Tuesday 16 September 2008

Napoleonic dudes 04


In the 19th century French toffs top trumps this man would be like Sócrates on the 1982 world cup top trumps: top of every category, but for goalkeeping. Talleyrand, managed not only to survive but made a pretty good living before and during the French Revolution, through to Napoleon's reign and a few kings aftewards. Notice how he keeps his elegant countenance even when performing a little dance.

Monday 15 September 2008

Napoleonic dudes 03


Not a dude this one. This is supposed to be the big man's missus, Josephine. On the floor we see either a very small lion, a carefully tonsured poodle or one of those funny puppets that street puppeteers make out of used plastic cups and string. Hard to tell.

Napoleonic dudes 02


Fouché, who was kind of around right after the Revolution, through to Napoleon's reign and then afterwards in the Bourbon restoration (not to be confused with the end of the alcohol prohibition in the US).

Friday 12 September 2008

Napoleonic dudes 01


Having drawn the man himself, logic dictated I should draw some of his friends. We start here with Murat, not only one of the little fella's general but also his brother-in-law. Notice the menacing brow and unsheathed blade (it might be a spoon, actually).

L'empereur Bonaparte


For some reason I drew our grumpy little Corsican friend in what I can only assume was a grumpy little meeting. Unlike the famously mercurial prince, though, most of the meetings I go to tend to be more like a little old lady called Gladys, from Hazelmere. Nice, slightly bumbling, ultimately inefficient and mildly irritating after a little while.

Fat Ronaldo


Once the world's greatest footballer, now a (very) tubby, middle aged, man of leisure. Still, producing what is probably the best mini-afro to be worn since the late Seventies is no mean achievement.

Geometric friends


A triangle and a square. One angry, one mildly puzzled. What could they be looking at? A circle? A line? I think that amount of inconvenience would more likely be caused by a dodecahedron.