INKTOBER 2025 Day #19: ARCTIC.

INKTOBER 2025 Day #19: ARCTIC.

“Okay, first of all, for those less familiar with my work (which is probably most), Mr. Eyeballs here is a character from my graphic novel (that started as a webcomic) ‘It’s Plunger Monkey Dynamo Time’. His name is Eyezak and he’s normally not furry. I’m not quite sure how I would describe his appearance, but yeah. No fur, just green skin and muscles and stuff. I originally intended to include a scene very similar to this where Eyezak sprouts fur in response to being in a cold environment, but I haven’t managed to work it in anywhere yet. So, mostly this silliness will only make me chuckle.
And yes, for anyone that’s observant, there is another ‘Star Wars’ reference here. PMD is wearing Han Solo’s Hoth gear. Snow and winter are Hoth in my Brain, and always have been. Those opening scenes of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ with the cold, desolate landscape, the native Tauntauns and the Wampa, and of course the arctic gear everyone was wearing, really lit up my imagination as a kid. For some reason, I loved the fur lining on Han’s hood. It looked cool but I think it made sense to me. My dad used to have a navy-blue winter coat with a furry hood that I always wanted when I was little. As an adult, I’ve discovered a love of sewing my own wool coats, which has involved some self-education about materials and the function of both modern and ancient garments. The way fur traps warmth is pretty fascinating, and now I’m suddenly contemplating adding (faux) fur to some of my heavy winter coat ideas…”

Do you enjoy these silly pen and ink illustrations starring Plunger Monkey? Wish you had a whole book full of them to gaze at lovingly whenever you wanted? You’re in luck! Get a copy of Inklings to satisfy that need: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1733734716/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO28074KOTGC&keywords=inklings+by+toby+gray&qid=1689026488&s=books&sprefix=inklings+by+toby+gray%2Cstripbooks%2C103&sr=1-1