From The Vault - OCD Characters - Lily and Big Jim 2004

Every time I think I've finally run out of pieces to dig out of the vault I always come across some book full of stuff that I haven't shown yet.

I had to scan these from some prints since I have long since lost the original files in one of those pesky computer crashes. At least I still have a record of these somewhere. So, that is why the quality of the art is a bit shoddy. Please forgive me.

OK, into the Vault!

As much work as I do there are always unfinished stories and unrealized ideas I have rattling around in my head. Unfortunately I simply can think of ideas faster than I can physically execute them. So, while some stories never get done there is almost always a snippet of that idea written or drawn out somewhere.

It is in one of these unrealized stories that these two characters from the OilCan Drive universe come from.

Having had the characters from the band OilCan Drive around for a while in the year 2004 I decided to expand the cast a bit and flesh out the world. I needed to give the band a past and also add a few antagonists to the story.

Now, don't tell anyone this, but I'm a big fan of Bob Dylan. And one of my favorite songs from Bob is called "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts." It is probably one of the greatest story songs ever written and the tale Bob weaves in a song that lasts under ten minutes has more twists and turns to it than most full feature length movies.

You can have a listen to the song yourself HERE. (it was the only video I could find on YouTube with the actual song...so, enjoythe song and enjoy the student made movie...)

I've always wanted to interpret a song into a comic book story and this song by Dylan was perfect for a story in the OilCan Drive universe. In the song Lily is a dancer in a saloon and is an ex-lover of Jack. Big Jim, the diamond baron of the town, also longs for Lily. So, I thought I'd plug Ryan Burke into the role of Jack, have a girl named Lily as his ex-girlfriend, and have a sleezy bar owner named Big Jim. And, the line, "with his bodyguards and his silver cane, and every hair in place" gave me a great way to make Jim's bodyguards werewolves that he kept under his thumb with a silver cane.

The song is filled with lost love, jealousy, a shooting, a bank heist, and a hanging.

What more could one story hope for?

Have a listen to the song and imagine what could have been. It's one of my all time favorites. And, even though I haven't pursued doing this story yet I did come out of it with some great characters to expand the OilCan Drive world.

Thanks, Bob. Once again.