Hekate and Persephone, not in that order

good news! It was only in the low 90's today! It's like a veil has been lifted from my brain!

In celebration, a few more character sketches for all of you from Olympians Book 4, Hades: The Wealthy One. First up is this sketch of Demeter's lovely daughter Kore, after her transformation into the Dread Queen of Hades, Persephone.



And nextly, someone who has ended up being one of my favorite characters in the book, Hekate, goddess of the Crossroads. She becomes Demeter's loyal companion as she searches for her daughter after Kore's abduction. It's a subtle little craziness in her face that is the thing I like about her so much.

Old Men I drew

The heat continues unabated here in NYC. I've eaten nothing but berries for so many days now that I know what a bear feels like.

Here are a few doodles of a couple of gentlemen you might run into in the afterlife. On the top is Kharon, ferryman for the River Styx. I have to admit, it was pretty tough to not just copy the skeletal design of him from the classic "Clash of the Titans" (not the new version-- that was the worst movie I saw all year-- maybe in several years). Beneath Kharon is Tantalos, who you would only run into if you had been very, very naughty in life. Tantalos is being punished eternally in Tartaros. He stands beneath grape vines that pull up whenever he reaches for them, and in a pool of water that recedes whenever he stoops for a drink. I imagine he's gotten pretty hungry and thirsty over the millennia. This poor dude is where we get the word "tantalizing" from.

Hot as Hades in NYC today...

In honor of the old saying and the fact that the temperature has been in triple digits here in NYC, I thought I'd share this double page spread from my sketchbook, with doodles of an armored Hades, a thoughtful Demeter, and a drawing from behind of a certain demigod who may have been surprised to find himself in the Underworld.