Tom Riggin

@tomrig.bsky.social

670 Followers 226 Following

Animator, Director & Storyboard Artist, now retired. Space Jam (the original), Bob’s Burgers, The Super Hero Squad Show, Bebe’s Kids and a bunch of other stuff you might have seen.

My first fast-‘n’-dirty thumbnail/page layout for “Bizarre Bazaar” from issue #4 of the “Bob’s Burgers” comic book. Digital (Photoshop), 2015. Bob and Louise are walking through the local farmers’ market trying to come up with ideas for a new “Burger of the Day”. After rejecting Brussels sprouts and Caramel Corn, Louise spots a stand that neither of them has seen before. Behind the counter inside the tent is a mysterious looking old lady…
Art cards for “The Man on the Flying Trapeze” starring Popeye (1934), “It Happened one Night” (1934), “Marty, Life is Short” (2026) and “Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery” (2025).
Barris Kustom City at the corner of Lankershim and Riverside in North Hollywood, CA. The legendary custom shop of George Barris, creator of iconic custom vehicles for movies and TV including the ‘66 Batmobile, which resided behind the display room window. The location closed in 2021 and relocated to Ventura, CA.
A squirrel’s stash of acorns in the hollow of a tree. Among the acorns is the cork from a wine bottle.
On a dessert plate sit two Oreo cookies. On the side facing down the chocolate flavored wafers bear the traditional Oreo design, but on the side facing up they bear the iconic iron mask of Marvel Comics supervillain Doctor Doom.
Evening surf, Monterey Bay, CA.
William Shatner as Capt. James T. Kirk is buried in an avalanche of Tribbles falling from a grain storage bin in Star Trek season 2, episode 15: “The Trouble With Tribbles” originally broadcast on December 29th, 1967. The small furry creatures were an invasive species that were born pregnant, multiplying so rapidly that they would quickly overwhelm the resources of any environment into which they were introduced.
Art cards for “John Candy: I Like Me” (2025), “Remarkably Bright Creatures” (2026), “Silver River” (1948) and “Without Love” (1945).
Robert Emmett O’Connor as the eternally exasperated Sgt. Henderson is given the run-around by Chico (pretending to be a chair), Harpo (sitting on Chico and knitting) and Groucho (wearing a false beard and reading a newspaper) in the hotel scene from the Marx Bros 1935 classic “A Night at the Opera”.
Costumes worn by Rachel Brosnahan (Lois Lane), David Corenswet (Clark Kent/Superman) and Nicholas Hoult (Lex Luthor) in the 2025 feature film “Superman”. Photographed at the Warner Bros. Studio Tours, Spring 2025.
A wreath of flowers placed on Sid & Marty Kroft’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Sid Kroft died on April 10th, 2026 at the age of 96. He and his brother Marty, who died in 2023 are best known for the Saturday morning children’s TV shows they produced including H. R. Pufnstuf (1969 - 1970) and The Land of The Lost (1974 - 1977).
The cast of the classic American sitcom Taxi. Back L to R: Andy Kaufman, Carol Kane, Danny DeVito, Judd Hirsch. Front L to R: Tony Danza, Marilu Henner, Cristopher Lloyd. The series, set in the Manhattan garage of the Sunshine Cab Co. gave DeVito and Lloyd their breakout roles; DeVito as the company’s unsavory dispatcher Louie De Palma and Lloyd as the lovable ‘60s burnout Jim Ignatowski. Hirsch, as world weary cabbie Alex Reiger, anchored one of the all-time great sitcom ensembles, including Kaufman parlaying his “Foreign Man” character into the sweetly innocent mechanic Latka Gravas, Kane as Latka’s girlfriend and later wife Simka, Jeff Conway as struggling actor Bobby Wheeler, Henner as single mom Elaine Nardo and Danza as boxer Tony Banta.
Leslie Nielsen as Commander Adams in “Forbidden Planet” (1956). Only half joking with this one. In many ways “Forbidden Planet” was the foundation upon which Star Trek would be built a decade later.
