Posts Tagged ‘chapter-5’
I won’t be able to post on all the days of December, but here is the first window of the Goldenbird Advent Calendar… A preview of page 2 (yes, i know, I haven’t inked more of it ;_;) of chapter 5. Remember where we left off?
More on Advent Calendars, for the heathen.
Chapter 5 continues with 2 more teaser panels. I’m also testing my very own font, based on my handwriting. Here are the uppercase letters. You can spot an alternative capital I if you look closely.
These 3 panels (with the previous one) summarize a bit simplistically but neatly Italian politics in the very early 1920′s, before big M’s infamous March on Rome. In spite of being a rebel state, Ginestra is just a miniature copy of Mamma Italia.
They’re not that different after all – wouldn’t it be sweet if they’d just get along?…
Guappo is a term of endearment or an insult, depending on whom you ask. It’s a Neapolitan word of (possibly) Spanish origin, meaning a handsome young man and an honourable gangster. Some claim that the English racist slur “wop” comes from guappo, but others say that it all started in 19th century Spain where Italian seasonal workers were derisively called guapos (pretty boys) by the local men for some funny reason.
A miracle – I’m updating!
Poor Falco. But let’s face it, he was being a real rompicoglione. Who told him to use Ettore’s Bugatti as a soapbox, anyway? So there’s no need to worry – as the Italians say, “rompicoglioni non muoiono mai”.
Too tired for any comments. Besides, I should be drawing a space comic now (and keeping track of at least 5 other deadlines…)
Page 4a. I only seem to manage half a page at a time now, but you get to see bigger images instead. Yay!
Anachronism: The “Arditi del Popolo” were really formed in 1921 as a response to the growing Fascist power. But since the origins of this leftist militia were to be found among the Arditi in Fiume, the main inspiration for the Goldenbird world, I thought it would be nice to include a reference. Remember, this is happening just before Mussolini came to power, and all of Italy – including the areas along the Yugoslavian coast that were claimed by Italians – were in a state of great confusion.
In other news, I visited Dalmatia a few weeks ago (some photos here). It was fun to see typical Goldenbird landscapes in reality. I have been to Trieste and Venice before, but Croatia was a new experience. It was very inspiring to hear the language, see the traces of history in street names, castles, churches and graveyards, and studying local physiognomies (not to mention the wonderful Adriatic cuisine). The most serendipitous discovery was probably Father Grgur himself, or a very similar-looking statue of Saint Gregory of Nin, who apparently had a lot in common with my grumpy hermit – fiercely independent-minded and not afraid to take on Rome in his fight for Croatian self-determination.
Poor Falco, he’s been busy non-stop for 48 hours, up in the mountains chased by renegade monks and harrassed by Communist girls, downtown servicing Fiats and wrangling smelly Anarchists, guarding Mayann’s honour and sweet-talking Father Pietro, and now he gets to hear this.
But there’s MOCHI.
Finally, the next page in Goldenbird chapter 5. It’s a miracle!
Click on the tag Chapter 5 to read everything this far. It’s been so long since I sketched the pages that I’m starting to get new ideas about this scene. What’s on those trucks? I haven’t drawn Maxim guns in a long time… No, just scaring you!

Recent Comments