It feels like a special kind of living nightmare to keep up with the news, doesn’t it? No? Just me?

Frequently, whenever I check Twitter (or any other social media or news site) in the split second before it loads I get this quiet feeling of “so, what unbearable, dreadful thing has happened now?” If that’s you too then perhaps you, like me, just want to throw your phone away, keep your head down, and try to get some drawing done for once.

Well! Heads up, my friends. It’s not all bad news on the Internet. In fact, there are some pretty great things! I rounded up a few gems from the last week or so for your enjoyment.


From gallery work to the silver screen, Karla Ortiz needs no introduction to Muddy Colors readers, I’m sure. (In fact, she’s on the jury for Spectrum 25!)

This past week she’s been releasing a daily image of her work from Thor: Ragnarok. I haven’t seen the film yet but I hear it’s a trip and these sort of glimpses make me think that I probably need to just see it already.

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Continuing with a theme (so far that theme apparently being members of the upcoming Spectrum 25 jury) Tran Nguyen’s got a Holiday Sale of original work going on over on her shop! 
My wife and I’ve had the good fortune to have acquired several of Tran’s drawings and paintings over the years and those pieces are some of the most prized in our collection.

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The first issue of Benjamin Schipper’s new comic, Joe Death, is out now and free for you to read! 
Like his previously posted Hellboy comic, this new venture features some great writing and lovely visuals. After reading the first issue, here’s hoping that Joe Death delivers some retribution on behalf of the vulnerable.
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I wouldn’t have thought that we needed another monthly drawings challenge until I saw GNOMEVEMBER. Yes, you read that right, Gnomevember. I don’t know who made it up. Somebody tell me, please.
I mean, Jake Parker’s got Inktober, Jenna Kass and Kristina Carroll have got the Month of Fear. I’ve heard of Junicorn and Smaugust (for drawing dragons in the month of August, Smaug, get it?) but all of them better make way because we’ve got Gnomevember and I wish upon a star that I had time to join in.
As you might expect, David Petersen (of Mouse Guard fame) has got a lock on diminutive woodland type things. You can find him and his daily gnomes being exceptional over on Twitter and Instragram, both @mouseguard.

Two other fantastic artists that are particpating would be Kiri Leonard and Kimberli Johnson. They both do such wonderful work. Wonderful work which makes me all the more sorry I’m not able to join in #gnomevember this year.
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Zac Gorman‘s new book, Thisby Thestoop and the Black Mountain, illustrated by Sam Bosma, is up for pre-order! I don’t know a thing about it but I love Zac’s stories and I love Sam’s drawings so this is probably a perfect book.
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Tony DiTerlizzi’s retrospective is now on show at the Norman Rockwell Museum! 
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AXtYvzEBr0?rel=0]
Never Abandon Imagination: The Fantastical Art of Tony DiTerlizzi, an exhibition of works by the #1 New York Times bestselling author/illustrator, will be on view at the Norman Rockwell Museum from November 11, 2017 through May 28, 2018.

Known for his multi-million bestselling book series The Spiderwick Chronicles, DiTerlizzi is celebrated the world over for his images of such fantasy creatures as fairies, trolls, sprites, and goblins.

Never Abandon Imagination will showcase over 200 original paintings and drawings, starting from DiTerlizzi’s work in tabletop games, such as Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering, to his many imaginative children’s books, in addition to early artwork from his childhood and college years. The exhibition will highlight the artist’s influences and artistic process.

Just as his early work on Dungeons and Dragons and Magic: The Gathering is treasured by devoted fans of the gaming genre, DiTerlizzi’s award-winning books—such as The Spiderwick Chronicles; Kenny and the Dragon; The Spider and the Fly; The Story of Diva and Flea, and The WondLa Trilogy—have inspired a new generation of young readers.
DiTerlizzi has influenced fans and fellow creators alike. 

“Tony’s work has a distinct flair, a love for monsters if you will,” notes filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. “His creatures have the charm of [Jim] Henson or [Arthur] Rackham but they carry with them hints of their own ecosystem. He stands alone as a creator of worlds and a weaver of tales.”

With an artistic style influenced by legendary illustrators Norman Rockwell, Arthur Rackham, and Brian Froud, DiTerlizzi’s exhibition will show how those visionaries shaped his own magical tales. The exhibit has been organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum’s Jesse Kowalski, who adds that the Museum is “proud to present the work of this superb illustrator, who is keeping this cherished artistic tradition alive.”

An exhibition opening for Never Abandon Imagination will be held at the Museum with a special appearance and book-signing by Tony DiTerlizzi. School vacation week and additional family programming will explore DiTerlizzi’s use of imagination in narrative art.
Man, if I can get my act together before May of 2018 this is a show I’d love to see in person. Muddy Colors road trip? Dan? Anyone?
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Oh hey, IMC enrollment just opened!
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Last, and certainly the least, my biennial FIRE SALE is still smoldering away! 
I hesitated to even included it in this list but every other year I get people upset and telling me they missed it so, you know what, no excuses, here it is for all the world to see.

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So, what did I miss? Let me know in the comments!