It’s funny how things work out sometimes. See those silly little doodles that are the 2nd and 3rd frames? Yeah, I was kind of running WAY behind schedule and needed to cut a few steps out of the drawing process. Usually, when that situation arises, I look for any excuse to slip in a flashback and do THAT extra simple. But wouldn’t you know it? THIS flashback ended up being the most visually elaborate one I’ve ever done. And MAN did it turn out well. I’m still not happy with the fire effects, but the color and lighting are just FANTASTIC.

Better yet, this page provided me with one of my biggest geek-out pleasures: drawing characters with totally different looks! Dr. Caligari just looks like he stole a suit from The Beatles, but lil’ adorable Tabitha turned out wonderfully.

Speaking of whom, I also like the little glimpse into Tabitha’s inner workings in the first panel. OFFICIALLY, she’s just echoing Ichabod’s fear that Madam Ventricle’s prejudices are blinding her to a potential danger, but still… there’s just something about her “O NO U DIDN’T” expression that suggests she’s taking this a little more personally than we would have expected from her (I mean, talking trask about your family YOURSELF is one thing, but hearing someone ELSE do it is another matter entirely)