I love taking pictures of my book in stores. This picture is from
I couldn't be happier to be stuck between the biography of Milton Caniff and a book of "stacked" pin-up ladies. And to be a shelf above Batman and Bone aint bad either.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
In Good Company...
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Review #1
My very
Sidenote: Rich, also an avid fan of comics, and I would often suffer the embarrassment of "twinkies" when we would both accidentally show up at a club wearing the same Captain America t-shirt.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
The Blot Press Release
Painter and cartoonist Tom Neely's first graphic novel, "The Blot," is like a sad song that breaks your heart while reminding you of life's beauty.
“The Blot" follows a nameless everyman who, while dealing with the fallout from a doomed relationship, is stalked by a mysterious black splotch. As the story unfolds, this shape-shifting blot appears as a harmless cloud of ink, a faceless demon, a source of strength and an inescapable darkness, testing our character in a new way
with each metamorphosis.
With a drawing style resembling the 1930s newspaper comic strips of E.C. Segar and Floyd Gottfredson, and a surrealistic sensibility inspired by painter René Magritte, Neely eschews traditional, representational comic storytelling and finds innovative new ways to tell an ultimately human story about love and loss.
"The Blot" and its characters are an outgrowth of the work Neely has done in his paintings, illustrations and animation over the past several years. He currently lives in Los Angeles, where he works as a freelance animator and illustrator. He earned an M.F.A. in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute in 2000 and has exhibited his paintings in multiple galleries throughout San Francisco, and L.A. Neely's illustrations have been featured in dozens of magazines and literary journals and have been featured in the 2005, 2006 and 2007 American Illustration annuals. His comics have appeared in the Graphic Classics anthologies, Expo 2003, Grind, Scram, Kitchen Sink
and Nickelodeon Magazines.
192 Pages, Black & White and Color, Paperback, $14.95 (US)
ISBN: 978-0-9742715-8-3
Available now from I Will Destroy You
P.O. Box 39963, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Book Release and Signing
July 20th, 2007 at
3817 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
THEY'RE HERE!!!
MY BOOK HAS ARRIVED!!!
The Boxes were inspected by my intern, Barky, and everything is fine. Boy, are there a lot of 'em- 3 palletes worth... 142 boxes that need to be crammed into every available space in my house... I gotta start selling these things or else start making furniture out of the boxes.
All that's left is to wrap the belly-band aroud each one as I go: 
I must say, it looks beautiful! I couldn't be prouder of this book. I've read through it twice, and I have no complaints (although I found 2 mistakes that I doubt anyone else will notice).
You can order them now from
If you want me to sign it to you and maybe doodle something in there, send me an e-mail telling me what you want.
They aren't in stores yet, but hopefully will be soon.
I'll be having a book release party on July 20th at
Then I'll be debuting them at the
Now, what are you waiting for?
Thursday, June 14, 2007
It's Coming... (part 2)
I just got word from the printer that the books are being shipped to me today!
Friday, June 01, 2007
Big News from the Big Island!
Anna and I went to Hawaii's Big Island last week. We had the most amazing time of our lives there.
I was so overwhelmed by nature, the experience and everything, that I proposed. And she said yes!
WE'RE ENGAGED!!!
So, to celebrate, we poked hot lava with a big stick!
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Billy Reynolds at Black Maria Gallery
Here's a joke I loved to tell when I was a kid:
Q: What's grosser than a dumpster full of dead babies?
A: A live one at the bottom trying to eat it's way out. 
We both went through the same MFA program (two years apart) and studied under the same teacher,
The first time I met Billy, I went to his apartment to see his work. It honestly scared me a bit... I wish I could paint like this guy- His painting technique is impeccable. He's like some perverse modern day Vermeer, setting up scenes and painting from life. But his subject matter doesn't exist in the real world, so, he sculpts models and builds elaborate miniature rooms, furniture and stages for his strange beings to inhabit. He then lights them and paints from "life." The end result is stunning.
He's not afraid to push his imagery into strange, perverse and often frightening realms. He doesn't make pretty art to hang over your couch- he makes paintings that would make people wonder about you if you did. But Billy's paintings are as beautiful as they are disturbing, and you should hang them over your couch because great art should provoke something in you.
Which brings me back to my dead baby joke... Billy's work reveals the darker ideas that lurk in everyone's head, the thoughts you don't want anyone to know about... His paintings are simultaneously grotesque and beautiful... perverse and funny. The imagery makes you uncomfortable, as he dazzles you with his painting technique. And you find yourself wanting to linger in this perverse world. He gives you a view into his twisted mind, but with a tongue in his cheek. As the narrative thread of his work unfolds, Billy manages to reveal himself to you a little bit at a time... and maybe even make you confront some of your own perverse nature... You may be disturbed, but there is great beauty in that feeling. And then you find yourself laughing uncomfortably along with the artist.
Anyway, enough of my babbling... Go see for yourself
He has an opening this Saturday at
Billy Reynolds
Peristalsis
May 19th - June 10th, 2007
Opening reception - Saturday, May 19th from 7 to 10:30 pm
3137 Glendale Blvd (in Atwater Village)
Los Angeles, CA 90039
323-660-9393 & 818-613-9090
DON'T MISS IT!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
IT'S COMING...
