Gooday everyone,
Welcome to the Deacon Corner. If you’re new here, these galleries dive into the inspirations behind the images you’ll find throughout the books posted on these pages. In these issues, I also like to share the commission details for each project, so readers can follow along with how these images came to life.
If there’s a particular piece you’re curious about, you can find all previous issues under my journal entries or linked directly beneath the images within each chapter.
Now before we begin, none of these beautiful art pieces would exist without the incredible talent of Sickjoe who is the creative force behind all the artwork in these books. Quite literally the heart and soul of this visual world. If you appreciate his work as much as I do, I encourage you to visit his gallery and explore more of his stunning creations.
Now, without further ado, let's take a look at the featured image and the commission details below.
I’ll need a piece focusing on the tykes and the metal crib.
I have a scene in mind involving the sleep habits of our fate-weaving trio when they were children under Bastion’s care. They shared a room and a most unusual bed.
Metal crib: Imagine a cradle made from jumper cables, beams, film reels, and metal cogs. The girls were raised on a sentient mattress, their sheets made from exposed wire and unrolled Kodak film. The cradle is alive, a repurposed Gnatu, its camera lens peaking out beneath the mattress, literal claw-footed furniture. It has a tail that curves up and over the mattress, becoming one of those crib chandeliers. You know those things that are often hung above cradles with shapes, stars, and ponies? Yeah, well, Morta’s not a fan of shapes, stars, and ponies and has strung claymore’s, knives, and .308 rounds as decoration instead.
In general, think of the tub from The Nightmare Before Christmas, and you get the idea. It’s an oversized crib for three that no sane parent would ever be comfortable leaving their children in, but to the sisters of fate, it’s just another Monday.
Nona: Tyke Nona struggles with nightmares. She dreams that her mother is in danger and often cries out in distress. While she sleeps, a doll string hangs from the back of her neck, which is connected to one of the extension cords that make up the sheets. The sisters draw power through a stable trickle charge and Nona is always screwing up, picking the wrong connection, and suffering from sudden amp overloads. The poor child is in pain, she cries in her sleep, but she is not alone…
Decima: Tyke Decima is the textbook definition of a restless sleeper. She rolls all over the place; in fact, she’s fallen out of the crib entirely, her body wrapped in undeveloped Kodak film and exposed wire. Her serpentine calves remain sprawled across the foot of the mattress, and she wears a grin from ear to ear as she sleeps. Whatever dream that girl is having probably involves a seasoned summer roast with a glaze drizzled cinnamon roll…
Morta: Tyke Morta is the caretaker here. Despite being nearly the same age, she often acts as a mother to her sisters. In this scene, she lies next to Nona, cradling her, and whispering in her ear that it’ll be alright and that she isn’t alone. Like Nona, a doll string hangs from her neck and connects with the cradle. Morta forgoes her comfort, staying up late until her little sister finds peace. That often means Morta doesn’t get any sleep at all… She may be a gruff tomboy, but in secret, she loves her sisters dearly.
Background: How should I put this one… A guest bedroom in a steampunk doll house, pipes, taconite, and a drop of lead poisoning? In all seriousness, the background isn’t as important here as most of the focus should be on the sisters and their unusual crib.