My name's Francis, and I'm an illustrator currently focusing on a queer historical drama webcomic with a trans mlm lead.
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Tell Me Where We're Bound
1967. Angelo Carmichael, an accountant. His entire adult life has been spent under the thumb of his power-hungry, casino owning cousin. Russell Allen, a Las Vegas transplant. It doesn’t take him long to get sucked into the excitement of the blackjack tables and slot machines. Brought together by necessity, having each other may be their only ticket out of the Vegas heat.
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TMWWB Tie-ins
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Please Let Me Help You
I Always Stay the Same
Mementos From the Other Side
Antoninus Liberalis wrote in 'Metamorphoses' that Leucippus was born a girl but given a masculine name and raised as a boy in order to prevent his father from killing him. Once he got older, his mother, Galatea, prayed to the goddess Leto to make him biologically male.
Phaestus, the city Leuccipus was born, afterwards held a ceremony called Ecdysia in honor of Leto as a rite of passage for young boys. As a part of the ritual, they would wear a feminine peplos, the removal of which echoed Leucippus removing his own.
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Something different than my usual work! Wanted to explore some interesting queer mythology. The plant at his feet is dittany of Crete
Just in case any of you are confused, TikTok being banned and coming back not even 24 hours later with a giant "we thank President Trump" message is NOT a win. It's a huge red flag and a sign that this was a thousand percent planned.
I can't find on my blog if I've posted about this before, but the 19th century local dandy that wrote Edgar Allen Poe fanfiction, Douglass Sherley, was mentioned in this letter that a local historian dug up for me and it is fascinating. I'm just going to copy + paste my pillowfort post about it.
So the historian I've been in contact with was an incredible help, and went ahead and transcribed the bits of the letters that discuss Sherley.
"The description of Douglass Sherley is on the final page of that letter (page 6) and reads:
“By this time you have, doubtless, read of the horrible confirmation of the old reports about Douglass Sherley. I did not believe them before and cannot comprehend how he could have been guilty of such baseness. He has consented to leave the country for good next Monday, so ___ Sherley’s brother informed brother Will.” Bruce then goes on to talk about cantaloupes, I think. I believe the blank might be “Mrs.” or a first name.
Second letter, second page
“You say you did not read of Douglass Sherley’s disgrace. Don’t speak of it to anyone, for the disgraceful affair should never pollute a woman’s lips.' "
These letters are from August 23rd and August 28th 1896, and there are barely any mention of him in the Courier Journal after 1896. This is important because prior to that he was all over the paper. There were mentions of him going to numerous weddings and parties, he wrote columns for the paper, and he was involved in putting on things like operas and plays.
He also died in Martinsville, Indiana, which makes me wonder if that was where he moved. (I believe he still lived in Louisville for part of his last years.)
I think I've just about reached a wall with my research; the only other thing I have any interest (at the moment, at least) in chasing after are newspapers that he was in when he toured with James Whitcomb Riley. Someone else was kind enough to write a blog entry that includes clippings from non-Louisville newspapers, and they're an interesting look into how Sherley was known outside of Louisville:
The Wilmington, NC Weekly Star, 8 Dec 1893 (reprinted from the Indianapolis Journal):
Kentucky’s Oscar Wilde
Douglass Sherley is doubtless, in a literary way, the most conspicuous person in Louisville. He is notable also in many other ways. At first glance he is seen to be what is styled a “character.” Being fond of character study himself, he would no doubt generously recognize his own claim to the classification. He is a large, well built, squarely adjusted man, with a massive head and neck, dark hair, an intelligent brown, suggestive of femininity in a way, keen and kindly eyes, a large brown mustache, worn in curly ends like the “beau catchers” of the traditional stage spinster, a pleasant, sensitive mouth, with the air of a man of the world, but withal a clean, temperate, perfectly correct man of the world.
He has a droll habit of holding his head on one side and looking aslant through his eyeglasses, which gives him a unique expression, and without which and the flowers in his lapel, almost always a red rose, he would hardly be Douglass Sherley, Mr. Sherley is popular among the men, and also much liked by the women, his literary work being more generally appreciated by the latter. There is a fine, feminine, but not unmanly, quality in his writings, which really only women, or men with a like feminine streak, can interpret and enjoy.
