um yeahhh, but hey I'm apart of the problem, lol
at the very least it may be funny.

Kids with GUNS pt1

Here is the first image for my "Kids with GUNS" string...

"Why the hell you drawing kids with guns?"

It's cool...

Ok, not literally but the sheer emotion and adrenaline that comes with seeing these waring kids in Africa and such holding those big ass fucking machines.
I be like "Damn, what in the fuck is going on over there so nutz that a nine year old is totting around an ak-47.

Just through research, you find out so much. with the images I wanna get across more than a badassness (that any kid would feel if holding one of those things), but the sadness

of having one's innocence lost...

I had fun doing em and will continue to make more, but for now, just enjoy the madness

PS- Shouts out to Miya for letting me borrow Johnny Mad Dogg
which inspired the string of art coming

Aight fuckas, check back tomorrow

My long-haired thique redbone...

I was actually sitting back and drawing this weekend in preparation for all the images I'm gonna post this week.

No lie, I was excited to post and actually wanted to put the stuff up early.
But I know I need to keep my drawing buffer so I gotta stick to the weekday sketches. lol

This week I had this cool theme called "kids with guns".
I know you guys want the kids wit guns to start immediately...
well sorry, gotta wait a day.

I drew this for my gf Lauren yesterday and actually liked it the most of my weekend drawings, so i'm posting it first, lol. It also shows a new style I'm trying to develop
based loosely on art nouveau...with flavor.

I'm not big on relationships...not the last couple years of my life anyway.
Sometimes you just sense something is different...

n special...

I mean she's a thug from east Atlanta,

but I can look past her gangster ways and see how sweet she is (lol jk).

enough of the mushy mush type shit, just know my girl is my cute
and I like drawing cute girls...
so hey...nothing wrong with a personal muse

On that real shit tho...

"Kid's with GUNS" Starts tomorrow...check back errr day this week!!!

Peace fuckas

No sketches on the Weekends

yeah, on the weekends I gotta prepare for the next week of drawings...

No dumb shit from me today. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

See ya guys monday

No internet can't even get me down

Yeah, so I don't have internet at the crib,

But that ain't stoppin ya boy from posting this daily pic, lol.

Shouts out to the free clubhouse internet at my apartment.

Well this is Wolverine...and apparently he's roiding out. I gotta draw another one because as you already know...I think it sucks...but that's just more art for you guys...

ENJOY