A couple backgrounds (minus a few later revisions) I did for Rebecca Sugar’s Cartoon Network pilot “Steven Universe”. They’re both based very faithfully on her layouts- basically Rebecca drawings with a Tom layer on top. Anyways… both locations have been completely redesigned for the upcoming series, which from what little I’ve seen looks very very pretty. Congrats Rebecca!
Lately this is mostly me Tom, but I'm sure Pete will be posting stuff once in a blue moon. He's doing photo retouching in NYC and I'm a former character designer, current writer/storyboarder on Adventure Time at Cartoon Network in LA. ┬┴┬┴┤(･_├┬┴┬┴
More evidence from my Asheville vacation (and still functional for a couple more days).
my buddy tom is in town from LA so i got to hang out with both herpich brothers today. they recently moved all their stuff over from blogspot to tumblr. tom currently writes and draws on adventure time and is the most talented person i know. pete is a sick painter.
…and one from the second leg of my over vacation, via my buddy tom who lives in NY along with Pete.
1:46 pm • 20 May 2013 • 80 notes
//#tom herpich #tom prior #peter herpich
Tom. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina. May 2013.
Here’s a couple pics, courtesy of my buddy Jacob who was there, from the first leg of my big giant vacation that’s over.
New Adventure Time this Monday- BMO Lost, written and storyboarded by Steve Wolfhard and me.
I thiiiinnk this’ll close out our contribution to this current season, or at least be our last episode for a while. I think it may be our cutest episode ever. Hope y’all dig it!
12:00 pm • 12 April 2013 • 449 notes
//#tom herpich #steve wolfhard
Put Some Sugar in My Butt Tank
Here’s a song I wrote for a female singer. My brother suggested Lucinda Williams.
“Put Some Sugar in My Butt Tank”
Baby when you stop me up
I don’t wanna start
You put some sugar in
you put some sugar in my butt tank
Baby wants to take a ride
but I won’t turn over
I put some sugar in
I put some sugar in my butt tank
Drawing by Steve Wolfhard, who has this to say-
Puhoy! by Tom Herpich and me, this Monday on Cartoon Network.
I’m preeeeetty proud of this one and I’m excited for everyone to watch it. There’s some fun stuff in here!
Right now I’m just finishing up storyboarding our last episode for season five! There’s a lot of surprising stuff coming up on the show and it’s been cool partnering with Tom Herpich (who, by the way, is on tumblr now! Here! Unfortunately he’s not on twitter, but I am. Here.). Puhoy.
Like Steve, I’m preeeeetty proud of this one- the stars aligned just right. Big thanks to Kent and Pen and Nate, and to secret guest stars J.F., M.S., and last but not least W.S., who I finally got to cast in the show, thus shortening my bucket list. Hope y’all dig it!
The Matrix Revisited
NEO: What’s up Trin?
TRINITY: …
NEO: Is it my hair? It is isn’t is? We’ll both feel better if you tell me.
TRINITY: No no- listen: I’ve been thinking about the Oracle.
NEO: Okay.
TRINITY: Well she was basically a video game character, right? Just like the rest of us while we’re “in” the matrix; video game avatars talking to other video game avatars in a video game world- but we acted as though her predictions carried over into reality. Like when Cypher was gonna pull your plug on the Nebuchadnezzar, but I knew you’d be okay because of the Oracle’s prophecy. I mean, maybe she’s actually got psychic abilities that can transmit through fiber optic cables or whatever, but it makes more sense to think that her abilities are based in the digital world. The patterns and programs of the matrix are a perfect foundation for someone with high level mathematical intuition to, in a sense, see into future.
NEO: Yeah I guess. But it all came true so it looks like you’re wrong.
TRINITY: Maybe- but think about this: shouldn’t your powers be rooted in the matrix as well? Isn’t it your ability to see the matrix for what it is more clearly than anyone else, and then shed so thoroughly the residual false notion of your own physical limitations, the source of your power while in the matrix?
NEO: Yes.
TRINITY: But you can use your powers outside the matrix.
NEO: …
TRINITY: I first suspected something was up when, at the end of our second big adventure, you used your mind to disable a sentinel in the real world. Why would you be able to do that? What do your powers in the matrix have to do with real world telekinesis?
