News & Updates from Grendel's Den Design Studio

Photos from Eastern Haunters Convention

2008-05-05T14:56:00.001-04:00

Got back yesterday from the first ever Eastern Haunters Convention which was held in the Philadelphia area this weekend. Check out all of the pictures for the spooktastic fun here.

New Logos, Web Sites and More!

2008-04-10T13:05:00.003-04:00

Things have been pretty busy here at Grendel's Den Design Studio. The convention season is well on its way (look to the right under APPEARANCES for dates), new book covers designed, new sites built and new CD media designs. Here's an overview:

Zombie Monkey Projects - The site has been totally overhauled into a weblog that covers all sorts of creepy, freaky and generally odd things for folks like you and I. This change was due to the fact that ZMP was no longer organizing events on a regular basis. So instead of trashing the entire thing it was given a makeover. You can visit the PORTFOLIO page to view the new logo.

Philly Frights - Philly Frights is an upcoming project that will be a resource site covering all things horror, haunt and generally spooky in Philadelphia and its surrounding region, which is sorely needed. A launch-date has not been set but I can say that it will be this year. You can visit the PORTFOLIO page to view the new logo.

Dancing Ferret Discs - There are some new CD designs that were created for Dancing Ferret Discs:

Rewind by Sunshine Blind is a two disc release with reissues of the albums Liquid & Love the Sky to Death

Mo-Do's Eins, Zwei, Polizei is a limited edition (1000 copies) collector's EP that brings Mo-Do's best-known tracks to an American audience for the first time.

Information Society remastered and will be releasing Don't Be Afraid v.1.3, which also includes two bonus tracks.

Orgy of Souls - The hardback edition will be available later this year. It will be signed (tip-in sheet bound with book) and limited to only 350 copies, half of which are in line for me to sign and the other half is ready to go... as you can see from the picture below.

Orgy of Souls

2008-03-26T13:48:00.003-04:00

I just uploaded the cover design for the upcoming book Orgy of Souls (by Maurice Broaddus and Wrath James White) into the Gallery. The book is available for order at Apex Publishing and is available in hardcover and trade paperback. Only 350 copies of the hardcover will be produced, each signed by the authors and myself as well as numbered 1-350.

Here's a one of the reviews:

"ORGY OF SOULS is a gripping tale of two brothers whose lives have taken radically different paths — but those paths intersect via some surprising twists and turns. With raw prose, vividly drawn characters, and a chilling touch of the occult, Broaddus and White draw you in and belt you right in your emotional gut."

--Stephen Mark Rainey, author of BLUE DEVIL ISLAND and THE LEBO COVEN

M is for Monster

2008-02-06T20:52:00.000-05:00

Just uploaded a new piece - M IS FOR MONSTER. You can view the entire piece to the right.

New Prints Available

2008-01-21T12:50:00.000-05:00

There are three new 8.5" x 11" prints available - Gimme A Kiss, The Horned God and Portrait of Krampus. You can buy yours in the Grendel's Den Design Studio Store.

Planet Lovecraft Magazine

2008-01-21T12:39:00.000-05:00

Newly launched Planet Lovecraft Magazine not only features my piece Gimme A Kiss on its cover but also has a very swank interview with me inside. You can buy your copy by visiting their website store!

Portrait of Krampus

2007-12-05T16:35:00.000-05:00

What better way to celebrate the upcoming holidays than with a Krampus portrait! So here's a new piece - PORTRAIT OF KRAMPUS. You can view the piece to the right.

There will be a 16" X 20" framed, limited edition Digital Fine Art Giclee (1 of 10) on display at the Talleyville Frame Shoppe and Gallery for the opening reception of "CREEPY CHRISTMAS". I'll be there for the opening and you should be too. This group show features a variety of styles and media all focusing on dark tales of the holiday season including Christmas ghosts, Krampus, The Snow Queen and more. Refreshments and Toys for Tots raffle.

When:
Friday, December 7th at 5PM

Where:
Talleyville Frame Shoppe and Gallery
3625 Silverside Rd.
Wilmington, DE 19810

Philcon Art Show and Panels

2007-11-13T15:42:00.000-05:00

I'll once again be participating in the Phicon Art Show, which is this weekend.

