Beast of the North Woods

One month to go at Carlsbad Caverns. Assuming that I don't get upended by the pending government shutdown. Either way, I'm thinking about where to go next. Perhaps to the west coast, where most of my comrades dwell. The north woods of Washington and Oregon.

At the high altitudes, at my old home of Crater Lake National Park, the rain and snow fall hard. The mountain hemlock trees bend under water's weight. Somewhere among the column trunks, a beast glides for branch to branch, quick and silent. The fisher (Martes pennanti), of the weasel family (mustelids.) Equipped with claws and canines, a voracious appetite, and an amazing lack of fear. Ready to take on prey that is armed, dangerous, and much larger than itself (i.e. a porcupine).

When I encountered footprints in the snow, in a snowy spring at Crater Lake, I developed a fascination with the creature who left them behind. The fisher now appears in my sketchbook, and co-stars in my new comic book (currently being penciled and inked.) The fisher has had considerably less interest in me, being preoccupied with the pursuit of rats and rabbits. However, I am sure that as I trekked through the forests of the north, the fisher has watched me--from an unseen vantage point in the trees.

Marmot TV

Following up on the success of Frog Stories, I am developing a new comic book, to be a set of stories starring mountain wildlife.  One of the stories will be a collaboration with Steve Bissette (of Swamp Thing fame); he is at work on the script.  And I have started a solo story with the page above.  I based this page upon a good session of "Marmot TV".  Marmot TV is an experience shared by rangers at Crater Lake National Park.  Behind Sleepy Hollow (the dwelling place of seasonal employees), there is a talus slope, which is quiet by day.  But at dusk, against a purple sky, the pikas and marmots and Douglas squirrels emerge from under rocks and out of trees, and they frolic.  Sometimes, we go out and watch.  Hence, Marmot TV does not involve telecommunication technologies--just our eyes and ears, a viewing adventure we could share with Paleolithic man.  On a warm night in late summer, Lesley and I explored the rocky slopes, and had the good fortune to encounter a porcupine--who promptly huffed and turned and crawled inside a cave, evidently concerned that the biped mammals could be dangerous.  I intend to postulate some adventures for the spiny rodent, wherein he encounters fearsome denizens of the forest.

My cartooning process varies--this time I seem to be developing the pictures first, and will add the words later.  Sometimes, the order is reversed.  While I labor at these new images and text, my fans can seek wisdom and entertainment in Frog Stories.  This well-received comic book on wildlife is available from my etsy store, only a few clicks away, at a cost of only several dollars.  Additionally, I recommend a visit to a nearby forest, to experience real frogs and mammals!

Happy 2013, one and all!

Porcupine

Being overdue for a blog post, I looked through my archive of drawings—and found this porcupine on scratchboard. Evidently, the animal and the medium complement each other well. I seem to have captured its handsome but deadly coat of quills. The peaceful forager, who is armed like a battle tank. The cute mammal who can make an impaled corpse of any predator who dares to attack him. Few will take the chance. The assailant must target porky's achilles heel—his unprotected head. A single mistake can spell the end.

Speaking of “the end”, we have had some intense events at Rock Bottom Ranch, and some fine animals have met their end. I will post about these events soon—I am still gathering my thoughts.

Good fortune, my viewers!