NEO: I don’t know… What are you saying? Are you saying….
TRINITY: I’m saying what if…
NEO: No.
TRINITY: …what if we’re still inside the matrix?
NEO: No. Fuck… You’re right. It makes so much sense.
TRINITY: What better way to suppress a rebellion permanently than to convince the rebels that they’ve already won.
NEO: Fuck… Well I guess we’ve got a lot of work left to do. Fuuuck.
TRINITY: Do we though?
NEO: …
TRINITY: Hundreds of people just actually really died (I think) so that you and I could accomplish literally nothing (in the real world). Our friends gave their lives. Switch, Epoch, Mouse… and for what? How many more have to die just to peel off one more layer of the onion? And how can we ever know if we’re really out? Or what’s waiting for us if we even can get out? What if you will yourself awake in the REAL real world, and there’s no Zion; it’s just you all alone with nothing to eat. And why wouldn’t the machines just kill anyone who wakes up? The fact that, this last time, they flushed you down a tube instead of killing you is even more evidence that they were letting us win… or think we’ve won, anyway.
NEO: Hmm… So what are you really saying here Trinity?
TRINITY: I’m saying… maybe we’ve been given a second chance. We can explain to the machines that we’ve realized the impossibility of our victory, and maybe they’ll let us all back in the matrix (within the matrix). It’s our only hope. We OWE it to every living man woman and child to surrender now and stop risking their happiness and their lives. And if it works, we can live out the rest of our lives with superpowers. We can live like kings, or be superheroes… or whatever!
NEO: I’ll be a superhero.
Eskimo
I’ve got a new comic over on the Vice website; “Eskimo”. I had the rough draft sitting around for years and just recently gave it the pro treatment on a whim… gotta draw sumthin’!
All Your Fault - 1/28/13
New episode of Adventure Time on Monday: “All Your Fault”! Like “Goliad” from last season, this is one where I came up with the premise myself, then brought it to the writers to bounce it around and plus it up. “Goliad” changed a lot in the writers room I remember, but this one was pretty much fully formed from the get go.
At any rate- I co-wrote and co-boarded it with the amazing Steve Wolfhard, who I’ve been working with since the end of season 4. I think we’ve been making some really solid stuff, and it’s torture waiting for it all to hit the airwaves! Hope y’all dig it.
7:44 pm • 26 January 2013 • 7 notes
//#Adventure Time #Tom Herpich
The Lich - 10/22/12
New episode of Adventure Time on Monday. This one’s the season four finale, plus the finale of my storyboarding partnership with the incredible Skyler Page. For season five and beyond I’ve been boarding with the incredible Steve Wolfhard.
Anyhow, I think this episode came out great. It’s my favorite work that Skyler did for AT, and I’m pretty happy with my parts too.
Check it out!
11:50 am • 19 October 2012 • 5 notes
//#Adventure Time #Tom Herpich
Now’s the Time
My new comic book “White Clay” hits stores tomorrow, plus now you can order straight from my publisher, AdHouse Books. It’s been a long time coming, and I’ll tell you what, it feels pretty good. I was in Maryland at a comic book convention a couple weeks ago selling copies of the book, and man, it’s such a rare, satisfying feeling to make something with your own two hands (more or less) and then sell it to real people, face to face, no middle man (more or less). It was so invigorating that I bought a plane ticket back to NY as soon as I got back to CA, so I can sell more books at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival. Look for me there, November 10th!
Photo, from about two years back, courtesy of my old buddy Tom Prior.
Interviews
I’ve been away from home for a while and didn’t get a chance to post about this interview I did with Zack Smith from Newsarama to promote my new book White Clay (which now exists as a real thing, but isn’t in stores yet; couple more weeks I think). Plus I dug up the handful of others I’ve done over the years, if any of y’all are interested:
Title Card Drawings
For a few of my Adventure Time episodes. These get handed off to the colorists who turn them into the finished paintings at the beginning of each episode. Usually the designers draw them, but sometimes I help out if they’re pressed for time.
10:15 pm • 20 September 2012 • 9 notes
//#Adventure Time #Tom Herpich
