My mum has been in a cast for almost six weeks after breaking her wrist. This week she gets the cast off, which is brilliant, but we are already anticipating the poor withered forearm that is going to loom out of it. Given her 85-year-old skin’s propensity (nay, keenness) to come apart given the slightest chance like a tomato’s after blanching in boiling water, we’re both imagining it’ll look a bit sad. I’m picturing Darth Vader when he takes off his mask at the end of Return of the Jedi, or ET on the river bed - two absolutely haunting images from childhood.
I had to stop doing the ET drawing as it was too upsetting.
I was telling my friend Barney about these sad images this morning and he added Han Solo getting frozen at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. Inconsolable-making.
I came across a new-to-me meme/internet quote the other day, which I thought I’d try adding my characters to for a t-shirt or something, but the drawings are too detailed combined with the writing. Anyway, I enjoyed scouring the internet for nice medieval fonts, and of course drawing medieval people!
I’ve been managing to snatch bits of time to make my own work, partly thanks over the past two weeks first to Hattie’s excellent Summer Retreat, and last week at Ella’s co-working club. It’s lovely to work quietly in the virtual company of others, and I’ve found it surprisingly useful for getting some personal work done.
For a few months on and off I’ve been working on a pattern for a Jaws-themed toile de jouy - a toile de Jaws, if you will. OR EVEN IF YOU WON’T. I was falling between the benches of making them too “realistic” and too silly. I feel like I’m edging nearer (duh DUH… duh DUH… DUH DUH DUH etc) - I have quite a few more scenes I’d like to draw. Then I’m picturing it sewn up into a tote bag or even a shirt if I’m feeling really energetic!
I read Jaws the book when I was a teenager; Hooper has an affair with Brodie’s wife and I recall some exciting-to-teen-me sex - the film is much better. The book of The Godfather also had lots more sex than the film. Sonny Corleone is described as having a remarkably enormous penis, a feature that actually is kind of a plot point in the book but only touched on (hahaha!) in the film.
My friend Katie has recently done a post about book-to-film adaptations that is, as usual with her posts, a great read - the comments section is good too.
Lastly, some wise words from this tweeter:
Until soon, thanks for reading.
I was enjoying this post so much and then I WAS IN IT. What a thrill! Thanks, Tor. And, please can I pre-order the Toile de Jaws on whatever it ends up being. Literally anything.
Can I respectfully suggest that you use the *toile de Jaws* on something summery, like some shorts or a skirt? Or even better, a SWIMSUIT x