Project Description

INKTOBER 2026 Day #1: APPLE.

“Starting Inktober 2026 off with a bang. Or maybe a twang.

I enjoy archery, and at one point in time I was a decent shot (back at scout camp in my youth). I built an archery target shed with one of my son’s a few years ago with the intent of setting up a small range in the yard. We lashed together a structure and put the roof from the old jungle gym on it. No one ever went out and shot, and it has since collapsed, but I’d still like to get a range set up.

Speaking of archery (which isn’t the prompt, but whatever), back in college I worked at a book bindery during the summers. My boss was an interesting character. He once told us about a game he and his friends used to play as kids, which was they would go into a basement, turn all the lights off, and one person with a bow and arrow would just randomly shoot into the darkness. And no, it wasn’t a NERF bow.

Anyway, in hindsight, there’s some stuff I might have done differently (mostly related to the shadows on Plunger Monkey). I was thinking it would have made sense to have PMD aiming right at the apple on the Multi-Purpose Novelty Squid because it would draw the viewer’s eye to the subject of the prompt, but him aiming completely off target is funnier.”

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