Harry's homepage

For Time

2008-09-27T14:22:10+00:00

Inspired by Brian's posts on his TIME work, thought I would post some of mine for Justin Fox's column. This is a financial column, and we all know solutions can be ellusive, appear as stock and can just be done very badly. I know, I've have done my share of those. I try to avoid the blatant cliches or at least try to twist them. A few have been stinkers but looking back most seemed post worthy, and a few make me very happy. I am so grateful to be working for Time, as well as Newsweek, NYT and all the rest that have given me steady work. I sometimes take it for granted but over these past few weeks I have considered myself very fortunate and pray that the phone keeps ringing and the inbox is full.

Drill Baby Drill

2008-09-15T15:44:27+00:00

How about the news today? BBC tells me that Iran is selling weapons to the Taliban, Shiites to Sunnis. The hatred towards the U.S is so strong that ancient enemies unite to fight us. Pakistan is now defending itself from US incursions into their country. I believe they even fired warning shots at U.S forces today, according to the BBC. They speculate that our latest efforts in that region are an attempt to bag a high level Qaida to boost support for the Republicans. All this on top of a once in a century financial event, according to Greenspan.

Okay, enough bad, hope you like my comic.

Mother Jones

2008-09-09T22:02:30+00:00

Thought I would follow up Tim's inspiring post with my stuff from that issue. A tough act to follow indeed. I recall being somewhat stumped on what to do for this because I don't really do likenesses, I have a few but clearly I need to work on it. The article that I was given was about how the current administration is working full tilt deleting e-mails and other correspondance in an effort to shape the Bush legacy. Mother Jones is one of the few mags taking risks these days. As contributors I'm sure were all on some list of subversives somewhere.

I'm glad Tim brought this issue to Drawger, I'm thrilled to be in such company.

Bicycling on paper

2008-08-03T18:40:16+00:00

Ran back to Baltimore and to my studio after a few days cycling, too many e-mails with lucrative and fun jobs coming in. Too much to handle on the road and put in 90 miles to the next hotel.
This is a recent piece I did for Bicycling Mag. I'm still trying to figure out how to work people into my stuff. I'm more comfortable with mechanics, buildings, wires, circuit boards etc.
The figure was based on a pic of me as reference, hence the thick neck and trunk that you would never find on a real cyclist. David Speranza is great to work with, it's been my experience with Bicycling that they just let you do your thing.

The subject was about breaking out of your HR zone.

On the Road.2

2008-08-01T15:30:55+00:00

A quick report from the road. I'm biking my way across Quebec with laptop in tow. Rode from Quebec City to Montreal in two days, 95 + each day. Heading south today after doing a bit of work and touring the Montreal waterfront.

On The Road

2008-07-23T15:02:15+00:00

Are there any Drawgers in Quebec? I'm heading up there on Tuesday for some bike touring, and maybe some remote studio work.

web.me.com/harrycampbell1

I hope to record the trip in my sketchbook, something I rarely do so we'll see how that works. If I'm happy with the sketchbook I'll be sure to post some pages here when I return.

Going Mobile

2008-07-22T21:38:52+00:00

On The Road

2008-07-14T11:20:27+00:00

Are there any Drawgers in Quebec? I'm heading up there next week for a bike tour on The Route Verte.

the bike blog

web.me.com/harrycampbell1

Link to the bike blog.
web.me.com/harrycampbell1

Domestic Bliss

2008-07-11T14:20:37+00:00

Gone Fishing-sort of.

2008-07-01T22:35:38+00:00

Okay, thought I should fill out the NYT Sunday show here, with Paul and Stephen on the covers of my favorite sections. I was all by my lonesome on the op-ed page. Oh but boy what a space Brian gave me this time. Did the sketch Thursday, got approval and worked a bit towards final. There was no time for different roughs here, Brian pretty much knew what he needed and we had a lot of detail in mind. Went fishing out on the Chesapeake Bay at 4am Friday with my son and some friends, already scheduled, the raced back to my studio to finish by 5pm Friday. There were 8 articles dealing with gas prices etc.

What me worry about a deadline in a few hours?

Big Brown

2008-06-12T14:56:40+00:00

Here's another op-ed piece i did recently. Always happy to drop everything, sit back and have fun with these things. Brain Rea has been great to send so many great assignments over my way in the past few years. Thanks Brian.

This article was on why Big Brown shouldn't win the Triple Crown because of the way stables treat their horses, the money involved, drugs etc. I told Brian that I wasn't sure what we had at the end but that at least it was fun to look at.

Op-Ed for Wednesday

2008-05-14T14:24:49+00:00

I must be in sync with Brian Rea at the Times. I'm thinking it's time to do an op-ed piece then the phone rings. This has happened with other clients as well. Always happy to drop everything for the op-ed.
The subject was the current crisis in Myanmar, the refusal by the bad guys there to allow aid to be delivered and how using force may be an option.

