Guest Strip by Kenji
Kenji is 8 months old, so it’s time he started pulling his own weight. For this week’s strip I drew a colouring page for him and asked him to finish the image with some paints. “Just be yourself”, I told him. “Let it all happen on the page. Push the envelope. Explore the space.”
If you can’t see the genius in the above image, you have no taste whatsoever.
BONUS: You can check out the behind-the-scenes video of the making of this masterpiece, or even download the blank line art and colour your own! I’ll post some of the results and let Kenji choose his favourite. The winner will get a free book with a sketch*.
All submissions should be mailed to mail@abominable.cc by December 31st with the subject line: “Colouring Contest”.
* The sketch is by me, not Kenji.
December 7th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
This image is made with so much love it’s ridiculous. That is perhaps my favourite part of this series is that it is always so personal.
Thank you.
December 7th, 2011 at 3:27 pm
Fascinating work and video. I especially like how, not content with merely adding color to the image, he chooses to work on the support itself, crumpling the paper in intricate shapes, giving it a unique personality.
A real artist knows no boundaries.
December 7th, 2011 at 3:30 pm
ACC coloring book = do want! =)
Adorable. Although I wondered if there was a significance to Gil being torn in two…(reading too much into things FTW)
December 7th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
Where can we post our “submission”? Just in these comments here? Totally want to color that
December 7th, 2011 at 3:44 pm
Poo! I want one by Kenji. Now thats art.
December 7th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
“Be yourself, kid. Push the envelope!”
“Daddy”
“Hm?”
“What’s an envelope?”
December 7th, 2011 at 3:52 pm
@Wood: exactly! Thinking outside the box.
@Razor: Full disclosure: I ripped the paper myself when I was trying to flatten it out. That area was really wet.
@Colette: Good question! I added an email link to the post for submissions.
December 7th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Very cool!
and… you should totally add more abominable’s blank line arts for coloring =D
December 7th, 2011 at 4:14 pm
Now how did he know to make Gilgamesh red? Plus the rip is right over him? That fits just so well it’s silly. Then the greens and blues over the rest of the forest.
To overanalyze it completely, it suggests Gilgamesh’s violent nature, and how he doesn’t fit with the wild. And yet, the raccoons are giving him directions anyway.
December 7th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Ooh. That looks like a blast. By when would you like our submissions? I personally hope we have until at least the 12th.
December 7th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
How do we enter our results?
December 7th, 2011 at 4:22 pm
Email your submissions to the address above by December 31st!
December 7th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
Why must you tempt me with further procrastination during exams? Why?!
December 7th, 2011 at 6:21 pm
I actually spent quite a bit of time analyzing the choice of coloring and ripping and crumpling before going down to read that your son did all of that.
Tell him his choice to show the contrast between the green peaceful forest and the red, passionate violence of Gilgamesh is brilliant.
December 7th, 2011 at 6:26 pm
That is something deep there! Look how Gilgamash has only dark hues of red while the forest around him has shades of blue and green! Truly this kid knows something!
December 7th, 2011 at 6:34 pm
Another one in favor of his manipulation of the medium itself. By making the paper wet, he demonstrates the fragility of Gilgamesh’s ego. Brilliance defined.
December 7th, 2011 at 6:52 pm
Now that’s just silly—–
Gilgamesh would never ask for directions.
December 7th, 2011 at 7:36 pm
The fact this exists makes me happier than I can express. I have friends who would kill for this privelege to color this.
December 7th, 2011 at 7:54 pm
This kid is a genius. Over on the right the tree branch is extended by the manipulation of the medium itself. He’s not only insightful but resourceful too.
December 7th, 2011 at 8:07 pm
An artist in the making…..
December 7th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
Cathammer, perhaps “ask” is a euphemism. Gilgamesh would DEMAND directions!
December 7th, 2011 at 10:17 pm
Whoa, now I want an entire ACC coloring book. Can I get a combo with a knit Charles on the side? Maybe a plushie Townson? I bet Gund would work out a licensing deal.
December 8th, 2011 at 1:12 am
Your day as a webartist is over. You are now only fit to supply material for Kenji.
Funny, funny commentary and comments, all. thx for sharing 
December 8th, 2011 at 1:31 am
Haha, this was cute in at least half a dozen ways :3
December 8th, 2011 at 2:36 am
wait.. if I’m reading this right, the winner is chosen by Kenji?
