April 16th, 2008
“How Mirka Got Her Sword,” Page 22
Fruma has all sorts of odd knowledge.
I’m very happy with the colors in the first panel of this page. When I originally drew the panel, I did a ton of cross-hatching on Fruma’s right hand, and then I took 90% of it out when I colored.
April 16th, 2008 at 12:54 am
More about sheitels, from a non-married point of view, so if someone who actually wears them reads this, feel free to correct me:
Sheitels are hideously expensive. Most women only have one or two, and wear them for years before getting a new one. Therefore, nice sheitels are extremely nice, and cheap ones are obviously cheap. Modern ones are almost always smooth and shiny and styled. If you’re going to shell out like that, why buy something unfashionable? The nice, expensive ones are human hair, and cheap ones are synthetic. Some sheitels are so nice they look real! Which is a whole can of worms on its own. (here’s a website with pictures of nice sheitels - http://www.sheitel.com, go figure.)
It’s rare for married women to go with their hair uncovered at all, though not unheard of - I know two personally who don’t cover their hair in the home, when they’re certain they’re alone. As soon as someone knocks on the door - woosh, on goes a hat. Both of the women I mentioned keep one hanging by the door for just that purpose. But Fruma seems too traditional to do that, she strikes me as the type to keeps her hair covered always.
Which brings me to the next point - women cover their hair with more than sheitels. As long as a certain amount is covered (the vast majority of it, but the details differ between rabbis), you can use anything, really. Scarves and hats are most popular, though the easiest in both time and fulfilling the requirement is a snood. (Here’s a website with pictures of all three - http://www.challahandhats.com/) What else. I can’t think of anything else. Love the new page, and Mirkale’s expression when Fruma fails to mention swords…
Oh! I don’t know any frum girl that age who calls any adult by his or her first name, it’s disrespectful. At least, that was what I was always taught, and what I see everyone else in every community I visit doing. I think I recall Mirkale calling her step-mother Fruma, right?
April 16th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Amp, did you study someone’s hands as they were knitting before you drew that top panel?
April 16th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
And the fabric itself?
April 16th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Yochva, thanks very much for the information and links — this is extremely useful material. This will definitely be part of my thinking in the new Hereville pages I do (which won’t begin appearing until 2009).
April 16th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Ron, I’m sure I used photo reference when I was drawing that panel. I took over a hundred photos of my friend Bean knitting as preparation for drawing this comic book (you’ll see why later on in the story), plus I downloaded some photos of hands knitting from the internet.
I’m sure that I used photo reference when I was drawing the fabric, although the stripes are kind of design-y, so I may have made that up.
April 17th, 2008 at 5:58 am
Holy smoof, that first panel looks fantabulous. I can’t draw hands that well to save me life! ^^ Good job on that. I really need to show this comic to a bunch of people. I really like how it’s going so far and I’m sure everyone I could show it to would like it too.
April 17th, 2008 at 10:39 am
Does Fruma have arthritis? Her joints look a bit enlarged. I love her expression when she’s explaining trolls. Perhaps Fruma likes to instruct as well as argue?
April 17th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Black Cat Godess, nice to see you in comments again.
I agree the first panel looks good — sometimes things come together well. (And, alas, sometimes they don’t.) I’d really appreciate it if you’d spread the word about “Hereville” to your friends.
Dianne, nice to see you over here. You’re right on both counts: Fruma has arthritis, and she loves to lecture.
April 17th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Hi Amp,
I just came over from Alas and read the first 22 panels. It’s beautiful, and I like the insights into a world I wouldn’t otherwise know. I’ll be here every Wednesday now.
April 18th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Thanks, Thene! I’m glad you’re enjoying it.
April 20th, 2008 at 5:06 pm
love the bottom-six-right-hand-side panels!(your right hand, not Frumas right hand :0)
April 21st, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I’m setting up a paypal account now so that I can get a dead tree edition. Like Mirka, I don’t like waiting. But I think I’ll have to keep stopping in here for the extra information. For example, I never would have known about sheitel’s if Yochva hadn’t commented.
BTW: I love the way you’re portraying the interaction between the protagonist and her step-mother. Fruma is by no means the “wicked step-mother” but neither is all harmony. There are conflicts as everyone sorts out their roles in the newly blended family (i.e. Mirka having to learn the “womanly arts” and her brother’s passiveness in refusing to argue with Fruma because it’s too much trouble) and those are shown. It’s very…real.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
Dianne, thanks for the future purchase, and for the kind words. I’m glad you’re enjoying Hereville.
I’m really fond of the Fruma/Mirka relationship, too. Fruma’s a favorite character (for me, at least), with an interesting background… I promise that there will be more Fruma in some of the upcoming Hereville stories.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Mirkalicious, thanks for all your many comments! It’s especially nice to be read by other cartoonists. :-)