Artist James Blagden

Name: James Blagden
Occupation: Illustrator
Location: Park Slope South/Gowanus, Brooklyn
Recent Work: An illustrated short film, NO MAS PRESENTS: DOCK ELLIS & THE LSD NO-NO BY JAMES BLAGDEN, which received more than half a million hits within a week of its posting on YouTube
Clients: Nike, MTV, Uniqlo, Esquire, The New York Times Magazine, Spin, the Financial Times, No Mas
Website: www.jamesblagden.com

This is a profile of a dear friend I’ve been inspired by over the years. His dedication to drawing is truly admirable. We’ve struggled together as freelancers trying to earn a living while remaining true to who we are and doing what we love. Today, James is at the Sundance Festival in Utah because of a little passion project that landed in the lap of the right person at the right time.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, I got an e-mail from James, who had just completed editing a project with his friend over at No Mas — an animated short film about Dock Ellis. I was thinking, “Who the hell is Dock Ellis?” Dock Ellis was a major-league baseball player who pitched a no-hitter for the Pittsburgh Pirates while tripping on LSD. James decided to illustrate Dock’s story. I clicked on the YouTube link and watched. I had never seen James’s drawings come to life like this … and it was then that I learned what a no-hitter is. Apparently, it is exceptionally rare for a pitcher to allow no hits over the course of an entire game. And Dock Ellis, who sometimes wore curlers in his hair on the field, pitched one while tripping on LSD. How come I’d never heard of this guy? After his professional career, Dock became a drug counselor. He was diagnosed with cirrhosis in 2007 and died in 2008.

As I watched, I laughed. I forwarded James’s short to all my friends, who agreed that it was hilarious and genius. I even heard from a friend in the photo department at New York magazine that everyone there was laughing out loud in the cubicles. Naturally I wanted to see James’s sketches for myself and understand the environment that bred one of the funniest videos I’ve ever seen about the topic I care least for (sports).

Original sketches from the animated short NO MAS PRESENTS: DOCK ELLIS & THE LSD NO-NO BY JAMES BLAGDEN

James studying his sketches at his drawing board

The Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn isn’t an ideal destination — unless you’re seeking an incredibly dirty body of water in an industrial neighborhood lacking hipster luster. It’s where James occupies a very Zenlike, spacious loft with two other illustrators. I feel like I’m walking into a boys’ club. Everyone draws better than I do. You’d expect a certain level of pretension here, but there is no sign of that. Just a box of old doughnuts that are still being consumed on day 4. A bunch of drawing tables, individual computers, inspiration walls, and loads of inks, brushes, pencils. … Then James goes on to show me his latest project: oversize composite drawings of criminals in bright colors.

James showed me his favorite books, one of which is about J’aime Cheri Samba, an illustrator from Africa whose work he deeply admires

Conceptual drawings for MadeMe Clothing by James Blagden

James’s BMX bike, his preferred mode of transportation