BONK! A story about dysfunctional family, bullying and it's consequences by subwaysurfer

THE CHRIST CHRONICLES COMIC CHAPTER THREE JESUS IN THE DESERT

The Christ Chronicles is a story that Ive wanted to write/illustrate for a long time. I remember channel surfing one sunday back in the 70's, and this contemporary version of the Gospels was on TV with all this crazy singing hippies! I remember being mesmerized by the approach the writer/songwriters used and wanted desperately to tell do my own twist on the story but lacked the illustrating skills at the time to pull it off. I also recall times in my own Bible Study, reading the Gospel and having this crazy dialogue going on in my head when certain characters like Lucifer, The Pharasees, and the various Demon Possessed people would appear on the scene. It's my hope that this series will be entertaining, it certainly has stretched my abilities as an illustrator and taken me in areas I havent explored with my art before.

Ive planned work for this series in my head for a couple of years now, and it's helped me to focus on the humanity of Christ more, which is something that is not really seen, IMO in cartooning and animation.
I wanted the look of Christ to be straight up Jewish, which he was. SInce he was a young man I wanted to portray that youthfulness also. I also wanted to make his skin a little darker than what I usually see depicted also. Let's face it, Israel is in the MIDEAST and its HOT!! LOL!

WOW! FANCY MEETING YOU HERE!!! THERE'S NO TELLING WHO YOU'RE GONNA MEET IN THE DESERT, IS THERE?? I'D OFFER YOU A BITE OF MY BURGER HERE, BUT I REALLY DONT LIKE TO EAT AFTER PEOPLE.....

YOU'RE JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, RIGHT? GEE, IT'S SO HARD TO TELL IN ALL OF THIS HEAT, YOU ACTUALLY COULD BE A MIRAGE, YOU KNOW.... HMMM, HOW CAN WE TELL IF YOU'RE THE REAL THING.... LET ME THINK.....

I KNOW!! LET 'S DO A LITTLE TEST! IT SHOULD'NT BE HARD FOR YOU, I MEAN, YOU'RE THE SON OF GOD, RIGHT?? PROVE IT RIGHT NOW!!! IF YOU'RE THE SON OF GOD, TURN THESE STONES INTO BEARD!! LET'S MAKE 'EM BAGELS!!!

iT IS WRITTEN, MAN SHALL NOT LIVE BY BREAD ALONE, BUT BY EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDETH OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.

GO 'BOUT YOUR BUSINESS, SATAN! YOU'RE BOTHERING ME! TALK TO THE HAND!

ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! .. WAIT A MINUTE, WILL YA! YOU'RE RIGHT! I MEAN, WHO CAN EAT FOOD IN THIS HEAT ANYWAY? WHAT YOU NEED IS A CHANGE OF SCENERY!! PERHAPS A MORE "RELIGIOUS SETTING" WOULD MAKE YOU FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE? I HAPPEN TO KNOW JUST THE PLACE, TOO! iN FACT, I'LL TAKE YOU THERE!!!

WELCOME TO THE PINNACLE OF THE TEMPLE CHURCH OF THE "MOST LOW" THE OFFICIAL HEADQUARTERS OF LUCIFER MINISTRIES, WHERE OUR MOTO IS, "DECIEVING THE LOST, AT WHATEVER THE COST". THE SUBJECT OF MY SERMON TODAY IS "TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH" BY THAT I MEAN LITERALLY!


OH, YOU DIDNT BRING YOUR BIBLE WITH YOU? IT DOESNT MATTER, I'LL JUST INTERPRET THE TEXT IN THE SAME WAY I DID FOR TWO FORMER PARISHONERS YOU MIGHT KNOW THEM, "ADAM, AND EVE?" ANYWAYS, ABOUT THAT LEAP OF FAITH I WAS TALKING ABOUT, IF YOU ARE THE SON OF GOD, AND WE HAVENT PROVEN THAT YET, WHY DONT YOU TAKE A FLYING LEAP OFF THE PENNACLE OF THE TEMPLE? GO AHEAD, CAST YOURSELF DOWN! YOU WONT GET HURT! I CAN PROVE IT BY OUR TEXT FOR TODAY FOUND IN THE BOOK OF PSALMS CHAPTER 91...

