Grips

5×7 graphite on paper

He was found “digging” head first for potatoes in a Nebraska corn field in 1893. Most of his “friends” called him “Grips” or “Barnicles”, because his unbelievable ability to hold onto anything. He once held onto a man for 5 months until he grew tired of the wheezing noise. Believed to be part potato and mostly angry, locals made up stories about how he came from Ireland. He actually sprang up from the ground in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1796 after a farmer used the word ”itch” too many times in one sentence.

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Tiny

8″x10″ graphite on vellum bristol paper

Also known as the Colossus of 23rd St., Solomon”Tiny” McCoy was unearthed during the building of the 23rd Street station at the intersection of Broadway, 5th Avenue , and 23rd Street in 1917 in New York City. While digging the tunnels, workers were startled by his shiny eye and smiling face. They struck up a conversation with him about farming, cattle-stealing, and the dangers of working as a henchman. Cyclops often buried themselves deep in the ground just before Winter and sometimes forget to wake themselves up. When the Subway transport union was formed in 1934, Solomon got a job working for the MTA and frightened off strike breakers.

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Farley’s Evil Conscience

8×10″ graphite on paper

When Farley had “evil thoughts”, a strange apparition would appear just above his head. It would suggest alternate things for him to do that would be less harmful and more humorous than the awful thoughts that swam around his evil mind. The strange thing about this apparition, was that everyone could see it and there was also a peculiar odor that came with it. It smelled like wet leather shoes and rose water.

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Wilson

7″x9″ graphite on paper

In 1895 Charlie Moore was trying to find his uncle, who had turned into a goat and run off. He was charged to take on this task every evening because of his ability to see faeries and otherworldly beings. During one of his nightly searches he heard a voice from the brush, . . . “Call me Wilson and follow my voice”. Charlie was running out of places to look and decided to seek out the source of the “little voice”. He followed it for hours, until he reached a field of lettuce. In the middle of the lettuce patches he came across a fire surrounded by many little, one-eyed beings no taller than an average cat, dancing and chanting. He could see a goat dressed in business attire being lead toward the fire. It was his Uncle Jim! He heard the voice again from behind him, “Call me Wilson and we can strike a bargain for your goat”. Charlie turned around to find “Wilson”, who was quite a bit larger than the others. He must have been 6 feet tall. He pointed at Charlie’s foot and said, “Bargain”  Charlie fell unconscious to the ground. He awoke in the field the next morning discovering that his bare feet only had three toes and he was now much shorter.

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Sketch page

8×10 graphite on paper

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