A point of interest is this May 1886 article about Sherley from the Cincinnati Enquirer
A CLUB SCANDAL
Douglas Sherley, of the Pelhams, Involved
He Hunts for the Originator of the Story, and in His Search Punches a Bank Clerk
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE ENQUIRER
LOUISVILLE, KY., May 3 — Nothing is talked of in the clubs to-night except a difficulty which occured to-day between Mr. Douglas Sherley, Present of the Pelham Club, and Mr. Matt Smith, a member of that body. Mr. Sherley is a man of means and leisure, and belongs essentially to society. HE has written several books and has built an aesthetic house that has been the talk of the town for three years. The Pelham Club members are the younger set of society men and recently persuaded Mr. Sherley to accept the Presidency of their club. Within the last two weeks, however, a movement has been on foot in which twenty members of the club were interested to bring about Mr. Sherley’s removal. The understanding was that the twenty members in question should offer their resignations simultaneously to the Board of Directors. When questioned in regard to this unexpected action they were to say they would not belong to an organization which had for its Chief Executive a man who had been guilty of certain disgusting and unnatural practices that were charged against Mr. Sherley.
When Mr. Sherley heard of this movement to-day he went at once to Mr. Matt Smith, a blank clerk, whom he had heard was one of his defamers, and demanded an immediate denial in writing of the nasty stories. Mr. Smith said he had not originated the stories, but had repeated them, and refused to sign the paper. Mr. Sherley, who is a fearless man and very athletic, promptly attacked young Smith and gave him a sharp blow in the neck. Smith attempted to return the blow, but outsiders interfered too quickly, and dragged the gentlemen apart before either was painfully injured. The affair quickly went the rounds, and the scandal has been vigorously discussed by society men all day.
It is due Mr. Sherley to say that none of his friends believe the stories which gossips have put in circulation about him. He is an eccentric man, and some of his peculiarities have subjected him to comment, but he is a gentleman, nevertheless.
Mr. Sherley has secured a cowhide and a pistol, it is said, and will either thrash or kill the man who is at the bottom of the outrage, if he can discover him.
I have a lot of thoughts about the connection but I'll get back around to that later
If you're at all curious as to how I came across this man, he was responsible for inviting Oscar Wilde to give a speech in Louisville during his 1882 tour in America.
MR. OSCAR WILDE
He is Invited to Visit Louisville by Mr. Douglas Sherley
Mr. Douglas Sherley, a well-known young gentleman of this city, has invited Oscar Wilde to visit him, and the invitation will no doubt be accepted. Mr. Sherley is not only an admirer of Wilde, but, to a certain extent, an apostle of aestheticism. This is shown somewhat by the fact of his building the remarkable-looking, and beautiful house at the corner of Third and Chestnut streets. The design and pattern are very odd and unique, and was planned by Mr. Sherley himself. He shows his aestheticism in a practical way, and what Wilde dreams of and pictures in imagination Mr. Sherley plans and executes. It is also said that he is writing an aesthetic novel, which will soon be completed. Wilde will probably be here within the next two weeks, and his coming will be looked forward to with considerable interest.
A clipping from a 19th century newspaper that reads:
"The community was convulsed with excitement when unnamable compaints were made against him. harges such as destroyed Oscar Wilde in England and made Douglas [sic) Sherley's name a byword in Kentucky were brought. Rork was accused of unnaturally corrupting the youth of his school"
I can't find on my blog if I've posted about this before, but the 19th century local dandy that wrote Edgar Allen Poe fanfiction, Douglass Sherley, was mentioned in this letter that a local historian dug up for me and it is fascinating. I'm just going to copy + paste my pillowfort post about it.
So the historian I've been in contact with was an incredible help, and went ahead and transcribed the bits of the letters that discuss Sherley.
"The description of Douglass Sherley is on the final page of that letter (page 6) and reads:
“By this time you have, doubtless, read of the horrible confirmation of the old reports about Douglass Sherley. I did not believe them before and cannot comprehend how he could have been guilty of such baseness. He has consented to leave the country for good next Monday, so ___ Sherley’s brother informed brother Will.” Bruce then goes on to talk about cantaloupes, I think. I believe the blank might be “Mrs.” or a first name.
Second letter, second page
“You say you did not read of Douglass Sherley’s disgrace. Don’t speak of it to anyone, for the disgraceful affair should never pollute a woman’s lips.' "
These letters are from August 23rd and August 28th 1896, and there are barely any mention of him in the Courier Journal after 1896. This is important because prior to that he was all over the paper. There were mentions of him going to numerous weddings and parties, he wrote columns for the paper, and he was involved in putting on things like operas and plays.
He also died in Martinsville, Indiana, which makes me wonder if that was where he moved. (I believe he still lived in Louisville for part of his last years.)
I think I've just about reached a wall with my research; the only other thing I have any interest (at the moment, at least) in chasing after are newspapers that he was in when he toured with James Whitcomb Riley. Someone else was kind enough to write a blog entry that includes clippings from non-Louisville newspapers, and they're an interesting look into how Sherley was known outside of Louisville:
The Wilmington, NC Weekly Star, 8 Dec 1893 (reprinted from the Indianapolis Journal):
Kentucky’s Oscar Wilde
Douglass Sherley is doubtless, in a literary way, the most conspicuous person in Louisville. He is notable also in many other ways. At first glance he is seen to be what is styled a “character.” Being fond of character study himself, he would no doubt generously recognize his own claim to the classification. He is a large, well built, squarely adjusted man, with a massive head and neck, dark hair, an intelligent brown, suggestive of femininity in a way, keen and kindly eyes, a large brown mustache, worn in curly ends like the “beau catchers” of the traditional stage spinster, a pleasant, sensitive mouth, with the air of a man of the world, but withal a clean, temperate, perfectly correct man of the world.
