I hope you enjoy browsing this online portfolio. It represents years of achievement, produced by me as either a freelancer or as a paid on-staff creative at various companies throughout the Central New York area. Diversification remains the key to my successful artist career. While drawing dynamic comic book imagery is undoubtedly my forté and first love, I’ve never wanted the simple label of “that cartoonist guy”. The work included here is intended to demonstrate my many interests and skills throughout a wide spectrum of applications. Ad agencies, publishers, industrial manufacturers, and screenprinting companies are among my most common clients. With over 35 years of experience, I know how to successfully meet every client’s unique needs, delivering high quality products often within very strict deadlines and budgets. I enjoy working both independently and within a team environment. Do you have a new project that I could assist with, or perhaps an open company position I could fill? I am always here to help! Please, feel free to contact me anytime. You will not be disappointed! Thank you. :-)

Hello, and welcome to my website! My name is Rodney Frendak, and I’m a professional Illustrator and Graphic Designer. In 1995, I officially launched Rocket Studios, derived from “Rocket”, a nickname given to me by fellow motocross bike riders and neighborhood friends from my youth. Well, the name stuck, so Rocket Studios was the obvious choice to call my freelance business.

Unlike sterile mechanical drawings, my renderings of buildings and smaller structures are meant to offer a more personal, whimsical interpretation of each subject.

Like a logo, an iconic character helps to identify a business, organization, event, school, or product. I really enjoy creating these unique kind of images.

Shown here are b&w illustrations that I created for a 16 page coloring book, focusing on children with special needs. I also designed and colored the cover. Captions on each page were typeset by me, based upon a provided script. Client: Options For Independence - Auburn, NY

These are images I originally created as line art only, for pages in a children’s coloring book. I later colored them myself using Adobe Photoshop.

Top, L-R: Life-sized sign board illustration; Poster concept for the NYS Fair; Montage image for a Literacy Volunteers of America ad; Character design for a frozen lake scuba diving event. Bottom, L-R: Yoda illustration over a hand-painted moon landscape; Book cover for “Blue Avenger Cracks The Code”; Concept art for a medieval-themed video game.

Character design and spread illustration created for a series of magazine ads, featuring Metal Man, the superhero mascot of Englert Metal Roofing, Inc. Included are his arch enemies Major Havoc, Asphalt, Bombshell, Rot, Rising Costs, and Dam.

Top: Three comic book panel ads created for Englert Metal Roofing, Inc., featuring their superhero mascot Metal Man battling villains that both contractors and laborers loathe. Bottom: Character and icon designs used in a live video presentation for Xerox Corporation at a Las Vegas, NV COMDEX show.

Top: Amish children, Green Lantern, Skeleton - images created for self-promotion; Superhero - The Image Press - Syracuse, NY. Also used in ads for Boeing Corp. and Girard Equipment, Inc. Bottom, L-R: Cover illustration for Investment Dealers’ Digest magazine; Einstein - T-shirt design for a school science club; Nick Net - Xerox Corp. at COMDEX; Frankenstein - self-promotion; The New Blood - movie poster for Fish & Crown Creative - Rochester, NY

Shown here are illustrations in two panel layouts. Used as visual guides in setting up scenes for filming TV commercials for the Kinney Drugs chain of pharmacies. My direct client for this project was the ad agency Pinckney Hugo in Syracuse, NY

Shown here are illustrations in two panel layouts. Used as visual guides in setting up scenes for filming TV commercials for the Kinney Drugs chain of pharmacies. My direct client for this project was the ad agency Pinckney Hugo in Syracuse, NY

Shown here are illustrations in two panel layouts. Used as visual guides in setting up scenes for filming TV commercials for the Kinney Drugs chain of pharmacies. My direct client for this project was the ad agency Pinckney Hugo in Syracuse, NY

Top, L-R: Environmental poster - created for self-promotion; The Dreamin’ Team - T-shirt design; Multi-armed juggling girl - Weekly Reader Magazine. Bottom: A series of political cartoons, based on client-submitted concepts and political views.

Illustrated headshots drawn and colored in a variety of artistic styles and media.

A sampling of various characters, objects, and scenes. Created using pencil on paper and colored in Photoshop, or exclusively using Procreate on the iPad.

A sampling of various characters, objects, and scenes. Created using pencil on paper and colored in Photoshop, or exclusively using Procreate on the iPad.

A sampling of various characters, objects, and scenes. Created using pencil on paper and colored in Photoshop, or exclusively using Procreate on the iPad.

A sampling of various characters, objects, and scenes. Created using pencil on paper and colored in Photoshop, or exclusively using Procreate on the iPad.

Vector-based illustrations of products used in high tech, manufacturing, and retail sales industries. Some images shown are further embellished using Adobe Photoshop.

Hand-drawn images of a variety of vehicle types, colored and embellished using Adobe Photoshop.

A combination of freehand drawings and computer-generated type and graphics, made for screenprinting. I can also accurately color separate and output designs to film positives.

The work featured here includes logo design and image editing. Also note the contact information shown on each card may not be current and is intended for illustration purposes only.

These parodies of the NFL were created for my non-profit newsletter, The Broncos Bulletin.

These images are political editorials I created for posting on social media.

Top Row: Original Photos Bottom Row: Digitally Edited

Before and After images created to show how an existing home (left) and a Bed & Breakfast would look with new paint, additions, and alterations.

Click on the dot below to view an animated version of this logo.

A logo is the foremost visual identity of any business, club, sports team, or organization. It must be easy to read at any size and be bold, yet elegant. These are some of my best designs.