About this Project I decided to research the 1950's and write a noir-style story using the information I found to help make the story immersive, and more historically related. I also decided to draw two of my characters from the story in a style like the one in the 1950s.
I decided to do this mainly because I wanted to write a story, and design characters both written and visually. The reason why I wanted to do the 1950s was because I had seen gameplay of the video game L.A Noire, and I liked the visuals. The Process I actually started by drafting the characters first, and then I just started writing with a very unclear direction, and as I wrote I was able to develop my characters more, along with the story's plot line itself. During the process I had multiple ideas that I either continued the story with, or ideas that just completely rewrote a certain section of the story. I was alternating between writing, and drawing out my characters. Originally I was going to draw Carmen, Neil, and Lloyd, but I instead went with Carmen (who I drew one time, and then completely restarted) and the doggy, Scout.
Art: I drew two of my characters from the story, and I used a few techniques to try and make it look somewhat like the art style used in the 1950s, however I never got around to finishing either piece. English: I wrote a historical fiction story that took place in 1950s Chicago along with being kind of in the style of film noir, however story isn't finished. I may work on it at a later date. Social Studies: I studied the culture of the 1950s, and incorporated information that I found into the story. |
The Story (so far)
A cold breeze carried through, lightly bristling the leaves of trees if there were any. The streets remained dark as a ghost town - save for the headlights of the occasional car here or there, or the lights that peeked out from a few windows. Stars shone above, unhindered by light pollution, but even then they weren’t very bright. Hudson Lane, by day a lively area bustling with people, turned into something entirely different, cold and secured away, once night fell.
Even still, she held no trepidation, the woman that watched the streets from an alleyway. She wore a blue trench coat along with a matching hat and low-heeled shoes. Perhaps what made her a more intriguing sight was her wavy black hair paired with vibrant blue eyes.
She leaned on the brick wall remembering the times when she was just a child when things were much simpler. How things have changed since the recent deaths of three people in what is known as the Hemlock Murders.
The sound of gravel and stone being kicked up caused her to whip around and see a border collie quickly gaining distance. Behind ran a woman in a white and grey shirtwaist dress with a face much like one Carmen had seen so many years ago.
“Jojo?” Carmen called out. The dog bolted out of the alleyway and onto the streets.
“Hey, Carmen!” the other girl heaved back, “Do you mind helping me here?”
“Of course, Jo,” she chased after the two. They leaped past the road, and into another alleyway, the brick walls have set a strict path forward. The puppy led them further and further, and they passed two other people winding through the narrow trail. The dog slowed, keeping her nose low to the ground as if searching for something.
“Scout! What. Are you,” Jojo panted out, “doing?” Carmen huffed also trying to regain her breath. It was a border collie with a brown and white coat and a red paw-printed bandana wrapped around its neck over top of a collar. Jojo hurriedly clipped a leash on, “I’ll tell you what, Scout has always managed to find a way out no matter what I do.” The dog pulled harshly on the leash and quickly halted at an intersection, barking and tail wagging from side to side as it sat down.
“Eugh, what’s that smell?” Jojo suddenly noticed a nasty odor that rose in front of them. As Jojo stepped past Scout she suddenly froze, “WHAT THE.” She quickly retreated back and looked towards Carmen with a face of disgust.
Two men stepped past them, “Please excuse us,” the taller of the two bent down to inspect whatever was so intriguing. Carmen peeked past the corner to be met with an unnaturally grotesque scene of a corpse with deep gashes in its chest and multiple flies buzzing around the cut tissue.
“Oh,” she stepped back alongside Jojo who had her hands upon her face.
The taller man further inspected the corpse and came to a conclusion, “He was stabbed to death; there’s also hemlock and a cigarette butt beside him, just like the other three.”
The other noted the stage of the corpse’s decay, “It seems like its been here for a while.” The taller man rose and pulled out a radio, “This is Car 15, we’re in an alleyway near Hudson Lane. We found a body connected to the Hemlock Murder case, and we could use someone over here.”
The radio crackled and a voice came through, “I’ll be there in a jiffy.”
