Inktober Part Two

No. 11-22 | The Middle Years

For nearly all artists participating this year, Inktober will wrap up early next week as October comes swiftly to a close. Me? I’ve been wandering around the squishy middle and still have the most challenging leg of the journey ahead. I took a 5-day break to rest my hand, eyes, heart, and mind. I’m going to do the same after this post. If you missed Part One, jump there first.

Life lessons?

I continue to use Substack Notes, not for engagement, but for my daily post ritual. I almost posted the ten panels of Part One to my personal Instagram, but something in my gut said I’m just not ready. It’s as if I want my Bonesick world to remain in my cozy oven of Substack obscurity while the ideas continue to bake. After Part Three, I hope the DING goes off and my mind and soul both shift to open the oven door.

While developing Part Two, I realized that these aren’t just little snippets of memories that Toby has collected inside the Sicada Box. These snippets have to tell a full story. So now I’m writing a story arc within a story arc and it’s a freaking challenge, I tell you! Quarter-way through Part Two, I took an entire afternoon with little note cards scattered all over the couch to correctly arrange how the plot of memories needed to unfold.

Finally, I am honestly and truly in lust with this process. Yes, it’s challenging and I’m just so ridiculously slow at drawing, but I after dinner and a night walk, I find that I crave my iPad and Apple pencil (digital doesn’t always kill the romance!). It’s been particularly enjoyable with the soothing sounds of murder and mayhem in the background (Halloween is in full-force on our television).

Structure Refresher

As a reminder, each Inktober panel includes:
(1) a Minor Arcana [Ace through King] Tarot Card reference that connects to…
(2) a past Toby memory,
(3) a tiny piece of dialogue,
(4) and an accompanying song.

As always, if you want that extra dose of Deep Cut eggs, Tarot bits, and other bonus references, you can find that hit at the end.

I humbly thank you for your gift of presence!

Onward…

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Inktober x Bonesick — 11

Six of Cups: Playful childhood memories dripping with innocence and nostalgia

Soundtrack: “All Through The Night” — Cyndi Lauper (Listen on YouTube)

“Knowin' that we feel the same without sayin'."

Inktober x Bonesick — 12

Eight of Wands: Time to move full speed into your schemes. Manifest your dreams.

Soundtrack: “Dream Girl” — Curtis Harding (Listen on YouTube)

"We're all going with someone, ask Ang."
"Ya think? Like as friends or...?"

Inktober x Bonesick — 13

Ace of Cups: Love’s beginnings

Soundtrack: “Oh, What A World” — Kacey Musgraves (Listen on YouTube)

"More than friends, right?"
"Definitely."

Inktober x Bonesick — 14

Two of Cups: Union and partnership

Soundtrack: “Through It All” — Lady Wray (Listen on YouTube)

"Let's go hide the rest of these before my shift starts."
"Which books?"
"Hmmm... self help? They could use some love."

Inktober x Bonesick — 15

Queen of Cups (Reversed): Emotionally drained from heartbreak, in dire need of support

Soundtrack: “Take Care” — Beach House (Listen on YouTube)

“I wish I knew how to fix this.”

Inktober x Bonesick — 16

Five of Cups: Heartbreak and loss; grief over how to move forward

Soundtrack: “My Heart Goes Out To You” — The Championship (Listen on YouTube)

“Now you’re all I have left.”

Inktober x Bonesick — 17

Knight of Cups (Reversed): Emotionally-charged dreams and schemes not grounded in reality

Soundtrack: “America” — Simon & Garfunkel (Listen on YouTube)

“I just can’t be here anymore, Ang. Let’s go see what’s beyond the pain of this dead-end town.”

Inktober x Bonesick — 18

Four of Swords: Finding strength, calm, and solitude before the next challenge

Soundtrack: “Happy & Well” — Thee Sacred Souls (Listen on YouTube)

“Ok I’m gonna look. You ready?”
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

Inktober x Bonesick — 19

Four of Cups: Deep state of discernment, but often blind to or dismissive of generous opportunities that await

Soundtrack: “One by One” — Billy Bragg & Wilco (Listen on YouTube)

“Can I help you, kid?”
“Um…just looking, thanks.”

Inktober x Bonesick — 20

Five of Swords: Selfish power struggle that will inevitably lead to destruction 

Soundtrack: “Jealous Guy” — Donny Hathaway (Listen on YouTube)

“k later”

Inktober x Bonesick — 21

Seven of Wands (Reversed):  Exhausted and overwhelmed by battle, collapse under the weight of pressure

Soundtrack: “Giving Up” — Durand Jones & the Indications (Listen on YouTube)

“Just go.”

Inktober x Bonesick — 22

Eight of Swords:  Blinded by victimhood, surrounded by self-made enemies with no way out.

Soundtrack: “Changes” — Charles Bradley (Listen on YouTube)

“Guess my wish came true after all.”

Eggs n things

Again, I’ve tucked a small sampling of cultural gems and insidery bits inside. Panel 11 is lifted from one of my top film moments in history: The Virgin Suicides scene where the girls and boys trade playing records to each other over the phone—the original Mix Tape. Angela’s got Thompson Twins on deck, while Toby’s waiting to play something from Thriller. Panel 13 has major West Side Story vibes. In Panel 20, I didn’t own a Nokia phone, but one very similar. I was really good at the multiple taps-on-taps-on-taps of the ABC setting until I discovered the magical portal of T9 predictive text.

I also hid some personal references. Panel 19 features my mom’s monogram. Panel 14’s napkins-tucked-into-books activity was something my friends and I did in high school at Barnes & Noble (“Veil & Valiant” is a nod to the bookstore giant). But hold on. See, I know it’s hard to believe, but I was one hell of a nerd. Instead of declaring my love to my sig-other on napkins, I wrote “U2 Rox” and “I <3 Bono” along with green shamrocks to celebrate the lead singer’s May 10th birthday (ahhh, glimpses into my weirdness, you’re welcome). The books in that panel are Franny and Zooey, All About Love, Quantum Physics: From Schrödinger's Cat to Antimatter.

Other eggs are events that were mentioned in previous Bonesick entries. Panel 15 with Toby and his mom is an echo of Panel 4 (only two sets of dishes this time). Panel 17 at Toby’s house is an echo of the “let’s run away” theme at Angela’s house back in Panel 7 (along with a hint of the infamous motorcycle). Panel 16 illustrates the death of Angela’s brother and father shortly thereafter (mentioned in Twenty Years Ago), where I also imply that her mother has long since passed — all represented by the three roses. Eight crows migrate through, symbolic of transition, endings, and foreboding trouble ahead. Panel 18 includes a hint of Angela’s maternal ancestry inside a frame in her bedroom as she herself learns of her own burgeoning motherhood. Panel 21 features three pictures from other Bonesick spots. And Panel 22 is a nod to the bench scene back in Panel 10. I didn’t overtly reveal his childhood wish, but, allegorically, it’s all there.

Soundtrack

Just like The Virgin Suicides scene, music provides that extra layer of emotional impact. Enjoy the “I Can’t Compare to What’s Out There” mix on Spotify:

Big sigh. I’m dooooing it. Ready for the final part of this Inktober journey into the recesses of Toby’s memory banks?