The Art of The Order of Odd-Fish: Illustrations

The Origins of Eldritch City
by Karen Alexander

The creation of the universe as depicted in the Odd-Fish tapestry: the All-Loving Mother tricked by Aznath, the Silver Kitten of Deceit into vomiting the 144,444 gods into existence. Gorgeous, raucous, strangely solemn, this is just what I imagined the tapestry to be like: crammed with life, but its rambunctiousness streamlined into a flowing whole. Karen has included many of the gods mentioned in Odd-Fish: along with Ichthala and Aznath, there’s also Zam-Zam, the Dancing Ant of Sadness; Fumo, the Sleeping Bee; Quafmaf, the Pigeon of the Moon; Nixilpilfi, the Gerbil Who Does Not Know Mercy; Mizbiliades, the Bleeding Butterfly; Pzarnarfalasath, the Rhinoceros Whose Laughter Destroys Worlds; Zookoofoomoot the Maggot of Dismay; Pft the Mouse; and more! Karen’s giddy profusion of gods puts me in the mind of the otherworldly bathhouse in Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.

Jo and Ian with Odd-Fish Banner
by Diana Todd

Good enough to be a book cover! It’s beautiful! Diana’s clearly spent some time poring over photos of real ostriches, right down to their knock-kneed stance and the imperious look in their eyes. The armor and regalia are exquisite, especially the authentic-looking ostrich tack (stirrups!) and the semi-transparent feather headpiece. This is the best kind of art: doing the diligent research, and then setting it on fire with imagination!

Dame Delia’s Schwenk Field Notes
by Diana Todd

I can totally see Dame Delia snatching up a crumpled paper bag and scrawling these expert sketches of the beast as she chases it across Eldritch City. It might be too small to see here, but scribbled among the sketches are the notes “The Schwenk—Struthiconiicopteri Schwenkii” (I love the pseudo-Latin scientific name!) along with “sharp bill” and “crest is rarely raised” and “caught a glimpse of the bird in flight” and “tracked the bird around the city for several hours. It is just as elusive as Korsakov said!” This is beyond fan art; this is an authentic document from Eldritch City that somehow wriggled into our world. Diana makes the Schwenk even more enigmatic by never fully revealing it, but only capturing it in a few hastily-executed sketches, each showing a different aspect. Making it feel that much more real! At last, the Schwenk has found its John James Audubon.

Hanging by a Thread
by Diana Todd

What a joyous, buoyant feeling this one has! Ian and Nora are hanging from Jo’s legs; and Korsakov and then Sefino are hanging from Ian’s leg, and Audrey’s hanging from Nora’s arm—and there’s Aunt Lily floating nearby with her own balloon (a reference to her reckless hot-air ballooning in California?), and the Belgian Prankster popping up in the corner. This is just wonderful composition, summing up the essence of all the characters in their expressions and body language. I love the close attention to detail here. Who remembers Ian’s tan corduroy jacket? Diana does, apparently. And Nora’s Teenage Ichthala shirt is the perfect touch. But my favorite thing is how Colonel Korsakov is pouting about something . . . as though he had been unexpectedly scooped up by Nora’s foot, and is patiently enduring the indignity of flight. Another strength: I like how Sefino looks like a fop, but also looks like a real cockroach. Smashing work, Diana!

Some Odd Knights
by Hailey McLaughlin

Jaw drops to floor. Brain explodes with awe. Eyes joyfully melt. A double triptych of Lily Larouche, Colonel Korsakov, and Commissioner Olvershaw, both in their prime and in their old age! I can’t decide what I like best: the vivacious Audrey Hepburn feel of young Lily Larouche, the dashing figure Korsakov cuts as a young KGB agent, or the terrifying decrepitude of Olvershaw as he reaches out to demolish you with his thumb (and if you zoom in close enough to the hi-res version, you can even see his crinkly nose hairs!). A visual feast! More choice details: Korsakov’s teeny-tiny teacup, Olvershaw’s thumb fluttering on the edge of a stringlike arm, and the nonplussed cockroach assistant. Read the original post, with Hailey’s accompanying dialogue, here.

