Brian Stelfreeze gave me this piece that he did of one of our sons. I love it, and it's positioned directly in front of me on Sarena's shelf where I can see it all day. It's either an inspiration or a driving force to give up... the jury is still out on that one.
Speaking of giving up... beside Brian's piece is my little Mignola skull and bones original. I pinned it in a shadowbox so you can still see the production notes.
Luke, one of our other studio-mates usually takes over Sarena's chair. Leia must be hiding.
Next to her shelf is a vintage Shaw Walker file cabinet. I eyed this one for years at Victory Vintage in Decatur, GA. It was never for sale, but I was able to finagle it when they closed down.
This is Sarena's side again. There are a couple printers and a few index card files we use for general storage. She has a framed promotional calender press sheet on top of the filing cabinet. This is the only piece of my work in the studio. I tend to loathe my work shortly after it's completed, so having too much of my own work framed would be trouble.
Sarena's desk. As you can tell, we have a fondness for vintage office supplies.
Sarena's stapler. Don't steal it or she's likely to burn your office down.
Back to my side. The kids have claimed these chairs. They usually come in and hang out here after they get home from school. One of the perks of working from home. Between the chairs is a rolling filing cabinet. I'd like to turn it into a little bar Madmen style.
Just past the sitting area is the restroom, and above the chairs are vintage coffee ads. We collect those as well.
On top of the rolling file cabinet is the money plant. It has a freakish ability to know our financial situation before we do. It's the bane of our existence, but don't tell it I said so or a leaf will drop off.
Here's my shelf. It's filled with a pretty odd assortment of items. To name just a few, there are harpoons, a pinned bug collection, a cat skull that needs mounting, military headware, a Russian Ushanka, a dummy bomb ridden by Hellboy, graphic novels, art books, R2-D2, and enough index card files to drive my wife nuts. She thinks I have an issue with "cubbies".
More miscellaneous items layered onto the shelves. There's a derringer in that Boba Fett mug. Where else would it go? Hello? The boxes are filled with trinkets that go back to my childhood.
Here's a little bit of a tank helmet liner and a vietnam era (I think) infantry helmet. I have a lot more of this type thing, but it's stored away.
Hellboy on the bomb, and the sign from my Graphic Design/Illustration firm.
This is a view of the shelves from the drafting table. More Hellboy magnets up top. I obviously love Mignola's work.
And here's the drafting table. This used to belong to Brian Stelfreeze, then Karl Story, and now me. It has seen a lot of use. Behind the drafting table is a large cork board that I use for a rotating collection of inspiration, pieces that need framing, and project notes.
Here are a couple portraits of me drawn by my kids. I think they have me down.
I found this old container of lead in one of the desks when I moved it. It's a piece of wood with little grooves cut into it to hold the lead. How cool is that!
Someone made these badges for us based on my design back when we did the Occult Crimes Taskforce. It actually rotates.
Another prized possession waiting on a frame. Thanks to my friend and agent Paolo Belfiore, the Reverend Dave Johnson drew me as an evil photoshopping racist! That'll teach me to photoshop him into awkward situations.
A monkey mask I picked up while traveling about.
The oily waste can. Feel safe when you're throwing away oily rags here. Just make sure to empty it every night.
Above the sitting area are a few of our vintage coffee ads. Have you read old coffee ads? They're full of lies! LIES!
The second office. You get the point.
A little James Jean postcard above ye old throne.
More vintage items. I love this phisohex soap dispenser from Winthrop Laboratories. Still works great!
Here's my desk. I have the Cintiq on an arm so I can lower it below usual desk height, and I can move it out of the way if necessary.
On the other side of the desk is the laptop that drives the Cintiq. It's a portable setup, but it rarely moves these days. I used to haul it back and forth when I worked from Gaijin Studios.
The arm with Sarena's laptop in the background.
There's a little deck off the studio. I'm still looking for a nice vintage glider rocker so I can do layouts and sketch here. It would work well for the occasional morning cup of coffee or evening drink as well!
Leaving the office, the supply closet is to the right. It's a mess. Trust me, you don't want to see it yet. Out in the hall are a few vintage J.C. Leyendecker coffee ads from the 1940's.
Vintage Stock Room sign above the supply closet.
If there's anything I love more than coffee, it's Leyendecker. You put the two together and it's like chocolate and peanut butter!
Here's the set of three coffee ads. Two more are waiting to be framed.
Alright, that's about it. Hope you enjoyed a little peek at where I spend the bulk of my days. Back to work!
Thanks so much for sharing this, Sarena! The new office looks amazing - well worth the work (easy for me to say, right!?). :)
Hope you have a great Friday!