Going Off the Rails on a Crazy Train
Though beardless Theo’s confrontation with the railroad men is one of my favorite parts of this story, it’s definitely an example of a place where I could have done more research. The problem was not a scarcity of reference material, but a superabundance of it. The train dorks of America have amassed so much great information out there on the history of U.S. railroads that, rather than choosing some of it, I opted to read none of it… besides, I had a comic to draw!
(a cool map of the now defunct Santa Fe Railroad, from 1891.)
One unfortunate result of my laziness is that the fictional railroad described in SNitLoE is frankly preposterous. At the end of the 19th century, Lubbock, TX was still not even a spot on the map, nor was Tuscon, AZ much better. It is true that a hypothetical railroad between these two nowhere towns would indeed pass approximately through the Las Cruces/ White Sands area, but why would it? An actual ladder into the sun would be more useful.
“I’ve listened to the preachers, I’ve listened to the fools, I’ve watched all the dropouts who make their own rules.” – Ozzy Osbourne, “Crazy Train,” summarizing my comic.
BADASS ST. PATRICK!
BIND UNTO YOURSELF THIS, BITCH!!!
(Before I decided to make this a comic-book cover, I wanted it to be a movie poster.)
“Larry, baby! Got a new idea for St. Patty’s Day. Yeah, I know, who can care any more? He’s an old dead saint, grey beard, lotta robes. The kids ain’t exactly beating down the doors for this fella’s autograph, am I right? So here’s how I see it: we go darker and edgier. Think “300” meets “Anaconda,” in 5th century Ireland! Ol’ Pat himself is three parts Kratos from “God of War” and one part Boondock Saint… a total badass! He’s gotta rescue the pagan princess from the coils of a cobra voiced by Sean Connery – she’s Keira Knightley from “King Arthur,” but with a D-cup. A comical CGI leprechaun? Sure, I guess that’d work. Howabout I give Marlon Wayans a call? Think it over – we’ll do lunch!”
By the way, the black-and-white original for this picture, though flawed (what’s with his right arm? You call that foreshortening?) is still probably one of the best things I’ve ever drawn. Because of this, and because I am broke as a 5th-century pagan, I am selling it on my etsy page for $25. Consider snatching it up! Proceeds will go toward the health insurance I have to buy because I don’t live in Ireland.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everyone. I hope it’s BRUTAL!!!!1!
Read MoreTen Minute Robert La Follette
I’m working really hard on some elaborate SNitLoE scenes and a pin-up for St. Patrick’s Day right now, so I don’t have much to post besides this quick sketch of famous Wisconsin senator Robert La Follette. This guy was amazing! I feel his spirit must still somehow be stalking the capitol building in Madison, as the protesters and workers occupying the building honor his legacy by fighting for union rights, and Republican legislators trample his grave.
Wisconsin brought our nation its first workman’s comp program, its first unemployment insurance program, its first statewide election primaries, and its first state income tax. Looks like it’s your turn to lead the way again, cheeseheads. Stick it to the bastards… the nation and the restless spirit of “Fighting Bob” are watching.
Below: results from the 1924 presidential election. La Follette had 17% of the popular vote!
Eskimo Breakup
I had to take a break from my Years of Rice and Salt illustrations because I was falling waaaay behind on Savage Nobles in the Land of Enchantment, which is still my #1 drawing priority, at least for another 35 pages, damn it all.
This heartwrenching spread is for the upcoming issue of Stumptown Underground, with the extremely unfortunate theme of “breakups.” Pick it up at a comic store near you and enjoy more mopey, Craig Thomson-y navel-gazing than anybody ever thought you’d need. Then buck the hell up and draw something for April’s issue, which will be about “friendship,” thank goodness.
And just in case you want to still believe in love, check out the hot lip-lockin’ action in today’s installment of “SNitLoE.” Looks like Theo’s found the universal language, ho ho!
See you soon with more art!
Read More7.) The Years of Great Progress
Just don’t call it steampunk! Click to read more.
Chapter seven of Kim Stanley Robinson’s alternate history novel The Years of Rice and Salt chronicles the rise of Travancore (modern-day Thiruvananthapuram in southern India) as a world power. This is chiefly because they invent steam power. Their charismatic leader, the Kerala, ousted the Mughals (who, with the British empire never having arisen, continued to dominate India unchallenged well into what we would call the 19th century.) After that, the Kerala embarked on semi-peaceful Asoka-style conquest of the Muslim world, even conquering Konstantiniyye on the Bosphorus. The Kerala always brings the intellectuals of a new territory back to his capitol where, with a host of scholars and scientists from Africa, the New World, and especially the enormous Japanese diaspora, their scientific investigations are fully funded.
“The Years of Great Progress” contains one of my favorite passages in all of Robinson, recited by the Kerala as they float above the city and its orchards in the scene depicted:
“We will go out into the world and plant gardens and orchards to the horizons, we will build roads through the mountains and across the deserts, and terrace the mountains and irrigate the deserts until there will be garden everywhere, and plenty for all, and there will be no more empires or kingdoms, no more caliphs, sultans, emirs, khans, or zamindars, no more kings or queens or princes, no more quadis or mullahs or ulema, no more slavery and no more usury, no more property and no more taxes, no more rich and no more poor, no killing or maiming or torture or execution, no more jailers and no more prisoners, no more generals, soldiers, armies or navies, no more patriarchy, no more caste, no more hunger, no more suffering than what life brings us for being born and having to die, and then we will see for the first time what kind of creatures we really are.”
I have a complicated view of KSR’s specific brand of utopianism, which I will elaborate upon in a later post. But while I think a lot of his positions need to be problematized, there’s nevertheless something about his egalitarian vision that stirs me pretty deeply. Unlike (sadly) many sci-fi writers, KSR is actually capable of beautiful writing, and passages like these set my leftist heart a-reeling.
He forgot to say “no more Qaddafis!”
Briefly, regarding the art: I had an obscene amount of fun being obsessive and anal over all the details in this picture. Though overzealous detail is something I try to avoid, I fear that I more often sway too far the other way, being sketchy and sloppy and leaving my characters against stark, uninteresting backgrounds. (I’m particuarly guilty of this in SNitLoE, which, to be fair, takes place mostly in the desert and in completely dark rooms.)
I’ve also been more careful with the “camera angles” of my art lately. I’m trying to use “upshots” more often for dramatic effect, but I don’t wanna become somebody who uses them all the time because they are easier than elaborate downshots. This picture would have taken half the time if we were looking up from the city at the hot air balloon, but would it have been better? I doubt it. Before composing the downshot in this image I studied some of the absolutely gorgeous urban downshots of Dustin Weaver (whose fantastic Shield series is kind of an alternate history itself).
I wanna be absolutely clear that in displaying Dustin’s work here and linking to his blog I am not comparing myself to him or anything like that. As an artist, he is to me what, as a writer, Kim Stanley Robinson is to… also me. An inspiration!
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