Wednesday, December 19, 2012

please don't do this.

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Sometimes you regret teaching them certain words.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Happy Holidays.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

My send off yesterday.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Two things i never knew were missing from Xmas until Mia invented them.
1. Christmas trees with flames and lava shooting out of the top (from her love of volcanoes).
2. Christmas Zombies (from her love of Halloween).

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The headline "Mars Rover 'Curiosity" Team Reportedly Will Reveal Major Discovery In December" has definitely piqued my interest, here's what my Money is on.

Monday, November 05, 2012

Sleeping during story time... is not allowed.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Had a fantastic time talking at Illustrator's Day yesterday!! Thanks so much to SCBWI for having me. Here's a highlight from the talk, my "Chart of Artistic Achievement", any similarity to any persons living or dead except me is purely coincidental. 

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

A brief interlude from Halloween decorations. This was tonight's game.

Friday, October 12, 2012

and Mr. Pinky
today's Halloween Decoration.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

More Printable Halloween Decorations from "Skeleton Cat" collect them all.

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Halloween Decorations Anyone?
1. Drag 'em
2. Print 'em out (Photo paper preferably)
3. Scissor 'em up
4. Tape 'em up all over the house.
Instant Halloween Spirit!

Saturday, October 06, 2012

this afternoon.

Monday, September 24, 2012

something Mia said the other day.

Friday, September 21, 2012

I was just digging through some old files and found these, my first pass on what i thought "Skeleton Cat" might look like. I originally envisioned him as a kind of scruffy older Scatman Crothers type character who loved to drum on trash and would get shoes hurled at him, a little insight into the behind the scenes of illustrating a picture book: the date on the file said 4/30/09 as in 2009 and that book just came out in July that's almost 4 years from initial sketches to "on the shelf".

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Dear Game of Thrones TV show, if you weren't sure what Khal Drogo and Dany looked like why didn't you just ask? Khal Drogo does not wear maskara or get Brazilians and Dany is 13 and a waif. Happy to help!
Love,
Dan

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Another New York moment, Mia discovers bones.

Monday, September 17, 2012




SCHOOL VISIT
Last Friday I went to the Cererity Troika Charter School in Eagle Rock LA to do a reading of SKELETON CAT and draw pictures with the kids for a few hours. It was super fun!! Here are a couple pictures of me reading and some of the kids' drawings. I met some really talented and imaginative kids who all came up with great ideas for more books about cats, i'll try to draw one of my favorite ideas a little later and post it. Thanks to the school for having me over, it was a great time!
Tomorrow is the release date for "Oh, Nuts!" written by the hugely talented and very popular Tammi Sauer and illustrated by me. Check out this trailer with fantastic original music composed and performed by the incredible Mike Stern and animated by the astounding Joel Trussell. i love it more every time i watch it, be sure to have the sound up!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The moment they found out.
5 days

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Still working through some New York sketches. Here's Mia making friends wherever she goes.

Sunday, September 09, 2012

And with his advance from "Oh, Nuts!" Bob went ahead and got that Bret Michaels makeover he's been wanting.
Also preparing for his Sept. 18th debut in "Oh, Nuts!" Blinky has been working on his 6 pack.

Wednesday, September 05, 2012

I'm brave.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

in preparation for her big debut, "Cutesy" had some glam shots done.
spotted loitering anxiously awaiting their debut.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

More from New York. Mia made up her first story, which I had to illustrate. I would give anything to bet that creative.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Some choice moments from New York.

Saturday, August 11, 2012



Here are 3 of the 7 pieces i did for an art show i was just in. The show was in New York at Powerhouse Arena and was titled "Slighty Strange: Unusual personal artwork of 5 contemporary children's book illustrators". The other illustrators in the show were Michael Slack, Jim Pailot, Mike Moran and Wednesday Kirwan. It was tons of fun, i got to be there for the opening on Aug. 2nd. It was all conceived of and curated by Michael Slack, thanks for thinking of it, finding the space, doing all the work and answering the millions of emails to make it all happen!!!
Pieces will be on sale on Powerhouse's website until Sept. 3rd (grab your wallet and click here)

Monday, June 18, 2012

Here's the first pass on a cover for SKELETON CAT, the publisher ended up opting for the simpler image that's on the book now. I'm finding that's actually a pretty common thing in the publishing industry, to go for a "less is more" "iconic" image. I know it's all based on marketing and i have no doubt they know exactly what they're doing, but still i liked this better as an image and wanted to post it. Maybe i'll make some posters out of it and give them away at book readings or something.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

SPOOKY CREEPY SKELETON CAT
IS ON IT'S WAY!!!
Coming July 1st, SKELETON CAT
written by Kristyn Crow
illustrated by Me
published by Scholastic
Check out this awesome trailer
made by Dave Woody of
original music composed by Dave
just for the occasion!!
thanks a million Dave!!!




Wednesday, May 16, 2012

this happened today, be careful working in front of fans.

Friday, May 11, 2012

What 2 year olds dream of.
Mia was talking in her sleep last night, mumbling something about raccoons, when she woke up we asked her if she had a dream. "Raccoons jumping in the bouncy house."

Sunday, May 06, 2012

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Old Joe Clark

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Black Eyed Susie


I've been picking up the banjo again which means I've been listening to a lot of old-timey banjo music, those songs are so rich with "colorful characters" and "depressing scenarios" i thought it might be fun to draw a few.
Monday morning.

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Here's a story Mia told me this morning.

Friday, March 16, 2012

and then there's this.
A couple times a week.