My first graphic novel, The Blot, is at the printer now.
I hope to debut it at
It will be available for order through my website in July.
And I will be having a book release party at
More details soon.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
A.P.E. this weekend
I'm heading up to San Francisco for the
I'll be hanging out at the
I'll have two mini comics with me:
"tuesday." which is the first chapter of The Blot, which will debut this summer.
"S'supermini" which is a collection of super-hero gag-comics and random drawings that I did at San Diego Comic Con last summer. 
I'l also have postcards to promote the upcoming release of The Blot.
Come by and say "hi".
Thursday, April 12, 2007
so it goes...
Today is a very blustery day in L.A. While having my morning tea, I read the news that one of my favorite authors, Kurt Vonnegut, died last night. I went to my studio, put on an audio-book of Slaughterhouse 5, and got to work on the last few pages of my book. While large branches fell from the trees and the backyard furniture was tossed to and fro by the wind, my dog nervously hid under the drawingboard at my feet all day.
I finished my book.
I think I can officially call my self a graphic-novelist now.
Rest In Peace, Mr. Vonnegut.
So it goes.
Friday, March 30, 2007
NEW WEBSITE DESIGN!!!
I've finally got the
I've changed the entire design and streamlined everything.
The "art" section has been cleaned out. Whereas it used to archive all of the artwork I've made since my first show in 2000, it will now focus on paintings that are relevant to my current body of work. You'll find 20 new paintings in this section that I haven't posted on the site before.
The "comics" section has been cleaned out so that it will focus on my upcoming graphic novel and future comics work. A full list of published comics can be found in the bibliography of the "etc" section.
The "etc" section now contains an updated biography, bibliography, exhibition history, exhibition photos (coming soon). The "etc" section also contains links to my two animated films, and a mention of my illustration work.
Though I'm proud of the work I've done in animation and illustration, I have decided that my website should focus on my more personal artistic pursuits in painting and comics. However, I continue to work as a freelance illustrator and animator and whenever I do something in those fields, I will post about it here on the blog.
So, check out the
Thursday, March 29, 2007
THE END IS NIGH!
I can't believe I'm this close to the end of my book.
I have only 14 pages (out of 180) left to ink!!!
As soon as I finish it, and get a lot of it scanned, I'll start posting more info and sneak peaks.
Monday, March 26, 2007
A couple of posters...
I did these posters for Green Door Recording Co. this week. (the blank white and yellow space is so they can add whatever dates they need)
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Music is my friend...
Here's a random post about music... since I've been pretty much a hermit in my studio working on my book, sometimes music is my only friend (except when Anna comes over to distract me).
Music is very important to my creative process. It inspires me, drives me, or just entertains me when I'm working on something kinda tedious. Pictured below is the little stereo in my studio along with all the c.d.s I've been listening to this month while inking my graphic novel. 
The c.d.s include: Deathspell Omega's Kenose, Eric Satie's Piano Music & Melodies box set, Xasthur's Subliminal Genocide, Don Caballero's World Class Listening Problem, Penderecki's St Luke Passion and Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima, Shostakovich String Quartets, Painkiller's Execution Ground, Corrupted's Llenandose de Gusanos, The Bee Gees box set of their first three albums, Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation and Rather Ripped, Charles Mingus plays Piano, The R&B Years 1947 box set, Eye Hate God's In the Name of the Suffering, Scott Tuma's The River, Jesu's 1st album and Conqueror, Brian Eno's Ambient 4 & Here Come the Warm Jets, Bright Eyes Lifted and 4 Winds ep, and Trollmann av Dotoppberg... and on my iPod, I've been listening to a bunch of other stuff including the complete Norman Granz Jazz at the Philharmonic, a lot of ISIS, Converge, Willie Nelson, and Modest Mouse... I could go on and on...
I have also listened to 3 good books on tape: The Plot Against America by Phillip Roth, Picasso's War by Russel Martin, and Ulysses by James Joyce.
While on the subject of music, I've begun recording a soundtrack for my upcoming solo show at Black Maria Gallery. It's a lot of fun to be making music again. I haven't done that in years. It's a great distraction from my drawing schedule. The end result may be a big, noisey mess that no one would ever wanna listen to, but it's still exciting to be working on something different. Here's where I make my music:
Friday, March 09, 2007
I did a Groovie Ghoulies album...
I did the artwork for the next
Here's the cover:
I'm really proud of what I did for it. It's completely different from anything else I've done. It's also completely different from any of their other covers. I've always been a fan of
Here's the back cover and spines: 
There's more artwork inside the booklet and throughout the layout of the c.d. packaging. Here's one image that I particularly like from the booklet:
The album is supposed to hit stores on April 16th.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Friday, March 02, 2007
group show
I'm in 
Oh yeah... they mispelled my name on the website... it's "Neely" NOT "Neeley". You'd think after 5 years they might know. Oi!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Nick Cross' Waif of Persephone
Nick Cross is a very talented animator who you may know from his work on Ren & Stimpy. He has just released his latest film,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
