Dr Syn, Alias the Scarecrow

The rough pencil and final color versions of the
introductory image that began the painted
Scarecrow series--the gallows was deemed a bit
too grim, so we replaced it with Scarecrow's
compatriot Curlew. These costumes are fun to paint!

On page six the first two panels have been combined into
one in the final art, which improves the clarity and flow.

I strengthened the watercolor and gouache with Dr Martin's
Tech Inks on this story--evident here in the intense yellow
around the candle flame.

As you scroll up, the small pencil layouts for each
page are followed by the final painted art. I changed
the splash (first) page considerably from the rough
layout because the shape relationships seemed too
static--the contour of the Scarecrow's shoulders is
too similar to the horizontal lines of the house and cliff.

A snapshot of the story pages near completion in my studio.

A few years ago Disney Adventures Magazine comics editor Steve Behling approached me about illustrating Pirates of the Caribbean stories, and I began collaborating with writer Michael Stewart on one of the delights of my career as a visual storyteller. We created a string of a dozen or more short stories full of rollicking adventure laced with humor, featuring everybody's favorite pirate Jack Sparrow. Michael never failed to strike just the right balance of wit, whimsy and excitement in these little gems of entertainment suitable for comic readers of every age.
Along the way I suggested we bring another colorful Disney swashbuckler into our Jack Sparrow adventures--the marvelous Scarecrow of Romney Marsh as portrayed by Patrick McGoohan in the terrific three-part television series from 1963, Dr Syn, Alias the Scarecrow.
We introduced the Scarecrow into our Sparrow storyline just before a decision was made to generate all Pirates of the Caribbean comic book material from European studios--but thanks to the determination and efforts of Steve and fellow editorial true believer Jesse Post, Michael and I were soon reunited on new Scarecrow solo adventures. My affection for the character demanded a special treatment to present him to a fresh audience--I realized I had to paint the pages! Steve indulged me and it's been so much fun visualizing Michael's inspiring stories, I still find it hard to believe Dr Syn and his heroic alter ego are looking back at me from my drawing board--it's a lucky project!
I've scanned the layouts and final art from one of the stories, along with the splash page from the first story of the series.