Odd-Fish Ostrich
by Libby

I knew Libby was a good cartoonist from her illustrations for The Strange Ship II ending, but this is a huge level-up. The elaborate, jewelry-like feel to the ostrich armor is perfect, especially the feathers on top—putting me in the mind of a simpler Aubrey Beardsley—but the best part for me is the imperious, cocky expression on the ostrich’s face. And those mysterious runes! Libby explains the runes: “From left to right: Tyr, god of war. I figured it would aid in battle. Kaen (reversed), in order to ward off chaos/bad luck. Naudr (reversed), to ward off death.” I love details like that! Read the original post here.

The Hunting of the Schwenk
by Kevin Buckelew

Kevin Buckelew is the notorious fish-hat-wearing young man from Colorado whom, it was revealed in March 2009, is actually my mother. Here we see Colonel Korsakov and two Odd-Fish squires, hot on the tail of the elusive Schwenk! So many great details: the squires shushing each other as they wield weapons from Sir Festus’ collection, the tentative manner in which Korsakov peers around the corner, the hidden Wormbeard skulking on a lizard-dog in the alley, the way the Schwenk blithely strides across the rooftops, the hypercolorful design of Eldritch City . . . I especially like how Kevin himself is peering out the window (with mysteriously long, sharp fingernails?) and how the words on the storefront, “Kevin Fish Hats,” are twisted into a weird Eldritch City alphabet. My original post about this art. Kevin’s post on DeviantArt.

Ken Kiang Taunts the Indignant
by Freya Trefonides

Here’s a wonderfully detailed rendering of Chapter 6 by my protegee Freya. It’s the scene when Ken Kiang, before shooting down Colonel Korsakov’s plane (with Jo, Aunt Lily, and Sefino aboard) taunts them by reciting a list of life’s simple pleasures. I love how Ken Kiang gazes fondly into the middle distance as he recites “Chamomile tea . . . Funny puppies–oh, the silly things they do! . . . the smell of freshly baked bread . . . dandelions . . . ” and Jo chases the Inconvenience around as Sefino, Aunt Lily, and Korsakov freak out. Tons of great little details: Sefino’s collection of powdered wigs (with colored bows!), the jawbone of an underwater animal, a blunderbuss, a box of Turkish cufflinks, and even the bust of Yuri Andropov! “For the love of Lenin, shut up, Kiang!”

Aznath and Ichthala
by Mallory Woods

This is the first piece of Odd-Fish art I received after the book came out—and it sets the standard high for everything to come! It’s Jo and Fiona outfitted in ceremonial armor for their climactic duel at the Dome of Doom. Dueling tradition requires that each duelist costume themselves as one of the 144,444 gods of Eldritch City. Jo (on the left) is dressed as Aznath, the Silver Kitten of Deceit; Fiona (on the right) is dressed as Ichthala, the All-Devouring Mother. I love the anime style, which puts me in the mood for a kinetic action sequence. I also appreciated that Mallory took the trouble to figure out what would make practical battle armor—in the book, Ichthala is described as a shapeless blob of tentacles and mouths, but Mallory wisely streamlined Fiona’s costume into something sleeker and scarier. (And those dead, blank red eyes! Masterstroke!) The bold variety of colors in Fiona’s costume make a good contrast with Jo’s various subtle shadings of silvery fur. And I love that set, determined expression on Jo’s face! A classic. Here’s my original post on the art. Visit Mallory Woods (a.k.a. DarkshireWarlock) on DeviantArt.

