Thursday at 6 pm EST, two Mad magazine artists jumped into the ring to see who can draw the best Spy in a Bikini.
Stephen Silver vs. Sam Viviano
I first learned about Stephen when I watched an impassioned Youtube video he made that told artists to respect their creative skills. He painted a picture of greedy businesses who take advantage of young artists every day in an effort to enhance their bottom line. Stephen was madder than hell, and his message was loud and clear. This is something all artists need to think about every time they engage with people about selling their art.
Stephen has designed characters for Disney Television Animation, Sony Feature Animation and Nickelodeon Animation, designing the style of the shows such as "Kim Possible," "Danny Phantom," Kevin Smith's "Clerks" the animated series, and much more. He owns Silver Drawing Academy, an art school, located in Los Angeles, CA.
Sam Viviano created his first cover for Mad magazine in 1980. It was an image of Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing from the TV hit Dallas. He’s also contributed his art to Rolling Stone, Reader’s Digest, advertising agencies and has taught caricature classes at Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts.
Sam is currently the art director for Mad magazine where he’s been for the past 17 years! Will all this experience give him enough direction to pull off a win drawing the beloved Spy character?
The jury is still out! Most of the voting happens on FB but let us know who you think wins this battle, in the comments.
The winner will be announced on the next show. Follow me at Tom LaBaff Studios on Facebook to join the party.