A Bedtime War Story (Rated MA)

The final project for my Sequence & Storyboard class (circa 2014) required students to illustrate a sequential story of almost any topic no less than eight pages in length. The comic could be completed in any media and needed a digital counterpart to the printed version. I chose to work digitally with the topic centered around a World War II potato veteran who tells inappropriate war stories to his small potato grand daughter.

Viewer discretion is advised. Before you start reading, please understand that the story contains both graphic language and imagery that may offend certain viewers.

Cover page:

Potato in helmet with the muzzle of an M1 Garand at Normandy Beach.

Title:

Potato Soup made sense for the obvious reason that the battle for Normandy was a notorious bloodbath and the characters in the story just so happen to be potatoes.

Page 1:

It made sense to open up with a flashback, since I intended on circling back to this very moment later in the story.

It was an easy choice to juxtapose this gruff old potato with something innocent and sweet like his unsuspecting granddaughter. Contrast works!

Page 2:

It was simply low-lying fruit to have the grandpa become easily startled, especially after his nightmare/flashback of the war.

I also had fun implementing food puns all throughout an otherwise disturbing story.

Page 3:

More food puns tied with a little bit of 20th century American history! Story development is also important.

Page 4:

Character development and the anticipation of what awaits. Clearly, I was inspired by Saving Private Ryan.

Note the french fry necklace; a complete rip from stereotypical 80's Vietnam cinema where American G.I.s tote the ears of dead NVA around their necks.