A wet week in Paris

2008-04-03T20:57:54+00:00

When I'm working by myself for ten hours in the studio I'm always thinking of the next opportunity to escape, terrible work ethic, I know. Drawger doesn't all need to be work related does it? Oh, just got a message from CA that I got a piece in this year, so there it's now work related.
I just got back from a week in Paris with my family. We had to work this into the school break and took a chance knowing that March can be dicey weather wise. It's still Paris though and we stayed in a great neighborhood, very much off the tourist circuit, great market street, great food lifestyle etc. I'll have to postpone my plans for living in Europe for a year as even a week with the dollar so weak is so pretty rough. That coupled with the taxes means no more escape for a while, maybe bike touring, that's cheap. See the link to photos and blog.

http://web.mac.com/harrycampbell1/iWeb/Site%203/Harry%27s%20Site.html

Op-Ed

2008-04-01T15:34:34+00:00

I was inspired by Edel's recent post of op-ed material so here you go. As always I usually won't turn Brian down unless I'm not around, act of god, something like that. This is from a couple Sundays ago. I never turn Sunday down.
The subject was how extremist Islam keeps coming back stronger and stronger, and how it also kind of steamrolls more moderate islam. I was a tad apprehensive and half joked with Brian about images of Muhammad, not funny and I hope these roughs don't offend. I knew that the islamic symbol wouldn't fly but had to explore. The snake was the final. I had the image in mind of Ben Franklin's "Don't Tread on Me" snake sliced in pieces. I liked the broken sword sort of growing more and more swords but a bit of a hard read perhaps.

Technically Speaking

2008-03-08T19:22:25+00:00

I was drawn to Lou Brook's post about doing so many jobs for articles about technology. Lou's work for Sound & Vision shows how these things can and should be illustrated. These articles can be so hard to build a concept around. I suppose there are a few approaches. There's Lou's masterful, second to none, vintage pop Mechanics approach. There are the countless really bad computers with arms etc. I've done that, I know.
I thought I would post a few of my technical article pieces. My approach is usually just a head on assault. Embrace the hardware, the wires, the mechanics. I love getting lost in the detail of these, the wires, the screws etc. I try to keep the concepts subtle and I guess they are sometimes intentionally literal, like looking at a manual for your DVD player. I always found those types of drawings interesting. I'm a map geek too so I guess this all makes sense. These were donefor PC World, Wired, and the WSJournal-respectively.

What the Buck?

2008-02-07T19:06:24+00:00

So I'm riding my bike down to my studio around lunch time doing my part to make one less trip by car, I stop at Starbucks for a light lunch and cup of joe. I only like Starbucks because I know the coffee is always strong, and I loathe watery coffee. After finishing my egg salad sandwich and small (tall) coffee I inquire as to the recycling policy of Starbucks, answer-"we don't"-"really, nothing"-"well sometimes cardboard" So, into the garbage goes the small plastic sandwich container, paper cup, and plastic lid. The sandwich container actually had a recycling icon on it. I should have stuffed everything in my pannier and recycled at home but it didn't occur to me at the time. Granted, I was feeling pretty self righteous as I had just yesterday traveled by bike and light rail from Baltimore to Annapolis to attend the bike symposium and meet with my delegates about doing something, anything, to make our communities more pedestrian friendly, and thus more egalitarian. I'm ranting, I know, I'm sending this to the fine people at Starbucks.

SLOOOOO.O.O.OW

2008-02-04T20:27:35+00:00

My 08 folder probably has like 30 jobs folders in it, crazy busy, ten jobs at a time? no problem. Then all of a sudden I'm nursing just two.
I've been preparing myself for the impending downturn to follow the slowing economy. I've been through it before and I would be a fool to think I am immune this time.
So-I had plenty of time on Friday when our friend Brian at the op-ed called at 1:30 with this piece. Love that kind of deadline.
Honored to be illustrating a commentary written by the esteemed Jimmy Carter-and James Baker 3rd. This was on voter picture I.D. cards, a bipartisan piece.

Well, if next week is slow I'll have more time to get caught up on Drawger.

Thank You Iowans

2008-01-04T12:43:07+00:00

Just thought I would see if I had any art that would match my feelings this morning. I haven't really backed anyone up to this point and have been a model of apathy and despair. However, this morning I am rejuvenated by the overwhelming voice coming from Iowa--CHANGE!!!!!! and HOPE.

My spirits are so elevated to think that a large group of predominantly white Americans have spoken so loudly and have at least for the moment shaken the negative perception I have cultivated over the past seven years of my fellow countrymen-and women.

