Rhode Montijo Blog

Happy & Merry

2011-12-25T21:01:00.001-08:00

I know Christmas is around the corner but...

2011-12-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

Around Halloween time I had a Halloween Kid Exquisite Corpse creative writing contest exclusively on my Facebook page. Folks were asked to submit 3 sentences to weave a new yarn-of-a-tale for The Halloween Kid. Many entered, but there was only one winner: Omar Karmally! Congrats again Omar! For the prize, Omar received an original 11X17 inch black and white drawing depicting his entry. Thanks to everyone who entered! Here is the prize COLORED, like in The Halloween Kid children's book. I added part of the dialogue that he entered into the colored piece. Here it is:

For the rest of the writing entries and to be part of more contests like this, make sure to check out my Facebook page!

~Rhode

The Halloween Kid Round Up 2011!

2011-10-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

Yee- Ha-lloween everyone! Just thought I'd share some Halloween Kid news! I just did 3 back to back school visits in Petaluma, CA, thanks to Copperfield's Books. A year later since the book came out, it looks like the kids are still hankerin' for some Halloween Kid- so that was nice to see. The students also enjoyed a new activity that I recently introduced to the school and store visits- A toilet paper mummy wrapping contest! This is based on the first villains that show up in the book- Toilet Paper Mummies! The kids go bonkers for this part. (I did not plan for this loud frenzy when I did the contest at the Brooklyn LIBRARY- oops!) They have to wrap their partner as fast as possible and the prize- a HUGE bag of 100+ candy! It was also during the school visits that I learned that the book is on it's third printing- a first for me! Thanks for everyone who has supported the book!

Here are some action sketches of The Halloween Kid:

Here were two examples of the welcome signs that the students did when I arrived at the recent school visits:

This was a student's drawing which immediately stood out amongst the rest when I walked into the auditorium. I later learned his name was Anthony. You could just tell this kid has a natural talent, because no one else's sign came close to it. The level that he was at for his age was advanced. I had a small talk with Anthony later and told him that he has something special and that he should keep practicing. I expect great things coming from this kid!

Finally, here are some super drawings that my friend Britt's kid, Oliver, did based on some characters in The Halloween Kid book- pretty fun! Good job Oliver!

Toilet Paper Mummy!

Goodie Goblin!

Pumpkin' Suckin' Vampire!

The Giant Miami Werewolf! Raaaaawr!!!

Also, for those that may be interested, The Halloween Kid is on Facebook:

Click Here!

May your Halloween be full of magic. YEE-HA-LLOWEEN!

~Rhode

It's The Great Halloween Compilation!

2011-10-24T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hi Boils and Ghouls!
As the most magical holiday approaches, I thought I'd compile all the Halloween images that I've ever done! (Well, at least the ones on my computer.) So here they are! Happy Halloweeeeeeen!!! ~Rhode

Also, here's a short Halloween-y movie intro that I made.

Facebook Contest Prize: Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman

2011-10-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

Hi all!

Recently, I had a surprise contest just for those who are on my Facebook art page, where everyone was asked to name some of my favorite movie scenes. Unbeknownst to contestants was a "special" prize. At the end of the contest, it was revealed that the winner would receive a drawing of MY rendition of THEIR favorite movie. It was a heated contest and participants even named some obscure scenes that I thought would surely stump them. After 21 entries, the winner was Michael Cobra! Congratulations again Michael! For his favorite movie, Michael chose a classic, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLFMAN. Here is the original 11x17 inch inked drawing that I sent to Michael:

(click to enlarge)

It depicts the final confrontation in the movie that takes place in a laboratory that is falling apart. It was a fun challenge drawing these two classic movie monsters!

Here is a sample of some my 21 favorite movie scenes that were on the Facebook contest:

To participate in more surprise contests like this, see exclusive peeks and more, please join this page on Facebook. Something might be around the corner...

Thanks for reading!

~Rhode

Halloween...It Begins!

2011-10-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

Hello Folks,

It's my favorite time of the year and the big day is right around the corner! There is lots going on and I hope to share whatever I can on here. I was recently invited to be part of a Halloween-themed art show this month at Stranger Factory. Stranger Factory is a gallery in New Mexico owned by the super-creative dynamic duo, Kathie Olivas and Brandt Peters. The BEWITCHING show opening was on October 5th and these were my contributions:

The show had lots of really nice 2D and 3D pieces. You can see many of them here! Thanks Brandt and Kathie!

Also, coming up, I will be doing a special reading of THE HALLOWEEN KID at one of the greatest children's book stores, BOOKS OF WONDER! This event is from 12:00- 2:00pm on Saturday October 15th. If you are in the New York area, please join me along with more creators reading their books, including:

PETER BROWN- You Will Be My Friend

MARGIE PALATINI- Goldie and the Three Hares

JODI MOORE - When A Dragon Moves InFIONA ROBINSON - What Animals Really Like
GARY RUBENSTEIN - The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
GEOFFREY HAYES - A Poor Excuse for a Dragon
MARK SIEGEL - Moving House

More information here. All ages are welcome!

Day of the Dead Art Show in Mexico!

2011-09-28T01:57:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I recently was invited by THE AUTUMN SOCIETY to contribute to a Day of the Dead/ Dia de los Muertos event in Mexico! I couldn't say no! We were asked to pick an icon, living or passed, (non-fictional) that would be done with a Day of the Dead treatment. THE ICONOCLASTIC DEAD exhibit will be at Guru Gallery in Mexico City (Opening is this Saturday, October 1st). Can you guess who I picked? Many thanks to Chogrin who invited me to participate! If you are in Mexico, I hope you'll check out the show!

(click to enlarge)

Check out the nice flyer by German Orozco!

Also, here is a trailer for the show:

SKELETOWN In This Sunday's BALDO Comic Strip!

