[ID. A drawing of Ford and Stan Pines, dressed in parkas, standing outside on a cold, clear winter night. They are smiling and holding up giant sparklers. End ID.]

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Goodbye to 2021.  I don’t think anyone will miss you.  A cautious greeting to 2022.  You’re on probation.

I realized today that I had nothing to show for December, art-wise.  I wanted to mark the end of the year somehow, and I needed to get back into the swing of drawing, too.  So, a small offering.  (Tumblr will not show it was posted in 2021, but I’ll know.)

May the new year be better for all of us!

(orig posted December 31, 2021)

[ID. The Pines family in a snowy forest, wearing winter clothing, with snowshoeing gear leaning against the treers around them.  Mabel is kneeling to pick up a baby plaidypus, while Ford crouches next to her to watch. The plaidypus mother is a white and grey buffalo plaid, while the babies are white and grey striped.  Behind them, Stan is pouring hot chocolate from a thermos into a mug, talking to Dipper, who already has his own mug. End ID]

Pines Family Winter Fun!

Did you know that plaidypuses change their coats in the winter, like weasels and snowshoe hares do?  Yeah, I just made that up, but I thought it would be a fun idea and make for a nice winter outing scene as a secret santa present for @mercury-falls :)   (Thanks so much for your patience!  And if I’d finished this closer to when I should have, it would look a lot more seasonally-appropriate, too!  Although, I live in New England, so never say never when it comes to March or even April snow; I might get one more snowshoeing opportunity this year!)

The main thing I used refs for was the snowshoes (greatly simplified, but still).  Now I kinda want Dipper’s sweater. 

Huh, hadn't reblogged this since I posted it in 2022. It's a nice wintery scene.

The Shortest Day - Welcome, Yule!

What better way to spend the longest night than around a nice campfire and some hot chocolate, under the stars? (I wish! But I'll live vicariously through the Pines, as usual.)

Kind of an update of a similar piece I did in 2020; and in a way, kind of a sequel, I guess.

With the winter solstice past, the days grow longer once again. But winter isn't done with us yet, so keep those warm drinks coming!

(Orig. posted in December 2023.)

...hot chocolate is apparently a running theme in my works.

[ID. A drawing of Ford, Dipper, Mabel and Stan celebrating the 8th night of Hanukkah.  Ford has constructed a menorah made out of lightsabers, in alternating blue and green colors.  He is replacing the central, shamash “candle”, and is wearing a sweater that says “Axial Tilt: the Reason for the season”; and he is grinning at Dipper.  Dipper is grinning at the menorah, and he is wearing a sweater with a blue cycloptopus whose arms, holding candles, form a menorah. He is holding a mug with two dreidels on it, and the caption “They see me rollin’”.  Next is Mabel, holding a tray of sufganiyot donuts. She is wearing a sweater with a calico cat on it, surrounded by chocolate gelt, with the words “Meowzel Tov” around it.  Finally, Stan is grinning at Mabel, and holding a tray of latkes.  He is wearing a white apron adorned with menorahs and stars of David, and that says, “I love you a latke”. End ID.)

Happy Eighth Night of Hanukkah with the Pines!

Finally finished the piece I started before the first night of Hanukkah, but couldn’t get done… and it’s just as well, because having had the idea for the lightsaber menorah, it looks a lot better when all of them are lit, I think? 

I can’t really take credit for that (my inspiration was the “Keep the Han in Hanukkah” Star Wars sweater, seen in one of @danidery‘s delightful collections, and then I found some refs online); or for the various sweater ideas or Stan’s apron, as I just looked up “tacky Hanukkah sweaters”.  Mabel’s was partly inspired by this wonderful Hanukkah-cats art.  Ford’s “Axial Tilt: the Reason for the Season” sweater calls back to my earlier holiday piece, and while there are many versions for sale if you google it, the one that inspired me is here.

I’m going with the idea that Stan was put in charge of the latkes (made with love and some of his shoulder hair, no doubt), while Mabel made the sufganiyot… and Ford made the lightsabers. 

