Oh man, it is weird seeing Tommy and Marie in my style! I tried to make them as close to Miyazaki's interpretations that I could... just with my own flare.

For those who are not familiar with this anime, it is the "Sherlock Hound" (Meitantei Holmes) series by the esteemed Hayao Miyazaki (who only ended up directing 6 episodes because things came up). Ever since I was 7 years old, I have adored this series, especially Mrs. Marie Hudson. I appreciated a strong female character amidst all the weak female characters I saw on TV back in the 80s. To make things better, I always wanted to be a pilot, and Marie is an aviatrix. I also always loved Tommy dearly. Even though he's only in one episode ([link]), his personality just shines... plus, he's a sexy little pup. I just love how bouncy and cheerful, yet very brave, Tommy is. Now, 20 years later, I *still* love this series and it *still* helps in defining who I am to this day. I will write a journal about this later.

When I drew them, I wanted to show a younger version of Tommy and Marie prior to the series. I'm guessing about 17-ish or so (Marie is 20 in the series, so I chose for Tommy to be around the same age as her... he seems to be, at least). I also kept them in relatively the same outfits as they had in the anime. I didn't want to draw Tommy's aviator cap since I wanted to show his fabulous hair. Why is Tommy smoking a cig? Because I wanted him to. I could see him smoking occasionally... maybe socially while having a few drinks. Think of the time period, man.

STORY: Also, I was talking with my friend, Daniel, while painting this and sending him WIP shots. We were trying to figure out what is going on in this picture for the fun of it, as I had no definite story behind it. He suggested that this takes place just after Jim (Marie's husband) died. Daniel also said it looks like there are obviously people behind what would be the viewer, maybe a gathering or something with the other aviators, and Tommy is glancing over there. So, there is Marie... all depressed and trying to make sense of her emotions. Tommy, being a good friend, is sitting with her and keeping her company. I also toned down the hues of this picture to give more of that "old time" feel. Now, any pictures I do of Tommy and Marie prior to the anime series will be sepia-ish. Pictures of them in the future will just be regular color. I have a whole story of these two, but instead of writing it out, I'm going to draw it. It's great practice both in character development (and analyzing what Miyazaki was trying to create in these characters!), story development, and I also get to practice my drawing and painting skills at the same time.

This makes me think... Marie is depressed and she has a gun. D: No wonder Tommy wants to sit by her and make sure she's okay! Good dog! *pat pats* >.> .... *pets pets pets pets peeeeeeeeets*

Art copyright S. Henson 2009
Tommy/Marie Hudson copyright Hayao Miyazaki