He turned to face Carmen and Jojo and spoke, “I’m Neil Desmond, CPD, and this is my partner Lloyd Harlow,” he waved towards the other who gave a nod in response. “Would you mind answering a few questions for us?” Jojo removed her hands from her face and nodded.
“Sure thing,” Carmen responded.
“Alright, let’s start off with names,” He shifted from one foot to the other a notepad poised in his left hand and a pen in his right.
“My name is Jojo Coffman and this is my friend Carmen Ellis,” the blonde stated.
“Okay, what are you two doing here? Especially this late at night?”
Jojo voiced her story, “I was back at my house and my dog, Scout had somehow gotten out, so I was chasing her and we somehow ended up here.” Neil quickly scribbled down notes.
“Cute pup,” Lloyd reached down and pet Scout’s soft fur earning a playful growl from the dog.
Neil glanced towards Carmen who was leaning against the opposing brick wall, “What’s your tale nightingale?”
Carmen cleared her throat, “I’m a private eye from out of town. I just arrived in Chicago some time ago to help you with the Hemlock murder case. I decided to visit this neighborhood because I wanted to see how things have changed since my childhood.”
“You used to live here?” Lloyd asked. He had a youthful face and looked to only be in his early twenties.
“Yeah, me and Jojo,” she motioned to her old friend. “Scout ran past me and she asked for help so I went after the dog.” Neil nodded and continued writing.
“So does the CPD really need a private investigator? Normally I don’t work with law enforcement, but this sounded quite interesting,” Carmen looked towards Neil.
“Well, I suppose this is one such occasion. The department is spread a bit thin, and it never hurts to have another person on the case,” Neil reasoned. He then faced both women, “Thank you ladies, that’s all for now until we can get any more specifics,” Neil gave a reassuring smile. “You two can go now, we’ll take it from here, and Carmen, you should meet with us again early tomorrow at the police department. We should have some more info to look into.”
At this, Carmen huffed, “Are you saying I can’t stay and help?”
Neil made eye contact with Carmen, “You said that you just got here a little bit ago, I would suggest that you get some rest before working.”
“Yeah, I guess,” she cast her gaze toward Jojo, “You ready to go?”
“Ready if you are,” Jojo responded.
The two walked back up the alleyway with Scout trailing behind them on a leash, occasionally stopping to sniff trash and other trinkets that sat about. Jojo returned home leaving Carmen alone in the streets which had quieted once again.
———————--
As the sun started to wake from its slumber, orange light filtered through the windows of the police department. Dust particles rose illuminated with a warm glow. Everything sat still except for the brown-haired man who sat at a desk diligently reading over some papers. The front door was opened sending a small gust of air inside.
“Hello Lloyd,” Neil gave a small wave, while never letting his eyes stray from what he was reading.
“Oh hi, Neil, early as usual huh?” Lloyd took a seat at a desk near Neil.
“Actually I just got here not too long ago,” Neil took a sip of coffee and continued, “they were able to identify the victim of the latest killing, and I’m eyeballing their reports.”
“Do you mind cluing me in?” Lloyd shifted in his seat.
“There actually isn’t that much to go off of, but I would like to wait until Carmen gets here.” Neil seemed slightly disappointed, “If you’d like to read it, go right ahead,” Neil shuffled the papers and offered them with an outstretched arm.
“Oh that’s fine, I’ll wait,” Lloyd waved it off.
“Sleep well?” Neil returned the papers to his desk but turned towards Lloyd. The two made small talk, and soon enough the department was humming with a good amount of people. The door opened once more and there stood a familiar woman with her blue trench coat, and bright eyes.
“Carmen, welcome to the Chicago Police Department,” a man in a grey suit greeted her with a kind smile. He had dark brown hair with a rectangular shaped face and a boxy chin. “I’m John Harris, the police chief here. Neil and Lloyd are waiting for you,” he then walked off as quickly as he had come.
“Good to see you here,” Neil motioned her over. “We have some new information about the victim, but it’s not much.”
Facing towards Lloyd and Carmen, he spoke, “His name was Samuel Hoover, he never got married or had kids, and both of his parents are dead. He smoked, and he got a gig as a janitor for a local coffee shop. All four victims are unrelated in this aspect, and it doesn’t seem like any workers know anything that will push the case along; we can give them a shot, but I highly doubt they’ll have anything useful”
“Any similarities between the bodies?” Carmen asked.