Jo in the Ruby Palace Garden
by Michelle

I received this watercolor even before Odd-Fish was finished! It was painted by Michelle, a woman who worked at Jinx, the now-defunct coffeehouse where I wrote much of The Order of Odd-Fish. I have no idea what happened to her. We had planned for her to illustrate the whole book. This was her picture for the first chapter: Jo creeping around the ruby palace’s garden during Aunt Lily’s costume party. I particularly like the mysterious red windows simmering in the background darkness, the way Jo is curvily framed by trees and Chinese lanterns, and the merry toad crouched among the roots. It’s a weird coincidence that Michelle’s choices of colors and composition are startlingly close to what became the actual cover, years later! I still wonder what happened to her. Read the original post here.

The Belgian Prankster
by Kathleen Simmons

Here’s a gloriously gleeful comic-book style character sheet for the Belgian Prankster! This one’s by Kathleen Simmons, known as LittleDarlingEve on DeviantArt.

Kathleen deftly conveys the mix of goofy whimsy and insane terror that is the Belgian Prankster by showing him in four different modes. In the full-body drawing he looks guileless, almost innocent. Then Kathleen shows his monstrously eager, feral side when his stinger is out; gives us a taste of his contemptuous irony with the third picture; and then neatly acknowledges that Hoagland Shanks is the Belgian Prankster in disguise with the fourth picture, in which he blissfully clutches a pie! I love the red bags under his eyes, his exploding gray hair, his overall creepiness. Bravo!

At the tender age of 19, Kathleen’s already getting in at the ground floor at Disney: she snagged one of the coveted positions working as a Disney Cast Member for five months at Disney World next year. Go Kathleen! With her skills, she’s going far. Seriously, do yourself a favor and check out the tons of great art she’s already done on DeviantArt.

Colonel Korsakov
by Danie

Here is a superb portrait of Colonel Korsakov, clearly on the verge of blustering about his digestion. The artist Danie (whose DeviantArt profile, under the name ClassyFat, is stellar) describes her methods as such: “The figure is scrap pieces of framing mats super-glued together then painted with oil . . . then he is hot glued onto a piece of spray-painted cardboard.” Interestingly, “the tassles on his shoulders are real . . . I envisioned him fatter though. Ah well. It’s Korsakov on a diet.”

To be sure, Korsakov needs to diet. I love the mixed-media approach (great choice to use real tassels for his epaulettes) and the quizzical-bordering-on-outrage expression in his eyes is perfection. His luxurious beard and mustache and exactly as I imagined, as well as his formidably bristling eyebrows. I’m very lucky to have this. Thanks for an incredible job, Danie!

Here’s Danie’s original posting of this on DeviantArt.

Jo Eavesdropping
by Freya Trefonides

Jo hides in a bush in Aunt Lily’s garden, eavesdropping on costume party guests. Nearby a man dressed as a UFO gossips with a woman dressed like an eggplant about Aunt Lily’s out-of-control antics. The eggplant has a properly bored, la-di-dah expression; the UFO has a fish-eyed, nerdy look that makes me think he’s trying to impress her. Freya adds a whole new social subtext to the scene! Great stuff!

Jo and Fiona in Costume Armor
by Panndy

Here’s another cool imagining of Jo and Fiona in their costume armor! Jo, on the left, is Aznath, the Silver Kitten of Deceit. Fiona, on the right, is Ichthala, the All-Devouring Mother. Fiona is really terrifying—like something out of the movie ALIEN?—I love how her costume is bristling with teeth and horns. And Jo’s got such a cool, tough expression; I especially like her fluffy silver armor! The burning dark red background and having Jo and Fiona back-to-back were great ideas. I can feel the tension between them. Fantastic job!Visit Panndy’s DeviantArt profile here.

I’m A Violent Guy!
by Freya Trefonides

Another winner from Freya! I particularly like the composition in this one. It feels like we’re standing with Colonel Korsakov, Jo, and Aunt Lily while the boy dressed as the hedgehog points a gun at us! Korsakov and Lily flank Jo on either side, as if protecting her, and Jo seems to be reaching out for Korsakov’s hand for reassurance. But Korsakov has his hands on his hips in defiance. I also like the cut of Aunt Lily’s dress and the flaming design on the hood of the hedgehog’s sports car. Nice work!

