I am haunted by the forecast of a friend – according to him, it is my destiny to be the creator of comic books. Ever since he made this unexpected and rather dramatic prediction I have thought about it more frequently than my laughing dismissal might have suggested. I have dabbled in drawing, illustration, and story telling for much of my life but never with any kind of direction or purpose. Lately though, things have started to come together for me – and Sarah Bone has started appearing on random scraps of paper.
My drawing skills are rusty at best, and I’m still trying to figure out how to draw a skeleton that falls somewhere comfortably between realistic and cartoony. But I think I’m heading in the right direction. I’m not sure what story Sarah Bone has appeared to tell, but I am enjoying getting to know her (she’s a lot like myself actually).
Why a skeleton? I have loved skeletons ever since receiving a model of one for Christmas and assembling it with my Dad. I must have been 6 or 7. I love the imagery and folklore that surrounds them, and I love their morbid and wicked sense of humor (Terry Pratchett’s character Death shaped my idea of them quite a bit). I also like the idea that underneath it all – nationality, skin color, weight, etc. we’re all just bones. Our bits and bobs all look the same(ish) when they’ve lain in the earth for 100 years. So Sarah Bone is me to some extent – the bones of me. It’s fun to draw hair and clothes though, so she gets those.
Not sure where this is going, but I’m along for the ride and if you care to join me, then the more the merrier!
what we have here is a failure to communicate 
I am excited for you! I love the comic medium and I really hope this will prove to be a satisfying ride! I’m also a bit envious…even stick people are an effort.
I look forward to your sharing your adventure with Sara Bone. …and helping and encouraging where I can.
By: L on September 22, 2011
at 11:32 am
Thanks so much for the encouragement already L! It’s lovely that everyone is being so welcoming to Sarah Bone. I need to keep in the flow of things now that I’m inspired – so Miss Bone will likely be making more appearances here soon. 🙂
By: tuulenhaiven on September 22, 2011
at 4:31 pm
Oh, I enjoy this. The drawings, the reasons why you like them, the idea of her being a character in a comic book…
I’m looking forward to see and eventually read more of her.
By: Caroline on September 22, 2011
at 12:02 pm
Thanks for the encouragement Caroline. It’s feeding Sarah Bone and making her stronger and clearer in my mind! 🙂
By: tuulenhaiven on September 22, 2011
at 4:33 pm
This is so cool! I’ve always envied people with drawing skills, & love how Sarah Bone is shaping up. Especially her incongruously romantic hairdo in the first drawing. 🙂
By: Emily (Evening All Afternoon) on September 22, 2011
at 12:18 pm
Hehe, yeah I can’t resist giving my skeleton gal some fun hair and clothes. I’m newly infatuated with Yelena Bryksenkova’s fashion illustrations too (she’s listed in my links) so I’m definitely channeling her a bit right now in my own work. I can’t wait to get Sarah Bone into full color!
By: tuulenhaiven on September 22, 2011
at 4:37 pm
I am so envious of people who can draw, even a little bit. I seriously have the mad skills of a six-year old but that’s about it. I can definitely see you doing something great with Sarah Bone, so keep on sketching!
By: Steph on September 22, 2011
at 3:15 pm
6-year olds make some outrageously awesome artwork and I bet you do too Steph! Besides you can knit and cook and have rad style. 🙂 Thanks for the excitement about Sarah Bone though – she’s shaping up into something really interesting.
By: tuulenhaiven on September 22, 2011
at 4:40 pm
[…] ago (late summer/autumn 2011) I started drawing Sarah Bone. I envisioned the start of my career as a graphic […]
By: The Return of Sarah Bone | what we have here is a failure to communicate on September 22, 2014
at 3:16 pm