Tonight is the eight night of Hanukkah. Chag Hanukkah Sameach!

(orig posted Dec. 2019)

Gruß vom Krampus! 

December 5th is Krampusnacht, and I've done some pieces related to that over the years. This year I decided to update my depictions of Stan and Ford in the older two pieces (from 2016 and 2017 respectively), and to put the three all together. The original piece from 2016 was done for the 2017 Hunkles calendar (December of course), and the sequel was done for New Years the following year, with the final pic in the sequence appearing in Dec. 2020.

As I said in the original post, my version of the Krampus is based on looking at traditional folk costumes actually worn by krampus figures in Austria for the Krampusnacht festival.

And finally, just to keep it all in one place: after posting the 2020 piece, I got an ask about the little collection of Pines dolls that hang off of Krampus's basket in the second pic, and that Stan is holding in the last pic. I went into a long explanation (including an overview of the Krampus tradition and celebrations), so I'll put it below a cut here:

(Originally posted Dec. 2022.)

Happy Thanksgiving 2024!

A nice evening out in the woods, drinking hot cider and roasting marshmallows sounds pretty good to me right now. A nice opportunity for the Pines to catch up with Bigfoot, and make friends with a Scampfire and some of its scampfirelings. Mabel is happy to furnish a steady supply of marshmallows for them. I'm not sure exactly what Dipper is showing Bigfoot on the tablet; maybe some footage from other adventures.

Previous encounters between the Pines and Bigfoot can be seen here: one, two, three, four.

[ID. A series of four images. Stan and Ford Pines are standing on the edge of a fall cornfield (after harvest) on a grey and misty day. Ford is consulting a road-map. Both are looking around with puzzled and dissatisfied expressions, as if they are looking for something that they can't find. In the first image, the viewer can see a couple of figures in the misty distance. As the series of images progresses, the two figures approach closer and closer from behind the two men. In the last image, Stan and Ford look up, startled, as the two giant humanoid figures, made out of cornstalks, loom above them. End ID.]

Stan and Ford and the Cornstalk Men - an update!

The Cornstalk Men are a fall tradition that I've missed seeing in person for the past couple of years. I first did this sequence where Stan and Ford encounter these New Jersey... beings? cryptids? creatures?... back on Halloween of 2017. Decided on the spur of the moment to update them; 5 years is a long time in art evolution! Below is some of the original text and other links.

In October of 2017, I first posted about encountering these giant cornstalk men while driving on a minor highway through New Jersey farmland.  Although I didn’t go into it at the time, I was driving on a really grey day with fog persisting through the morning, turning the surrounding fields and distant trees into ethereal vistas.   Which made coming upon these faceless giants all the more eerie, despite it being a busy highway (and them basically being roadside advertising for a garden center.)

Some folks commented suggesting that these were propitious figures, forest spirits (or… spirits of the field, I guess?) or otherwordly sacrifices for a good harvest.   Sure!  Why not. As I said before, this seems like some major Over the Garden Wall shit happening right here.

[ID. A photo of two humanoid figures made out of cornstalks. They are both sitting in large yellow Adirondack chairs. One has an arm raised, as if waving. End ID.]

(As noted in the original post, these things are gigantic. Those are novelty giant Adirondack chairs, They've got to be at least 10 feet tall, even sitting down.)

It seemed like just the kind of thing that Ford would insist they go investigate!  

Though, he and Stan were never very familiar with the more farm-oriented parts of New Jersey.  Stan is obviously dubious about the whole thing; including after the Cornstalk Men show up.  As it turns out, they’re perfectly friendly, if a bit inscrutable, and happy to at least try to answer Ford’s questions before whatever fate awaits them on All Hallow’s Eve. (The original version was posted on Halloween.)

BONUS:

[ID. A drawing of Ford Pines, from behind, looking up at one of the giant cornstalk figures. He is holding up a pen in his right hand, and probably has a notebook in his left hand, although it can't be seen. The cornstalk man seems to be looking down at him (although it has no eyes), and has one arm raised, though it's unclear what the gesture means. End ID.]

