Author: Tielman

Loki by Jessica Thompson

 
This is a caricature of Tom Hiddleston as Loki from The Avengers

Loki

Tom Hiddleston brings his acting chops and his forehead (in a separate suitcase?  How does he fit that thing through the doorway?) to his role as Loki in The Avengers and Thor movies.

Loki is an odd villian.  I’ve never been sure what his powers are, exactly.  He can shapeshift, right?  Shouldn’t he be doing that, like, all the time?  And then, what, make zombies with a staff he stole?  And just be generally clever and devious?  I don’t know, even Dwight Yoakum in Sling Blade just seems like a scarier character than this guy, and his only superpower is alcoholism and anger.

Tony Stark by Celeste Cordova

 
A caricature of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Iron Man

Tony Stark

That face!  Those eyelashes!

There’s this ongoing tension at the caricature stand.  Should we display samples that perfectly represent what we can do in a few minutes, which is how much time we have to draw guests?  Or should we display samples that show what we can really do when we take our time?  This caricature is a great example of something that takes a lot of time… but it’s so pretty we just want to display it anyway.

Robert Downey Jr… we know he can play many different roles, but after being Tony Stark in Iron Man, Iron Man 2, Iron Man 3, The Avengers, and The Avengers 2, it might be hard for me to accept him as something new.

For a good time, watch Tropic Thunder with someone who does not know that Robert Downey Jr. is in the movie.  See how long it takes for them to spot him.

Captain America by Mike Warden

 
A caricature of Chris Evans as Captain America by Mike Warden

Captain America

At our Stratosphere stand, we made the entire wall of samples Avengers themed for about a month.  Thanks, Jessica, for making that happen.

Mike contributed this swell Captain America, and I swear I looked at this thing for weeks before I ever noticed the fully amazing gag.  It’s just so subtle.  When you finally notice what he’s throwing his shield at, you get it.

Chris Evans did a fantastic job being Captain America,after being the Human Torch in the unremarkable Fantastic Four movies.  I didn’t recognize him from one franchise to the next.  He also had prominent roles in The Losers and Scott Pilgrim Vs the World.  Comic book movie makers love this guy!

A little Wikipediaing turned up this gem:

Actor Chris Evans as Tyler from Mystery Date

Chris Evans is Tyler

There’s Chris Evans being a dreamboat in Hasbro’s Mystery Date game.  You’re welcome, ladies who were 13 in 1999.

Aziz Ansari Caricature by Jessica Thompson

 
caricature of aziz ansari by jessica thompson

Aziz Ansari

One thing that’s easy to love about Aziz Ansari is those big brown eyes.  Here’s a caricature by Jessica where she takes those eyes and turns him into an alien.

He’s just a funny guy.  I’m always happy when an actor is willing to create a character who’s primary trait is selfishness.  Parks and Recreation would have been a much weaker show without Aziz’s Tom Haverford trying to manipulate every situation to serve himself.

caricature of actor kal penn by Dominique Chavira

Kal Penn Caricature by Dominique Chavira

 
caricature of actor kal penn by Dominique Chavira

Kal Penn

Here’s a Kal Penn caricature by Dominique that really gets a couple of things right.

It’s hard to be aware of a subject’s eye spacing.  Most of the caricature artists I’ve seen (including myself) start with the eyes, which kind of locks them in early.  If you haven’t observed immediately that the subject’s eyes are close together, you’re likely to finish the drawing without including that detail.  It’s an important one.  Eyes that are close together or far apart are integral to a likeness.  So the close-set eyes here really help to convey Kal Penn’s unique expression.

The other great thing here is the lower lip.  That’s a more obvious element to exaggerate, but it’s still cool.

a caricature of comedy magicians Penn and Teller by Mike Warden

Penn and Teller by Mike Warden

 
a caricature of comedy magicians Penn and Teller by Mike Warden

Penn and Teller

Here’s a Penn and Teller by Mike Warden.

They’re notable members of the skeptic community, and enjoy disproving beliefs they think are untrue.  Because of this, their show seems to be of the love-it-or hate it variety, which is working well for them.  they’re the most popular comedy-and-illusion act on the Strip.

While this caricature isn’t as chock-full of gags as his regular work, it’s spot-on for expressions.  A lot of advertisements for Penn and Teller feature them maiming, dismembering, or casually killing each other for our entertainment, so this disembodied-head-as-balloon trick isn’t too far off base.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them do this in their actual act.

Neil Patrick Harris Caricature by Celeste Cordova

 

 

A caricature of actor Neil Patrick Harris, drawn by Celeste

Neil Patrick Harris

Neil Patrick Harris has been popular for as long as I’ve been alive.  When he starts to look like a grandpa, that’s when I’ll know I’m officially really, really old.

He’s been a great Doogie Howser, a super popular character on How I Met Your Mother, and a guest star in just about every show.  My personal favorite is probably Dr. Horrible from Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

This caricature by Celeste makes great use of his big ol’ forehead.  It’s also worth noticing how his eyebrows don’t follow his brow ridge.  The ridge gives him an angry expression, and the brows offset that with innocence.

 

A caricature of Rebel Wilson, by Dominique Chavira

Rebel Wilson Caricature by Dominique Chavira

 
A caricature of Rebel Wilson, by Dominique Chavira

Rebel Wilson

Here’s a Rebel Wilson, by Dominique.

She’s famous for Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect, but she’s also created a pretty interesting character in Workaholics.

I think my favorite thing about this caricature is the teeth… the clear silhouette with gentle colored detailing.  Those bangs are also well done… it’s easy to forget hair highlights and just grind until everything is one shade, but Dominique left out enough coloring to provide some depth.

Jerry Springer Caricature by Mike Warden

 
A caricature of talk show host Jerry Springer

Jerry Springer

Here’s a cartoon of a the mayor of Cincinnati.  Of course, after he was mayor for one year, he got into journalism, and from journalism, go into talk show hosting.

Remember when Oliver North and Jesse Jackson were guests on the Jerry Springer Show?  No?  That’s because his show wasn’t very highly rated in its early life.  It was pretty much a copy of Phil Donahue’s show.  In fact, the Cincinnati TV station that aired Springer’s show styled his hair and got him glasses to mimic Donahue.

This cartoon, of course, captures the Jerry Springer that we all love or hate.  The Springer from the late 90’s, where almost every show featured a guest trying to whack another guest with a chair.

The Stratosphere is a nice touch.  Our caricature stand is up there, and Mike tends to draw it in.  I bet he put it in Springer’s drawing on autopilot.  The tiny guy leaping off the tower is somehow paying attention to the foreground and validating it.

Carrot Top Caricature by Jessica Thompson

 
A caricature of comedian Carrot Top, by Jessica Thompson

Carrot Top

From the beginning , Carrot Top made himself look goofy.  High energy, big hair.  Once he came to Las Vegas, he started working out.  Big hair, big muscles.  Then he made some interesting decisions with makeup.  Big hair, big muscles, thin eyebrows, dark mascara.  All in all, he’s a very eye-catching character.  If he’s at Whole Foods at the same time as you, you’re going to notice.

Here’s my favorite clip, not starring Carrot Top, not featuring Carrot Top, but about Carrot Ttop:

For the record, I liked Chairman of the Board.