Sketchpost and even a comic?! Good heavens!
Let's start things off with Hunter! Look at her jumping around and doing hunterly things.
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"Yeah!" what is this style, I don't even.
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Suddenly, we take a different tone. 'And not a fuck was given that day.' You have no idea how many sketches of Hunter throwing up gang signs I have in my sketchbook. Why I keep drawing her like this is beyond me.
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Ok ok changing gears again. Hunter singing a tune! This was inspired by the flash vid that Zarla made.
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Now Jockey is singin' a tune also! Meanwhile, Charger is at peace with herself and her machete.
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Hunter staring wistfully into...something.
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Chibi Hunter <3
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Hunter and Smoker! Huggy hug hug.
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T__T What is my deal with drawing Hunter and Smoker hugging so much. I'm in danger of revealing the fact that I am actually a hopeless romantic here.
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Uh oh! Hunter is on the prowl and looking for love.
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Suddenly, a reversal! Smoker with the grab-and-kiss. 'GET OVER HERE.'
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Awww. Ain't it cute. Haha though it looks like Hunter's ear is poking Smoker in the eye.
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Smoker lookin' SNAZZY. Inspired by the sketchpost that Zarla did a while back featuring the gang in a...well, a gangster setting :D Protip: I like women in suits.
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Smoker on patrol.
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Back to back! Hunter and Warlock prepare to take on the horde.
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This is a scene from the Warlock story that I will definitely someday finish and repost maybe.
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Smoker and Hunter. I drew this shortly after reading through Zarla's post regarding each one of them becoming infected. So in this picture, Smoker has her arms wrapped around Hunter, who is infected and slowly becoming blind. She wants to protect her friend, even to the end. I often use extreme shadows to black out the mouths of characters to try and express more emotion from their eyes. The helplessness that Smoker feels only contributes to her anger at the situation, the creatures that did this to her friend, and what the world has become at large.
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Well that was uplifting. Er.. and now, sort of a comic!
Awooooo...
In yonder apartment, someone appears to be clunking about.
Who could that be?
*gasp* It's WARLOCK~
Are these Cheeze-its? They look like Cheeze-its.
DFHJKEGHFP
Enter Jockey. She is in Kill Mode. This frightens me.
I imagined that when dealing with potential threats, Jockey will sort of slip into a something of a detached mindset as a method of dealing with common (for those circumstances) issues such as 'I just shot something and it died in a bloody mess by my feet'. Numb. Life becomes a video game.
So uncomfortable and about to poop himself right now.
Nope, not me!
Like flipping a light switch. Kill Mode disengaged. 'Whew, heh, almost killed ya! Hah hah boy would my face have been red!'
Witches aren't the most personable types. Even non-infected witches who have spent their lifetimes trying their damnedest to Just Act Normal.
Oh lol, so partway through sketching out this comic, I realized something. Why in the hell would Jockey be wandering around on her own? She's optimistic, not STUPID. Warlock is alone because he's a witch, and thus is incredibly anti-social. But Jockey is definitely a team player. Thus, enter Hunter. The two ladies were doing some two-person recon and supply-gathering while the others organized things in yon local saferoom.
And off they go! One might think it unreasonable, if not dangerous to just grab a random stranger and lead him back to your safe room. But for one, Warlock looks about as dangerous as a grasshopper right now. And secondly, Jockey is almost blindingly overjoyed at the sight of yet another survivor. Why? Because this, in her subconscious mind, increases the chances that her other friends are still alive, somewhere, surviving.
In other news, you should never really turn your back on someone unless you absolutely know for certain that they aren't going to knife you and steal your first aid kit. Hunter, having led a life of free-running through the city streets, is aware of this unspoken rule, and keeps an eye on Warlock as they walk, engaging him in conversation to gauge his reactions.
Overall, he just seems awkward and shy, and just wants to go his own way for some reason.
(edit: HAHAHA!! I just realized that I have Warlock saying 'I don't want impose'. Sort of forgot the 'to' there. Oh, sleep deprivation.)
Warlock answers Hunter's question, although he seems distracted. Albiet not in a 'I'm secretly thinking of a way that I can stab you and take your stuff' way. More like 'Uh I really just want to go be alone now and return to scrounging for food on my own.' Weird. But not dangerous weird.
Out of the darkness of the deep dank hallways, and into...