December 8th, 2011 at 3:26 am
Genius you’ve got there Karl. (and that is the bestest guest strip ever)
December 8th, 2011 at 3:51 am
with whisperingsage
ditto.
December 8th, 2011 at 5:00 am
When I first saw this page I immediately thought that Gilgamesh was drenched in the gore of his enemies. Splattering him in red paint is deep on so many levels.
December 8th, 2011 at 8:16 am
Kenji is definitely an 8 month comic genius!
December 8th, 2011 at 9:59 am
OMG… Is that… is that blood?! Must be ketchup…
December 8th, 2011 at 10:44 am
i’m an oh so proud mama!!
December 8th, 2011 at 11:42 am
What did Kenji use to colour it?
December 8th, 2011 at 12:06 pm
This is a fine example of what the Internet can bring to us: works of art that would have previously been relegated to Grandma’s refrigerator.
December 8th, 2011 at 12:24 pm
Disturbing portents for the future.
December 8th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
You sir are exactly what makes the Internet such a wonderful place to visit! Please keep up your amazing work. You inspire us all.
December 8th, 2011 at 1:40 pm
@GBeans: We made him some cornstarch finger paint with food colouring. It thickens pretty fast, though, so his time was limited!
I should also mention that this was his SECOND attempt. The first one was less, um… aesthetically pleasing. I think he nailed it, though, and I would work with him again in the future.
December 9th, 2011 at 2:18 am
karl: I got a literal lol out of your last comment.
December 9th, 2011 at 11:38 am
This is just AWESOME! I’ll ask Lily if she wants to color her version, although I doubt she’ll come as close to what Kenji achieved, but she’ll bring her own vision to it. I won’t show here what Kenli did so as not to influence her.
BTW, I noticed in the video that at some point you’re “influencing” the artist by holding his hand… Let it go man, you can’t control a free spirit!
December 9th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
In the video it looked like your cat wanted to paint too-let’s see one from your cat too-what a talented family!
December 12th, 2011 at 8:49 am
I think the racoon’s lying. See his buddy with his paw on his chin as if trying to decide whether to call him out or see where this goes? And the squirrel all stressed out and pointing the other way?
Also, I’m getting a kick out of all the analysis of Kenji’s art skills. Who *is* brilliant, by the way.
December 13th, 2011 at 4:34 pm
a work of art that warms the heart haha
December 13th, 2011 at 6:04 pm
8 months! The “gnaw/spit” period of every young artist’s life. Next, comes the “crumb-crusher” stage. Thats when the raw emotions of a true infant artist are revealed! Although, I must say that it would appear that the crumb-crusher stage may have started early, as the page appears torn and wrinkled. HEH (i personally loved that stage when my kids got into it LOL)
December 13th, 2011 at 10:26 pm
Good heavens. Your son is how old? Wow, seemed like we just had the birth announcement and the anticipatory plushie posts.
December 14th, 2011 at 12:18 am
Hello, and thanks for the great webcomic! FYI, I added your Gilgamesh here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilgamesh_in_popular_culture#Comics
Keep up the good work, please!
Btw, are you the author of The Abominable Charles Christopher Facebook page? I wrote the above text there first, with the thought that you had set it up yourself, but I just realized it could as well be an independent fanpage. I guess it’s not a big deal though. There are nearly 3000 likes
.
December 16th, 2011 at 11:24 pm
This kid knows what he’s doing. Or, he somehow know to make Gilgamesh the one red thing on the page at least. Gonna go far with that intuition.
(Honestly thought Gil killed someone for a second there, though. XD)
December 21st, 2011 at 10:59 am
I never knew his name was Gilgamesh D:
December 28th, 2011 at 10:01 am
[...] I’ll see you next year! -karl Before I go, I want to remind everyone that the colouring contest ends on December 31st, as does the sale at the Abominable Store! So if you want to win a free book [...]
January 7th, 2012 at 4:58 am
Is it wierd that I thought this was the most beautiful page you had made so far, and I thought this while totaly studying the symbolism of the red splashed over Gilgamesh? Your kid has the eye.
January 24th, 2012 at 4:25 pm
I was wondering if the submissions were posted some place?????
I was curious to see what people have done. Of course the original is going to be worth more, the real question is what did all the other hacks do.