This started out very differently, a more typical, expository comic, but I was severely unhappy with it. I’ve been experimenting more with digital painting, so I threw all my weight behind this little design.

I have a great fondness for Peter and the Wolf, the Disney version in particular. Prokofiev wasn’t exactly original in using instruments to represent various characters, but writing a symphony for children sparked their imaginations, ingratiating Peter in general musical consciousness. It’s stuck with me all this time, for certain. Once you hear the mournful notes of Sonja the duck snatched up by that mean ol’ wolf, they’re hard to forget. Some of the more notable narrators who’ve recorded the piece include Alec Guinness, Antonio Banderas, Patrick Stewart, David Bowie, Captain Kangaroo, and even Prokofiev’s widow and sons. In a real challenge, a British-Polish co-production did a Peter & Co. stop-motion animation film in 2006, with no narration whatsoever. It’s a tough thing to do, but with P&tW, it’s possible. In that symphony lies the building blocks of my curiosity about music, and its effectiveness in storytelling.

Extra note: I now have a PayPal donation button! If you like what I do, please consider tossing a few bucks my way. I’d truly appreciate it.