A display at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, CA. Lettering above the bookshelves reads “Make Orwell Fiction Again.” Among the displayed books are “A Clockwork Orange”, “Lord of the Flies”, “V For Vendetta”, “The Handmaid’s Tale”, “Player Piano”, “The Plot Against America” and “It Can’t Happen Here”. Posters depicting the map of The Republic of Gilead, Big Brother from Orwell’s “1984” and The 74th Annual Hunger Games are among those placed above the books.
Not a Star Trek crew. The cast of the sitcom “30 Rock”. From L to R: Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin, Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer.
Art cards for “The Frisco Kid” (1979), “Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story” (2025), “Zootopia 2” (2025) and “Blue Moon” (2025).
A page of original art from Marvel Comics’ “Thor” issue 283 penciled by John Buscema and inked by Chic Stone. It depicts a sequence of action in which one of the Celestials, Gammenon The Gatherer, snatches an airliner out of the sky and snaps off one of its wings. Thor flies in to challenge the gigantic being and rescue the passengers. He strikes at its helmet with his hammer.
Image of the Winter Warlock from the 1970 stop-motion animated television special “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town”.
Two small cats, a tortie and a tuxie stare up at us during dinner. We did not disappoint them.
A cat impatiently watches a downpour and listens to thunder from the open deck of a hotel lounge.
Art cards for “The Fantastic 4: First Steps” (2025), “Key Largo” (1948), “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man - Part 2” (2026) and “K-Pop Demon Hunters” (2025).
Art cards for the films “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man Part 1” (2026), “China Seas” (1935), “Shadow of The Thin Man” (1941) and “The Automat” (2021).
Sid Haig (1939 - 2018) as he appeared in 2 episodes of the ‘60s TV series “Batman” in the role of King Tut’s Royal Apothecary. Haig became a horror icon as Captain Spaulding in Director Rob Zombie’s “House of 1000 Corpses” (2003) and “The Devil’s Rejects” (2005).
“Disney’s DuckTales” #9 (cover date October 1989) published by Gladstone Comics. The cover illustration for the story “The Oil Pirates” depicts one of the villainous Beagle Boys pushing Scrooge McDuck and Launchpad McQuack from a boat toward the waiting jaws of a pair of sharks.
Comic book cover for “Who’s Who in Star Trek” published by DC Comics in April 1987. The cover illustration by Howard Chaykin depicts Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Harcourt Fenton “Harry” Mudd (Roger C. Carmel).
The iconic front doors of Rick's Café Américain from the 1942 Warner Bros. feature “Casablanca”.
Still of Rick Moranis as Dark Helmet in MelBrooks’ “Spaceballs”. The film is an affectionate parody of the original “Star Wars” trilogy.
Art cards for “Song Sung Blue” (2025), “Mary Poppins” (1964), “The Man Called Flintstone” (1966) and “A Christmas Carol” (1938).
Art cards for “A Christmas Story” (1983), “A Christmas Carol” (1984), “Elf” (2003) and “The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993).
Panel from the 10th issue of “Superman” (1941) by Jerry Siegel and Paul Cassidy. Superman gets a confession out of a fraudster by threatening to drop him down the chimney of an industrial plant.
Barney Fife, Gomer Pyle and Sheriff Andy Taylor (Don Knotts, Jim Nabors and Andy Griffith) in a scene from the American sitcom “The Andy Griffith Show” (1960-68) also known as “Andy of Mayberry” in syndicated reruns.
Dom Bell, Marty Eggs and Mel Funn (Dom DeLuise, Marty Feldman and Mel Brooks) cruise through the streets of Los Angeles in Mel’s yellow roadster in a scene from Brooks’ “Silent Movie” (1976).
The final panel of the comic book series “Mister Miracle” by Jack Kirby shows Darkseid, the dictator of the planet Apokolips, enjoying an uncharacteristic fit of laughter. The comic was one of the titles in Kirby’s “Fourth World” story cycle.
Art cards for “Addams Family Values” (1993), “John Candy: I Like Me” (2025), “Devil in a Blue Dress” (1995) and “A Mighty Wind” (2003).