HERE'S THE PASSAGE NOW, IT READS.....
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

SEE THAT! I JUST PROVED MY POINT WITH SCRIPTURE!!!

OKAY, START JUMPING.....JUST THINK ABOUT THE IMPRESSION IT WOULD MAKE!! WHEN FOLKS SEE YOU LEAP OFF THE TEMPLE, AND ANGELS RESCUE YOU IN SPECTACULAR FASHION, THEN IT'S BONAFIDE PROOF THAT YOU'RE THE ANNOITED ONE!!! JUST THINK OF THE PUBLICITY!!!

I GUESS YOU FORGOT ABOUT THIS PASSAGE FOUND IN DEUTERONOMY CHAPTER 6 VERSE 16 THAT READS, "YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD THY GOD TO THE TEST!!

OH....ER... I GUESS IT SLIPPED MY MIND, HEH.... ENOUGH OF THIS THEOLOGICAL DISCUSSIONS! THEY ONLY CAUSE ARGUMENTS!!! LET'S TALK BUSINESS!!! I HAPPEN TO KNOW ;JUST THE RIGHT PLACE.....

WELCOME TO MY MOUNTAIN TOP RETREAT!! MY NAME IS LOU C. FURR CEO AND PRESIDENT OF G.O.T.W. THAT STANDS FOR "GOD OF THIS WORLD" ENTERPRISES.

OH, BY THE WAY, DO YOU LIKE THE SUIT? IT'S 'HOT' YOU KNOW! I CAN GET YOU ONE IF YOU LIKE, I KNOW WHERE THEY PARK THE TRUCK!!

BUT ENOUGH SMALL TALK, LET'S TALK BUSINESS...

MIND IF I SMOKE? ... YEAH, I KNOW THESE THINGS WILL KILL ME, BUT WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? IM TRYING TO CUT DOWN! IM DOWN TO ONE MILLION PACKS A DAY!.... ANYWAYS, ABOUT BUSINESS, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU HAVENT BEEN HUMAN VERY LONG JESUS, AND MAYBE YOU KINDA DONT KNOW HOW THINGS WORK DOWN HERE ON THE 'BIG BLUE MARBLE"....


THE FACT IS, THERE ARE CERTAIN REALITIES THAT RUN THIS WORLD, ALL UNDR MY CONTROL, IN SUBTLE WAYS..... MONEY FOR INSTANCE, SOME PEOPLE GOTTA HAVE IT, SOME PEOPLE REALLLY NEED IT, SOME PEOPLE DO BADDD THINGS WITH IT...

HMMMM, I OUGTA MAKE A SONG OUTTA THAT...

WHAT IM TRYING TO SAY IS, THAT YOU NEED A LOTTA THIS STUFF IN ORDER TO MAKE IT DOWN HERE. IT MAKES LIVING A LOT EASIER, AND MAKES NEGOTIATING VERRRRRY EASY...

I CAN HELP YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON A LOTTA THIS....

FOR A PRICE.....

HERE'S SOMETHING ELSE YA DONT KNOW...

YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS POWERPOINT PRESENTATION HERE.... IF YOU LOOK OUT IM SHOWING YOU ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD, AND WHAT THEY'RE WORTH. WE GOT WASHINGTON, THE KREMLIN...

WEIVE GOT COUNTRIES , CONTINENTS, STATES AND CITIES, EUROPE, ASIA, AFRICA, NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA....

ALL OF THESE PLACES RICH IN THEIR OWN WAY OF MONEY, HUMAN CAPITAL, NATURAL RESOURCES,

I TELL YA, I'VE RUN ALL OF EM FOR CENTURIES , AND LET ME TELL YA, THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU CANT MAKE A HUMAN BEING DO, IF YOU KNOW WHAT BUTTONS TO PUSH...

WHAT IM OFFERING YOU IS A PARTNERSHIP! THAT'S RIGHT!
WITH OUR COMBINED STRENGTH WE CAN END THIS DESTRUCTIVE CONFLICT AND BRING ORDER TO THE....

WHOOPS! BETTER NOW SAY THAT! COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT...

BUT YOU GET THE IDEA!

WE COULD RUN THIS THNG, JESUS, JUST YOU AND ME, WE CAN HAVE THE WORLD ON A STRING, JUST LIKE SINATRA SAYS...

