Happy new year! (Plus drawings.)

Happy new year, everybody! One of my "good resolutions" (is it something you say in English, too?) is posting a little more here, as well. As far as I'm concerned, 2015 will go down as a pretty crappy year, so let's make 2016 just a little bit better despite the string of untimely deaths this January.

I've been drawing a lot these days (and writing, but it's unfinished, so not posting that yet), and here are some of the results! Here's an ink and black marker drawing for a start (on DeviantArt here):

( For spelling and syntax )

“Jesus,” Don Camillo insisted, “do You realise that You’re making me work for the revolution?”

“You’re working for grammar, syntax and spelling, none of which are particularly diabolical or political.”

Don Camillo put on his glasses, grabbed his pencil, and corrected the mistakes in the speech that Peppone was to read on the following day. Peppone reread the paper seriously.

"Good,” he approved. “The only thing I don’t understand is this: where I said "It is our intention to extend the school edifice and rebuild the bridge over the Fossalto”, you wrote “It is our intention to extend the school edifice, repair the church tower and rebuild the bridge over the Fossalto”. Why?“

"It’s a matter of syntax,” said Don Camillo solemnly. (”Scuola serale”/”Evening School”, Giovannino Guareschi)

I can’t draw glasses. so I skipped them. (Although I finally managed to draw that bloody hat! Who-hoo!) Anyway. I translated “edificio scolastico” by “school edifice” because “scholastic/educational edifice” sounded a little too much - although it gives you an idea of the kind of syntax Peppone is prone to use in his speeches :D

I started doodling on a page with the vague intention of drawing my favourite characters… and someone (*glares*) commandeered the entire page. Sigh. I also had the vague intention to try drawing him with his hat and his half-cigar, but my pen wouldn’t agree. (on Tumblr here)

( Yay expressions! )

You know, Don Camillo can be devilishly devious and smug as all get-out, and lie egregiously through his teeth (even to the crucified Christ who talks to him, which is frankly an exercise in futility - not that it ever stops him) if he thinks it’s for a good cause. But behind his short temper he has a heart the size of a small continent, and every now and then it shows, plain as day :o)

The last one for the road? It's kind of an adaptation of one of the first stories in the first book (and the second scene in the first movie), and I think it tells a lot about both Don Camillo and Peppone. For the record, this happens in 1946, so there's a lot leftover from the war both in the landscape and people's minds. (On DeviantArt in one file here)

( "Incendio doloso" )

(Afterwards) Don Camillo went to kneel in front of the Christ on the main altar.

"I thank you," he said, "for making us stop! If you hadn't shouted "Halt" when you did, we would have been in a lot of trouble."

"No you wouldn't," replied Christ, smiling. "You knew where you were going; walking on would have been suicide for you and you would have gone back anyway, Don Camillo."

"I know, but one can't rely too much on one's self-confidence. Sometimes pride ruins us." (Giovannino Guareschi, “Incendio doloso”/”Arson” - kind of a spoilery title, eh?)

Everybody knows that Peppone and his men kept a few well-furnished weapons caches from when they were partisans (which, in this particular story, means little more than a year ago). You never know what you’re going to need when the proletarian revolution comes. But nobody knows exactly how many “souvenirs” Don Camillo kept... They all agree on at least a .81 mortar (so basically a small cannon), not counting of course his hunting rifle and his old M91 gun from World War One. Then again, considering the atmosphere in Emilia-Romagna in 1946-1948, it’s probably not a bad thing to remind some people that he has that arsenal from time to time...

I’ll try to have this coloured soon! In the meantime, boy I had fun with those expressions :D