August 2023

A sideways flipped drawing of a inside dustjacket flap cover showing three skeletons done in grey-ish linework on a black-ish blackground, dancing around. The background shows one large planet in shadow near the bottom right and one small planet in shadow near the top left. In between the dancing skeletons are one black key that is decorated with curlicules, one red key with a clover head, one decorative and ornate gold key with no teeth but dimples along the shaft, one plain grey key with a square loop and one long tooth, and a plain white key with a round loop and three plain teeth.ALT
Compilation of quotes from Gideon the Ninth;

"- was another, smaller key dangling off to one side, gleaming golden, with an elaborately carved shank and deep pockmarks instead of cuts in the shaft."

"Gideon noticed that their ring held a facility key and one other, in black wrought iron with curlicules."

"The key appeared in Harrow's other hand, shining silvery white, austerely plain with a single loop for a head and three simple teeth on the shaft."

"a thick grey key with unpretentious teeth, the kind you'd lock a cabinet with."

"The new key was chunky and solid, and dyed a deep, juicy scarlet."

"It was big; the shaft was as long as Gideon's middle finger, and the clover head satisfactorily heavy."

"Palamedes drummed his fingers on the table. "Well. Forgive me the explanation, Ninth. I know you've been keeping track of the keys-" (Ha! Ha! Ha! thought Gideon. She hadn't.)"ALT

I’m doing a tlt book dust jacket art swap with a friend and for the left inside flap of the first book i decided to illustrate the facility keys, and it’s very amusing to me that gideon gives such precise descriptions of the keys without once going “wait a minute these aesthetics sound familiar …”

A drawing of Mercymorn except she's drawn in that Michael Jordan "And I took that personally" meme. Merycmorn has tanned skin, peachy pink hair and red brown stormy eyes. She looks grumpy and is sitting on a sofa with her hands spread out saying "And I took that personally!!!" She is dressed in light off-white pastel colors, in a high necked sweater, a see through cloak, and slacks.ALT

mercymorn at basically any point in harrow the ninth regardless of context

The first panel shows John Gaius standing in front of a giant red orb that's bleed down in vertical lines that look like blood. John has dark hair, brown skin, eyes that are completely black except for a circle of white around the pupil. He is wearing a black full sleeve shirt over which a white robe is pulled. There are oval red splatters around him, and floating above his head like a halo is a ring of infant finger bones. The first panel says "God said: GOD MADE YOU". ALT
The second panel shows Gideon lying propped against a wall, a spike going through her heart, and Harrow on the other side looking wide-eyed and reaching out to Gideon. Both are shown in profile, and in the background jut out two more giant spikes of bone. Gideon has brown skin with faded black and white skull paint over it and red hair, and she has her eyes closed, while Harrow has brown skin with faded skull paint over it, black hair, and black eyes that are wide with shock. Gideon is wearing a black cloak and sleeveless black tank. Harrow is wearing a full-sleeve black shirt with hood, and with bones encircling the torso area. The second panel says "GOD DOES NOT CARE IF YOU ARE GUILTY OR NOT".ALT
The third panel shows a closeup of Harrow's hands cradling Gideon's head. Gideon's eyes are still closed, and only the very bottom of Harrow's jaw can be seen. The third panel says "I said: I CARE IF I AM GUILTY".ALT
The fourth panel shows a close up of Harrow's face in profile looking up, and it shows that the blood from the first panel has seeped down through panels 2 and 3 to splatter on to Harrow's upturned face right around her eyes, making it look like she's bleeding tears. Her eyes are wide and she looks very outraged with her mouth open. The fourth panel says "I CARE IF I AM GUILTY!".ALT
The fifth panel shows John looking down from above, his mouth pursed and his face expressionless, in the same pose as he was in the first panel. Disapproval seems to radiate off of him. The fifth panel says "God was silent."ALT
The sixth and final panel shows a wide shot view of the whole scene, with the silhouette figure of Gideon sitting slumped against a wall with a spike through her, Harrow collapsed on the ground before Gideon with her head down in defeat, and God standing behind Harrow looking down at the scene. Behind them, a row of five ribcage bones jut out against a night sky dotted with stars. The sixth panel says "Everything was SILENT."ALT

Harrow said, “But you’re God.”
And God said, “And I am not enough.”

(Poem from Metaphysical Dog by Frank Bidart)