After taking a well-deserved break (which may or may not have had anything to do with a broken computer), we're pleased as punch to welcome back ToughPigs' own Chris Smigliano to the round table! Let's see what Smig's got up his sleeve this time around...

First up, more character profiles!

The big news of last week was the D23 Expo, and it looks like Smig got in the mood with some wacky Disney satire (which is the best kind of Disney satire).

And the big news from the week before was Steve Whitmire's mysterious absence from Kermit's live appearances. Leave it to Smig to cauterize the wounds with more satire!

Lastly, a lesson in puppetry, followed by an illustration Smig made for the San Diego Comic con in 1990, shortly after Jim Henson's death.
A million thanks to Smig for all of his fantastic work!

Click here to bury Bean Bunny on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fan art, Smig

In honor of our new fancy Twitter icon (Twidder? Twitterbug?), let's check out some more art by ToughPigs' own Smig!

First up, Smig is continuing his character spotlight illustrations with a few familiar faces (and one whose face might not be the first thing you notice).

Labels: fan art, Smig

It's been a while since we spotlighted Smig here on ToughPigs, which only gave him more time to make more pictures for us! First off, if you look to your right (no, your other right), you'll see our new PayPal and Facebook links which feature some purdy doodles from Smig himself. The quasi-obscurity of the characters only adds to the awesomeness.

Next up, Smig did a few character profiles for everyone's favorite secondary Muppet Show characters, which came out pretty great. I don't know about you, but I'm campaigning for a whole book of these.



This piece was done after a conversation on the ToughPigs forum about the upcoming Muppet Robin Hood comic book. It's also a peek into the strange workings of Smig's mind.
Have you ever wondered what Beaker's X-ray would look like? Well wonder no more!
Lastly, we've got a visual interpretation of a story we've all heard many times about how Kevin Clash first began performing Elmo.
Special thanks to Smig for putting pen to paper!

Click here to throw stuff at Kevin Clash on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fan art, Smig

Greetings, art lovers! We at ToughPigs hope that you had a splendid Valentine's Day weekend. If you did, then I hope it was either spent cuddling up to a loved one or with your favorite Ben and Jerry's flavor (the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive). And if you didn't, then perhaps some new art from ToughPigs' own Smig will tickle your fancy!

First up is a strip referencing the new Tiny Zoe (tm), which debuted at the Sesame Street panel in Wayne, New Jersey (click here and here for our recap of the event).
And next is another sick and twisted scene from the sick and twisted mind of one Mr. Smig.
Click here to question which came first, the chicken or Gonzo? on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fan art, Sesame Street, Smig

We've got some pretty talented people over on the ToughPigs forum. We've got jugglers, balloon artists, didgeridoo players, contortionists, and all sorts of freaks, geeks, and squeaks. More than one of our pals is good with the art thing. You've already seen some great work from Smig on our site, and now we're pleased to introduce Peter Savieri, who has made some beautiful images of some of our favorite Muppet characters.

Peter will be showcased here on ToughPigs as he continues to create his Muppet works, so hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of him. Going back, here's a collection of his completed works, and his new images will pop up here soon.

And because you demanded it, here's two new Smig cartoons, the first of which he presented to Street Gang author Michael Davis at a recent book signing. WARNING: the image may or may not confirm some risqué rumors. Bert was unavailable for comment.Click here to get all artsy-fartsy on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fan art, Peter Savieri, Sesame Street, Smig, The Muppet Show

You know what I can't get enough of? Art by ToughPigs' own Smig! That guy sure can draw. Lucky for us, he likes to draw Muppety things! Just like these here:

Click here to wear spandex on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fan art, Fraggle Rock, Smig, The Muppet Show

It's that time again! Time for more Muppety art by ToughPigs' own Smig! What's notable in this installment is the piece at the end of this post, which was published in a recent issue of The Comic Buyer's Guide in his regular strip, "For Art's Sake." Enjoy the enjoyment! And as always, click on the images for embiggenment.


Click here to feast on a vegan at the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: comics/magazines, fan art, Sesame Street, Smig, The Muppet Show

In case you haven't looked three inches above these words lately, you may have noticed that we've got a shiny and new logo here at ToughPigs.com! We commissioned the piece a while back from our resident artist, Smig, and then sat on it for a few months before bothering to put it up. Because that's how we roll around here.

In honor of this momentous occasion, we also bring to you three new pieces by Smig. So enjoy the artiness! (Click the images to embiggen)

Click here to help unionize the Doozers on the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fan art, Fraggle Rock, Smig

We at ToughPigs.com are happy to have Chris Smigliano, better known around our offices as "Smig", on our team. He's had a close relationship with ToughPigs, dating back to the MuppetZine days.

Smig has agreed to create some exclusive art for ToughPigs, which we'll be spotlighting here. And keep an eye or two on this space for a few more Smig-related surprises in the near future!

And without further ado (that's right, not one more ado to do), ToughPigs and Chris Smigliano present: New Tux.
Click here to discuss the tuxedo/dinosaur rivalry at the ToughPigs forum!

Labels: fan art, Smig, The Muppet Show