SCAPEGOAT

SCAPEGOAT is my work in progress graphic novel, a western-style zombie apocalypse. Feel free to ask questions or just pay a visit! You can find me on Instagram and here @twglauser

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The Breakfast Club is apparently one of the most parodied movie posters of all time, so here’s my take!

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Main Protagonists 3/5: Pierre Holladay

A bear-headed native man, Pierre’s former career as a rancher has aided him greatly in contributing to the survival of the town of Grayson. Pierre is an optimist, or at the very least someone willing to worry less about the difficulty of a problem; he’d much rather focus on driving through it and finding a solution. He’s the oldest of the protagonists, and just might be the wisest, although he seldom takes his own advice. Pierre makes a strong father figure for Cassidy, having predominantly raised them since they were just 9 years old. The pair make for a excellent team, navigating the challenges of the high desert with efficacy.

Kind, determined, honest, and almost annoyingly proverbial, Pierre Holladay makes for an interesting voice among the 4 additional perspectives explored in the series.

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Joesoef Harvey meets Dr. Mikhail Kruschev, stranded after his hired party is slaughtered.

Russian translation is:

Please!

I’m begging you,

Please help me.

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Main Protagonist 2/5: Dr. Joesoef Harvey.

Harvey was originally a child soldier in the DRC, taken from his family as the only known survivor of a village burning. Confronted one day by a stranded Russian scientist, a man scared and confused after his protective party was shot down, Harvey decided to help the scientist find safety and shelter, acting against his chain of command. The scientist, an anthropologist named Dr. Mikhail Kruschev, spent a considerable amount of time with the boy navigating the tough rainforests before his eventual rescue. Grateful for Harvey’s aid, Kruschev offered him a life and education in Russia, and Harvey accepted.

Navigating a new, unfamiliar life, and finding out Kruschev was a rather wealthy and renowned man, Harvey struggled with culture shock and misgivings about his place in society. Despite this, his relationship with Dr. Kruschev remained strong, and he was educated strongly on science, philosophy, and literature. As he aged in this new environment, Harvey fell in love with Dr. Kruschev’s daughter, April, and the two eventually married. After Mikhail’s death, April and Joesoef moved to a small high desert town in America, and were there when the fabricated disease from the government broke loose. Acting fast and aiding the town in preparation, Harvey became one of the figureheads and leaders of the town in its development with the law gone. The town grew rapidly as people from all over were driven away from the cities, as the town’s welcoming nature made it a worthy destination. However with the growing population comes more mouths to feed and keep happy, leading Harvey to make some difficult and morally misguided decisions. His rough nature makes him a worthy leader in survival, but a jaded man. This void of hope aspect to his character leads him deeper into conflict and misunderstanding as the story progresses.

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Some sketches and inking practice.

Cassidy Noir

And Diego Jones

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Playing around with Procreate for some of the graphic design aspects that may be seen in the novel. From top to bottom, left to right, we see

Black Vail’s (Cassidy’s) tag

The symbol of the Frontier, two sets of antlers made to look like hands

The symbol of Grayson, the horse head formation made by the trees on the side of Abajo Mountain

The symbol of the Refuge, a sun rising over a mesa, with a river beneath (text will be added to the top part)

And decal which is added to the side of trucks from the Refuge, a mountain range and a mesa.

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A third character from the town of Grayson, Doctor Jebediah Fork, also known as “Doc” or “Jeb”. A rancher’s son, Doc moved away from Grayson to pursue medicine in his late teens. After things began to fall apart, he moved back to his hometown to escape the madness in Salt Lake City and to put forth his services to the small community. His past career makes him a valuable member of the community still, and his skill has helped to save the lives of many of the town’s citizens, frequently Cassidy and Pierre. Despite his worrisome nature, Doc is rational, and is highly appreciated by the town. He is notorious for having a “keen eye” in the realm of death and illness. He is accurate in telling when things are really wrong.

Doc’s resourcefulness is probably his best quality as a doctor, and why he has managed to keep most of the town alive when illness or injury strike. Whether it be using bleach-cleaned plastic bags as makeshift scrubs, or utilizing odd remedies, Doc’s got the town covered.

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Cassidy sketch

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Some basic background practice with Cassidy and Pierre

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Logo!

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Character Sketch: Cloye Durango

Cloye is one of the five primary protagonists in the novel. She was only two when everything “went down”, and doesn’t really remember much from what the world was like before at all - a fact which contributes to her almost naïveté and hope for the world. Cloye lives with her mother, Jackie Jones, and her adoptive brother, Diesel Jones in the Refuge. More information on Cloye and the Refuge to come soon!

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Some drawings of Cassidy and Pierre. The duo have been together a long time!

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Main Protagonists 1/5: Cassidy Noir

Cassidy Noir is one of the five primary protagonists of the series. The devastating events following the government’s actions (20 years prior to the beginning of the graphic novel) occurred when Cassidy was just 10 years old. Cassidy was born and raised in a small town called Grayson, sat on the high desert just south of a small group of mountains. Here they were taught all they know, and taken care of by a dude called Pierre Holladay. Now 30, Cassidy has become somewhat of a protector, and most definitely a provider for Grayson. Alongside Pierre, Cassidy spends the seasons traveling and gathering supplies from all over the place, whether that mean hunting on long trips, or stealing from other towns. The two of them are not afraid to get their hands dirty. The love for the people of Grayson and their home drives them in all that they do.