Hmm, Warlock seems UNNERVED at the prospect of bright lights and more people in an enclosed space. How come?
Home sweet home.
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CAN WE KEEP HIM?! I'LL FEED HIM AND HUG HIM AND CALL HIM GEORGE AND
Jockey's happy-go-lucky attitude shines through (and is fun to draw). She's all too eager to help out a fellow survivor, as long as they're nice enough people.
Hunter is just happy to see Jockey happy. Warlock seems trustworthy enough by his demeanor so far. A little eccentric, but he doesn't show any signs that he's planning anything devious.
Smoker doesn't really give a crap about this new development. She's got a cold, it's been a long day, and the last thing she needs is another survivor showing up and begging for supplies.
And Charger...
Charger is unreadable.
I specifically went for this blank expression when drawing her reaction to Warlock's arrival. I felt it would have been too cliche for her to glare and shake her fist and say 'Get out, we don't like or trust you'. But on the other hand, she is who she is. The leader, the overall protector of the group and its integrity. She takes it upon herself to evaluate potential threats and deal accordingly with them. So, that's exactly what she does. The next words out of Warlock's mouth will determine whether she hears him out or gives him the boot. Or if necessary, the axe.
And he knows this.
Or senses it, anyway. A lifetime of paranoia and anxiety around people will tend to make you overthink things ridiculously. THEY'RE JUDGING ME WITH THEIR EYES. Well in this case, Warlock, you're right on the money. One wrong move and you're fodder.
So in that moment, as Charger and Warlock lock eyes, there is an unspoken understanding between them.
"Hi, I'm Charger. I'm the leader of this group. We're a tightknit, happy little family. We've sacrificed a lot to survive as long as we have. If you so much as think about compromising that, I will rip off your arm."
"Hi Charger, I'm Warlock. I mean you no harm. People in general agitate me, so I'm going to leave now. Nice place you've got."
A-buuuUUH? Smoker is genuinely surprised that this person is not pawing for extra sidearms and begging for a spare medkit or two.
B.S. alert. Warlock, your 'friends' ditched you because you curl up into a ball and cry your eyes out at the first sign of a horde. But, his desire to leave the ladies be is genuine enough.
This pleases Charger.
Jockey is confused, and starts to try to convince him to come back. After all, letting him go is synonymous with losing her other friends all over again, in a way. Warlock had become a manifestation of the notion that other people besides just the four of them are alive and well out there.
But, Charger has the final say. AW MOM, YOU NEVER LET ME HAVE ANY FUN.
Out of nowhere, Smoker relinquishes a clip of handgun ammo to the departing Warlock. (The two of them giving stuff to each other is becoming a motif in my stories and sketches XD From lighters to ammo and so forth). She uses rifle ammo anyway, and she figures he deserves SOMEthing for being nice enough not to beg them for everything they can spare.
Warlock expresses his appreciation curtly and walks off into the shadows, vanishing as quickly as he had arrived.
Cool as a cucumber, right? Billy Badass, eh? WRONG. MORE LIKE 'BILLY BREAKDOWN'. As soon as Warlock is out of sight, he retreats around the corner and tries not to have a mental meltdown. Witches don't deal well with other people. Repetition breeds familiarity, but being led to a room with four people you've never met in a survival horror situation can be crippling for an uninfected witch. Warlock has dealt with his issues long enough to be able to remain functional for a short period of time when caught off guard and thrust into social scenarios. But there is always an aftermath where he will have to come down, assure himself that they're not talking about him, not coming after him, etc. DISORDERS ARE FUN.
(suddenly, chibi anime style take over)
Jockey is sad that their new friend had to go.
Hunter is aloof.
What was that, telepathy?! I do not understand!
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Woo! That was fun. I've been spending a lot of time bouncing ideas around in my head. Mostly inspired by Zarla's awesome sketchposts and footnotes, and just everyone's great artwork in general. The distinct personalities and traits of the lady survivors are very interesting to me. Sketching out these hypothetical situations and seeing if I can depict accurate reactions based on what I know of their characters is a fun challenge.
Also, psychoanalyzing the witch character never yields a dull moment either. Figuring out how the loner characters (tank and witch) would interact with the others (if at all) is interesting.
MORE ON THAT...AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE
Thanks for listening, chiiiiildren!