INKTOBER

Here's number nine...

 INKTOBER

I was told about INKTOBER a few days ago by Sophie Swindells (who was told about it by Alexandra Casswell Becker) and decided to have a go. I decided to use family members of my writing alter-ego, Elmcroft Applejack, as my subject matter as they're an interesting bunch, to say the least. I'm busily trying to play catch up, so here are the first eight images.

I hope to be up to date in a few days and will consider it a personal triumph if I manage all thirty one on time. Watch this space...#inktober

THADDEUS MIST... VICTORIAN BIOGRAPHY

The following is my "Victorian biography" to accompany the image in my previous post... fact really is stranger than fiction!

RHYS L REED

The earliest evidence of the existence of Mr Rhys L Reed can be found in the County Court Records Office in Bristol (1889), wherein he was described as "a purveyor of disturbing and shameful etchings" and "a spoiler of small woodland creatures". 

His numerous sojourns spent at Her Majesty's pleasure (for a plethora of despicable crimes and misdemeanours perpetrated country wide) seemed in no way to deter him from his unhealthy interests, indeed they served only to inspire his thirst for the bizarre and unmentionable. Prison records show that he displayed little or no remorse for upsetting individuals and the wider public with his open displays of indifference to the rules of etiquette; as he would brazenly miss-use cutlery and pass the port "in whichever direction I damn well please".

His book "The Gratifying Insertion of Objects" was reputedly to be found in the libraries of some of the most unlikely collectors including, according to a certain chamber maid's memoirs, Queen Victoria herself; who was said to have been "surreptitiously amused" by its contents. He enjoyed a brief period of fame/notoriety in the more fashionable cities of Britain and Europe where his stage show "More tea, Vicar?" received mixed reviews and was rapidly shut down by local authorities in the name of public decency.

The lack of public approval gradually took its toll upon the delicate minded Mr Reed and in the Autumn of 1921 whilst "visiting" a convent in Frampton Cotterell he fell seriously ill. Fearing the worst he set about composing his last Will and Testament, perhaps his finest and certainly his final act of defiance. The Mother Superior of the convent was named as executor of Mr Reed's estate and upon his passing she fulfilled his wishes to the letter. His body was divided into manageable portions, pickled in distilled vinegar and then posted to various members of the Royal family as a "yuletide surprise".

Buckingham Palace refuse to comment on this "sordid suggestion", but it's true to say that no resting place has ever been found and the whereabouts of Mr Reed's body parts remains unclear.

Only one photographic image exists as testament to the truth.

THADDEUS MIST...

The book is rolling along the production line and the contributors have been asked to create a Victorian style self-portrait and biography to enhance the ambiance of the whole thing.

Here's my image... text to follow.

THADDEUS MIST -  FINISHED PAGES!

Could it be?! Have I actually finished them?!! It's been an intense few weeks but it seems to be the case that yes, I have!

So here they are, minus the words, for your perusal... I'm off to bed.

THADDEUS MIST contd

So, here are what I call my "rough roughs" with the initial layout ideas for my fifteen pages of the up-coming graphic novel. There will be a certain amount of tweaking between now and the finished article, but you get a pretty good idea from this of the content and characters... line work only at this point.

To those who think that perhaps their eyesight is failing them I say worry not, for the text boxes are filled with squiggles not words. An expert amongst the TM team will be in charge of the lettering and boxes for the entire book to ensure continuity and make life easier on the poor down-trodden illustrators.

INITIAL THADDEUS SKETCHES

Here are my first scribblings of how the main characters of my portion of the "Thaddeus Mist" anthology are likely to look. Thaddeus is about four years old when we first meet him and is being described by the nanny, Miss Kenward. They both age during my bit, hence the variations whilst Mr Mist senior will, I think, merely start out a little darker about the whiskers. More to follow...