"Gangsta" ("Public Enemies")
When it came down to deciding on homaging "Public Enemies", I was pretty hestitant on it. The idea of a mobsters pic was appealing but you can't do an actual depiction of that classic stereotype without including tommy guns and cars; two things I'm not very good at drawing (and one that I vowed I'd never draw Erik carrying). But considering my only other option that 4th of July weekend was drawing something based on "I Love You Beth Cooper", it was pretty apparent the choice was locked down. So guns and cars be damned, I was going to have to do my best.
And boy was it fun!
Okay, I admit the car is as bare as you can get but I think I managed to draw a vehicle that would have come from the 1930's. The tommy gun also wound up looking pretty good and I was thrilled the pinstripes in Erik and Kari's suits stand out just right. As for the newspaper background, it was an idea that sprang to me at the last moment after I had put in my typical generic wooden backdrop. And rather than write some words up on the spur of the moment, if you're able to read it clearly you might be surprised I actually wrote it in the context that if it really was July 2nd, 1932. So yes, the 2nd did fall on a Saturday, Franklin D. Roosevelt had been married to Eleanor for 27 years at that point, and so on and so on.
In retrospect, I'm pretty much pleased how well it turned out. If I have any problems with it, they're very minor at best. But just don't expect me to be drawing anymore cars and guns anytime soon. I wouldn't want to press my luck. - Jake