2011-09-21T07:19:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone!
I know it's been awhile, but lots of things have been in the works. I was really honored when I was recently asked to be part of a Sunday comic strip, BALDO! BALDO is America's first Latino comic strip family! I've always wanted to do a comic strip. I used to cut my favorites from the Sunday paper when I was little, so this is a big dream come true! Check your local newspaper Sunday, September 25th! This was for BALDO'S Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, where they invite different artists to collaborate with their comic strip. You can see a little bit of my SKELETOWN world in the strip! Thanks to Hector Cantu and Carlos Castellanos! I'm really excited to see it in print. Here is a small sneak peek:

(I will share the final piece after it comes out or visit THIS SITE on September 25th)

New Skeletown Tote Bag And More!

2011-06-19T11:01:00.000-07:00

These are $6 with FREE shipping (order as many as you like!). Also there is no one week purchase time limit on these.

I also have a new Skeletown shirt design plus new buttons on the way. If they get in sooner than later, I'll offer them up on here, as well. Thanks for reading! ~Rhode

NOTE*** If you are reading this on Facebook and see no Paypal link to purchase, please click to go to the original blog posting HERE!

Fantastic Fan Art!

2011-05-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

I'm very happy to share some recent fan art that I received. The first is from one of my favorite artists, Olivia! Olivia is 9 years old and from Bakersfield, California. She drew an EPIC spread featuring ALL of the characters from my HALLOWEEN KID book and the main characters from the MELVIN BEEDERMAN series. With her attention to detail, I have no doubt that Olivia will be a great artist. Thanks for sharing Olivia!

Olivia even drew a portrait of me at the bottom that looks just like me with pencil and paper in hand! Nice Job!

This next fan art is the FIRST fan art that I've ever received for my SKELETOWN book. This is pretty fun and drawn by the talented Akira, who is age 7. She is from Stockton, California. Make sure to read the letter she wrote, it is my favorite!

This last image of a skeleton with muscles is fun, too!

Thanks for sharing Olivia and Akira! If anyone else has fan art please send it to my email on the contact page at rhodemontijo.com and I'll post them periodically!

Thank you!

Rhode

Latino Comics Expo and New Skeletown Goodies

2011-04-28T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I will be at the first annual Latino Comics Expo on May 7th- 8th in San Francisco, at the Cartoon Art Museum. It is an honor for me to have been invited and to be amongst these great creators: Michael Aushenker, Frederick Luis Aldama, Jose Cabrera, Hector Cantu, Jaime Crespo, Javier Hernandez, Mario Hernandez, Rafael Navarro, Anthony Oropeza, Grasiela Hernandez, Carlos Saldaña and Reluctant Zero.
Hopefully, I'll see some of you there. I'll also have a few new Skeletown goodies just in time for the show, like:

This new Skeletown Papel Picado Card and Envelope Set:

A Skeletown Piggy Bank:

Skeletown Cascabeles/ Rattlers:

and Skeletown Trompos/ Tops:

I'm looking forward to seeing familiar faces and new ones!

Thanks for reading,

Rhode

First Print Release Announcement

2011-04-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

I'm very happy to announce my first ever limited print (of hopefully many others to come) of one of my favorite paintings. This first print is titled, OLD MAN SUN and is being released on Wednesday, April 13th at 3:00pm through Trapeze Editions . It is signed and numbered with a limited edition run of 100 for $100 each. It measures 18 x 24 inches and is printed on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag Satin Fine Art Media Paper. Each print comes with a signed certificate of authenticity.

As a bonus, Trapeze Editions is offering the first 30 people who pick one up, a free bonus print, with a different (but related) design that is printed in gold ink.

Close Up:

Bonus Print (signed and printed in gold ink and measures 7 1/2 x 13 1/2 inches limited to the first 30 buyers)

I designed the bonus print to look like something that might be found on an antiquarian children's book cover.

Close up:

The quality on these prints is top notch. Trapeze Editions' attention to detail is uncanny and I'm very proud to be releasing my first print through them. Also, I'm excited that it will be available to the world with oversees shipping available (I always have technical trouble with shipping overseas with my own sales).

To pick one up, and a chance at the free bonus print, please go directly to the Trapeze Editions store on April 13th at 3:00 (Pacific Time). Good luck, and as always, your support is much appreciated!

~Rhode

Here's the link to the print in the Trapeze Editions gallery store:

OLD MAN SUN PRINT

(it is listed right now as 'coming soon', but will be active at 3:00pm on April 13th)

Here's the official press release from Trapeze Editions:

Press Release

Back From The Dead

2011-04-06T23:22:00.000-07:00

This one is for the hardcore. I'm not going to mention what this T-shirt design is for, but if you know, and must have it, it is here for you. $15 plus shipping (Sizes M,L,XL- U.S. only) This one is very specific. I did a small run for now. If any remain after this, I will have what's left to sell at the first Latino Comic Book Convention. The Latino Comic Book Convention is on May 7th- 8th at The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco. For more info on the convention click here . If you'd like to order the shirt, please click the 'Buy Now' button below. (Note: If you are reading this on Facebook and see no Paypal 'Buy Now' button right below, please visit the original posting by clicking here ) Thank you! ~ Rhode

UPDATE: I forgot to add size selection on the buy button, so if you order one, please just write your size in the "instructions to merchant" section in Paypal. Thanks!

Treasures

2011-04-03T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Sorry for lack of posts lately, but there is much cooking that I hope to share soon including my first ever limited print of one of my paintings, and preparing for the first Latino Comic Book Convention. More on these things and more news later. For now, I'm going to switch things up a bit and just share some photos. We had the last of our snow, it seems, but before it went away I did another little snow mission. This one maybe was a bit more abstract to recognize, but if someone with pirate knowledge stumbled across this, a treasure they would find! Yar!

This is what it involved:

-2 food colors ($2)
-2 spray bottles ($2)
- 5 packs of gold coin chocolates ($5)
Total of $9

I buried the chocolate coins and painted a red 'X' to mark the spot. I did a few, but had a late start so it started getting a dark fast, so I was only able to snap this one photo. Whoever picked up on this pirate visual language would find some treats (frozen, but still treats!)

