TINKER BELLE
When melaredblu, one of my two besties, and brilliant creator of two of the amazingiest comics ever, Here I Lie Awake, and The Refraction of Princess Chroma, said they had an idea for a G,K strip, I was, well, excited isn’t quite strong enough a word. I’ve loved their work since it began. Our crossovers and guest strips are some of my favorites.
Anyway, what’s Stephanie up to? Where is she going, and who is that? You’ll find out soon!
Also, Pops, so sorry I didn’t see your last missive. I’m doing well, still not drawing much, working 60+ hours a week, stocking up money for a return trip to Japan. I fell in love with the country. Especially Oarai, home to one of my favorite animes, Girls und Panzer.
Here’s a couple pictures:
Sorry, I don’t know how to put these in order. This will make sense a couple pictures down. Anyway, from Girls und Panzer: der Film.
Lake Hakone – you know this from Neon Genesis Evangelion!
Now you see why I put that first picture in. 
Oarai Tower
The Torii gate on the rocks at Oarai.
The elevator from Read or Die! 
Melaredblu’s Stephanie isn’t *quite* the Stephanie we’ve come to know and love, but surprisingly close! I don’t know what it is that lets us distinguish one hand from another, but Charlie, your hand is unique.
And sixty hours is too many hours, but if it gets you back to where you want to be….
Your photo composition is excellent, especially the tower and fish sculpture pairing. I used to know something about torii from a long-ago art history class, but it’s faded. A symbolic gateway, part of pilgrimage routes, perhaps?
Aw, thanks, Pops. Stephanie took a long time to get right. I still think I drew her hair better in the old days. mela did a fantastic job with her. SPOILER: I’ve stolen many ideas from mela about G,K characters in the past, and will continue to do so.
60 hours is kind of brutal. But, it paid off the last Japan trip, and will finance another. I think I’ll change positions soon, and have a little more free time. I hope that helps in getting back to drawing. There’s a whole lotsa stories that need to be told in this world.
Thanks for the compliment on the photos! I love a good composition.
From Wikipedia: “A torii ( Japanese: 鳥居, [to.ɾi.i]) is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the mundane to the sacred [1] and a spot where kami are welcomed and thought to travel through.”
Guest stories are interesting! I love seeing a different take on the characters, specially when the guest artist knows them so well!
I know Mela can write MY characters even better than I do, so I’m looking forward to this side story!