BUT IT COMES WITH A PRICE.....AND HERE IT IS....

GET THEE HENCE, SATAN!!!!!!


OUCH.... NOW THAT'S GONNA LEAVE A MARK!!!


FOR IT IS WRITTEN...

THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD,
AND HIM ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE!!!

Why so sadd?

As Ive stated so many times before in this blog, the one thing I love about subwaysurfing aka extreme life drawing, are those times when i can totally capture a mood uncut and unfiltered and put it on paper. You really dont get to do that when people are busy performing preening and posing as they do in a party situation or in a life drawing class. This young woman, caught riding the subway, looked "normal " enough and I started ovserving her sensing that something else was "coming". Then for a couple of minutes her face changed, and she had this look that i captured here of sadness, anger, and dissapointment. It was a very private moment, but there it was on her face. My heart went out to her as I have seen this "look" on the face of so many young woman her age in this day we live in. I dont know what was on her mind, but as quickly as the expression appeared, it vanished as she became aware of me.
Of course, as always, by the time my subject becomes aware of me, they've already been captured. The challenge in doing a piece like this is to draw it quickly, and economically. Ive studied Jeremy Townsend's approach to doing caricatures and he is a master at this, which is why I admire his work so much. I tried to get that same economy of line here. The original pic was drawn in pencil, inked with a tombo, colored in photoshop uploaded to the blog and is being viewed by you. Aint technology great?

Christ Chronicles almost ready, stay tuned...

As you might have guessed from this particular pic, and others, my story is going to have an updated, contemporary, and slightly off beat look and feel while still telling the "adventutes of Christ" as found in the New Testament books of Matthew Mark Luke and John. The movie, Godspell, is one of my inspirations for wanting to do this project, and Ive had it on the back burner for years, waiting until I felt artistically ready to launch it. That time is now. Im so excited.

commuter on the B Train to Kings Hway

First subwaysurfer victim of the year. It was Rush hour on the B train leaving 34 st heading for Kings Hwy. He was big, got a seat to himself and was out like a light before his butt even hit the seat.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! OKAY LADIES START YOUR DIET!!

YOU KNOW YOU PUT ON WEIGHT DURING THE HOLIDAYS... SO WORK IT OFF......

caricatures in restaurant

Fellow artist, Alison Gelbman, drawn below, and I did a gig together recently, and afterwards went to a restaurant where I made fun of the counter person, the guy at top and also redrew her in a more relaxed stle.

RUSH HOUR TRAIN JAPANESE STYLE!

after looking at this video, you will never EVER EVER complain about a "crowded " New York City Subway train again!!!!

It would be impossible even for the talented SUBWAYSURFER himself to draw on this train!!!!

I once saw a Flintstones cartoon where conductors were literally pushing passangers into a packed train just like this!! life imitating art of vice versa? I guess in Japan your boss doesnt even wanna HEAR the excuse that you missed your train

Merry Christmas!

This is a project that Ive been working on for the past couple of months and wanted to introduce it appropriately on the day Christians around the world celebrate the birth of Christ. (yes, yes, I KNOW it's not his "real birthday") I've had a lifelong fascination with the person of Christ and always felt that stories and animated features especially didnt really do him justice. Not that I was looking for the message of the Gospels to change, I just wanted the character of Christ, the PERSON of the God-Man to be fleshed outa little more and given a contemporary look. This work will focus on passages taken from the four Gospels in the New Testament, namely, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. I find the truths contained in scripture timeless, the stories compelling, and often times humorous. Im bound to unintentionally offend some people in the process of my story telling, but my hope is that loyal fans and readers of my work will be objective enough to let it stand on its own and to enjoy.

In case I havent said it already, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

subwaysurfer animated feature!

Here it is folks, my very first "subwaysurfer nimated feature" dont bother to go to the bathroom or buy popcorn though... the movie will be over before you get comfortable in your seats..... just here practicing some very limited animation here which although choppy, looks pretty funny. Need to refine my process. even though its limited animation it doesnt have to be THIS crude! LOL! next time I plan on doing a more consistant BACKGROUND. Im not so concerned about the foreground figures being perfect, as i feel that "sloopy choppiness : is what im looking for. Thats me in the corner there drawing, and of course, this is a cartoon of someone I observed on the train who really DIDNT appreciate being drawn! LOL! I just took the story to its violent conclusion! whats a cartoon without violence anyway?