Here are some more treasures I recently found:

Sometimes while walking around I like to stare up. That way I tend to find some interesting things that probably would go unnoticed in everyday life. One day, I saw this window way up high and it caught my attention:

Then I looked over (as instructed) and saw this:

Someone had made a Post-It note heart with a smily face and a sun. I loved it! It was a nice surprise and the fact that someone took the time to do this small thing- it just made my day. Also, I liked the jack-o-lantern eyes! Here's what it looked like originally from my view. ( I zoomed in on these previous pics)

I also came across this Snow Giant in China Town:

He looked much bigger in person!

Lastly, and my favorite- sometimes there are treasures where you'd least expect... I saw this happy guy on top of a pile of garbage. Can you see him?

That's all for now. Thanks for visiting. I leave you with this quote from Roald Dahl (author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and much more):

"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it"

-r

Announcing Super Grammar!

2011-01-30T18:30:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

I hope the new year is off to a great start for you. I am really excited to announce a project that I have been working on for awhile, but really put it into high gear last year when we began showing the idea to publishers. Super Grammar was created by my good friend Tony Preciado , who has poured his heart into something that we both believe is bigger than us. I teamed up with Tony in trying to realize this idea because Super Grammar is something that we both wished we had in school, back when we were first trying to learn about, and stay interested in grammar. Our goal is to help others with Super Grammar.

What we've done here is visualize some of the concepts of grammar and turned them into super heroes. So, for example, in Super Grammar you don't learn about the vague concept of a Double Negative, you actually get to meet the evil villain Double Negative, who tricks you into saying the opposite of what you mean!

We are trying to create visual aids to hopefully make it easier to learn grammar, but in a fun super hero way. Here's an example of another villain, The Fragment . He makes your sentences weak and crumbly!

These are just a few examples of Super Grammar. For more characters, sketches, and information, please visit supergrammar.com .

We are adding to it constantly, so check back often. As always, your feedback is appreciated!

We have big plans for Super Grammar and you can see our idea take shape at supergrammar.com . If you know anyone that would be interested in learning more about grammar or know educators that might find assistance with Super Grammar, please spread the word. Point them to supergrammar.com !

Its been fun drawing superheroes and Tony is bringing the fun with his writing. I met Tony Preciado when I was an intern on the stop-motion film, James and the Giant Peach. I knew we'd be friends for life when I walked into their workspace and they were blasting music from Looney Tunes and talking non-stop about cartoons. Some of you may remember when I was doing my comic book, Pablo's Inferno , that I released two limited edition busts. I sculpted the Pablo one and Tony sculpted the Quetzal bust, it was amazing! Tony is super-talented and he's super-committed to this project. Out of everything that I have ever worked on, I really feel this one will make a difference. Once you take a look, we hope you can see that we've had fun creating Super Grammar!

Thanks for reading!

Rhode

Wishes

2010-12-27T20:09:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I hope your holidays are filled with love and family. I just wanted to thank you for your support and friendship this year. There are major things at work for 2011 and I can't wait to share them with you!

As always, thank you for reading and I wish you all a happy new year!

~Rhode

Goodies!

2010-11-26T19:57:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. I thought I'd put some of my goodies on sale here with FREE SHIPPING! (for a limited time only) These free shipping items will be available 'till December 10th. If you have any questions please email me. U.S. only orders -sorry! ~Rhode
Note: If you are looking at this posting on Facebook and the Paypal links do not show up, just [click here] to take you to the original posting. Thanks!

64 pages Black and White

Watch A Scribbles And Bits Sketchbook Video Preview

Full Color 12 pages 7.5 X 7.5 inches

POSTCARDS

Print #2- SOLD OUT

Printed on American Apparel Brand T-Shirt- SOLD OUT

Searle-y Drawings

2010-11-24T18:36:00.000-08:00

I recently gave myself a challenge. The mission: to try drawing some of my stuff in a looser Ronald Searle style, who had an expressive inking style. I busted out the dip pen and ink and gave myself a task of drawing characters from children's stories, in his loose sketchy style. Somehow Napoleon crept into the line-up. It was a lot of fun. Maybe I'll keep it going with some more drawings... Here are the results:

Baron Munchausen

Captain Ahab

Baker with crows in pie

Jack Frost

Ghost Of Jacob Marley

Mother Goose

Musketeer #3

Napoleon Bonaparte

Pippi Longstocking

The Sandman

Tiny Tim

Real Halloween Kid and Goodie Goblin Spotted!

2010-11-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

It gives me the biggest joy to see these photos come in of some of the characters in the HALLOWEEN KID. These buckaroos could've been anything in the world for Halloween, but they chose to be characters from the book and I will never forget these guys for doing this! Up first is my pardner Isaac in a nice HALLOWEEN KID get up along with horse. I love the mask and the wranglin' rope and I give extra style points for the family's handmade skeleton decoration (in the background) versus a store bought one! Well done! Isaac, if you are reading this, nice job my friend, I hope you wrangled up lots o' Halloween fun!

Next up, and what was a big surprise, was my pardner Ethan's costume of a Goodie Goblin! I thought there would be lots of Halloween Kids, but Ethan rounded up a pretty nice Goodie Goblin outfit! Nice going Ethan! The horns are awesome! I hope you snatched up lots o' goodies with the Goodie Goblin get-up!

Well played my friends, your costumes warmed my heart like a big ol' jack o' lantern!

I thank you kindly!

~Rhode

The Halloween Kid Costume Contest!

2010-10-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

Alright pardners,

It's time for THE HALLOWEEN KID costume contest! This is FOR AGES 0-12 ONLY. Wrangle up your best HALLOWEEN KID costume and email your picture to rhode (at) pablosinferno (dot) com with the email subject: "Halloween Kid Costume". Pictures must be received by midnight on October 31st! As far as prizes, I had hoped to get more creative and offer unique prizes (like an original HALLOWEEN KID toy horse), but because of the busy-ness of this month, all I have to offer is a monetary prize of $200 for 1st prize, which hopefully isn't that bad, during these tough times... Winner will also receive a signed and sketched HALLOWEEN KID book and poster and a bundle of classic candies to add to the trick-or-treat loot! On top of that I'll try to think of some other special prize from here until then! Have fun and let's see what you got!

