Illustrations
Bus Stop
Bus Stop is a rather somber piece. The young woman from the "The Guide" is seen waiting at a rundown bus stop checking her yellow notepad. This illustration is meant to provide a small amount of backstory to this character. Chronologically, this moment took place before the events in the graphic novel. The boy's hospital room number appears as the bus number, so it can be assumed the bus is taking her to that place. She exists in a realm not quite in reality. The sky shows a cosmos we have never seen and rain falls down despite the lack of clouds. The guide works alone. In fact, she is often alone, and the enviroment reflects the feelings of isolation.
Cotton Candy
Cotton Candy takes place during the events of "The Guide". The carnival scene passes very quickly in relation to the whole book, so I wanted to add an extra scene that didn't quite make the cut. Within the story, the guide takes the boy to the carnival with the intention of making his last day a happy one. This extra scene is meant to add to the fact that the young woman really cares for the children she's guiding, despite the fact that she knows their time is limited. The image shows the pure innocence and naive joy of the boy playing against the happy but knowing look of the young woman. It's pretty obvious her job is not an easy one.
The Morning After
The Morning After is fairly self-explanatory. It acts as an epilouge to the events of "The Guide". The boy passed away near midnight. Between his time of death and the morning sunrise, his body and possessions were removed, the sheets were replaced, the monitors reset, equipment switched out, and the room cleaned. This image is meant to show that although the death of someone is so painful and life-altering, life does continue. The hospital will get more patients that need this bed, and the cycle continues. It also provides a comparison to the very opening scene of the graphic novel. Only 24 hours prior, the little boy was staring somberly out the window at the previous sunrise. And at the same time as this illustration, the guide is at another hospital, guiding another child on her last day.
And the cycle continues.