Sea of Something
Sea of Something – the webcomic blog

Okay, so this used to be the “shop” page and now it’s a blog. Blog bloggety blog. Because obviously there aren’t enough of these in the world.

However, I thought I’d share some of my opinions and motivations with you, the people of the internet, because you have been kind enough to come here and read my webcomic and some of you have even taken the time and trouble to leave a lovely comment or two.

So you see, this is not another outlet for shameless self-promotion, but an opportunity for me to ~give something back. Plus it’s good SEO, natch.

So we’re up and away with Issue Five and for the first time ever I was forced to come up with an issue cover before I’d finished drawing the issue (which is a whole other conundrum I’m working on).

This is not to say I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I always feel like a front cover idea is similar to a title, best left until the end, when you actually have it all worked out and know the best bit to sum up the whole shebang with.

But as I have somehow barely started not quite finished drawing issue five, this was not possible.

While I was mulling over possibilities, I came across an Edward Hopper picture in my garage that I’d bought ages ago. I really love Hopper and how evocative his work is. He tended to paint quite desolate landscapes or women in a semi-state of undress staring sadly out a window. But his use of light was amazing, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary with carefully placed sunbeams, artificial hues and sinister shadows.

So I was having a look at this dusty old Hopper, Gas (1940), wondering if I dared attempt to extend my DIY skills to hanging it over my bed – with some picture hooks that basically told me under no circumstances should they be used in my wall to hang anything heavier than a paperclip – when the idea came to me.

So there’s this scene in issue five that you’re probably not going to see for a few weeks yet, but basically Eisha and Stephanie are in a coffee shop. Or the coffee shop if you’ve read issue one. And it’s quite an important scene and, well, blah blah blah, Nighthawks (1942) pastiche, this:

I know it’s been done a gazillion times before because this is Hopper’s most famous piece of work and pretty much one of the most aped pieces of contemporary art full-stop, but it works and I love it.

And just to complete our little art history appreciation blog I give you the following:

If that’s whetted your appetite, you can find plenty more parodies of Hopper’s masterpiece at Nighthawks Forever

Tags: art, edward hopper, issue five