Serendipity and the Wendigo

Wendigo (Artwork copyright 2010)Illustration for Paranormal Magazine(not final image).

Above is one of a set of images of various creatures, monsters, entities that I've been fortunate to illustrate for articles featured in Paranormal Magazine in the UK, but this one is a little bit special.

Its funny how life throws you little twists and turns now and again, synchronicity plays a role in my life. I've come to accept that. Only recently I've experienced some quite amazing coincidences, could they be messages from the universe, fate giving me a nod and a wink, or just my addled brain making links where there is just coincidence? Three instances where my gaze has been directed to something that shouldn't connect, but I've noticed.

I always wanted to draw the Wendigo. I loved Marvel's version and the legend it's based on is so fantastic, so horrifyingly scary, its up there with the werewolf for me as one of the best monsters (not a creature, to me a transformed human IS a monster, driven by human needs, a creature just does what it needs to,for survival).

Why is the Wendigo so special to me, then? My interest in monsters and comics and wanting to become a comic artist started from an early age, around 8 yrs old I think and my main influence and favourite artist at the time was John Byrne. It was a UK reprint of an Iron Fist story, a backup in Marvel Superheroes Magazine (b&w in those days)which peaked my artistic curiosity, but it was seeing his work in XMen in particular Issue 140 which featured a battle with the Wendigo which made me think, 'Yes! that's what I'd like to do when I'm older, draw something like this, superheroes and monsters or monster comics!!'

Well, I'm older, wiser(?), I get to draw comics and I'm working on a graphic novel, 'the monster movie I would have wanted to see' and now I've drawn a Wendigo. My tastes have changed over the years, Byrne is no longer the be-all and end all of comic artists to me, there's some great stuff out there and artists who I appreciate from small press all the way up to the Big Two. I've been influenced by many and keep being influenced, its great to have an artist's brain and an artist's perspective.

I draw superheroes.

I draw monsters.

I keep drawing.

I keep learning.

I keep getting amazed.

And I appreciate the chances that serendipity offers me, from time to time!

There's an eight year old 'wannabe' inside my head that grabs my ears and directs my gaze at a piece of artwork and says 'Oi! Look at this! I want to draw this!' and sometimes, on rare occasions, he whispers in my ear, 'well done, you've got your wish!'

I hope that never changes.


Till next time,

Si