RNA Connective was a Toronto based collective of artists, engineers, and architects who met regularly from 1999 to 2001 to discuss their observations about the rapid growth of technology and speculate on its implications for the future.

Some of these discussions and the above drawings were published in The Architecture of Intelligence, Birkhauser 2001.

Relax, Oh Yeah, to the Day

I wrote the words and drew the word bubble. Marc did the rest. Oh yeah.

The drawing shows The Tourists, two of Marc’s recurring characaters that have so far haunted pages in his sketchbooks here and there and are starting to make more regular appearances, such as in this postcard.

Header of the homepage of Igor Stagljar Lab at the Donnelly Centre, University of Toronto. Featuring the oh-so-endearing glowing crystals animated gif. India ink illustration by Marc Ngui, digital colouring and development by Magda Wojtyra.

Primarily, the home page Igor now has jet flames shooting out of his boots and an even swishier lab coat than the last one. The speed lines are a nice touch. Don’t miss the nano technology flying spaceship under the cell membrane illustration on the Links page.

This website was originally developed by us in 2005. Igor was impressed with the floating amoeba website that Marc and I had developed for one of his colleage’s, the Grant Brown Laboratory website, also at the Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research at the University of Toronto.

The original idea for the Staglar Lab was inspired by Igor’s impressive height – an even two meters tall – and his exuberantly good natured character. Like, if Krypton never did blow up and a Superman’s uncle continues, working away in his lab, probing genetics for the cures to the last problems that stand between society and the shining utopia it imagines for itself. Doesn’t that sound nice? And Igor, being the coolest client of all time not only said yes to the concept but three years later came back for more. Oh, yeah.

Olden County graphic novel stack of drawings

Marc brought these down for me to start photographing, and after he hefted them on the kitchen table, he stared at the stack a bit and finally said, “This goes a long way to explain the pain in my back”. Yes it does, yes it does.

The corner of the stack as tall as a big cup of coffee.

This is the stack of some 400+ drawings that comprise the draft version of Marc’s latest graphic novel, Tales of Olden County. Marc drew all these between November 2009 and May 2010, in a heroic effort of productive catharsis. The next step is to get these photographed and into digital format, so that the book can be shared and edited.

Previews of drawing coming soon!

The art and science fair is this Saturday!

Art and sciene unite!

Saturday May 8, 12pm – 4pm

Harbourfront Centre
235 Queen’s Quay West, Toronto

Free, open to the public

The website was designed by me and the illustrations were drawn by Marc. We worked closely with Sally to come up with the name and identity graphics. I also designed some print posters that are available as  PDF downloads from the website.

What is an Art & Science Fair?

The event is structured like a typical science fair, with fifty projects and their creators assembled for one day to share their work and ideas with an audience and to compete for awards. The difference is that the projects are a mix of both art and science.

Additionally, the participants in the Too Cool for School Art & Science Fair are from all walks of life, amateurs and professionals, many sharing their pet projects with the public for the first time. Participants are selected from an open call for submissions on the basis of originality, depth of inquiry, creative innovation and the element of surprise.

Read more about the project and check out all of Marc’s awesome illustrations on the Too Cool for School website.

I’ll know we’ll have done it right if the final thing feels like a combination of instructive tale about the tricky nature of  face value,  colouring book, and high contrast, eyeball giddying stare-a-thron.

Hero or monster? Hint: drool earrings.

Monster or hero? Hint: runs very fast.

So pretty in his youth.

What ARE those textures? Jack Kirby memed well.

This is what happens to your face when you think too hard and too long in the brilliant Nepal moonlight.