328: All Things Naked and Laid Bare

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Dear Patrons,

We’re doing something a little unconventional today. As part of this update, I’ve gone back and retouched one of my past updates, in particular, Recipe III: Shanghai-style Xiōngbù Bao and colored some of the unfinished sketches. There may be more to come. When I uploaded these recipes in the past, I’ve always felt that I could always add more artwork after I’ve published them. I may expand more to these “living projects”. Works in the Recipes section and my illustrated stories in the Reading Room section are good candidates. I think of the La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona that began construction in 1882 that has been a work in progress for more than a century and only now is very close to completion in a few years time. But it doesn’t make it less impressive when visitors view the structure in its incomplete state. All I can do is to keep going. Hopefully a masterpiece emerges. If I had worked on a deadline and call it done and dusted in quick fashion, the project might suffer. With stuff that I’ve published at the COMICS page, I almost compelled to add more scenes, like CARNE ASADA for example.

For the newsletter updates that I email to my subscribers, that’s a little different. Once sent via email, it does feel “published” even though I feel compelled to make minor updates such as with the story in this update, THE PAINTED BIRD IN LOST CARCOSA. If given the chance again, I would rename the “Patriarch” to the “First Man” to string these loose vignettes better. But what’s done is done and maybe I’ll revisit that much later when the project is closer to completion.

Now on to the main feature theme for this update, we return to the story PAINTED BIRD IN LOST CARCOSA. The story immediately follows the events of 307: Trading Places. For the past two weeks, I’ve been hitting a writer’s block with this story, and with the gathering anxiety of trying to meet deadlines, when I realized why. There were many inconsistencies to the earlier artworks from when I began this project, having re-read the story, some of which pertains to how the bird is butchered. While also expanding to the idea that Beth was also a member of the DOE PATROL. This makes me realize I may have to go back and re-familiarize with what I’d written and that’s when the inconsistencies started to emerge with what I’d planned for this update. So I had to do some major tweaks. Things such as the chronology on how the bird is butchered, the consistency of the costuming of the villains (something which I didn’t think about enough in the early stages of this project). You will see some of the revisions I had done before and then final product after with the BONUS artworks. So for this update, much like the additions I’ve done for Recipe III. Although I try to plan as much ahead of time, sometimes a story evolves. 

Anyway, this rant pretty much is me trying to find an excuse to why this post is delayed, and so sorry about the wait, my fellow DISCIPLES. It only shows the care for the quality for my works and I hope they are appreciated even though I know this approach is not sound, business-wise.

Bon appétit!

PS: Here’s a quick rundown of my Zodiac Table:

• GEMINI: PAINTED BIRD IN LOST CARCOSA. This update is dedicated in major part from this backer.
• SCORPIO: KONGREGATSIYA: LADY ON A TRAIN. More major works done for this backer in this update.
• SAGITTARIUS: I’m working on a particularly ambitious set of sketches which I should be touching on soon next month which I have published some ideas in this update.
• LIBRA: For this backer’s part in MISSING IN JAPAN, it’s one whom I owe the works the most. I’m still thinking of how the “crack the code” like with other backers, but it’s close.
• CAPRICORN: The MISSING IN JAPAN project is beginning to take shape and I feel more of these “Recipes” will be part of this project.
• ARIES: Various projects from this backer is peppered throughout this update in the form of planning and multiple sketches in multiple stories.
• AQUARIUS: As the DOOMED RAIDER project takes a short hiatus after last update’s MEGA-upload, it’s soon time for the next fresh set of artworks soon.
• PISCES: Ditto for the DOOMED RAIDER project. Some sketches are coming very soon.
• VIRGO: Colored the head piece for this backer. More to come!
• LEO: Content will be coming soon for Leo as part of the VANISHING TRIANGLE storyline.
• CANCER: The full “KD” update will be published in the next update. Stay tuned!
• TAURUS: You can call the fact that I’ve colored Recipe III as that little gnat gnawing at me that I really wanted to finish and put it to bed which I did today.

The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this production are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred. 

I. The Splayed Bird in Lost Carcosa 

The Second Man reached out a hand.

That’s enough. I’ll have the hose now, thank you very much.

