Sgt. Major Jacob Vouza with trophy.  Seems kinda pitiless, does it not?  But read on: August 20th, 1942.  Retired Constable Sergeant Major Jacob Vouza is captured by the Ichigi Detachment as he scouts for the Marine Corps.  The Japs found an American flag on him, and used him for bayonet practice.  Hours later Vouza wakes up and chews his way through his bindings, and then crawls hundreds of yards to the Marine position.  He tells the commander that an attack is on the way, giving the Marine's ten vital minutes to prepare.  (Vouza's info confirmed the direction the attack was coming from.  There were almost 20,000 Marines and Sailors on the island, but the attack was expected from sea.  The terrain was such that an all round defense was impossible). The resultant battle eradicated the Japanese.  (misnamed the Battle of the Tenaru).  Vouza was promoted to Sgt. Major in the Corps, given a Silver Star and ...

I asked for copy from Graffo and this is what I got. Beggars can't be choosers! https://www.instagram.com/_stevedavis

There is a rumor that Cesare Borgia is the face we associate with Jesus of Nazereth, who is called the Christ.  However this got started, allow me to point out that all lean, strong men with beards in their late twenties look like Jesus.  And hey, nutcake, it's Alexander VI we're talking about. Painting by Altobello Belone, c. 1520.  Supposed to be Cesare, he would have been dead for 14 years if this date is correct.  He had hands the size of a racoon's, going by this.  Also, the background may suggest a coming storm, but what are those two figures? Portrait of Cesare Borgia after Bartolomeo Veneto, 1500s.  Yes, under different lights and with a change of costume this could be Christ before his arrest.  However, the sitter is wearing an expression of great delight and self confidence. Pinturicchio, the young Cesare.  He is not wearing the red cap, and in appearance he seems about 14 here.  He did not become ...

Ferdinand I of Naples, aka Don Ferrante. Castel Nuovo, Napoli.  In the dining hall of this stout fortress Ferrante invited his rebellious barons to a feast and killed them all.  Then he stuffed them and arranged them about the room.   “ these dried cadavers were displayed, pickled with herbs, a frightful sight, in the dress they wore when alive and with the same ornaments, so that by this terrible example of tyranny, those who did not wish to be similarly served might be properly afraid “. Ferdinand liked to conduct personal tours of his macabre museum, which often served as an effective deterrent to those contemplating treason. To mix things up and keep them interesting, the king’s mummified enemies were sometimes propped up in mock banquets.      A gentle, carefree soul. This would exacerbate an already tense personality.  Picture from "The Borgias" television series. Certainly worth fighting fo...

Pope Formosus, the 111th occupant of the Chair of St. Peter's. Pope Formosus at his trial.  Painting by Jean-Paul Laurens. Stephen VI, Scumbag. Elected Pope on 6 October 891, Fomosus, given name not found, died in 896.  Pope Stephen VI, tool of the Spoleto faction, birth name not known, had the body displayed at a conclave, when Formosus had been dead for 9 months, where he hurled abuse at it.  He was angry, you conceive.  The corpse was dressed in his robes and seated on the papal throne.  He had a defense spokesman who did not say much in his client's defense to put it mildly.  The assemblage voted him guilty, had the 3 fingers used for the benediction cut off, and the body thrown in the Tiber.  It was recovered and was interred in sacred ground, I cannot find out where, but his body eventually wound up in the Vatican.  In August Stephen was strangled in his prison by order of his successor, Romanus, who died in Novemb...

This is as far as I am going with this thing.  I posted part of this earlier.  This just did not work out at all.  I wanted dramatic pose and lost my way.  The outlined rabbit is so bad I wanted to throw it away but foreground bunny was worth working with.  I keep doing this because I keep thinking I will be a passable artist with perseverance.  I am listening to Elmore James as I type this, the go-to man for slide guitar. https://youtu.be/t7qKYPysur8 Just one way out, baby! 

Anthro comics, DC.  Art and concept Howie Post, who drew "The Drop-outs", a strip I remember reading as a kid.  This is about the first boy born to Neanderthals to be a Cro-Magnon.   6 issues.  The character is still in use.  Comics were ubiquitous when I was a kid, a kaleidoscope of color in  convenience stores everywhere.  I now see that I was buying comics at 12c  a pop.  Seems like ages ago. The art is good, no doubt about it.  But whatever is going on does not blow my skirt up. This was a social commentary strip packaged for the annoyed at change middle class.  Selling a strip is hard enough, big hand for Howie getting it published. But it does suck, and how. Oh, my.  I guess if you read this at all the newspaper was happy. But what's this?  Why, it is a 1947 Presto Pete outstanding anthro rabbit, and anthro rabbits is what this site is about! This is great...