Here are some more nice reviews of THE HALLOWEEN KID from various blogs:

School Library Journal

Kids Lit

Books For Kids

Also, there is a major HALLOWEEN KID event planned at one of the great independent bookstores; Copperfield's, (click link for details) in Petaluma, California. It's on October 26 at 10 AM. I will be there reading THE HALLOWEEN KID and showing kids how-to-draw THE HALLOWEEN KID. There will also be a few surprises! Maybe I'll see you and the little buckaroos there!

Don't forget: The DIA DE TUS MUERTOS group art show at Subtext Gallery in San Diego, California, where I'll have some original sculptures for sale for the first time! I'll be at the opening reception is on October 29 from 6-10pm. Maybe I'll see you there!

Finally, while pretend searching online, I found some vintage HALLOWEEN KID goodies, take a look!

A vintage HALLOWEEN KID lunchbox WITH Thermos!

A vintage HALLOWEEN KID toy mask- Mint In Box!

An old TV GUIDE ad

A slightly torn HALLOWEEN KID vinyl costume

Get ready...Halloween is right around the corner!

~Rhode

Dia De Tus Muertos Art Show

2010-10-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hello Everyone,

I was really excited to be invited to participate in a Dia De Los Muertos/ Day of the Dead group show that will be opening October 29th at Subtext Gallery in San Diego, California. The show is curated by the mighty artist duo, Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua, creators of the fun Nickelodeon cartoon, El Tigre ! Included in this group show are these other great artists: Israel Sanchez , Amanda Visell , Martin Ontiveros , Lorelay Bove , Gerald De Jesus , Sadie Figueroa , Simon Varela , plus Jorge and Sandra .

This will be my first time exhibiting and selling my sculptures. I had a great time making them. I very rarely/ hardly ever sell my original artwork, but it was a HUGE honor to be asked to be part of this show as I admire many of the artists. It also didn't hurt that the subject matter is one that I am most drawn to... Here's a peek at the four pieces that I submitted along with the flyer for the show. If you are in the San Diego area, I will be at the opening reception on October 29th from 6-10pm. I'll see you there!
~Rhode

And The Winner Is...

2010-10-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Howdy folks!

The results are in for the "What Did The Halloween Kid Wrangle" Drawin' contest and you guys drew your faces off! Thank you to all the artisits who entered, each piece was enjoyable. I hope everyone will keep drawing because you will only get better and better and one day my drawing hand will get tired and I'll need help creatin' more books! So are you ready to see the winners and the rest of the drawings, pardners? Here we go!

First up is the announcement for the ages 1-12 category. A drumroll please.... The first place prize goes to the creative and talented, Evelyn Anderson from San Francisco, California, U.S.A!

Comments: This 7 year old Artist (with a capital 'A') submitted this scaley, spikey, stitched-up, gnarled-tooth, blood-shot eyed, horned monster! It's a good thing The Halloween Kid wrangled up this crazy thing! A wonderful job Evelyn! Fantastic! Extra style points for adding your own dark castle in the background WITH moat!

You won: An original inked 8 x 11 in. HALLOWEEN KID drawing by me

An original one-of-a-kind HALLOWEEN KID mask

A signed and sketched HALLOWEEN KID book. Congratulations!
Ages 1-13 Runner Up: Angie Age:9 from Bakersfield, California, U.S.A.!

Comments: I received a lot of drawings from Bakersfield, California- good job Bakerfield!- and this one stood out for me. This mean little witch with nasty mole and wicked unibrow seems so upset that she is captured by THE HALLOWEEN KID. Nice coloring job on top of that. Great job Angie! Angie did not originally have her last name on the entry form, so I had to do a little investigating...
You Won: A signed and sketched HALLOWEEN KID book and poster! Congratulations!

Ages 13-18: Winner: The ghost of THE HALLOWEEN KID capturing a ghost!

Just kidding! For some reason I did not receive a single entry for this age category. Because of that, any entry would have been an instant winner. And now what you've all been waiting for...

Ages 19+: WE HAVE A TIE!!! This was a tough category because I received some nice submissions and because no one entered the ages 13-18 category I'm doing this: Both tie entries will receive a prize!

Joshua Smeaton Age: 35 from Tampa, Florida, U.S.A. ties with Xavier Loza Age 28 of Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A..

Comments: Joshua Smeaton submitted this fun drawing of THE HALLOWEEN KID wranglin' up Michael Jackson in zombie form, as found in Michael Jackson's THRILLER video. A fun idea that was nicely drawn, posed, and lighted- Just look at the glow that the moon shines on M.J. and the shadows created- Nice! On top of that, was colored with colors and background similarly found in the HALLOWEEN KID book- Great job Joshua!

You won: An original hand drawn HALLOWEEN KID Trick-or-Treat Bag drawn by me

And a signed and sketched HALLOWEEN KID book. Congratulations!

First Place: Xavier Loza Age: 28 from beautiful Santa Barbara California, U.S.A.!

Comments: I love the evil HALLOWEEN KID Doppelganger that Xavier drew and the nice little details like shabby tube sock horse with crooked tree branch! I also love that even as a villain, he has rose colored cheeks. The evil version even has an official HALLOWEEN KID trick-or-treat bag- that's just twisted! Great job Xavier!

You won: My original inked drawing of the entry form with my version of what THE HALLOWEN KID wrangled.

And a signed and sketched HALLOWEEN KID book. Congratulations!

Ages 19+ Runner Up: Alexandra Brace Age: 27 from London, United Kingdom!

Comments: Alexandra submitted this candy stealin' spooky clown. If you look closely that clown has fangs-scary! Nicely rendered, as well!

