Illustration Notes for Episode One

Who is that, walking away from us through the rain? Is it Dusty, on his way to or from lunch with Colleen? Is it that strange man with the letter on his way to intercept Dusty at Ricky’s Market? Is it someone else we haven’t ‘met’ yet—or is the rain itself the point here? And what about that close-up of his reflection at the bottom of the story? His inverted reflection… Is that supposed to mean something?

I believe in starting a story—and its illustrations—with unanswered questions. Questions are what keep us reading, just as wondering ‘what that picture was about’ can keep us engaged with it longer than we might remain engaged with an image that answered all our questions clearly at first glance—and left us wondering nothing. Or that’s my theory anyway. :]

There is a man, walking somewhere, in the pouring rain. We don’t know where yet—or why—or whether the rain matters. That’s where this story begins.

Oh! And in case any of you wonder if you’re going crazy, no; the parenthetical text below the episode title did used to say, “Seven years later.” But then—the morning before TWICE launched—I realized that it was TEN years later, not seven. So I changed it. :] Can’t do that in your grandaddy’s books, can ya?

Like I’ve said in an item on the Notes and News page, and in posts elsewhere, this experiment in storytelling is composed entirely of moving parts—both words and pictures. So keep alert—and look back from time to time. Nothing may stay quite where you left it here. Things may have moved… With TWICE, you never know.

As always, here’s this week’s illustration, whole and uncropped: