it comes from nowhere.
one moment. no column.
the next minute,
ZINGO!!!
here's a column! (it's important to the story.)
i was thinking maybe this column should show up at least time before it's needed.
"what's on a column?" i thought to meself.
...beethoven!!!
his bust lives on columns. my book is, afterall, about music. so ludwig showing up makes sense and scores me smarty points with music teacher types.
here's the thing, though...
beethoven, the beethoven we know and love, he doesn't smile. in fact, he not only NOT smiles, he scowls. it's his thing. the scowling.
scowlers don't belong in kids books.
especially scowling heads with no body.
that sort of thing will mess you up if you is four.
so i toned down the scowling.
(this was just a prelim sketch to test the effect. he looks more like thomas jefferson than beethoven.)
...i better put something else on that column.
2 comments:
You know, when I was in Salzburg, it's like that place is populated by mini Mozart busts alone. That and the chocolate covered marzipan Mozart candy displays.
So, my point being, Mozart is a bust, a bust often on a column, and he's not nearly as scowly as Beethoven. : )
Jeez. I dunno, man.
Seems to me that kids didn't have any problem with Beethoven's presence in Peanuts. Schroeder had a bust of him that showed up a buncha times, and I'm pretty sure he was scowling all Beethoven-like. Y'know, 'cause he's Beethoven.
Kids can handle a lot. And maybe this example'll convince you of exactly what you say, that scowling messes you up if you is four, but my favorite kids material was all on the dark side.
Which is maybe why I turned out the way I did? Which is why you may not want to go that way?
I'm helping!
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