Sketchbook: The Magic Hearse

Sketch N' Wash on Bristol board

A lot of things have inspired and given form to Castle Whatsitsname since I first came up with the idea in 2004. One of them, a song called City of the Damned by goth-folk band Folk Underground, contains the line "Ride the magic hearse to the City of the Damned". I love hearses and road trips, and I knew I would have to include a Magic Hearse in the comic.

The Undertaker has owned this particular hearse for about 8 years, and Ferkus came with it (he was in an egg in the glove box, and no one knew he was there until he hatched). Despite his affection for bacon and females, this car is Ferkus's true love. Comic strip character designs need to be finalized before you start - they need to make you happy because you'll be drawing them for a long time. The nice thing about vehicles is that you can easily change the design later if you have a mechanic who loves modifying his car. This is a good thing to realize if you're like me and can't draw cars all that well.

I looked at a LOT of different hearses to draw this, so this car is not based on any one real hearse, but the tailfins, the lift, and the raised engine vent are all features I found on other custom hearses. The gargoyle on the interior wall is a cupholder, and the license plate is exactly what I'll put on my hearse's license plate should I ever get one. When it's actually in service to humans from the nearby town, the Magic Hearse has a handy "Transform" button that converts it to a more mundane appearance.

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