JD Made me do it

2007-12-07T15:54:06+00:00

Hey, well a second post from me within a week. JD had noticed this piece I did for the Times, and asked if I had posted it, so here it is. One of those technical pieces that I often get, though this one had a bit to do with how audiophiles are being won over to the i-pod. I kind of see it as sad, all that old hi-fi stuff was so great. I remember my dad's system taking up the whole living room, reel to reel, big receiver, turntable, album jackets scattered around. Sitting down and actually listening to music, wow, when was the last time I did that?
Threw a recent op-ed piece in here. Again, a call from Brian is always welcome. This was a piece on Obama's failure to win over the African American vote. The article raised concerns by black voters that he didn't share a common history, civil rights struggle and on back into that wicked history. I was hoping it would be silhouetted large on the page but ran small and didn't have the impact that I'd hoped.

Thanks Edel

2007-12-04T13:23:39+00:00

You know the problem: You have a deadline but you just want to pop into Drawger and see what's up, next thing you know it's noon and your job is due at 3:00. Such great stuff here on Drawger, always amazed. Here's one of the jobs that has kept me away for a while, a biggie for Edel on end of year medical news etc. I get called on quite often to illustrate items that don't really have much editorial content and are very clinical or factual. I rather like trying to find a way to make them interesting.
My favorite is the obese couple.
I figure I can't post while working on something for Edel because he'll be like "hey, what are you doing wasting time at Drawger, get that work done" Kidding aside -Edel is the best, how he does all he does is beyond me. Thanks for the big job Edel.

AI?

2007-11-05T12:53:19+00:00

Is anybody going to the AI party? I wasn't going to go but just got an e-mail reminder about it and I haven't been to NY in quite a few months, maybe I should go. I don't have anything in the book this year, haven't entered any contests this year, kind of falling out of the loop, uninspired, getting out of my cube might do me good.

Recent work for Time

2007-10-24T12:15:51+00:00

Been consistently busy forever but haven't done much that I like over the past year. I know, we all go through this, things become routine, ideas hard to generate or at least to ourselves good art or good ideas don't light us up. But here are two little pieces I did for Time, one for Edel and one for Tom Miller. I did the virus piece for Tom and then Edel called a couple weeks later for the carbon piece (thanks Edel!-our friend on the inside) I do like doing straight "information" type illustrations, describing a process, no room for pretentious content, just get the message across and make it look good.Time is usually a really good client, never any of that arbitrary editorial input that we weather from some other clients. All business baby.

bikes good, cars bad

2007-08-15T18:28:38+00:00

Adam's post on Afghanistan and the beautiful art on war got me going-but instead of hijacking his post, which I sometimes do to others, sorry, thought I would post this. I was watching TV last night, won't tell you what I was watching but it was one of these home improvement, flipping shows which my wife loves and which I just rant and cus at all the way through. Anyway, a commercial for Walmart comes on and it's all these people standing around pumping gas saying how much it (gas) costs. So all these gas pumpers have quotes regarding high prices and how we have to spend on gas but we can save at Walmart on other "essentials". So this one actor's line goes like this- "What am I supposed to do ride a moped to work" What? yes you should! Advertising making something very reasnable and sane seem silly and unthinkable. Ever been to Europe? Asia? where the bike is a necessary and affordable means of transportation? In Paris where the streets are crowded with every imaginable two wheeled transport? Amsterdam, etc etc.

NYT National work

2007-08-14T16:56:57+00:00

I've been doing this weekly piece for the NYT National section since January. It's a small illustration to accompany a legal column. Of course it is the Times so it is often a contentious issue, timely etc. I haven't posted any work in a while and was inspired by Edel's posting of his op-ed piece. When I look at what I do every day a huge amount is tech oriented, non human, non emotional work, though I love it. I love taking stories on os software etc. and doing something different and fresh. But the Times gives me a chance to get involved in serious issues both in this legal column which is written by the brilliant writer Adam Liptak, and the op-ed work that Brian Rea sends my way. Looking back at these legal pieces and others wow do they add up quick, this is but a sampling.

My Maine studio

2007-08-08T15:27:22+00:00

Hello, fellow Drawgers. I just got back from Maine, about a week with my nine year old son Evan. We visited with my friend Jonathan Carlson and his son Declan in beautiful Camden Maine, and then headed up to Acadia back to Nh and up Mt. Washington. I have been traveling a bit this summer and need to get work done too so this trip was my first real test of the mobile studio. My new 17" powerbook, small wacom tablet and cell phone all fit in a small backpack. I worked while my son was sleeping, and I worked in a coffee shop in Maine. I could just hit the road for good.

More Montana Pics

2007-07-20T20:25:41+00:00

For those of you who asked for more Montana pics, happy to oblige.

For those of you who asked for more Montana pics, happy to oblige.