I'm also on three panels this year, though one of them is more of a meet-and-greet. Here's the information for them:

Fri 8:00 PM in Parlor B (1 hour)
ART IN THE TECHNO AGE (410)

[Panelists: Robert Kauffmann (mod), D.E. Christman, Onezumi
Hartstein, Ray Ridenour]

The blending of art and technology is more and more commonplace.
Can artists even work without their computers anymore? Has the
digital world overtaken the traditional paintbrush. Artists
discuss the latest trends of these two world colliding into each
other, and what techniques they use now to create their art

Sat 1:00 PM in Salon 10 (1 hour)
LIVEJOURNAL MEETUP (389)

[Panelists: Hugh Casey (mod), Jennifer Williams, Nikki Cohen, D.E.
Christman, Helen Thompson]

A meet and greet for fans, guests, and pros who participate in and
use LiveJournal! Meet the people behind the usernames

Sun 12:00 PM in Freedom G (1 hour)
BUILDING A WEB PRESENCE FOR FREE (460)

[Panelists: Nathan Lilly (mod), D.E. Christman, Jonathan Maberry,
David Louis Edelman]

Web resources available and how to find them without paying for them.

More information on Philcon can be found on the Philcon website.

Featured on Ectomo

2007-10-26T13:39:00.000-04:00

I'm an avid reader of the sprocket filled, tentacle-loving blog Ectomo, which came into being after the Wired blog Table of Malcontents closed down. It's filled with all sorts of odd little tidbits of coolness - in a Lovecraftian meets Steampunk kind of way. And today's posts had a nice little surprise for me. They featured not only the Creature Double Feature gallery exhibition at AxD Gallery, but my art is the headlining portion of the article. Check it out!

I guess I've moved up somewhat on the blogspear. Swank.

New Gallery Show: Creature Double Feature

2007-09-25T15:28:00.000-04:00

I will be participating in the gallery exhibition entitled Creature Double Feature which will be held at AxD Gallery here in Philadelphia. The exhibition runs from October 5th through November 3rd. Opening reception will be held on October 5th from 5PM to 8PM.

Other artists include:
Gabriel Turner Bryne, Austin Dodson, Mike Manley, Tom Whalen, Michael Broderick, and Kimberlee Traub.

265 S. 10th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Tel: 215-627-6250

Visit the AxD Gallery website for more information and directions.

Installing Linux on a Dead Badger (and Other Oddities)

2007-09-21T12:04:00.000-04:00

I just uploaded into the Gallery five new illustrations, each for the upcoming book Installing Linux on a Dead Badger (and Other Oddities) by Lucy A. Snyder. The book is available for preorder at Creative Guy Publishing for only $10.00 for a limited time to US customers, and just a few more dollars for Canadian and European customers.

Here's a few reviews:

"Lucy A. Snyder first rocketed onto my reading radar a number of years ago with such cyberzombie stories as 'Your Corporate Network and the Forces of Darkness' and 'Installing Linux on a Dead Badger: User's Notes.' It was apparent from the first time I read these stories that Snyder had a gift for using horror to write satire. (She) creates some of the funniest zombies ever."
- Green Man Review

Tangent Online has reviewed a couple of the stories in this collection:

"'The Great Vüdü Linux Teen Zombie Massacree' by Lucy Snyder is a hilarious romp through the state of Texas in a world gone mad ... one laugh effortlessly follows the other."

"Snyder, like her Linux gangs, has taken a dead body (in this case, cyberpunk) and fused it with the latest elements of science fiction to tell a story which is funny, dark, and cheerfully absurd."

"'Graveyard Shift' is Lucy A. Snyder's whip-smart and darkly funny take on the latest hot employee group, the dead ... Laced with jet-black humor, this is a great story and a great world to read about, if not live in."

The Horned God

2007-09-19T20:29:00.000-04:00

Just uploaded a new piece - THE HORNED GOD. You can view the entire piece, as well as a detailed view, to the right.

