Week 8

All images and text copyright 2010 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

Week 8

Here is the 8th drawing in the Broken Beanbag story, Sara and her Mom have to follow the Beanbag deeper into Frogwarts and the chance to find their way home!

Divas

All images and text copyright 2010 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Productions

This image is a character inspired by our really good friend's middle child who announced she was going to be a Diva for Halloween.  When her Mom asked her what a Diva was, she told her that Divas wore sunglasses, pretty dresses and wore scarves.  The rest is just some embellishment by the illustrator.  Divas always need places to shop.  

Week 7

All images and text copyright 2010 - Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Production

Sara and Jerry have made it to meet the new Defense against the Strange Arts teacher, who turns out to be Sara's Mom!  She is using her new magical powers to conjure up a chocolate milkshake.

Steve

Here is a study for a real "character" our friend Steve as  someone that may show up in Sara's World.  A popular teacher that is prone to give tests on Monty Python and its relationship to the obscure '80's British sit com "The Young Ones", all while running a blog dedicated to the removal of Bryan Adams from the musical landscape.

Character Study

All images copyright Michael Smith - Doodle Bags Productions

Sara's Mom has been undergoing some revisions based on requests from the subject matter, particularly in the hair department.  Originally she was drawn with longer hair because the real Sara's Mom has had her hair cut short forever and refuses to grow it out.  This was met with much approval, but I was still working on it.

Week 6

All images and text copyright - Michael Smith - Doodle Bags Productions

            The Beanbag made a move toward the up escalator, stepped onto the moving steps and then tumbled backwards onto Sara.

“Watch out!” She grabbed onto the falling piece of furniture as it bounced toward a moving stair that was heading the other direction. “I guess we are going this way!” Sara fell on top of Beanbag as it skidded down a flight of stairs.  At the bottom of the stairs the two of them bounced off a stony wall and past a set of giant wooden doors that were half opened.  She could see four long tables with kids eating. “That must be the cafeteria for this school!” Sara shouted to the Beanbag who seemed to be in more control now that they had come down several levels of the castle.

“See if you can find a way outside!” Sara pointed to the blue sky through a passing window, “We may have a better chance to find the missing page if we can see the whole building!”  The Beanbag rolled up on its side, almost tossing Sara off and aiming for a smaller set of doors.  They bounded through the doors and crashed down several more flights of stairs! Sara was sure that they ought to be at the bottom at any moment when suddenly…BAM!!!! They crashed into someone who had been standing in the lobby, minding his own business! Beanbag flew into the air, Sara rolled against a wall, and the boy who had been standing only moments before was flat on his back.

“Ow!!!” The boy sat up and pushed his glasses back on and ran a hand through a head of messy hair.  “What was that for?” He asked.

“We didn’t see you,” Sara reached to help him up, “We were racing down those stairs to get outside when you just appeared! Like…magic.” Sara stopped and looked around at the castle one more time before turning to the boy and looking at his dark circular glasses and something that looked like a scar on his forehead.  “Where is this?” She asked him.

“Frogwarts School” He said looking a little confused.

“Of course it is. And what is your name?” Sara looked at him as he answered:

“Jerry Kotter. Why? What’s your name?”

“I am Sara.” With a deep breath she began to tell him how she had gotten to Frogwarts and the way that the Beanbag seemed to carry her to places that she had read about. Jerry knelt down to look at the Beanbag, he touched the red fabric and pulled out his wand.

“Revealio!” He said and waved the wand in the air. “I think that your friend here is a little tired, but if you need to find that page with your teacher on it we might be able to find someone who could help you, we have just gotten a new Defense against the Strange Arts teacher who says she is from very far away and she might know of a spell to get you home right away!”

“Well, what are we waiting on? Let’s go!”

Week 5

All images and text copyright Michael Smith - Doodle Bag Designs

09.24.10

Sara and the Beanbag were alone in a dark hallway; stone walls lined either side, decorated with strange carvings between doors that led off in different directions.  Torches were hung from posts mounted in the walls and there were two on each side of a wooden door at the far end.  She couldn’t see the ceiling in the darkness, but was pretty sure that she heard bats screeching to one another and shifting around in the homey gloom. “Now where have you brought us?” Sara questioned the Beanbag, her hands on her hips and one eyebrow raised. “Not that I don’t thank you for saving me from that big fall, but I don’t see the page with Ms. Robinson on it anymore and I think that she was trying to give us directions on how to get back to school.”  The Beanbag who was picking up the spilled books stopped and turned one way, then the other before turning back to Sara and with what looked like a little frustration shrugged as if to say that it didn’t know either.

“Well, we aren’t going to find the page standing here in a hall.” Sara marched up to the closest door and pushed on the handle.  Old hinges screeched in protest until she finally got it opened and stepped through. “What. The. Heck?” Behind the door was definitely a classroom, but it was like no other class that Sara had seen.  It had desks and there was even a chalkboard at the front of the room, but everything else was completely strange!  From the ceiling the skeleton of what look like a dragon hung from chains and along the walls, pictures of all sorts of strange creatures were arranged, but it was like they were little TV screens, because the creatures moved in the frames! “There isn’t anyone in here.” She backed out of the room and fell over the Beanbag who had crept in behind her. “Ooof! Watch it!”  Sara rolled around in the bag for a moment; she could feel the uncomfortable shapes of the books that it had picked up earlier inside of the fabric. “You are feeling a little thin, is that why you had room for the books?”  The Beanbag nodded.

“Let’s go this way.” Pulling herself out of the lumpy Beanbag she stood and pointed to the door at the end of the hallway, “I bet these are all more of those strange classrooms.”  As they walked Sara looked at the signs next to the doors, “Wonder what ‘Transmogrification Class’ is?” She didn’t hear an answer and saw that the Beanbag had crept over to some tall windows, they were really high in the air and the rest of the school could be seen. “This place is a castle!” Sara could see a lake in the distance and a forest, there looked like some sort of sports field to one side and in a clearing between the castle and the forest sat a little camper-like hut on wooden wheels, next to a tree that was boogying away. “Look at that tree! Is that a fir tree?” It looked like a big Christmas tree, “That is a dancing Douglas fir!” Sara laughed. 

With one last glance out the window they turned to the door at the end of the hall. “Here we are.” She glanced at Beanbag, who had scooted behind her again. “Aren’t you brave?” She chuckled and pushed on the door.  This one opened easily, but after one step into the space Sara thought she might want to go back into the hallway and look at the dancing Douglas fir some more.  This place was huge! Behind the door was a giant room, she couldn’t see the ceiling above, or even the floor far below.  They were standing on a landing between churning escalators, one going up, the other down, and as they stood, a third one groaned into place in front of them.  The giant room was filled with these thrumming, moving escalators.

“Now we have a real decision Beanie.” She smiled at the Beanbag, “Up or Down?”