Another Hereville preview image: Mirka's entire family

All Mirka’s siblings, plus her father and her stepmother, and Mirka herself. This was fun to draw.

(Click on the image to see a bigger version).

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13 Responses to Another Hereville preview image: Mirka's entire family

  1. 1
    Eva says:

    Fun to look at, too! Is it the beginning or end of shabbot? Very nice.

  2. 2
    Dianne says:

    I’m constantly amazed by your ability to draw characters who look different from each other. Most cartoonists end up drawing a single character over and over with slight differences in style but the same basic “model”. Even the generally really good ones. For example, Alison Bechdal is very conscientious about drawing women of different body types…but her characters are all the same height. Yours differ in height, weight, style, and personality. It’s very impressive. On a practical level, it also makes it much easier for an aspie person like me to tell everyone apart.

    Ok, I’ll stop gushing all over the comments section now.

  3. 3
    Ampersand says:

    Aw, thanks, both of you!

    Eva, I can’t tell you how delighted I am that you asked that. :-) In the comic book, this panel shows the end of Shabbot. In the comic there are word balloons and stuff in front of the characters, though, so it’s fun to be able to just post the figure drawings here.

    Dianne, I’m glad to hear that. I often have trouble telling characters apart on TV because TV tends to be about the adventures of young, trim, conventional-looking white people, and they all look pretty much the same to me. Because I’m so incompetent at telling characters apart, I worry a fair amount about it.

  4. 4
    delagar says:

    I am so looking forward to the new Hereville!

  5. 5
    nobody.really says:

    Fun to look at, too! Is it the beginning or end of shabbot? Very nice.

    Eva, I can’t tell you how delighted I am that you asked that. :-) In the comic book, this panel shows the end of Shabbot. In the comic there are word balloons and stuff in front of the characters, though, so it’s fun to be able to just post the figure drawings here.

    Heck, I could tell it was the end of Shabbot, and I know shit-all about Shabbot. Yet I noted the traditional stuffing of a hat onto a kid’s head, that orthodox ritual I learned from the only other depiction of the end of Shabbot I’ve ever known.

    Everything I know is from reading books. Mostly comic books.

  6. 6
    Dianne says:

    Yet I noted the traditional stuffing of a hat onto a kid’s head, that orthodox ritual I learned from the only other depiction of the end of Shabbot I’ve ever known.

    I too worry a bit about how much Zindel seems to get roughed up. He doesn’t look like he’s enjoying the adults stuffing his head into his hat much, even though it’s presumably supposed to be in play.

  7. 7
    nm says:

    Awwwww. Nice family.

  8. 8
    Eva says:

    Barry – did you go to Oberlin? Alison Bechdel noted you as one of many cartoonist graduates from that school: http://dykestowatchoutfor.com/comics-squared
    Scroll down to the last bit before the comments to see your name.

  9. 9
    chingona says:

    Just wanted to say I’m really looking forward to the book coming out.

  10. 10
    Ampersand says:

    I did indeed go to Oberlin — thanks for pointing that out to me! It was nice of Alison to mention me. Also, Eva, beautiful photos on your site.

    Thanks, Chingona! I am too. Won’t happen until November, alas. Right now I’m working 12-14 hours a day to get the art done in time…

  11. 11
    Eva says:

    Thanks & You’re Welcome!

  12. 12
    Dianne says:

    Won’t happen until November, alas. Right now I’m working 12-14 hours a day to get the art done in time…

    Oh, dear. Won’t expect to see much of you until December then.

  13. 13
    Ampersand says:

    No, it’s not that bad — big publishers need a lot of lead time. I should be done with drawing it within a month. But it won’t be in stores until November.