New Designs

2007-09-12T16:18:00.000-04:00

There are some newly uploaded designs, check out the Portfolio page to see them.

Grendel's Den is Alive and Well

2007-08-28T20:52:00.000-04:00

No, Grendel's Den Design Studio didn't go anywhere. But we did experience server issues, which has been fixed. We're running all smoothly now and apologize for any inconveniences.

SkullRing.org Interview

2007-06-20T09:15:00.000-04:00

I've been interviewed by the fine folks at SkullRing.org, a horror review and interview blog. You can read it here.

Wizard World Philadelphia

2007-06-11T12:17:00.000-04:00

This upcoming Friday, Saturday and Sunday (June 15, 16, 17) I will be participating in the Artists Alley at Wizard World Philadelphia. You’ll find me at table number 1605-A pimping my swag which will include fine art prints, some limited edition Giclée Prints and copies of the limited edition book "The Problem with Mickey" which I did the cover for. I may also dig up some other swag I’ve worked on if I can find them. So stop on by and pay me a visit.

Also, one of my favorite models will be attending as well – Sally-Rouge. She’ll be lending a hand with the fine folks at the Philcon table. I haven’t officially asked her yet but I’ll see if I can drag her over to my table for a while and maybe have her sign a few prints of "What’s Cook'n", which she modeled for.

You can find information on ticketing, programming and more at the Wizard World Philadelphia web site.

See you there,

Dave

Renovations to Grendel’s Den

2007-06-07T13:55:00.000-04:00

As many of you can tell by now I’ve overhauled the entire Grendel’s Den web site as well as my LiveJournal and MySpace profiles. I began working on this about five months ago because the overall structure of the old design was no longer a good representation of what I do nowadays.

One of the first things you’ll probably notice is the lengthening of the site name from simply Grendel’s Den to Grendel’s Den Design Studio. There are a lot of reasons for doing this but the biggest is that I am in fact doing far more than Fine Art and illustrations now. I’ve expanded into web design and development, web hosting (you heard right, hosting), print design, media packaging design… you get the idea. Today Grendel’s Den has grown into a full fledged design studio.

For me this is a big step in that I’ve come to the realization that I’ve made it to one of the points I wanted to be in my life- Doing work I love as my own boss. Not to shabby for someone who started this journey only seven some-odd years ago.

So please take a look around the new Grendel’s Den Design Studio and let me know what you think. Visit some of the latest pages like the Web Hosting Services and the Models page, as well as those familiar pages like the Services, Portfolio and Gallery pages.

New Site Design

2007-06-04T15:29:00.001-04:00

I'm uploading the new site design for Grendel's Den. So if things are a little wonky just check back in a moment.

First Friday Gallery : The Donkey Party

2007-05-29T15:11:00.000-04:00

I know it's short notice but I'm still catching up on work since I was away for the Memorial Day Weekend.

I'll be displaying my work this Friday (June 1st) for Uncut Productions "The Donkey Party" First Friday event. It's to celebrate five years of Uncut Films.

From the Uncut site:

One night only, this may be the only opportunity to see footage never before seen (and may never be again) from the movies of UNCUT over the last five years.

That's right! Mothers Day sneaks and the characters that didn't make the time restraints in, to be announced, shorts will finally get air time.

The night will be programmed to every 15 minutes and your tickets will cover all movies. So if you're sick of seeing one, you don't have to!!!!

Come join us and watch sexy movies, drink, step out and talk, step back in, heckle (we can take it), dance, drink some more and have a damn good time.

$10 TKT - Includes a free drink, $20 TKT - Open beer Bar

The Annex at Christ Church
20 N. American Street
(2nd and Market streets)

20 Artists with work on Display and for sale
A first five years Retrospect of Uncut Films
Silent Auction
Raffle Prizes
Dj Brown and Nez
DJ Brown and Guest

http://www.uncutproductions.org/ for full details.

Philly Zombie Crawl Site Redesign

2007-03-13T10:13:00.000-04:00

I decided that the Philly Zombie Crawl website needed a redesign. So I sat down yesterday and whipped a little someth'n-someth'n up. It'll give me a lot more room to build the site to something a little more interactive in the near future.