"Where/How Do I Get My Ideas For Comics?"

HI! IM ELGIN BOLLING, ALSO KNOWN AS SUBWAYSURFER! BUT THEN, YOU ALREADY KNOW THAT DONT CHA? TODAY i WILL BE TEACHING ON HOW I GET MY IDEAS FOR COMICS. IM OFTEN ASKED THIS QUESTION, AND CHUCKLE AT THE ANSWER, BECAUSE ITS REALLY QUITE SIMPLE. EVERY PERSON ON THE PLANET IS LITERALLY A WALKING BOOK, FILLED WITH BILLIONS OF STORIES THAT KEEP GETTING ADDED TO EVERYDAY! ALL THE MATERIAL ANY ARTIST NEEDS TO CONSTRUCT A COMIC STORY IS NOT TO BE FOUND "OUT THERE" IN SPACE, BUT "IN HERE" BETWEEN THEIR TWO EARS. WHENEVER I NEED A STORY FOR ONE OF MY COMICS, I ALWAY GO INSIDE FIRST FOR INSPIRATION....



USING A SHARP CLEAN KNIFE I CUT OPEN OFF THE TOP OF MY CRANIUM AND CAREFUL TAKE THE BRAIN OUT AND START SEARCHING MY MIND FOR DATA. THERE ARE BILLIONS OF STORIES, OBSERVATIONS, AND IMPRESSIONS BURIED DEEP IN MY CONCIOUSNESS THAT I JUST HAVE TO BE PATIENT ENOUGH TO ACESS. OF COURSE SOMETIMES PANIC SETS IN AND I DONT QUITE REMEMBER WHERE I PUT ALL MY STORIES. ONCE YOU GET TO THIS STAGE, CONTINUE SEARCHING, BUT BE CAREFUL TO NOTE WHERE YOU'VE PUT ALL YOUR GRAY MATTER, AFTER ALL, YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING IT ALL BACK!

IN ORDER FOR MY WORK TO "RING TRUE" I MUST HAVE A STRONG EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH IT. EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS COME FROM DEEP INSIDE BASED ON HOW I FEEL ABOUT CURRENT EVENTS, PAST HURTS, REACTIONS TO FILMS OR SONGS, AND ESPECIALLY CHILDHOOD AND YOUTHFUL MEMORIES. iT'S ALL THERE INSIDE. ONCE i HAVE A STRONG EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO MY WORK, i KNOW THAT THE AUDIENCE WILL FEEL IT TOO AND NOT JUST BE LOOKING AT :"PRETTY PICTURES" mOST ARTISTS KNOW HOW TO DRAW A PRETTY PICTURE, BUT THE TRICK IS TO WRITE A "PRETTY STORY" WHICH IS WHY SO MANY ARTISTS WHOSE WORK LOOKS LIKE A TEN YEAR OLD CAN BE MORE ENTERTAINING THAN AN ARTIST WHO DRAWS EVERYTHING"PERFECT".

ANOTHER METHOD I USE IS TO JUST GET OUT A REAM OF PAPER AND START 'STREAM OF CONCIOUSNESS DRAWING" sOMETIMES THE OLD IDEA ENGINE NEEDS TO BE WARMED UP, SO I JUST DRAW ANYTHING! ONE DRAWING FLOWING INTO THE NEXT, FORMING ASSOCIATIONS AND VISUAL CONNECTIONS.... SOMETIMES FRUSTRATIONS SET IN AND I START TO LET OUT PRIMAL SCREAMS OF FRUSTRATION ESPECIALLY AROUND DEADLINE TIME.....

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, SOMETIMES IT'S JUST BEST TO CLEAR YOUR HEAD AND GO OUTSIDE FOR A WALK. A SIMPLE CHANGE OF SCENERY CAN SOMETIMES HELP SPARK YOUR IDEA ENGINE. FOR ALL YOU KNOW, THE NEXT BIG IDEA CAN COME TO YOU UNEXPECTEDLY OUTTA "NO WHERE!...'

SOMETIMES OUT OF NOWHERE, AN IDEA JUST HITS YOU!! THAT'S JUST HOW THE CREATIVE PROCESS WORKS!!! WOW... THAT'S GONNA LEAVE A MARK!