The original idea for this came early last year, back when my biggest worries were getting old and disillusioned. I started drawing it later when I knew better.
It all got too hard, both life and drawing, and it stalled until six months back. It came together surprisingly quickly and I sent a photo of the finished pencils to Michael.
“Where’s the Prince Albert?!” he joked.
I was feeling so positive I even wrote the words to go with the finished drawing…
“It does sometimes happen that I’m happy and I find myself lost for what music to listen to. My bookmarked songs are all anger or despair, or both.
No issue choosing today. I started this drawing late last year, and put it on hold when it wasn’t coming together. I’ve had a new idea brewing the last week or so, with the plan to reuse this drawing board and erase what went before… but it still fit. Also with anvil, sledgehammer and clamp, just with a gut octopus flavour of pain rather than a bone android flavour.
New year, different child, same despair. The happiness never lasts long enough for a drawing, let alone a theme that repeats.
Restart the playlist.”
The next day Michael was dead.