You won: A signed and sketched HALLOWEEN KID book and poster. Congratulations!

Winners: please email me your mailing addresses so that you will receive your prizes!

Thanks again to each and every one of you for entering your lovely creations. You made this a really fun and memorable experience and I hope you had a good time drawing. And now here are the rest of the drawings. Enjoy!

Ages 1-12:

Artist: Unknown From: Parts unknown. THE HALLOWEEN KID has wrangled a terrifying half-bodied prehistoric creature. Although he may be smiling, don't overlook the frightening teeth count!

Jessyca Rodriguez Age:9, Bakersfield, California. Comments: Jessyca shows THE HALLOWEEN KID wrangling a spookly floating pumpkin. Nice starry background Jessyca!

Ashley Decuerva Age:9, Bakersfiled, California. Comments: Don't be fooled by this cute looking creature for it is pure evil! Good job Ashley!

Dylan Age:7 from Salt Lake City, Utah. Comments: Dylan shows THE HALLOWEEN KID lassoing a creepy mummy. I like how he depicted the bandages and I liked the eyes. Good job Dylan!

Jennifer Age:10 from California. Comments: Jennifer depicts this footless creature caught y THE HALLOWEEN KID. I like Jennifer's use of a word bubble.

Jonah Mingo Age:5 from Salt Lake City, Utah. Here, Jonah depicts THE HALLOWEEN KID capturing one of them sneaky GOODY GOBLINS from the book. Jonah shows great promise as an artist doing this at age 5!

Joshua Age:9 from California Comments: Joshua depicts THE HALLOWEEN KID wrangling up a great pumpkin (Whether its THE Great Pumpkin is still being debated by scholars) Joshua shows a nice use of space with his pumpkin patch and background and I like the cat and bat he added. Joshua will be a force to be reckoned with as an artist! Good job Joshua!

Eduardo Vasquez Age: 9, Bakersfield, California. Eduardo did a nice drawing of an original creation. I like al the 'x's' on the costume and the fact that he's blue. I also like the background he added. Eduardo will be an amazing artist! Great job Eduardo!

Andrea Santiago Age:9, Bakersfield, California. Comments: Andrea submitted this nice drawing of THE HALLOWEEN KID wrangling up some tasty treats. Looks like he even scored WHOLE candy bars- a trick-or-treat treasure!

Oliver Anderson, Age:4, San Francisco Comments: Oliver was the youngest entry and just look at his spooky creation! Oliver is off to a great young start with his drawing career!

Luno Age:5 from beautiful Oakland, California. Comments: Luno submits a scary hairy long-legged monster! Good job Luno!

Ages: 19+

Justin Babb Age: 26, St.Paul, Minnesota Comments: Justin entered a drawing contest for my comic, PABLO'S INFERNO years ago. He's still drawing and getting better and better. Here, THE HALLOWEEN KID wrangling EL CALAMBRE: the greatest Mexican wrester that ever lived (in my comic, at least!) Thanks for the crossover drawing Justin!

By the single nome de plume 'Goose', also from the mighty Oakland, California. Comment: Another entry from Oakland California. This is a creepy multi-eyed and tentacled monster that I would not want to cross paths with! Nice drawing with nice use of the space! Good job Goose!

COMING SOON: A HALLOWEEN KID costume contest for the youngsters. Get ready!

~Rhode

"What Did The Halloween Kid Wrangle?" Drawin' Contest!

2010-09-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

Click on entry form image to enlarge, then print, and draw!

Howdy Pardners!

Announcin' the official "What Did The Halloween Kid Wrangle?" Drawin' Contest! Sharpen them pencils & crayons because we are about to have a drawin' jamboree! For those of you who have picked up THE HALLOWEEN KID book, you know that The Halloween Kid loves him some Halloween and he wrangles anybody who stops others from lovin' it. All you have to do is print out this here drawing entry form and draw yer face off!

All ages welcome! Anybody can participate, please spread the word! Entries can be black-and-white or in color, but bein' creative is what counts here! RULES: All entries must be received by September 30th at high noon. Please scan (kids, you might need and adult to give you a helpin' hand with this part) all entries at 100dpi (to keep the files small) and email to rhode (at) pablosinferno (dot) com. (please write like a regular email address using @ and a . ) Please label your drawing- "Halloween Kid Entry" before attaching to email. By entering you are giving permission to show your drawings online. Only one entry per person. Winners will be announced in early October (please visit the site for more updates) Here are the prizes (for now, there may be some additions in the upcoming weeks):

Ages 1-12:

1st Place:
-An official original one-of-a-kind drawn Halloween Kid Mask.

-An original Halloween Kid inked drawing by me (coming soon)
-A Halloween Kid book signed by me

Runner Up:
-A signed and sketched Halloween Kid book
-A signed and sketched Halloween Kid Poster

Ages 13-18

1st place:
-The original drawing used for this contest along with my drawing of what the Halloween Kid captured (This will be revealed when the contest is over)

-A Halloween Kid book signed and sketched by me

Runner Up:
-A signed and sketched Halloween Kid book
-A signed and sketched Halloween Kid poster

Ages 19+

1st place:
An original one-of-a-kind two color Halloween Kid Trick-Or-Treat (8 x 10 inches) bag drawn by me (8x10 inches) Suitable for hangin' or for trick-or-treatin'!

-A Halloween Kid book signed and sketched by me

Runner Up:
-A signed and sketched Halloween Kid book
-A signed and sketched Halloween Kid poster

That's it for now folks. Remember to check back here for the actual date that winners will be announced and everybody's entries will go up. Also, keep checking for possible additional prizes. And don't forget: Have fun!
~Rhode

The Halloween Kid Has Landed!

2010-09-04T10:47:00.000-07:00

Shown: a free card available at rhodemontijo.com

8/31/10 SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Coming real soon in September- an all ages HALLOWEEN KID drawing contest with prizes galore! Also, a HALLOWEEN KID costume contest for the youngsters in October! Get ready!

