#2 Kannon & Ichi

Inspired by watching the trailer for Seijun Suzuki’s Pistol Opera, this is Kannon, who can only be described as a Geisha Gun Witch, I guess. A natural markswoman (marksperson?), it is rumored that at any one moment, she’s carrying an arsenal large enough to outfit a full battalion. To some, it’s downright impossible, almost supernatural. What only supports these claims is her unspoken bond with a large, hellish, blind wolf simply called Ichi. Some claim it’s not a pet, but a familiar as the ominous canine often acts as her ears & nose. Not so much eyes. Working mostly as an assassin, clients find that she picks & chooses her jobs for reasons unrelated to money. Everyone has their own theories about her shrouded past, but at the end of the day, they all share the same uneasy feeling in her presence.

I got carried away with this, as posting this late can attest to. I got too into adding details that are ultimately hard to see in this scan, like barbed wire weaved into her hair & bandoleers wrapped around her obi. Even speed loaders faceted onto a ribbon she wears around her shoulders. And it’s probably something everyone already gets but her name comes from the Japanese Bodhisattva of Mercy. I’m going to get a little more done with my #3 (though if I wanted to cheat, I’d count the wolf), & then come back, clean this up, & add some colors on this one. So maybe check back if you remember. I’m thinking when I reach 30, I wanna composite all of them together in a big crowd shot.

Category: Fantasy