New Shadow artwork commission by Rob Ullman

Rob Ullman of Richmond has long had ties to the DC area. For years, he illustrated Dan Savage's Savage Love column in the Washington City Paper. He's also been at every SPX. I commissioned this drawing of the Shadow and Margo Lane from him at SPX, and it arrived today. I quite like it.

Here's Big Barda in a bikini by Rob Ullman, just because.

Here's Big Barda in a bikini by Rob Ullman, just because.

SPX day 2 photos

I had a good time again today, and took a few more shots. All the pictures can be seen at my Flickr site. I think people probably did well, on both sides of the table, but I'm sure the main news sites will cover that. I saw Tom "Comics Reporter" Spurgeon and Heidi "the Beat" MacDonald in passing today.

James Kochalka

Rob Ullman, the former Washington City Paper's Savage Love illustrator

Decorating my office with original art

For a short time, I've got an office at work. I've started framing some of the original comic art that I've gotten, and putting it up.  Buying this type of art is a good way to support cartoonists you like, of course.



The great Rob Ullman, who illustrated the sex column for the Washington City Paper for years, did the above. As a spot illustration, this doesn't have a title, but I call it "Coffee I.V." He's got a new minicomic for sale.

 

"Dr. Jenner's Vaccine" original scratchboard art by Baltimore children's book artist Jeff Thompson (of Big Planet Comics) on vaccinating for smallpox with cowpox. You can buy his art here.

 

"Penicillin" original art by British cartoonist Hunt Emerson, - a Christmas gift from my wife. You can buy his work here.

Meet a Visiting SPX Cartoonist: A Chat with Rob Ullman

Rob Ullman should be familiar to Washington readers of the City Paper because he illustrated Dan Savage's Savage Love sex advice column for years with both humor and hot babes. I believe I may have one of DC's largest collections of original sketches by Rob...

CDC: What type of comic work or cartooning do you do?

RU: I'm kind of all over the place...I started doing auto-biographical comics and strips about 15 years ago, and have continued to do them in various forms over the years. I also have recently been doing hockey comics: biographies of players (usually those who've met untimely deaths...I have a thing for tragedy), strips about odd events and funny incidents in the sport's colorful history. I also have managed to make a bit of a name for myself as a drawer of pretty cartoon ladies...pin-ups and whatnot. It's a label I embrace wholeheartedly.

CDC: What work are you best-known for?

RU: In DC, I'm probably best known for doing the spot illustrations for Dan Savage's Savage Love column in the City Paper from 1999-2008. It's the one thing I've done that everybody in Washington has seen, and was instrumental in my discovery that I could draw naked people pretty well.

CDC: How do you do it? Traditional pen and ink, computer or a combination?

RU: Traditional for pencilling and inking, then all computer for coloring and layout. The computer is just another tool, like a brush or a bottle of ink. I'm not adamantly anti-drawing-on-the-computer, but I haven't found/invested in a method of doing so that doesn't end up making the process more difficult and slow rather than less.

CDC: Can you tell us a little about your books that you'll have with you at SPX?

RU: As far as new books, I'll have the brand new issue of Old-Timey Hockey Tales, which has stories by Jeffrey Brown and I. I'm really proud of it, and I can't wait to show it off. I'll also have all my other books...a hardcover artbook of all my Savage spots and pin-up work called Atom-Bomb Bikini, two collections of my autobiographical strip Traffic & Weather, Grand Gestures from a bunch of years back, and about a dozen other mini-comics. I'll have a ton of prints and original art as well.

CDC: You've attended the Small Press Expo in the past - do you have any thoughts about your experience?

RU: This will be my 14th SPX...I haven't missed one since 1997. It's the closest I have to a "local" show, and it's always my favorite weekend of the year.

CDC: What are you looking forward to buying or seeing or doing for this year's event? Or who do you want to see, to catch up on old times, or to have a fanboy experience?

RU: Hoo, boy...we had a baby back in May, and I've been so busy with him and my other kid that I haven't even been able to even find out what'll be there! SPX for me is like a yearly class reunion, catching up with old pals and having a drink or five.

CDC: What's your favorite thing about the DC area? Least favorite?

RU: Favorite thing? So much to choose from. Great vibe, amazing restaurants. Least favorite has gotta be the traffic. Or maybe the Capitals.

CDC: What monument or museum do you like or wish to visit when you're in town?

Always like to visit the Hirshhorn when I have time.

CDC: What do you think will be the future of your field?

RU: I can't speak for the larger comics "industry", but I think type of people who exhibit at SPX will always make comics, whether it's in print or on a screen, whether there's money in it or not, because they're compelled to, against all common sense. It is nice to make a few bucks, though.

CDC: Do you have a website or blog?

RU: Both! My oft-neglected "professional" website is robullman.com, but it's mostly for Fancy-Dan illustration clients and whatnot. The real fun is over at my blog, atombombbikini.net. Updated a few times a week. Usually. I promise.