Howdy folks,

It has been a bit busy lately, but I have lots of news to share. First, THE HALLOWEEN KID is officially out! I continue getting reports from those who pre-ordered the books and their arrival to homes. Books should be in stores, hopefully in the Halloween section or available online at places like at AMAZON .

THE SAN DIEGO COMIC CON has come and gone and aside from me getting sick, Jamie Baker and I had one of our better shows! Thanks to all who came to the booth and took a chance with picking up some of our items, while there was plenty to choose from on the epic convention space. I nearly sold out of all the advanced copies of THE HALLOWEEN KID, coming home with only a handful of books. I did not anticipate that kind of response. Thanks so much to everyone who picked up a book!

I have a few HALLOWEEN KID posters left over from the convention and I am making them available here, while supplies last. I will sign each poster and dedicate them (optional) if you fill in the space provided below. Poster measures 16x20 inches and is on glossy UV coated stock paper. $5.00 + $4.95 priority mail shipping. (Available in the U.S. only- sorry!) Note: If you can't see the Paypal button right below to purchase, please click here .

Signed to: (Optional)

There are also still a few SKELETOWN signed and numbered limited prints available, as well. Only 100 made. $20 + $4.90 priority mail shipping. The print is a two color screenprint on quality paper and printed by Bloom Press. (U.S. only) Note: If you can't see the Paypal button right below to purchase, please click here .

*Shipping Note: If for some reason you place an order for more than one print and/or poster and get charged twice for shipping, I will refund the shipping overcharge before completing the Paypal transaction.

More HALLOWEEN KID news: I've updated my site rhodemontijo.com with lots and lots of FREE HALLOWEEN KID goodies like this HALLOWEEN KID IRON-ON and OFFICIAL MASK. You'll find coloring pages, mazes, secret messages, pumpkin carving stencils and more- all free! Click image below to take you straight to all the goodies!

Shown: Halloween Kid Iron On #5 available at rhodemontijo.com

Shown: Print your own Official Halloween Kid Mask! rhodemontijo.com

Here are some recent reviews of the book:

The first one that came in was a really sweet write up from THE SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Spoiler Warning: This gives away how the book ends. Skip this one if you'd rather be surprised:

“YEE-HA-LLOWEEN!” is the battle cry of the Halloween Kid, who rides his stick horse into suburban anytown USA and rids the place of all manner of Halloween-hatin’ varmints. Text written in cowboy lingo enhances the rootin’ tootin’ fun as the Halloween Kid lassos toilet-paper mummies, leaf-pile ghosts, and the Giant Miami Werewolf. When the Kid meets his match in the greedy Goodie Goblins, the local children rescue him for a change, bringing the tale to a sweet and satisfying conclusion. This rollicking story projects a delightfully retro style and sensibility, aided by black, white, and orange brush-and-ink illustrations reminiscent of cartoons from the Eisenhower era. A treat for storytime as well as for independent reading and a must for Halloween picture-book collections.–Amy Rowland, Shelter Rock Elementary School, Manhasset, NY

Next up was KIRKUS REVIEWS:

When pumpkin-suckin' vampires and other Halloween hoodlums threaten holiday fun, the Halloween Kid, who "loved him some Halloween," keeps the peace. He's so successful, they stay away for years--until the Goodie Goblins show up, and it looks like his skills are so rusty he won't be able to stop them! Who can save the Halloween Kid? While Montijo's plot may be a bit shopworn, his storytelling and stylish graphics more than make up for this. His old-time Western dialect drops gs with abandon and introduces to a new generation such fabulous vocabulary as "varmints" and "[o]oh-wee" as it drawls along. The brush-and-ink illustrations are digitally colored in oranges and yellows and manipulated to present a worn finish, and the 1950s cartoon aesthetic is completed with the Halloween Kid's Lone Ranger mask. "Yee-haw"--er, "Yee-HA-lloween!”

KIRKUS REVIEWS are tough sometimes. They blasted my first book, so I have to take this one as 'not-so-bad'

The latest comes from PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY review:

When Halloween tricks get out of hand, it's time to call the Halloween Kid, a cowboy bandit with a black mask and flying hobbyhorse. Every year, he fearlessly wrangles "pumpkin-suckin' vampires" and tickles "leaf-pile ghosts," but when goblins run amok, he may have met his match. Grainy vintage-style illustrations in mustard and orange evoke autumnal nostalgia, with a nod to old westerns: " `Y'all keep trick-or-treatin' now, ya hear?' and with a wink, he rode into the moonlit sky." Ages 3-6. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Also, I recently updated Skeletown with a few new drawings. I try to keep Skeletown growing by adding a few new images every so often, so please visit
skeletown.com to check out the latest.

I recently found these rocks that looked bone white, so I had an idea...

Last, but not least, check out the latest GIANT ROBOT MAGAZINE #66 that has an article about the free crayon portraits and short stories that Jason Jaworski and I occasionally do out on the street.

Photo by Mark Mulhern

Thanks so much for reading. More to come real soon!
~Rhode

The Halloween Kid Reprinted!

2010-07-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

I went to my previous apartment today and my old roommate told me that a package had arrived for me. I had no idea what it was, but it was from my publisher and it was slightly heavy. I opened up the package and there were two of my HALLOWEEN KID books inside. This confused me. They had already sent me a few advanced copies and here they were sending me two more. I then opened one of the books and there was this little green index card-sized note inside.