The intern couldn’t help but be drawn by a peculiar fairy motif on the Second Man’s leather flat cap. He was close enough to see that it was a cute little nymph, shy and coquettish, drawn on light colored leather that looked smooth to the touch. Fine quality leather, the intern observed. But why would he choose such an emblem? It struck him as rather odd to have a symbol so feminine emblazoned upon this… paragon of masculinity. Sleeves up, hairy forearms, thick chest, tie slackened, and a stout posture. It was plainly put, inharmonious to the aura he presented.

And the mask he wore — two pieces with a detachable jaw — gave the steely visage a perpetual Cheshire grin which added to the sense of menace. The intern could detect a glint of light behind the dark eye sockets indicating that yes, those eyes were looking at him.

He snapped out of his torpor and reluctantly handed the hose back to the Second Man.

Was it for form or function, this mask? The other members of the hunt did not wear any facial coverings so why only him? Intimidation? Or he just plainly wanted to look cool? Cool like the First Man? Hard as anyone tried, nobody would be as cool as the First Man. Oh, it is for the camera after all, for the Third Man was recording the proceedings with the intern as the main star and the only one with his true identity exposed. Only the two of them were in view of the camera’s lens.

He saw the faces of the Third Man, Fourth, and the Fifth, revealed so he would surmise that he was as good as dead if they’d ever let him go. But the First Man always stood in the shadows. Silent. Watching. He was not sporting a mask but might as well have worn one, for the intern wasn’t able to perceive his visage no matter how hard he tried. He thought of it as this. Try remembering a dream you’ve once had. Choose a dream that seemed real and vivid. Then attempt this exercise. Picture the face of a character in that dream. Someone you supposedly “know”. The “high school classmate” who helped drag you out from that perilous pool of rainbow quicksand on an alien planet. He was your best friend in the dream, wasn’t he? But in the waking world, the memory of him begins to fade from your memory, especially his face, if he ever had one in the first place. The only attribute left that you remember is that of an archetype. The loyal companion. The “best friend” character.

That was how hard it’d been to remember that face of the First Man. Young, maybe? In his thirties? Fifties even? The intern couldn’t tell. He couldn’t be younger than mid-twenties, he’s quite sure of that… right? Was it his gait, the way he walked, or the way he stood by silently, elegantly, like a centuries year-old statue, always wise and watching, suggesting a timeless and immutable being?

It did make sense how he could have felt this way for this was no ordinary occasion. Emotions were thick, confusing and messy. The sensory overload of this novel experience was palpable. And the burden of his immeasurable guilt had also been too much to bear. He wasn’t thinking straight. Yes, they could have slipped some drug in his tea. Yes, that’s it! Some psychedelics to enhance his sense of pleasure and willingness, along with it, a spirit of legend among the players of this macabre masquerade who were now Angels, Gods, and Demons to him. It would help temper the horrors of what he had seen and what he had just done…  to Beth. Maybe that was why he’d been so willing.

Beth.

He’d lost his soul that night. He was one of them now. Drug or no drug, a horrible irreversible deed had  just been done, and not just any kind of sin. His hands touched her, inside and out. He knew how her cold ribs felt and smelled. Or the meat from the reverse side of her thick and ample ass. He massaged her wet, cold dead hands and feet, and he enjoyed it. He wiped down her muscular limbs, taut with plenty of gym work at the office and now built not for strength anymore but for meat on the dinner table. He had allowed himself to grow hard throughout the touching. He didn’t want to, but he had to, to stay alive of course. Not to say that he hadn’t had urges on Beth before. Sure, they were nasty, like rape fantasies. Tie her up. Fuck her. Strip her from her office clothes and feeling up her tits and licking her sleeping chloroformed body. But in all of these, she had still been alive. And they were mere fantasies. Now, this was beyond the pale. She was his friend. And now she was dead. Stripped naked, raped, murdered, splayed, split open and laid bare for all and the Gods to see. She had given up all her secrets to these men… and now, she had no more secrets left to give.

Image 1: (1 complete colored artwork)

The Second Man approached Beth’s corpse. Feel the skin. Feel how smooth it is. Human skin is much thinner and more delicate than animal hide, making it for best quality delicate leather. And she takes care of her skin well. And thank goodness the artwork isn’t ruined during the hunt.