Neil nodded, “The method of killing is different for all four, but a twig of hemlock and cigarette butt were found near all four bodies. They also all smoked.”
“Well that’s one way to protest smoking,” Lloyd joked. Carmen snorted, and Neil just sighed.
“Let’s go question some other workers there,” Neil headed outside.
The three exited and were met with sounds of car wheels dragging across the asphalt, and chatter coming from the people who strolled outside. The buzz of the town had slowly returned. They came across a light blue Buick Skylark.
“I’ll drive if that’s okay with everyone,” Neil glanced about, and with no objections, he entered the driver’s side. Lloyd sat shotgun with Carmen in the back.
The drive over passed in quick succession with the car radio playing popular songs along with the occasional ad. They parked near the coffee shop which Neil believed to not be very busy. Upon entrance, his suspicions were correct. There was only one other person there aside from the staff.
“Hi, how may I help you?” The woman near the counter asked politely.
“CPD, do you mind answering a few questions?” Neil replied.
Brows furrowing she responded, “Certainly.” Carmen stood close to the entrance, back against the wall, and Lloyd listened in next to Neil.
“Samuel Hoover was the janitor here correct?” Neil had his pen and notepad out.
“Yes he was, what of it?” She glanced towards Lloyd and Carmen.
“Did you know him?”
“Not particularly. Our work shifts never lined up, but Mark might know him. Should I go get him?” She requested.
“That would be wonderful,” Lloyd gave a nod of approval. She left the front counter to go retrieve her coworker. For a few moments the coffee shop was almost silent with only the rustling of the newspapers from one customer. Soon enough she was back with a man trailing behind her.
“So, you wanted to see me?” Mark placed his hands onto the countertop.
“Did you know Samuel Hoover?” Neil asked.
“Sort of. We talked before, but I never really got to know him,” Mark lightly rubbed the back of his hand, “Why do you ask?”
“He was recently murdered. Do you know anyone that would want him hurt or killed?” Lloyd spoke up.
Mark pondered the question a bit before answering, “No, he kept to himself for the most part, and he never bothered anyone from what I’ve seen. Bit of a fream.” With more rustling, the customer folded the newspapers, and left money on the table. He brushed past Carmen and walked out.
As the door closed Neil waited a few seconds before speaking, “Is he a frequent customer?”
“He does come here often,” Mark said.
“He says he doesn’t like the smoke in the more common coffee shops,” the woman added.
Neil wrote down multiple notes before closing the notepad, “Thank you both for your cooperation.” He then started for the door and motioned for his partners to follow.
As they settled back into the car Carmen rested her arm near the window, “That customer seemed a bit suspicious.”
“With the fourth victim both smoking and being a worker there, along with the customer not liking smoking… I can see why you say that,” Lloyd shared his thoughts
“We’ll need more information before making a claim against him, but yes it does seem rather odd,” Neil revved up the engine, “I want to stop at a diner for a burger, what about you guys?”
“You don’t seem like the kind of person to eat a burger,” Carmen turned her attention away from the scenery outside of the car. Lloyd chuckled awaiting an answer from Neil.
“I don’t see why that’s important, but we’re going, if anyone else wants something,” Neil promptly drove off ignoring Carmen and Lloyd’s laughter.
They rolled into the neat parking lot which had well trimmed hedges bordering the outside of the building. The sign above the front door read, “The Aurora Diner” in white letters atop a red background. They made their way inside and were met with the aroma of burgers and fries.
“Hello,” a waitress walked up to the group, “a table for three?”
“Yep,” Lloyd gave her a small smile. Leading them to a red booth, they passed a group of shady looking men and women who were eyeballing them inquisitively. As the three sat down and gave their drink orders, the waitress left leaving them alone with the strangers.
Even still, she held no trepidation, the woman that watched the streets from an alleyway. She wore a blue trench coat along with a matching hat and low-heeled shoes. Perhaps what made her a more intriguing sight was her wavy black hair paired with vibrant blue eyes.