(Stan has already fucked off across the road to a farm stand where they are selling five different types of pie. He is less interested in witnessing eldritch harvest rituals, and more interested in making sure he keeps them both on schedule for the Skype call later to see what the niblings have dressed up as this year.)

I did eventually do a sequel, in GF style, in which they do bring Dipper and Mabel to meet the Cornstalk Men. (That was posted on Thanksgiving 2018, which is why I now associate these posts with Tgiving.) And here is the original version, from 2017.

Anyway -- hope everyone's day has been as good as it can be. I know the holidays can be stressful for a lot of people. I'm about to heat up some dinner, and begin my now-annual rewatch of Over the Garden Wall.

(orig posted Nov 2022)

[ID. A drawing of the Pines family with two giant humanoid figures made out of cornstalks, which are alive and interacting with them.  Stan is helping Mabel climb up onto the arm of one of them.  Dipper and Ford pose for a selfie with the other one. End ID.]

Happy Thanksgiving! (click to embiggen!)

Happy Thanksgiving to U.S. peeps!  I hope the day is a good one and as stress-free as possible, given… everything.  

Last year around Halloween I first did a piece with Stan and Ford encountering these Cornstalk Men while traveling in New Jersey.  I’d wanted to do a sequel, but wasn’t able to get it done for this year’s Halloween.  But, the Cornstalk Men, while undeniably eerie, are certainly a Harvest Spirit kind of a deal, so Thanksgiving seems like an appropriate time to visit with them. (In fact, I had intended to do a whole background for this, basing it on the Corn Maze location that the gang visited in Roadside Attraction, on the theory that Stan and Ford got an introduction to the Oregonian Cornstalk Men from their NJ bretheren…. but obviously I didn’t manage that.  Ah well.)

I can’t take credit for the pun of Dipper’s sweater. I was googling for ideas and a bunch of shirts in that vein popped up, and I knew immediately that I had to use it.

Of course I paid a visit to the originals in October:

[ID. Below, a photo of two humanoid figures made out of cornstalks, sitting in giant yellow Adirondack chairs.  There is a sign between them that says “Rutgers”, as they are arranged in front of Rutgers Landscape and Nursery in New Jersey. End ID.]

I would usually link to the past Cornstalk Men posts, but because Tumblr is being a butt about linking right now, I will instead say that if you go to this post on my blog, you can hit the “cornstalk men” tag to see the previous posts.  (Including an explanation behind these things.)

My piece for the @gf-seasons-zine!

For this I (obviously) decided to go back to the idea of the giant Cornstalk Men, whose acquaintance with the Pines family I've depicted several times over the years (here, here, and here). While they were originally encountered in New Jersey, I think they can probably be found anywhere corn is grown. Here we see Dipper and Ford getting the adult one to help animate some baby versions, while Mabel gifts another with some of her knitting work. (Do Cornstalk Men get cold, and need scarves? No, but it's the thought that counts.)

Well, that’s not ominous at all.

[ID. A photo of two humanoid figures made out of cornstalks. They are both sitting in large yellow Adirondack chairs.  One has an arm raised, as if waving. End ID.]

(What you have to appreciate about these… things… is that they are at least 10 feet tall, while sitting down?  They’re huge.  They LOOM.  I know it’s hard to tell with the trees in the background but the one on the left is raising its right hand in a sort of… greeting? Hey there, humans.  Where you going in such a hurry? Why don’t you come sit a spell?  This is some Over the Garden Wall shit right here.)

(Context-wise, these are on Rt. 202 in New Jersey, not far from the Delaware River, at the front of Rutgers Landscape and Nursey; the kind of garden shop where you can buy plants and trees and, at this time of year, pumpkins and I’m sure they’d sell you corn stalks to do whatever you want with, such as create enormous ominous Cornstalk Men to watch over your neighbors or whatever.  I had passed this place before and seen the two gigiantic yellow adirondack chairs, and wondered.  Now I know what they’re for.)