That’s when it dawned on the intern where the fairy nymph motif on the cap came from and a new kind of horror settled upon him. Add to the list of violations, being turned into human souvenirs.

A pair of other hands, — let us call them the Third and Fourth Man, for the First Man still stood beyond the shadows —  well, these hands pulled back on the intern’s shoulders so that the Second Man could have his space to perform his specialty. And he feels a little sad that his time of violating Bethany was over. The next stage of her transformation had begun.

This would be the last time he would see Beth whole. Her pretty lifeless eyes, upside down, looking back at him, legs spread apart unceremoniously as he was led back towards the barn door exit. It was undignified but there she was nonetheless, like a hunter’s prize. And in a bonus act of taboo not even allowed on a real animal carcass, the Second Man detached his mask — the lower jaw –,  and with his hands, did the three-finger insertion into what was left of Beth’s privates, and he brought back up the slick, wet, red fingers up onto his fat tongue and licked on them. It was something he’d never fantasized doing to any being. He fantasized many things but this was new and creative. And now it had been seared into his mind.

Fresh. And Prime. She’s worthy! Proclaimed the Second Man.

Huzzah! The audience of hunters hollered.

You did well, son, a familiar voice said. Now allow the Enthusiast to continue his work. You and me. We need to have to talk.

One by one, the Men exited the barn, leaving the Second Man, now he knew was called The Enthusiast to perform his acts on Beth with complete privacy. And once the butcher’s done, not even all the kings horses and all the king’s men could put dear Beth back together again.

— the end? —

Image 2: (1 complete colored artwork)

II. Bonus PAINTED BIRD IN LOST CARCOSA Works-In-Progress 

I’d done some major reworks to get the story to fit consistently. However, as an added bonus for the curious, here are some of the alternate versions of the past works, mostly in regard to costume for the “Second Man” known as “The Enthusiast”.

Image 3-4: (2 complete colored alt variations of previously published artworks)

And here are some stages from sketch to blocking, inking before the final rendering.

Image 5-9: (3 black & white sketch variations of a single scene + 2 colored works in progress of the same scene)

III. Recipe III: Shanghai-style Xiōngbù Bao

These are the additional supplemental artwork to the Recipe III project and I’ve added these artworks to the page, available for DISCIPLE tier members and higher. 

Image 10-13: (4 colored artworks)

The following are additional works in progress, to say, hey, hello! These are actually drawn by human hands!

Image 14-15: (2 colored and shaded works in progress of a previous scene)

IV. Kongregatisya: Lady on a Train

Here are some excerpts from the project KONGREGATSIYA: LADY ON A TRAIN. A “red sparrow” honey-pot Eastern-European bombshell who once used her skills of seduction has now planned to switch sides and betray her employers while on on the Trans-Siberian Railway to China. Spoiler alert for those who can view the images, she doesn’t quite get away with it.

Image 16-17: (2 completed artworks)

The following below are slight variation works in progress of the aforementioned scenes, one step before the final piece, very similar to the final piece.

Image 18-19: (2 works in progress of previously published scenes)

V. Missing in Japan

These are a few works from the Missing in Japan Mega-Project coming soon. Loyal subscribers from the past will remember the curly haired French girl as we bring her back along with a few more Asian subjects for this story.  

Image 20-22: (3 colored works in progress)

VI. Other Continuing Projects

This is a colored piece for backer VIRGO.  

Image 23: (1 colored & shaded artwork)

These are planned for the story CLAUSI CUM CLAVE. We’ve seen what we’ve done with her upper halves. What about the rest of her?

Image 24-25: (1 black & white shaded sketch + 1 colored & shaded work in progress)

Here’s more from the project XANADU, an arrangement of cuts of meat for your viewing (and dining) pleasure. The first are of a pair of hands playing around with halves of what was once whole.

Image 26-27: (2 works in progress)

These are earlier sketch concepts…

Image 28-29: (2 black & white sketched works in progress)

… and what I’ve settled on in the end.

Image 30-32: (3 works in progress)