She leaned on the brick wall remembering the times when she was just a child when things were much simpler. How things have changed since the recent deaths of three people in what is known as the Hemlock Murders.
The sound of gravel and stone being kicked up caused her to whip around and see a border collie quickly gaining distance. Behind ran a woman in a white and grey shirtwaist dress with a face much like one Carmen had seen so many years ago.
“Jojo?” Carmen called out. The dog bolted out of the alleyway and onto the streets.
“Hey, Carmen!” the other girl heaved back, “Do you mind helping me here?”
“Of course, Jo,” she chased after the two. They leaped past the road, and into another alleyway, the brick walls have set a strict path forward. The puppy led them further and further, and they passed two other people winding through the narrow trail. The dog slowed, keeping her nose low to the ground as if searching for something.
“Scout! What. Are you,” Jojo panted out, “doing?” Carmen huffed also trying to regain her breath. It was a border collie with a brown and white coat and a red paw-printed bandana wrapped around its neck over top of a collar. Jojo hurriedly clipped a leash on, “I’ll tell you what, Scout has always managed to find a way out no matter what I do.” The dog pulled harshly on the leash and quickly halted at an intersection, barking and tail wagging from side to side as it sat down.
“Eugh, what’s that smell?” Jojo suddenly noticed a nasty odor that rose in front of them. As Jojo stepped past Scout she suddenly froze, “WHAT THE.” She quickly retreated back and looked towards Carmen with a face of disgust.
Two men stepped past them, “Please excuse us,” the taller of the two bent down to inspect whatever was so intriguing. Carmen peeked past the corner to be met with an unnaturally grotesque scene of a corpse with deep gashes in its chest and multiple flies buzzing around the cut tissue.
“Oh,” she stepped back alongside Jojo who had her hands upon her face.
The taller man further inspected the corpse and came to a conclusion, “He was stabbed to death; there’s also hemlock and a cigarette butt beside him, just like the other three.”
The other noted the stage of the corpse’s decay, “It seems like its been here for a while.” The taller man rose and pulled out a radio, “This is Car 15, we’re in an alleyway near Hudson Lane. We found a body connected to the Hemlock Murder case, and we could use someone over here.”
The radio crackled and a voice came through, “I’ll be there in a jiffy.”
He turned to face Carmen and Jojo and spoke, “I’m Neil Desmond, CPD, and this is my partner Lloyd Harlow,” he waved towards the other who gave a nod in response. “Would you mind answering a few questions for us?” Jojo removed her hands from her face and nodded.
“Sure thing,” Carmen responded.
“Alright, let’s start off with names,” He shifted from one foot to the other a notepad poised in his left hand and a pen in his right.
“My name is Jojo Coffman and this is my friend Carmen Ellis,” the blonde stated.
“Okay, what are you two doing here? Especially this late at night?”
Jojo voiced her story, “I was back at my house and my dog, Scout had somehow gotten out, so I was chasing her and we somehow ended up here.” Neil quickly scribbled down notes.
“Cute pup,” Lloyd reached down and pet Scout’s soft fur earning a playful growl from the dog.
Neil glanced towards Carmen who was leaning against the opposing brick wall, “What’s your tale nightingale?”
Carmen cleared her throat, “I’m a private eye from out of town. I just arrived in Chicago some time ago to help you with the Hemlock murder case. I decided to visit this neighborhood because I wanted to see how things have changed since my childhood.”
“You used to live here?” Lloyd asked. He had a youthful face and looked to only be in his early twenties.
“Yeah, me and Jojo,” she motioned to her old friend. “Scout ran past me and she asked for help so I went after the dog.” Neil nodded and continued writing.
“So does the CPD really need a private investigator? Normally I don’t work with law enforcement, but this sounded quite interesting,” Carmen looked towards Neil.
“Well, I suppose this is one such occasion. The department is spread a bit thin, and it never hurts to have another person on the case,” Neil reasoned. He then faced both women, “Thank you ladies, that’s all for now until we can get any more specifics,” Neil gave a reassuring smile. “You two can go now, we’ll take it from here, and Carmen, you should meet with us again early tomorrow at the police department. We should have some more info to look into.”