OH HEY GUESS WHAT THEY LIGHT THEM UP AT NIGHT.  Yeah, that’s just great.  Because I’m sure this stretch of highway, which runs through farm fields, is completely pitch dark at night, too. (This is NOT my photo; I just found it while trying to confirm the name of the place.)

[ID. A photo of earlier versions of the two giant humanoid figures made out of cornstalks, sitting in big yellow Adirondack chairs.  They are lit up by floodlights placed in front of and below them. End ID.]

(orig posted Oct. 2017)

[ID. A series of four images. Stan and Ford Pines are standing on the edge of a fall cornfield (after harvest) on a grey and misty day. Ford is consulting a road-map. Both are looking around with puzzled and dissatisfied expressions, as if they are looking for something that they can't find. In the first image, the viewer can see a couple of figures in the misty distance. As the series of images progresses, the two figures approach closer and closer from behind the two men. In the last image, Stan and Ford look up, startled, as the two giant humanoid figures, made out of cornstalks, loom above them. End ID.]

Stan and Ford and the Cornstalk Men - an update!

The Cornstalk Men are a fall tradition that I've missed seeing in person for the past couple of years. I first did this sequence where Stan and Ford encounter these New Jersey... beings? cryptids? creatures?... back on Halloween of 2017. Decided on the spur of the moment to update them; 5 years is a long time in art evolution! Below is some of the original text and other links.

In October of 2017, I first posted about encountering these giant cornstalk men while driving on a minor highway through New Jersey farmland.  Although I didn’t go into it at the time, I was driving on a really grey day with fog persisting through the morning, turning the surrounding fields and distant trees into ethereal vistas.   Which made coming upon these faceless giants all the more eerie, despite it being a busy highway (and them basically being roadside advertising for a garden center.)

Some folks commented suggesting that these were propitious figures, forest spirits (or… spirits of the field, I guess?) or otherwordly sacrifices for a good harvest.   Sure!  Why not. As I said before, this seems like some major Over the Garden Wall shit happening right here.

[ID. A photo of two humanoid figures made out of cornstalks. They are both sitting in large yellow Adirondack chairs. One has an arm raised, as if waving. End ID.]

(As noted in the original post, these things are gigantic. Those are novelty giant Adirondack chairs, They've got to be at least 10 feet tall, even sitting down.)

It seemed like just the kind of thing that Ford would insist they go investigate!  

Though, he and Stan were never very familiar with the more farm-oriented parts of New Jersey.  Stan is obviously dubious about the whole thing; including after the Cornstalk Men show up.  As it turns out, they’re perfectly friendly, if a bit inscrutable, and happy to at least try to answer Ford’s questions before whatever fate awaits them on All Hallow’s Eve. (The original version was posted on Halloween.)

BONUS:

[ID. A drawing of Ford Pines, from behind, looking up at one of the giant cornstalk figures. He is holding up a pen in his right hand, and probably has a notebook in his left hand, although it can't be seen. The cornstalk man seems to be looking down at him (although it has no eyes), and has one arm raised, though it's unclear what the gesture means. End ID.]

(Stan has already fucked off across the road to a farm stand where they are selling five different types of pie. He is less interested in witnessing eldritch harvest rituals, and more interested in making sure he keeps them both on schedule for the Skype call later to see what the niblings have dressed up as this year.)

I did eventually do a sequel, in GF style, in which they do bring Dipper and Mabel to meet the Cornstalk Men. (That was posted on Thanksgiving 2018, which is why I now associate these posts with Tgiving.) And here is the original version, from 2017.

Anyway -- hope everyone's day has been as good as it can be. I know the holidays can be stressful for a lot of people. I'm about to heat up some dinner, and begin my now-annual rewatch of Over the Garden Wall.

(orig posted Nov 2022)

[ID. A drawing of the Pines family with two giant humanoid figures made out of cornstalks, which are alive and interacting with them.  Stan is helping Mabel climb up onto the arm of one of them.  Dipper and Ford pose for a selfie with the other one. End ID.]

Happy Thanksgiving! (click to embiggen!)

Happy Thanksgiving to U.S. peeps!  I hope the day is a good one and as stress-free as possible, given… everything.  

