"Here... let me scratch that thing for you..."

Finally... on to the finish of this slugfest!
A couple more big shots, and this baby moves into denouement mode.
This unfortunately requires me to indulge a bit more in my peculiar ocular injury obsession... for the last time.
I'll be trying out a few experimental panels (a la Yu Kinutani) on the following pages... here's hoping that they work out.

This is the lower section of panels that illustrate how "Our Hero" (sorta) breaks free of the armlock the Eisenvater sunk successfully in the previous sequence.


Now I get to indulge in one last bit of pugilism before the ugly finale... a simultaneous hook exchange. I'm looking forward to finding a solid visual solution for how to clearly show the two concurrent punches/counter-punches while still giving an impression of dramatic velocity. It should be quite a challenge...

Life is fairly pedestrian these days... not much new to report. My next Drawing Class started up nicely without a hitch and has the distinction of being perhaps the largest group of students I have ever taught! It's sure going to make that Bronx Zoo field trip I've planned a bit of a production!

"Snap... Crackle... POP!"

So... the deed is done.

I opted to show the radius and ulna in full fracture in order to communicate the unusual nature of the break... the common breaking point would be at the elbow, but the character's unique reinforced bone structure makes this almost impossible.
So, parts of his forearm bones shatter from the lock's destructive force.

You have to really look close to see the bone snapping gore... and I'm actually pleased that it turned out that way. Although it may be difficult in this scan to see the tiny metal bands around the bones and the flying broken metal clasps, they will become more apparent once the panel is cleaned up and inked properly. Color will, of course, accent the violence of the panel as will lighting... but for now, the panel communicates what it must.

Taught my last Sculpture Class at the Museum of Natural History yesterday... man, did the kids really impress this session!
I hope to post some shots of their work soon once I have access to the photos we took during class.
Here are some shots from last session:









Another Valentine's Day passes uneventfully... what a shame.
I surely hope to remedy this situation (at least temporarily) soon... but only time will tell, I suppose.
I'm just glad to be free of my recent excursion into the strange and anxiously await the next voyage when it leaves port...

For now... it's simply back to work....

"Alea Iacta Est"...

Ok... the Eisenvater (the big hairy brute) has has fully sunk the armlock and I'm face to face with the very panel that I've been worried about. Story-wise, the arm-break is relevant because of the foreshadowing it provides concerning one of the protagonists and his true nature... however, it WILL be a particularly unpleasant bit of business to illustrate.

I've even planned a little double-take action reflected in the villain's face at the sight of the arm's interior...

I was initially planning to show a bit of fractured bone jutting out through the torn skin, bound tightly with coils of wire and engraved metallic clamps binding the joints together... but can I show it all without it being simply mistaken for chunky gore?
The bones need to appear to be almost knitted together with Hebrew-enscribed reinforcement bands and other peculiar mechanical enhancements. Blood will be minimal..., but that actually works in my favor. Just a bit of congealed gook to splash out the open tear in the skin....

Another problem is the fact that I will have to do some retrofitting additions to some of the already finished pages that were resolved earlier. I hadn't planned this particular injury when I first started the story (the tale actually starts "in medias res")... it just sort of evolved in this direction. I just thought this was an excellent opportunity to hint at one of the main character's true form in a subtle fashion.
So much for insight upon reflection...

Drawn myself into a corner again.......

"Sink That Lock..."

Another bit of progress... slow and steady now.
For some reason, these panels that were supposed to come all "hot and heavy" are s-l-o-w-l-y eeking out progress at a snail's pace. Very frustrating... but at least I'm still going forward.

Anyone know what's going to happen in the next panel to our grasping protagonist?
C'mon all you Martial Artist experts out there... what's the grotesque hirsute giant setting up with his hand position?

I'm coming up on a potentially potent panel that I'm unsure how to illustrate...

In my thumbnails, it reads very well as a dramatic close up,... but I'm afraid that the graphic nature of the panel may be a bit too extreme to warrant such a detailed rendition. My instinct tells me that the more over the top the image is, the better the following reaction panel will be... however, I'm wondering if I am starting to skirt the limits of taste with this approach.
The battle NEEDS to be viciously violent to be convincing... but do I have to show EVERYTHING?

More weirdness on the dating front... but I think it best to refrain from comment until I've thought it through a bit more clearly and have a better sense of insight on the matter.

On another front... February already?
Another birthday looms dark and inevitable upon the horizon...

Still so much left undone...