At this, Carmen huffed, “Are you saying I can’t stay and help?”
Neil made eye contact with Carmen, “You said that you just got here a little bit ago, I would suggest that you get some rest before working.”
“Yeah, I guess,” she cast her gaze toward Jojo, “You ready to go?”
“Ready if you are,” Jojo responded.
The two walked back up the alleyway with Scout trailing behind them on a leash, occasionally stopping to sniff trash and other trinkets that sat about. Jojo returned home leaving Carmen alone in the streets which had quieted once again.
———————--
As the sun started to wake from its slumber, orange light filtered through the windows of the police department. Dust particles rose illuminated with a warm glow. Everything sat still except for the brown-haired man who sat at a desk diligently reading over some papers. The front door was opened sending a small gust of air inside.
“Hello Lloyd,” Neil gave a small wave, while never letting his eyes stray from what he was reading.
“Oh hi, Neil, early as usual huh?” Lloyd took a seat at a desk near Neil.
“Actually I just got here not too long ago,” Neil took a sip of coffee and continued, “they were able to identify the victim of the latest killing, and I’m eyeballing their reports.”
“Do you mind cluing me in?” Lloyd shifted in his seat.
“There actually isn’t that much to go off of, but I would like to wait until Carmen gets here.” Neil seemed slightly disappointed, “If you’d like to read it, go right ahead,” Neil shuffled the papers and offered them with an outstretched arm.
“Oh that’s fine, I’ll wait,” Lloyd waved it off.
“Sleep well?” Neil returned the papers to his desk but turned towards Lloyd. The two made small talk, and soon enough the department was humming with a good amount of people. The door opened once more and there stood a familiar woman with her blue trench coat, and bright eyes.
“Carmen, welcome to the Chicago Police Department,” a man in a grey suit greeted her with a kind smile. He had dark brown hair with a rectangular shaped face and a boxy chin. “I’m John Harris, the police chief here. Neil and Lloyd are waiting for you,” he then walked off as quickly as he had come.
“Good to see you here,” Neil motioned her over. “We have some new information about the victim, but it’s not much.”
Facing towards Lloyd and Carmen, he spoke, “His name was Samuel Hoover, he never got married or had kids, and both of his parents are dead. He smoked, and he got a gig as a janitor for a local coffee shop. All four victims are unrelated in this aspect, and it doesn’t seem like any workers know anything that will push the case along; we can give them a shot, but I highly doubt they’ll have anything useful”
“Any similarities between the bodies?” Carmen asked.
Neil nodded, “The method of killing is different for all four, but a twig of hemlock and cigarette butt were found near all four bodies. They also all smoked.”
“Well that’s one way to protest smoking,” Lloyd joked. Carmen snorted, and Neil just sighed.
“Let’s go question some other workers there,” Neil headed outside.
The three exited and were met with sounds of car wheels dragging across the asphalt, and chatter coming from the people who strolled outside. The buzz of the town had slowly returned. They came across a light blue Buick Skylark.
“I’ll drive if that’s okay with everyone,” Neil glanced about, and with no objections, he entered the driver’s side. Lloyd sat shotgun with Carmen in the back.
The drive over passed in quick succession with the car radio playing popular songs along with the occasional ad. They parked near the coffee shop which Neil believed to not be very busy. Upon entrance, his suspicions were correct. There was only one other person there aside from the staff.
“Hi, how may I help you?” The woman near the counter asked politely.
“CPD, do you mind answering a few questions?” Neil replied.
Brows furrowing she responded, “Certainly.” Carmen stood close to the entrance, back against the wall, and Lloyd listened in next to Neil.
“Samuel Hoover was the janitor here correct?” Neil had his pen and notepad out.
“Yes he was, what of it?” She glanced towards Lloyd and Carmen.
“Did you know him?”
“Not particularly. Our work shifts never lined up, but Mark might know him. Should I go get him?” She requested.
“That would be wonderful,” Lloyd gave a nod of approval. She left the front counter to go retrieve her coworker. For a few moments the coffee shop was almost silent with only the rustling of the newspapers from one customer. Soon enough she was back with a man trailing behind her.
“So, you wanted to see me?” Mark placed his hands onto the countertop.