Check it out and enjoy the zombie lov'n.

New Website Design: Safari Anomalous

2007-03-07T12:17:00.000-05:00

And here's another website design I just finished up- Safari Anomalous, which is the site of Philadelphia special effects designer extraordinar Kristen Phillips. The design of the site is based on 19th Century exploration magazines and catalogs, with a dash of Lovecraftian inspiration. Again, this was an extremely fun site to work on and I am very proud to have had the chance to work with such a talent as Kristen.

New Website Design: Ric Frane

2007-02-25T13:36:00.000-05:00

I just finished the new website for the phenomenal painter Ric Frane, which you can check out at www.ricfrane.com. If you're not familiar with Ric's work I encourage you to do so. He's a hell of a talent and his work is more than worth the time to check out. His subject matter covers horror movie classics, Asian martial arts, dark fantasy and pinups. Trust me, he's well worth the time.

I'm pretty damn happy with the way the design came together for this site. I think it reflects Ric and his work nicely. Certainly was fun to put together as much as it was an honor to work with Ric on this project.

So go on and check the site out. Let me know what you all think.

New Art Series / HorrorFind Weekend 7

2007-02-13T17:25:00.000-05:00

I decided to try my hand at an actual series of images. The project spawned from a single piece entitled "Plaque", which you can preview to the right, and grew to an additional eight pieces. Since each piece within the series is, and will be, based on the first piece's core structure, the series will be entitled "Plaque".

Art Prints and Fine Art Giclees of the "Plaque" series will debut at the HorrorFind Weekend 7 Art Show, which will be held from Friday March 2nd to Sunday March 4th.

"The Problem With Mickey" Now Available for Pre-Order

2007-01-28T15:45:00.000-05:00

The Problem With Mickey by Tom Moran, which I did the cover art for, is now available for pre-order from Insidious Publications.

The Synopsis:

They are four, thirty-something college friends, all with successful jobs, beautiful homes, and ideal families. That is, until Mickey's business folds and his marriage crumbles. Concerned with their friend's erratic behavior and deteriorating mental health, the remaining trio stages an intervention. Will their actions prove too late to stop Mickey's downward spiral, or will their own personal convictions spawn dangerous consequences?

Before it is resolved, the problem with Mickey will test a decade-old friendship against the power of fanatical ideals...

=================================================
This novella is book Two of Insidious Publications' softcover novella series-- a hand crafted, perfect bound edition limited to 150 signed and numbered copies--autographed by Tom Moran and Gregory Lamberson who wrote the forward. Each copy sports linen signature sheets and French parchment end papers along with full color interior illustrations.
Cover art provided by D.E. Christman.
Interior art provided by Tom Moran.

All orders made through the Insidious Publications site will be accompanied with a signed original piece of artwork (not sure who's at this time) that is not included in the book and is not available any where else. Tentative release date is April 1st 2007

Order your copy now! - $14.99

New Art / Philcon

2006-11-09T11:24:00.000-05:00

New Art: There's two new pieces - Pulp and The Pyres of Samhain (pictured to your right). Both are available as 8.5X11 Art Prints for just $10.00 each in the Store Section.

PhilCon: Next weekend you can see my work in the art show at Philcon, one of the premiere conferences of Science Fiction and Fantasy. The art show room will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I will also be sitting in on some panels during the event:

Fri 8:00 PM in Parlor B (1 hour)
AIM FOR THE...: PREPARING FOR THE NECROPOCALYPSE

To help prepare for the inevitable rising of the living dead,
we'll provide some helpful advice to survive it. Using examples
from books, films, and other sources, we'll tell you when to
aim,and when to run.

Sat 5:00 PM in Logans 1 (1 hour)
DIGITAL ART IS HERE TO STAY!

Is the computer just a tool? Can digital be combined with
traditional techniques? Does the work look "digital?" Where's the
"original piece?"

Sat 7:00 PM in Salon 9 (1 hour)
HORROR ART: WHY WE WANT TO MAKE SCARY STUFF.

What drives artists to create creepy images.