Montana ride

2007-07-20T14:23:36+00:00

Hey Fellow Drawgers, I've been away a while, not too excited about work but busy as heck, yet always looking to get away from it. Just got back from Montana. I did 600 miles of cycling with my brother who I've been long estranged due to our religious and political views. I think we planned this trip as a way to find common ground after the death of our mother and only surviving parent last year. It went well, just a common goal of climbing the next hill, meeting new friends, and finding out that there is more to all of us than just who we're voting for in 08.

HOPE

2007-05-16T13:30:15+00:00

HOPE-I'm sure Jonathan would appreciate your kind words. His e-mail below.
carlsonillustration@adelphia.net

A while ago I posted about how our friend Jonathan Carlson lost his niece in that nightmare at VTech. Before that tragedy Jonathan had been working on a sign for the side of his barn in Camden Maine- "HOPE". The project stalled, but after losing Emily, his niece, he felt a renewed sense of purpose and together with his dad, both incredible craftsmen, finished the sign as a tribute to her memory and have shown us that after such unspeakable tragedy and senseless loss we must remember that there is hope -in a world that sometimes seems hopeless. A beautiful symbol in a beautiful little town in Maine. A quiet beacon in an increasingly loud and out of control world.

Removed

2007-04-19T02:28:13+00:00

Dear fellow Drawgers,
I removed the post on Jonathan Carlson's niece as it looked like it may turn into a political stump. That's not what I wanted.
Thank You,
Harry

Ride for The Feast

2007-04-18T15:29:19+00:00

Dear Fellow Drawgers, Two of my sons and I. Ian 13, and Evan 8, are raising money for Moveable Feast, a local organization that provides meals for people suffering from HIV Aids or breast cancer. My boys and I will be joining hundreds of cyclists on a 140 mile journey over two days from Rehoboth Beach, DE. to Baltimore, MD. Check out our link, any help is greatly appreciated.

Click here to find out more and or to donate online.tax deductible

Balls

2007-03-14T12:21:11+00:00

Hello fellow Drawgers. Sorry I've been away so long, just busy, and trying to plan some spring and summer travel. So here's something different I did for the SF Chronicle a few weeks back, The article was on a push by razor companies to make the shaving of ones testicles and other masculine hairy locales. They went with the hairy male symbol. I included this in a lecture I gave to MICA seniors recently, got a chuckle or two.

artists in my house

2007-01-19T22:29:19+00:00

I brought two of my sons, Ian 13, and Evan 8 up to NY last weekend. Here they are at MOMA. Bought them brand new sketch books in the giftshop and off they went. They both show quite a bit of interest in drawing and also looking at art. They're just like I was, awkward with sports and just about everything else. I was never more proud of them then I was that day watching them studying, and drawing works by Picasso, Giacometti, etc. People came up to me and asked if they were my kids, asked if they could take their pictures etc. They aren't pretty on the soccer field but I think they're beginning to know where they belong. I took Ian to London and Paris in 05 and he loved the Tate Modern,The Pompidou, D'orsay(sp). Evan was wearing wheelies that day at MOMA. For those of you without eight year olds, wheelies are shoes with wheels in the heels. As Evan hadn't mastered these wheels yet I just pictured him rolling into, well you get the picture.. I'll get their sketches scanned and posted as soon as I get a new scanner.

NY Times

2007-01-17T15:55:03+00:00

Thi is that job I did for the NYTimes last week. I pulled the previous post off because it wasn't a good idea to show pre-published work. Anyhow, they went with the finger prick idea. I'll be posting non work related stuff soon. I love Steve's daily sketch postings, and Randall's ongoing series.

Op-Ed for today

2007-01-09T20:59:53+00:00

This piece appeared on the op-ed page today, the finish is the right most image. I haven't seen it but hear it printed large. Wes Bedrosian was filling in for Brian Rea and doing a fine job.

Experimental

2006-12-11T17:27:56+00:00

Here's an experiment I just finished. My rep has sent a mailer out with a portrait on it so I figure I should get some more going. Following up on Friday's post of my NYT op-ed sketches, see final below. They went with the skull, and wanted it really dirty. Brian and Sam at the Times are the best.

Boston Mag

2006-12-05T15:07:07+00:00

Something I just finished for Boston Mgagazine on changing your life, losing weight, going back to school etc. This was the spread and then there were two 1/4 pagers and six spots. I hope they don't mind me sharing this with fellow illustrators. This was the ad's idea to have a factory. I sort of balked because I had done it so many times before, but it was fun.

Hemispheres

2006-12-01T21:34:42+00:00

This is a job I'm currently working on for Hemispheres. The story is sort of a fluff piece on the cruising industry. I'm having some fun with this, more organic than most of my work.

Recent Work

2006-12-01T21:14:06+00:00

Here's a recent job, actually a month old. Cover of Chicago Trib Magazine. Covers are always good but unfortunately here I wasn't able to do what I wanted. In the end I got tired of fighting, I fight a lot, and went with their last ditch idea.