“Did you know Samuel Hoover?” Neil asked.
“Sort of. We talked before, but I never really got to know him,” Mark lightly rubbed the back of his hand, “Why do you ask?”
“He was recently murdered. Do you know anyone that would want him hurt or killed?” Lloyd spoke up.
Mark pondered the question a bit before answering, “No, he kept to himself for the most part, and he never bothered anyone from what I’ve seen. Bit of a fream.” With more rustling, the customer folded the newspapers, and left money on the table. He brushed past Carmen and walked out.
As the door closed Neil waited a few seconds before speaking, “Is he a frequent customer?”
“He does come here often,” Mark said.
“He says he doesn’t like the smoke in the more common coffee shops,” the woman added.
Neil wrote down multiple notes before closing the notepad, “Thank you both for your cooperation.” He then started for the door and motioned for his partners to follow.
As they settled back into the car Carmen rested her arm near the window, “That customer seemed a bit suspicious.”
“With the fourth victim both smoking and being a worker there, along with the customer not liking smoking… I can see why you say that,” Lloyd shared his thoughts
“We’ll need more information before making a claim against him, but yes it does seem rather odd,” Neil revved up the engine, “I want to stop at a diner for a burger, what about you guys?”
“You don’t seem like the kind of person to eat a burger,” Carmen turned her attention away from the scenery outside of the car. Lloyd chuckled awaiting an answer from Neil.
“I don’t see why that’s important, but we’re going, if anyone else wants something,” Neil promptly drove off ignoring Carmen and Lloyd’s laughter.
They rolled into the neat parking lot which had well trimmed hedges bordering the outside of the building. The sign above the front door read, “The Aurora Diner” in white letters atop a red background. They made their way inside and were met with the aroma of burgers and fries.
“Hello,” a waitress walked up to the group, “a table for three?”
“Yep,” Lloyd gave her a small smile. Leading them to a red booth, they passed a group of shady looking men and women who were eyeballing them inquisitively. As the three sat down and gave their drink orders, the waitress left leaving them alone with the strangers.
Journey of a Hero I would have all of my main characters overcome some problem of their own (hopefully not in a cliché way) by the time the case was resolved. Now, their efforts most likely won't be publicized outside of Illinois, but they were going to be the ones who were able to close the case.
Perspective In the 1950s, a normal family consisted of a housewife, husband, and children. All of my main characters don’t particularly fit that, but there was no development that explained why, and there was no interaction thus far that would point that out, mostly because I didn’t have time to finish the story, and also because I didn’t want to write them as fitting the “norm” of the time period. I focused less on that aspect of the 1950s, and more upon the physical items like clothing types, how the streets were laid out, along with the types of cars that were driven and how diners and other kinds of shops looked and operated. I also focused on how people spoke with each other during the 1950s.
I didn’t want the “norm” of the 1950s to carry over to my characters because I didn’t like that part, and I think it would make for more interesting characters. Because the story isn’t fully written, I haven’t completely covered my characters’ backgrounds and views on things, and it most likely would have been elaborated upon further into the story, but for now I’m just going to talk about the perspectives behind two of the main characters, Lloyd and Neil. Lloyd: Lloyd is a 22 year old who works as a detective in the CPD. He was born and raised within Chicago and has an older brother who works at a local shop. Ever since he was little, he always liked solving simple brain teasers, and later moved onto to more complex ones. He grew up with very critical parents which lead to him lacking self-confidence, and being indecisive later on. Although Lloyd received good grades in school, and had friends who cared about him, he still retained poor self-esteem. Sometime in high school, a policeman of the CPD, and good friend of Lloyd’s father was visiting, and he was talking about past cases. Because the man knew Lloyd liked solving problems, he retrieved some public files for Lloyd, so that he could solve the case for fun, A few days after, Lloyd reached out to him with a deep analysis, and an answer to who the murderer was which slightly surprised the man because it took the group that worked on the case prior, an entire week to solve it. He offered Lloyd a place at the police department because he believed that Lloyd would both enjoy it, and that his skills would be very useful for that specific work. Lloyd accepted, and a little bit after he applied, he was accepted for training. Once he was in the department, he advanced rather quickly, and since he has skills which better suit that of a detective, he