Last year around Halloween I first did a piece with Stan and Ford encountering these Cornstalk Men while traveling in New Jersey.  I’d wanted to do a sequel, but wasn’t able to get it done for this year’s Halloween.  But, the Cornstalk Men, while undeniably eerie, are certainly a Harvest Spirit kind of a deal, so Thanksgiving seems like an appropriate time to visit with them. (In fact, I had intended to do a whole background for this, basing it on the Corn Maze location that the gang visited in Roadside Attraction, on the theory that Stan and Ford got an introduction to the Oregonian Cornstalk Men from their NJ bretheren…. but obviously I didn’t manage that.  Ah well.)

I can’t take credit for the pun of Dipper’s sweater. I was googling for ideas and a bunch of shirts in that vein popped up, and I knew immediately that I had to use it.

Of course I paid a visit to the originals in October:

[ID. Below, a photo of two humanoid figures made out of cornstalks, sitting in giant yellow Adirondack chairs.  There is a sign between them that says “Rutgers”, as they are arranged in front of Rutgers Landscape and Nursery in New Jersey. End ID.]

I would usually link to the past Cornstalk Men posts, but because Tumblr is being a butt about linking right now, I will instead say that if you go to this post on my blog, you can hit the “cornstalk men” tag to see the previous posts.  (Including an explanation behind these things.)

My piece for the @gf-seasons-zine!

For this I (obviously) decided to go back to the idea of the giant Cornstalk Men, whose acquaintance with the Pines family I've depicted several times over the years (here, here, and here). While they were originally encountered in New Jersey, I think they can probably be found anywhere corn is grown. Here we see Dipper and Ford getting the adult one to help animate some baby versions, while Mabel gifts another with some of her knitting work. (Do Cornstalk Men get cold, and need scarves? No, but it's the thought that counts.)

Well, that’s not ominous at all.

[ID. A photo of two humanoid figures made out of cornstalks. They are both sitting in large yellow Adirondack chairs.  One has an arm raised, as if waving. End ID.]

(What you have to appreciate about these… things… is that they are at least 10 feet tall, while sitting down?  They’re huge.  They LOOM.  I know it’s hard to tell with the trees in the background but the one on the left is raising its right hand in a sort of… greeting? Hey there, humans.  Where you going in such a hurry? Why don’t you come sit a spell?  This is some Over the Garden Wall shit right here.)

(Context-wise, these are on Rt. 202 in New Jersey, not far from the Delaware River, at the front of Rutgers Landscape and Nursey; the kind of garden shop where you can buy plants and trees and, at this time of year, pumpkins and I’m sure they’d sell you corn stalks to do whatever you want with, such as create enormous ominous Cornstalk Men to watch over your neighbors or whatever.  I had passed this place before and seen the two gigiantic yellow adirondack chairs, and wondered.  Now I know what they’re for.)

OH HEY GUESS WHAT THEY LIGHT THEM UP AT NIGHT.  Yeah, that’s just great.  Because I’m sure this stretch of highway, which runs through farm fields, is completely pitch dark at night, too. (This is NOT my photo; I just found it while trying to confirm the name of the place.)

[ID. A photo of earlier versions of the two giant humanoid figures made out of cornstalks, sitting in big yellow Adirondack chairs.  They are lit up by floodlights placed in front of and below them. End ID.]

(orig posted Oct. 2017)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The Mystery Trio aren't having a very good time, unfortunately. I'm sure it will all come out all right.

This is a sequel to a piece I did way back in 2017, an Over The Garden Wall crossover called "Wandered into the Wrong Woods". When I reblogged it earlier in the month I thought about returning to the idea, and this is what came to me; seemed sufficiently spooky. (I think I should have done a more vertical layout so that the Beast could have loomed a bit more.)

What's the story here? Heck if I know! I've seen crossovers in the past that put Ford in the role of nearly becoming an edelwood tree (for obvious reasons), but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed fitting for Stan to take that role, and for Ford to have to step up and save him (well, with Fiddleford's help, of course).