Day 13 Dune

I read Dune for the first time in January. I’m re-reading it again now. Taking it much slower this time. Enjoying it more.

If you haven’t read it before, you should give it a shot. The first 60 pages or are difficult, Herbert throws everything at you and expects you to pick it up, but it is worth it. I’ve encountered few novels so full of ideas.

Speaking of ideas, here’s a photo of the original sketch from my sketchbook.

Here’s the pencils from my first attempt before spilling ink everywhere and having to do it all over again.

Today’s Art Influences

When researching Dune this weekend, I discovered the artwork of John Schoenherr. It’s his sandworm design you see here in my strip.

Schoenherr’s sense of scale is awesome, and the gaping maws of the worms is…terrifying.

The other influence on today’s strip was Bill Sienkiewicz‘s artwork for Marvel Comic’s Dune movie adaptation. I’d seen some of this a few years ago, before I’d read Dune. This piece and this one are particularly influential to today’s strip.

A third influence (and less obvious) on today’s strip is my favorite Star Trek comics cover artist, JK Moore. As a kid picking up Star Trek comics I was always excited to see one of his covers. He did the best likenesses and I loved the design of them as well. I looked at the way Moore did his transporter beam lines when I drew them in panel 2.

Sienkiewicz, Schoenherr, and Moore are masters, and I really don’t deserve to be lifting from them for my silly gag, but perhaps it’s worth it if you go check out their amazing work.