I could not believe my eyes! THE HALLOWEEN KID, a month away from even coming out, was getting a second print run! What great surprising news! I couldn't believe it. This has never happened to me before! My first kids book, CLOUD BOY did get a second printing, but it was months and months after it had come out, but here with THE HALLOWEEN KID getting reprinted before it even comes out, was the craziest news! My heart was racing when I read that little note, it's the smallest note, but I read it over a few times to make sure I wasn't reading it wrong and constructing things in my head. All I can say is THANK YOU SO MUCH, if you pre-ordered the book, YOU DID WONDERS! Thank you friends, librarians, book sellers, parents and children, for taking a chance with the book! I enjoyed the heck out of writing and drawing the story. It wasn't 'till later that I worried about how the book might do. It was a seasonal book after all and would only have a small window of a few months to sell from August to October, but I guess I got lucky. If you are a book dork like me and look for a first printing of a book, there is almost always a small printing history number line on the inside copyright page of a book. It's usually a row of numbers like 1 2 3 4 5 6... or 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2, so if its a first printing, it will have the number '1' in the number line and in later reprints the lowest number is removed. So these same numbers, say in a third print run, will look like this: 3 4 5 6... or 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4. Too much information??? Anyway, back to it- thanks again for everyone who picked up a book!

Now, onto some San Diego Comic Con news! Its just a few days away. My buddy Jamie Baker and I are at the same booth we have been for that last few years- we love that spot! Please visit booth #1329, if you attend the show, it would be great to see everyone. Again, the dates ar July 22-25. Jamie Baker will have his first full color book: Sephilina and here's a peek at some of the new things I'll have at the booth this year. I printed up a new SKELETOWN print, once again with the mighty Bloom Press in Oakland, California, by the powerful Nat. Nat is a perfectionist and it shows in all of his work. If you ever need something printed, this is the guy for the job! This is a very limited screen print run of only 100 made. Each print is two colors and printed on a 16X20 heavy stock paper. It depicts little Skully reading a book and his imagination running wild. Here's a peek at the image (not actual print):

I was also able to print a small run of THE HALLOWEEN KID posters! Full color offset print run of 500 made on glossy stock paper. Measures 12 X 18. Here's a peek:

Finally, I printed a small set of postcards. Each set comes with 5 individual spooky images(+1 free) and are mail-ready. Here's a peek:

We'll have more things at the show! I hope to see you there and if it's your first time going to the show, take it steady and slow and enjoy the ride!

~Rhode

The Halloween Kid Is Coming!

2010-06-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to announce my upcoming children's book, THE HALLOWEEN KID! This will be my second children's book that will be published and it's a big dream come true! THE HALLOWEEN KID is about a mysterious masked boy who wrangles Halloween hoodlums to keep the night safe for trick-or-treaters. All is well for years, that is, until a band of greedy goodie goblins gallop onto the scene - then even the Halloween Kid can use a helpin' hand. This book is 32 pages and will be published this Fall (August 10th) through Simon & Schuster. I'm hoping, however, to have some super advanced copies to sell for the San Diego Comic Con on July 22-25 (will confirm soon!)

For a peek at the book, here's a small book movie trailer: (click image to play or click here)

You can also flip and read through the first five pages here:

Simon & Schuster Browse Inside

Growing up and to present day, I love me some Halloween. I LOVE everything about it!

With children's books, I love going to the Halloween section every year and seeing what's new and I'm happy THE HALLOWEEN KID will be a part of that batch this year.

The book itself was inspired by newspaper articles from my hometown where I read that some kids were no longer allowed to dress up in schools on Halloween and were getting discouraged from trick-or-treating because of fear. I really felt Halloween was in danger, more so than being dangerous. The inspiration for the look of the book came from vintage Halloween decorations that I love and which tend to have limited colors. Most times, the colors off-registered a bit, and some of the vintage decorations are worn and distressed, so I tried to emulate that here. It was also fun writing the whole book in a Western drawl, dropping g's and even using a double negative in a sentence, something that normally publishers will try and correct, but my publisher embraced. I hope it makes for a fun read-aloud book. I really owe the printing of the book to my editor, Kevin Lewis. I feel lucky to have illustrated a few books, but since day one, he believed in my writing and it's because of him that CLOUD BOY and THE HALLOWEEN KID came to life. Thank you Kevin. Now, here's a peek at some of the book's process:

This was the cover to the book mock-up (the whole book quickly sketched in it's entirety with pencilled in story) that I used to shop around the idea to publishers. ( you'll see later that the final cover was pretty close to this):

Here's an interior page sketch:

Here's the same page finalized and in color:

Another interior illustration:

This is a peek at the cover process. Initially I just had the Halloween Kid on the cover, but the publisher felt it should reflect the trick-or-treating part of Halloween as well, which I didn't mind at all. The first cover sketch revision showed a trick-or-treating scenario, with houses and all, but it just felt too busy. We knew we wanted to use black as the cover, but the silhouetted houses were getting lost against that.

In the end we just simplified, dropped the homes, and lined the trick-or-treaters at the bottom with no perspective.

Here is the final cover with THE HALLOWEEN KID logo designed by Laurent Linn, who outdid himself with the design of this book!

Here's a group shot of characters in the book that I just did for fun. This image is not in the book, but maybe I'll make a print or a poster in the future.

For More Rootin Tootin' HALLOWEEN KID fun and information please visit:

rhodemontijo.com

I will be posting new information, activities and images, as they become available, on that site. There will be free goodies like this HALLOWEEN KID coloring page and maze! (click on the images to enlarge and just hit 'print' on your printer!)

Thanks for reading. More news as the publishing date nears. If you are interested in this book and want to pre-order THE HALLOWEEN KID, you can do so by clicking the link below (if you complete the process through here or at rhodemontijo.com,it would be greatly appreciated!) or look out for the book when it hits bookshelves on August 10th.
Pre-Order here:

More HALLOWEEN KID goodies are coming. Please visit again soon!

Thank you kindly, pardners!
~Rhode

Melvin Beederman: The End?

