Today’s sketch is another of the bounty hunters first introduced in TELLOS #3. This time, it’s D’NIKAY– part monk, part mercenary. Of all the ‘hunters sent after JAREK and the gang, D’NIKAY has, I believe, the greatest sense of right-and-wrong. TELLOS is a tough world, and people have to do what they have to do to survive– to make a living. Though D’NIKAY hired himself out for jobs like the one MALUSUR sent him on, though, he still had a feeling that –during his tussle with JAREK in the ‘hunters’ attempt to take the amulet and bring the gang before MALESUR– to actually hurt JAREK would have been wrong. The fact that, by accident, he actually DID hurt JAREK and indeed put the boy’s eye out with his unusual staff alarmed D’NIKAY as much as it did KOJ and the gang. This led to some of the most emotional scenes from that first series. Todd’s wonderful character development and emotional writing made these types of scenes a joy to illustrate. In his afterward in the TELLOS COLOSSAL hardcover hitting stores next month, Todd describes the creation of D’NIKAY (so I’ll leave those of you interested to read it there)– but there’s one thing he left out– or perhaps didn’t know about. The design for this character was actually done by Dave Johnson (you can find his link in the PLACES sidebar to the right). Dave was a member of the studio I was a part of for about a year, and he was very generous with his time, his designs and his art. I was struggling for a design for D’NIKAY…. and Dave simply walked into my office one day and gave me a sketch he’d done as an exercise. I thought it was perfect, and so I used it. That was just one of many different sketches and pieces of art Dave gave me during that year… as I said, he was quite generous.

You might notice, if you refresh the page a few times, that there are several new banners in the rotation at the top. Late last week, I got an email from a fellow named Justin Stewart, a freelance designer/web comic artist. Justin had created 4 new banners for the site on a whim and offered them to me to use if I wished. I thought that the designs he came up with were terrific– both well designed, and very clever. So I told Justin I’d be thrilled to use them. Justin– thanks so much, man. That was a very pleasant surprise… and great work….!

OK.. that’s it for the start of another week.

This is Entry 404.

Mike