Frame grab from the title sequence of the short-lived 1982 sitcom One of the Boys in which Nathan Lane costarred with Mickey Rooney, Dana Carvey and Scatman Crothers.
Art cards for “My Little Chickadee” (1940), “The Phantom of the Opera” (1925-29) “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mister Toad” (1949) and “Ed Wood” (1994).
Claude Rains as the villainous Prince John in “The Adventures of Robin Hood” (1938). Seated to his right is Basil Rathbone as the nearly as villainous Sir Guy of Gisbourne.
Photo of “Dinny” at the Cabazon Dinosaurs, a classic Southern California roadside attraction. Dinny is currently painted bright red with a white heart shape is on his side containing the slogan “Choose Love.”
Cover art for the films “Ed Wood” (1994), “Another Thin Man” (1939), “Wayne’s World (1992) and “Real Life” (1979).
Vintage movie theater lobby card for “Hare Trigger”, a 1945 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies cartoon directed by the great Friz Freling. The illustration shows Yosemite Sam as a train robber trying to intimidate Bugs Bunny, who is costumed as a Western movie hero.
Photo of a reusable shopping bag given out at the 2017 Emmy “For Your Consideration” event for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. It reads: “Comedy with a BIG SACK”.
Book cover of “The Spamalot Diaries” by Eric Idle. The covert depicts King Arthur, The Lady of the Lake, assorted Knights, a castle and banners riding in a floating Holy Grail in the style of Monty Python animator Terry Gilliam. A catapulted cow is flying toward them.
Protesters on an overpass of the northbound 101 freeway near Los Angeles, CA. Their banners read: “THE FILES MUST BE DAMNING!”
A display of men’s hygiene products at Bath & Body Works featuring a fragrance called “To The Moon”. Maybe (probably not) in reference to Jackie Gleason’s character Ralph Kramden.
Paperback screenplay book for “A Day at the Races” published by The Viking Press in 1973. The cover features a publicity still of Groucho, Chico and Harpo Marx laying on a bed of straw.
Video of a small brook with nature sounds in San Luis Obispo, CA.
Photo of a fortune cookie fortune reading “You are always welcome in any gathering.”
The gravesite of actor Don Adams at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The bronze plaque appears to be waiting a new headstone. A fan has taped a small Inspector Gadget toy to its support bar. Adams was the original voice of the character.
The cover of the book “‘Rommel?’ ‘Gunner Who?’ A Confrontation in the Desert” by Spike Milligan.
Background painting by Irv Wyner from the Warner Bros. cartoon “By Word of Mouse” (1954) depicting a highly stylized office desk. Wyner employed a limited color palate to emphasize the graphic styling of Hawley Pratt’s scene layout.
Harley looks ready to take on the world in a still from the Season 5 finale of Harley Quinn.
“Mary by the Sea”, a 1934 painting of Mary Blair by her husband, Lee Blair. She is depicted with her canvas and painting supplies on a hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Daffy Duck and Porky Pig are trapped in a gum-bubble being blown by a sinister looking alien in a publicity image from the feature film “The Day the Earth Blew Up”
In the first panel of today’s “Dick Tracy” comic strip a female TV news reporter is identified as Tess Nessman, a reference to the character Les Nessman played by Richard Sanders on the sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati.”
As Chester panics in the gorilla’s cage, Bing Conan makes time with Dorothy Lamour. Comic panel by Eliot Brown & Joe Sinnott from Marvel’s “What If?” #34, 1982
Promotional still from “After the Thin Man” (1936) featuring Myrna Loy as Nora, William Powell as Nick and their terrier Asta.
In a still from Mel Brooks’ “The Producers” (1967) members of the Broadway opening night audience stare in slack-jawed astonishment and horror at the opening number from the musical “Springtime for Hitler”
Economic Blackout on 2/28. Don’t buy anything unless it’s from a small business.
Doctor Bong states his worldview that “Image is everything!” as he menaces Beverly Switzler in a panel from a 1977 issue of “Howard the Duck”.