2010-06-23T16:03:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the end of a series of books that I had the great pleasure of working on, with Melvin Beederman Superhero #8 hitting the book shelves. A book written by first time author, Greg Trine, about a struggling kid super hero who couldn't leap a building in a single bound, but took him more like six or seven tries. What was supposed to be one book, initially, it was pulled from the infamous "slush pile" (that dark room at all publishing houses with piles of book manuscripts that are stacked high to the ceiling) and was granted an eight book series! That alone should give any aspiring writer hope. I remember getting the call from my editor, she was so excited about the book and was giggling as she explained the rough story line to me. I was immediately drawn to the main character and all of his struggles and soon became a fan devouring each new manuscript like a fan first and then as my illustrating job later. I loved working on this book so much. On top of that, Melvin Beederman took me to cities I'd never seen, when Greg Trine and I went on a book tour arranged by the publisher, and met many new friends because of the book, and for that I am thankful. It had at one time even been optioned to be animated, but never quite made it.

Melvin Beederman had a good run of eight books, although part of me secretly wished to see what Greg Trine would have written had he known it would be the last, there was/is so much potential in the series, that's for sure! I'm in a bit of a denial about the whole thing, I feel that it may live on in the future, but it's not up to me and for now, it's a bittersweet good bye. If you ever had thought about maybe picking up the book before and maybe passed, now would be the time to give it a chance. It's a treat! A bit biased of a recommendation, but a sincere one. Here's a peek at one of book #8's final scenes of an epic battle inside of a space mall (click image to enlarge):

Melvin Beederman was a blast to work on. Thank you Greg Trine for writing the book with such fun characters with heart. Thank you Reka Simonsen for pairing me up with Greg and for believing in me for the series. Thanks to the designers that worked on the book. Thank you librarians and readers old and young, for giving the book a chance. Thank you Henry Holt & Co. for publishing eight books about a struggling little hero that leaped from the "slush pile" and into homes and schools everywhere!

~Rhode

p.s. for all readers old and new, one last surprise: I had a fun time of hiding a panicking chicken in all eight of the Melvin Beederman books, so if you have the books already, go back and look for the chicken! Some are easier to find than others, but there's one in each book. If you are asking why a chicken, I will quote a wise one that once said "because chickens are funny."

Exhibit A: Panicking chicken

In The Works...

2010-05-28T08:13:00.000-07:00

I'm a day or so from completing the paintings for a book that I'm illustrating. It feels pretty good... I've learned that sometimes the books sometimes take two years for them to be published, so I thought I'd share two of the interior pages here. So here's a super advanced sneak peek for you! More details later on the book later!

Thank you for visiting. More news real soon!~Rhode

A New Beginning...

2010-02-17T20:54:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone!

After losing some files at rhodemontijo.com/blog, I'm slowly moving everything to this new blog: rhodemontijo.blogspot.com, so please bookmark it. There is lots of exciting news for 2010, so stay tuned. The latest news, images and updates are coming soon!

Thanks for visiting!

~Rhode

New Melviny Stuff!

2008-09-10T00:58:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,
It’s been too long, yet again, but I’ve been working hard on the latest Melvin Beederman. Here’s a sneak peek at Melvin Beederman #7: Brotherhood of the Traveling Pants. This is the cover and some interior sketches!
~Rhode

Another Sneak Peek

2008-07-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Here are sketches from another story that I am working on. Again, I rarely do this, but since I haven’t posted anything in a while, I thought I’d share.
-Rhode

2008-06-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

I rarely do this, but because of lack of posts lately, I thought I’d share a sketch from one of my stories that I’m working on at the moment.

In other news, I just found out that Cloud Boy will be translated into Chinese! I never thought that would happen EVER, so it was nice learning about the nice news

from my publisher.

-Rhode

Hello Everyone, It's Been Awhile...

2008-04-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

I’ve been busy with some freelance projects, but keep going with the kids books. I’m about to jump back onboard with the latest Melvin adventure (Book #7) which should be fun as always. There’s some good illustrating challenges in this next one.
Here’s Joe the Bad Guy which I colored up for the Melvin Beederman Official Website . There are a few new characters on there and more coming! More exciting news with Melvin and Cloud Boy on the way, that I hope I can announce soon..
Thanks for visiting!

~Rhode
Update: Here’s one more of Superhero Carl.

Melvin Beederman Book Tour

2007-05-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,
On May 8th-17th, Henry Holt and Company, publishers of the Melvin Beederman Superhero books, are sending author Greg Trine and myself for a two week book tour! I’m really excited as I have not ever been to most of these places. It all ends off with the IRA convention in Toronto Canada. Here’s where we will be visiting:
May 9th (9:30-2:00):
Skoki Public Library
5215 Oakton St.
Skokie, IL 60077

May 11th (12:30-2:30):
Woodview Elementary
600 5th Avenue
Grafton, WI 53024

May 12th (2:00-3:00)
Hudson Library with Learned Owl Bookstore
96 Library St.
Hudson, Ohio 44236

May 14th (9:00-11:00)
Shuler Books
(1:00-2:30)
The Reading Tree
5150 Northland Drive
Grand Rapids, MI 49525

May 15th-17th
IRA
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
South Building
222 Bremmer Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario CANADA M5V 2W6
Henry Holt Booth #2005
Simon and Schuster Booth #1723

~Rhode

Melvin Beederman's Greg Trine Has A Blog!

2007-03-10T20:39:00.000-08:00

Greg Trine, creator of the Melvin Beederman series, just started a blog. Now you can tap into the mind of Melvin’s creator and read how the man thinks! It’s been so much fun working on Greg’s book. I always look forward to reading the latest Melvin manuscript. I read it as a fan first, then I put my working cap on.
Click here for Greg Trine’s Blog!
Sketches were just finished for the 5th Melvin book, along with the cover design. Above is a sneak peek of an interior page from that book.
~Rhode

The Three Swingin' Pigs!

2007-02-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

I just saw that “The Three Swingin’ Pigs” is listed for pre-order at Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com! I’m really excited about this book. It’s technically the first book deal I ever got and it’s my first fully-painted book. It’s written by Vicky Rubin and published by Henry Holt, which publishes the Melvin Beederman Superhero series. This book was put on hold for some time, while the company launched the Melvin series, but I’m glad it will finally be coming out. It’s not in stores ’till May but you can pre-order it now at the mentioned sites.
~Rhode