This book is my totally subjective and incomplete catalog of my favorite divas from all genres throughout the years. I’ve illustrated each one with love and admiration, in awe of their enduring power, creativity, and beauty. I enlisted the disembodied robotic help of Chat GPT to write short descriptions to pair with each diva, but I soon discovered that AI doesn’t possess the nuance or ability to capture what makes each of these women so special to me. I ended up rewriting pretty much everything that it spat out to make it personal and unique in the form of free-form rhyming couplets. Think Dr. Seuss, but gayer. I don’t consider myself a “writer” but I had a blast doing it. Volume 2 is already in the works, so if any of your faves are missing they will most likely appear in the next edition. Buy it on Amazon or at ruralmodernist.com
ILLUSTRATION, ART DIRECTION, VISUAL IDENTITY, BOOK DESIGN, COPYWRITING
This book was super fun to design and illustrate to say the least. The Big Gay Ice Cream boys did not want to do a traditional "cookbook." They wanted to create a yearbook that told the wacky tale of how they went from truck, to store, to internet and foodie sensations hobnobbing with Anthony Bourdain and other assorted foodie luminaries.
I began by researching mountains of wonderfully tacky yearbooks from the 80's and used that as my template to create a book that was at times purposefully ugly, yet still clean and modern.
In keeping with the yearbook theme, the authors had a bunch of their celebrity pals send in handwritten messages that I incorporated throughout the book.
They shot their fans school portrait style against an 80's flavored laser beam background which I assembled into yearbook-style grids and used them as chapter openers.
In keeping with the yearbook theme, I designed a bunch of faux ugly-on-purpose two color ads for the end papers at the back of the book. Ottavia is Anthony Bourdain's wife, Peter Jarema Funeral Home is actually next door to the East Village shop, and Eyebrows by Debi is honoring their pal Debi Mazar. (Not only does she possess exquisite eyebrows, but she is Madonna's dear friend which virtually makes me Madonna's dear friend, too. Six degrees.)
I think I managed to translate their irreverent, rainbow flavored brand into a memorable yearbook that references the past, yet is still clean and contemporary. Published by Random House.
ILLUSTRATION, BOOK DESIGN, ART DIRECTION, VISUAL IDENTITY
I had the pleasure of both designing and illustrating this lifestyle and entertaining book for the fabulous Mary Giuliani, caterer to the stars. Published by Random House. The design is clean and contemporary with a dash of mid-century modern flair.
ILLUSTRATION, BOOK DESIGN, ART DIRECTION, VISUAL IDENTITY
I illustrated this hilarious satirical guide to wedding planning and general bridal insanity by the very funny Laura Willcox. Published by Abrams Books.
“In this bridal gag gift, Laura Willcox writes in the voice of an overbearing, outrageous wedding planner, covering all aspects of a wedding—from the moment of engagement (hopefully with the ring you’ve been not so subtly emailing him about for months), all the way through the final minutes of the big day. Accompanied by Jason O’Malley’s humorous illustrations, Willcox offers tongue-in-cheek advice for every wedding-planning moment, whether it’s dreaming up the perfect wedding-weekend hashtag, planning a gift registry to make everyone jealous of your fabulous lifestyle, or figuring out how to distance yourself from the poor, unfortunate souls who didn’t make the cut for your guest list.”
ILLUSTRATION, BOOK COVER DESIGN
Carson Kressley is a television personality and designer best known as a fashion expert on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy." He also serves as a judge on "RuPaul's Drag Race," where his humor and love for drag culture shine. With his vibrant personality, Carson inspires and entertains audiences, celebrating self-acceptance and individuality. In Off the Cuff, he makes over the tired men’s style guide with an edgy, hilarious romp through every man’s closet: from socks to scarves, from jeans to leather jackets, from the dreaded pleated khaki to the classic pink oxford.
ILLUSTRATION
ABOUT THE BOOK: The book Joan Rivers calls “my dog bible,” Woof! is the quintessential queer guide for dog lovers, offering a hilarious take on gay dog ownership unlike any other book out there! Author Andrew De Prisco and illustrator Jason O’Malley have created a LGBTQ classic that defines the 28 “breeds” of gay men and recommends which breeds are best for each.
I got a kick out of illustrating every permutation of dog, cat, fish, and bird with modern flair and a cheeky sense of humor. Made famous on The Martha Stewart Show on television and Sirius radio, Marc Morrone is front and center to answer his viewers’ (and his readers’) many questions about their favorite pets in this series of books.
ILLUSTRATION
I had a blast illustrating several pop up books for kids. Check out the videos to see them in action. Halloween at the Zoo and Christmas at the Zoo are both Moonbeam award winners.
ILLUSTRATION, POP-UP BOOKS, CHILDREN’S ILLUSTRATION
For many couples the challenges of planning their nuptials are a piece of (wedding) cake compared to what comes after: How do we merge our finances—or do we? Do we need to spend every free minute together? And how do we decide where to spend our first Thanksgiving?
ILLUSTRATION