was partnered up with Neil, who at the time, was looking for a partner to help with cases. During the story, Lloyd still hasn’t fixed his self-esteem problems or indecisiveness, and still puts high demands upon himself. He doesn’t really know where he wants to go with his life, and doesn’t know whether or not he wants to marry. Lloyd’s relationship with Neil is also very good because at the time of the story, they’ve been working on a lot of cases together. Lloyd wasn’t impacted mentally or physically by the war because the war ended before there was a slight chance for him to be drafted, but he was able to hear some of Neil’s insights about it. Neil: Neil is a 32 year old who works as a detective in the CPD alongside Lloyd. Unlike Lloyd, however, he is an only child, but was born and raised elsewhere in Illinois. During his childhood, many of his friends moved away early on, so Neil decided not to bother with sustaining friendships anymore, and spent most of his time reading stories from the family library, with a particular interest in stories written by Agatha Christie. His mother died during the Great Depression leaving Neil with his father who was a World War I vet, but who never spoke about it. This is where Neil picked up most of his cynicism, and held a rather pessimistic and nihilistic view on life. During his high school years, many of his peers avoided him because of how unapproachable he seemed, and how cynical he is. This was when his depression became a lot more visible. Because of being ostracized, he worked a lot on becoming more welcoming and open for small talk. In his college years, when Neil was 19, he was drafted to fight in World War II, and did in fact serve as a combat soldier in the Pacific theatre, fighting upon multiple islands. He did not develop shell shock afterwards, but his depression did worsen, and he self-medicated with alcohol, and read in his spare time. Hearing that his father has pneumonia, Neil moved back to Chicago after the war to care for him, and decided to take a job in the police department out of interest and boredom. His depression and alcoholism lessened as he was kept busy with work, but he still drank and read when he could. Once his father passed away, his depression worsened and he turned to alcohol more. When he met with Lloyd as new assigned partners, over time, the two became best buddies, and his alcoholism went down a little more. At the time of the story, Neil is still suffering from depression, and he still drinks a lot, but definitely not as much as before. As he speaks with people, he upholds a friendly disposition, and is good about not making (too man) cynical remarks. He holds a high respect for fellow veterans, and he still hasn’t come down from the intensity of the war. He also doesn’t want to get married because of being disinterested in such things, as well as feeling like he doesn’t have time for it. He also cares a lot about money and supplies, due to growing up during the Great Depression, and learning about the importance of such materials. |
Art of Scout
I really wanted to draw a dog, so I thought why not draw it with a red bandana? And that's precisely what I did. I drew the good ol' pup, Scout, and I wanted to draw it with slightly more realism than the dogs I usually draw. The original sketch was lost from when I decided that I didn't want to draw the dog the way I had first planned, and that put half an hour into.
As for the (mostly) finished version of Scout, I sketched her digitally and blocked in the shading first with grayscale, then I layered color overtop, and I was going to add a third color and further render it, and add a background and all that neat stuff, but I ran out of time. The colors I used are actually inspired from a different dog I drew about a year ago so technically Scout is a redesign.
As for the (mostly) finished version of Scout, I sketched her digitally and blocked in the shading first with grayscale, then I layered color overtop, and I was going to add a third color and further render it, and add a background and all that neat stuff, but I ran out of time. The colors I used are actually inspired from a different dog I drew about a year ago so technically Scout is a redesign.
Art of Carmen
For Carmen, I had started off with a rough idea of what I wanted her to look like, "not over the top feminine or masculine," but I didn't want her to wear a normal dress. I decided to give her a light blue trench coat along with a matching pair of shoes and a hat. My original drawing for her was also lost mostly because I decided to draw her in a different pose, but the first one served as good practice.
I got stuck at drawing her hair because I wanted it to be in the style of the wavy hair that was worn during the 1950s, and I just couldn't draw it very well. I may decide to color her later for some practice with shading and color theory.
I got stuck at drawing her hair because I wanted it to be in the style of the wavy hair that was worn during the 1950s, and I just couldn't draw it very well. I may decide to color her later for some practice with shading and color theory.