I forget sometimes how much A Series of Unfortunate Events definitely shaped me as a youth. Certainly the narrative themes of relativistic morals, dire and harrowing trials, and strong suspicion of authority figures really stuck with me. But this was the first book series where I was so intrigued by the illustrator, Brett Helquist's, style that I used it as reference for how I approach a lot of details to this day, namely hands, fabric drape, and overall face shape.
I have been told --by a college art professor-- that Japanese manga and anime is an "obvious" influence on my work. And that is partly true. But it's not where I started. It's not the core. It's more Helquist and Avatar the Last Airbender (A:tLA, of course, itself being influenced by Japanese animation). I like a touch of morbidity and despondence with my clean, smooth lines.
I more often draw people frowning and squinting than laughing and smiling. I like my eyebrows crunched up with thought and assessment, not unfurrowed with passivity.
I am glad the Series made it onto Netflix, and that they fixed a few of the cringey bits from the books (such as making the henchperson of indeterminate gender more of an actual person and not a spectacle). It was lovely to watch a live action version of my favorite books from my childhood. It's also been fascinating how many people are more vocally fans now; I remember not having anyone to talk to about ASOUE because everyone was caught up in Harry Potter. I ended up also reading Harry Potter, but it's not the same.
Oh! Fun fact: my mom would help me make my Halloween costumes, and one year I was Violet Baudelaire and NO ONE KNEW WHO I WAS but BOY HOWDY THERE WERE LOADS OF GRYFFINDOR KIDS WITH LIGHTNING BOLT SCARS AND ROUND GLASSES. Last I checked, that Violet dress was hanging in my old bedroom closet. It could be very fun to make a new version to go with the Netflix series (especially the purple dress Violet wears in The Penultimate Peril).
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