He has a droll habit of holding his head on one side and looking aslant through his eyeglasses, which gives him a unique expression, and without which and the flowers in his lapel, almost always a red rose, he would hardly be Douglass Sherley, Mr. Sherley is popular among the men, and also much liked by the women, his literary work being more generally appreciated by the latter. There is a fine, feminine, but not unmanly, quality in his writings, which really only women, or men with a like feminine streak, can interpret and enjoy.
A point of interest is this May 1886 article about Sherley from the Cincinnati Enquirer
A CLUB SCANDAL
Douglas Sherley, of the Pelhams, Involved
He Hunts for the Originator of the Story, and in His Search Punches a Bank Clerk
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE ENQUIRER
LOUISVILLE, KY., May 3 — Nothing is talked of in the clubs to-night except a difficulty which occured to-day between Mr. Douglas Sherley, Present of the Pelham Club, and Mr. Matt Smith, a member of that body. Mr. Sherley is a man of means and leisure, and belongs essentially to society. HE has written several books and has built an aesthetic house that has been the talk of the town for three years. The Pelham Club members are the younger set of society men and recently persuaded Mr. Sherley to accept the Presidency of their club. Within the last two weeks, however, a movement has been on foot in which twenty members of the club were interested to bring about Mr. Sherley’s removal. The understanding was that the twenty members in question should offer their resignations simultaneously to the Board of Directors. When questioned in regard to this unexpected action they were to say they would not belong to an organization which had for its Chief Executive a man who had been guilty of certain disgusting and unnatural practices that were charged against Mr. Sherley.
When Mr. Sherley heard of this movement to-day he went at once to Mr. Matt Smith, a blank clerk, whom he had heard was one of his defamers, and demanded an immediate denial in writing of the nasty stories. Mr. Smith said he had not originated the stories, but had repeated them, and refused to sign the paper. Mr. Sherley, who is a fearless man and very athletic, promptly attacked young Smith and gave him a sharp blow in the neck. Smith attempted to return the blow, but outsiders interfered too quickly, and dragged the gentlemen apart before either was painfully injured. The affair quickly went the rounds, and the scandal has been vigorously discussed by society men all day.
It is due Mr. Sherley to say that none of his friends believe the stories which gossips have put in circulation about him. He is an eccentric man, and some of his peculiarities have subjected him to comment, but he is a gentleman, nevertheless.
Mr. Sherley has secured a cowhide and a pistol, it is said, and will either thrash or kill the man who is at the bottom of the outrage, if he can discover him.
I have a lot of thoughts about the connection but I'll get back around to that later
If you're at all curious as to how I came across this man, he was responsible for inviting Oscar Wilde to give a speech in Louisville during his 1882 tour in America.
MR. OSCAR WILDE
He is Invited to Visit Louisville by Mr. Douglas Sherley
Mr. Douglas Sherley, a well-known young gentleman of this city, has invited Oscar Wilde to visit him, and the invitation will no doubt be accepted. Mr. Sherley is not only an admirer of Wilde, but, to a certain extent, an apostle of aestheticism. This is shown somewhat by the fact of his building the remarkable-looking, and beautiful house at the corner of Third and Chestnut streets. The design and pattern are very odd and unique, and was planned by Mr. Sherley himself. He shows his aestheticism in a practical way, and what Wilde dreams of and pictures in imagination Mr. Sherley plans and executes. It is also said that he is writing an aesthetic novel, which will soon be completed. Wilde will probably be here within the next two weeks, and his coming will be looked forward to with considerable interest.
A clipping from a 19th century newspaper that reads:
"The community was convulsed with excitement when unnamable compaints were made against him. harges such as destroyed Oscar Wilde in England and made Douglas [sic) Sherley's name a byword in Kentucky were brought. Rork was accused of unnaturally corrupting the youth of his school"
"The community was convulsed with excitement when unnamable compaints were made against him. harges such as destroyed Oscar Wilde in England and made Douglas [sic) Sherley's name a byword in Kentucky were brought. Rork was accused of unnaturally corrupting the youth of his school"
Hollyhock: Hollyhock symbolizes different things depending on their color; the red Hollyhocks symbolize a want for love, the yellow represents happiness and joy, while the white Hollyhocks symbolize purity and innocence.
