New Illustration

click to enlarge

This was a recent cover for the OC Weekly. The story was about a gang member who shot some cops and went on the run. When he was later tracked down and killed in a shootout, the cops handcuffed his corpse.

The founding Editor of the OC Weekly, Will Swaim, resigned last week after 11 years with the paper. He cited disagreements with how the New Times chain, which gobbled them up last year, did business.

The OC was my first big circulation illustration client (by altweekly standards) a few years ago. Working with Will was one of my best experiences as an illustrator and what makes this job so cool; illustrating muckraking news stories that had lasting impact on an area, with creative freedom to boot. I had the pleasure of illustrating covers exposing their corrupt sheriff, a priestly pedophile, and a criminal AIDS Doctor.

As one comment on their blog said, "Will Swaim and his paper have been one giant pain in the ass to a county that was in desperate need of one."