Jo Hazelwood
by Mangamoo1

Here’s a quirky, cool portrait of Jo from Mangamoo1 from DeviantArt. I love the feeling of this one, which catches Jo’s quiet humor. She seems both dainty and punk, both poised and otherworldly. The golden thread and the fish are smart extra details, but it’s the eyes that really sell me here—they seem to go beyond merely large manga eyes—all the way to the hauntingly huge eyes of a Margaret Keane painting. Great work!

Lily Larouche
by Karen Alexander (Azro on DeviantArt)

It’s a sober, contemplative portrait of faded starlet and ex-knight Lily Larouche. I love when artists take an unexpected perspective on the subject—Karen doesn’t focus on Lily Larouche’s wackiness and glamor, but on her secret sadness. That’s a hard emotion to pull off, but Karen does great justice to Lily’s character, deepening it so that Lily Larouche feels like a real person with a tragic past and not just a caricature. I imagine that this is the look Aunt Lily sometimes get in her eyes at the ruby palace—and when Jo asks what’s wrong, Aunt Lily just smiles vaguely and changes the subject.

Karen writes, “I don’t know why I drew her with a hat, maybe because every time I think of crazy older women I see a a floppy sun hat?” Ha!

Bonus! This looks a bit like Judi Dench, whom I think would be perfect to play Aunt Lily if there was ever an Odd-Fish movie—well, either her or Helen Mirren.

Sefino Drunk
by Freya Trefonides

In Chapter Four, Jo and Aunt Lily’s house is filled with noxious green insecticide by the obnoxious handyman Hoagland Shanks. Colonel Korsakov is afraid the insecticide has killed his cockroach partner Sefino, but in fact it has only made the foppish insect tipsy. I particularly like the glazed, half-focused look in Sefino’s eyes here, his off-balance stance, his uncertain waving of his walking-stick. Freya has clearly put in her fair share of time with inebriated insects.

Jo Flying Ethelred
by Freya Trefonides

I believe this is the first illustration I received from Freya! It’s Jo flying through the sky on her ostrich Ethelred. I had this picture hanging on my refrigerator for a long time—I like how Jo and Ethelred are blithely flying by while the bird below them is shocked and terrified, so much that its eyes are literally popping out of its head, its feathers leaping off its wings! Ethelred in particular has a serenely pleased look. I also like the “J” sweater!

Jo in the Bath
by Freya Trefonides

Here’s Freya’s imagining of a scene from Chapter Two, when Jo is in the bath at the ruby palace, thinking about her life with Aunt Lily. As usual, it’s the little details that make it work: the clawed feet of the bathtub, the light slanting through the windows, Jo’s pensive expression as she mulls over her situation. And of course, the overwhelming red-and-goldness of Aunt Lily’s decorating scheme. Solid!

Early Freya Art:
Ken Kiang and Jo on Ethelred
by Freya Trefonides

Here’s some of Freya’s earliest Odd-Fish art. We can see the hints of future awesome work to come! This Ken Kiang is a bit sterner and I daresay scarier than the Ken Kiang in her throbbingly detailed illustration of the dogfight in Chapter 6, and the Jo astride Ethelred here will soon take spectacular flight. (I like the addition of sunglasses/goggles. It can get windy and sunny way up in the sky.)

The Black Box
by Freya Trefonides

In Chapter Two, Aunt Lily figures out how to open the mysterious black box that fell from the sky in Chapter One. Little does she know it is the Inconvenience, and the lives of Aunt Lily, Jo, Colonel Korsakov, and Sefino are about to come exponentially more troublesome and annoying. Here Freya cleverly puts the viewer in the point of view of Aunt Lily as she looks into the black box for the first time.