Rob Ullman on Inkpanthers podcast

Mike Dawson and Alex Robinson have Rob Ullman on their March 3rd Inkpanthers podcast - Wrapping up our Olympic coverage, and coming to the conclusion that we should really be a sports show rather than a comedy one. We’re joined in the Lair by cartoonist and illustrator Robert Ullman, who schools us on Hockey, Curling, Jarts, and Fantasy Football Leagues. Comments Welcome!

Ullman and Flake in 12/3 City Paper

Emily Flake illustrates an article on Costco, and Rob Ullman's got a full-page ad later in the current issue.

Rob Ullman covers City Paper again

Rob Ullman has the cover of this week's City Paper - a bit of a change as he's doing cute gay guys rather than cute girls.

Richmond cartoonist Ullman hangs with Crumb

Here's a strip and then another on Rob Ullman's chance dinner with Robert Crumb. Very cool, Rob and Ben.

Baltimore Comic Con photos continued

Baltimore Comic Con. Don Rosa correcting Scrooge's eyeglasses. He said he draws the view through the lenses but European publishers blank them out.


Baltimore Comic Con. Robert Montgomery and Don Rosa.


Rob Ullman. Rob said that he did well at the show, although Sunday was slower.


Frank Cho.


Image Comics booth.


Dark Horse Comics booth.


Tim Sale, racing the hourglass for some reason.


George Perez.


Scott Kurtz, with Greg Horn's booth signs showing oddly behind him.

More SPX photos

This set's new additions has local DC cartoonists and my friends for the most part. Many of the shots are by my daughter, and these are from Day 2- Sunday, 9/27/09.


Chris Schweizer. I love his Crogan's Revenge pirate story.


Crack ex-DC journalist Scott Rosenberg.


Steve Conley. Steve was selling original strips from Socks and Barney for an insanely low price so I bought 2. (that's one of Rob Ullman's girls behind him)


Rob Ullman, the sadly-missed Washington City Paper's Savage Love columnist.


Carla Speed McNeil of Finder


Andy Runton of Owly. Box Brown in the background. Pic by Claire.


Jennifer Hachigian who does Lore. Pic by Claire.


Jim Ottaviani of GT Labs. Pic by Claire.


Doug "Pop Culture Shock Therapy" Bratton and John "Bo-nanas" Kovaleski. I wasn't familiar with Bratton's work but bought a complete set. I think I've got a full set of John's except for minis.


John Kovaleski


Raina Telgemeier. Pic by Claire.


Ed Piskor. Pic by Claire.

Ullman covers City Paper!

Rob Ullman returns to do an illustration for the Washington City Paper! I've really missed his work - I don't even read Savage Love anymore without Rob's drawing to pull me in.

Ullman, Ullman, Ullman, Ullman, Ullman

Five illos by Rob Ullman in this week's (January 15) Washington City Paper, one of which is the traditional scantily-clad girl that we got used to seeing when he illustrated Savage Love. One's on Obama-influenced menus. One's on the difficulty of counting attendees when the Park Service refuses to do it for you. Unfortunately one is just a broom and another is a Masonic symbol. Still, it's good to see him in there again.

Rob Ullman's Richmond Magazine strip

Every time I pick up the City Paper, I miss Rob's illos for Savage Love. In fact, I barely bother to glance at the column anymore. Rob's got a new gig, Traffic & Weather, which appears to be a weekly online strip, for Richmond Magazine. Kudos to Journalista! for noticing it.

Bad News in DC #1

Read "City Paper's parent files for bankruptcy," By Bill Myers, Examiner Staff Writer 9/30/08. This would be Creative Loafing, the Florida chain that took over the City Paper last year and immediately slashed budgets, forcing the laying off of freelance cartoonists Rob Ullman and Shawn Belschwender. All of the strips in the paper were also dropped including Derf's The City, Cannon's Red Meat and Lynda Barry's Marilys.

Thompson and Ullman at Crafty Bastard's tomorrow

Crafty Bastards, the annual City Paper craft fair in Adams Morgan will have Rob Ullman in a booth, and Richard Thompson selling his book through Politics and Prose at 1 pm.

Rob Ullman comic reviewed by Comics Reporter

Tom Spurgeon looks at Rob Ullman's minicomic Crustacean Frustration. I must confess that I now barely glance at Savage Love in the City Paper without Rob's illustrations.

Ullman and Hellman

Rob Ullman did this cover to the Washington City Paper's June 20th edition. I saw Rob at Heroes Con and bought another three pieces of original art from him.

and Danny Hellman, who's illustrating a column in the Post's Source section on Sunday has a podcast interview by Robin McConnell at Inkstuds (June 19 2008).

Rob Ullman interview from a few months ago

Just ran across this interview with Rob by Paul Lukas from February. Presumably things haven't changed much. Savage Love is still less interesting without the illos.

Ullman back in City Paper

Rob's illustrated the Eats food column for 3/28/08 - no cute girl though!