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Submitted: November 8, 2008
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Yes, there's a Hogfatherby *Zenzzen

Fan Art / Digital Art / Painting & Airbrushing / Books & Novels

This was going to be just a quick sketch of Death like the Rincewind one, but I love this scene so much I had to draw it, and so of course Susan had to be in it too. You gotta love Susan Sto Helit. She's, like, the ultimate goth Mary Poppins.

The scene is, of course, from Terry Pratchett's Discworld book "Hogfather", which I consider one of his better works. (By the way, the BBC made it into a movie and did a dang fantastic job of it, too! The quirky writing style Pratchett uses got translated into the soundtrack, and it *works*.)

Without posting spoilers, here is the conversation Death and Susan are having, and one of the reasons why I consider Terry Pratchett one of the very best and wisest of writers I've ever had the privilege of reading:

****
"All right," said Susan. "I'm not stupid. You're saying humans need...fantasies to make life bearable.

REALLY? AS IF IT WAS SOME KIND OF PINK PILL? NO. HUMANS NEED FANTASY TO BE HUMAN. TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE FALLING ANGEL MEETS THE RISING APE.

"Tooth fairies? Hogfathers? Little-"

YES. AS PRACTICE. YOU HAVE TO START OUT LEARNING TO BELIEVE THE LITTLE LIES.

"So we can believe the big ones?"

YES. JUSTICE. MERCY. DUTY. THAT SORT OF THING.

"They're not the same at all!"

YOU THINK SO? THEN TAKE THE UNIVERSE AND GRIND IT DOWN TO THE FINEST POWDER AND SIEVE IT THROUGH THE FINEST SIEVE AND THEN SHOW ME ONE ATOM OF JUSTICE, ONE MOLECULE OF MERCY. AND YET - Death waved a hand. AND YET YOU ACT AS IF THERE IS SOME IDEAL ORDER IN THE WORLD, AS IF THERE IS SOME RIGHTNESS IN THE UNIVERSE BY WHICH IT MAY BE JUDGED.

"Yes, but people have got to believe that, or what's the point-"

MY POINT EXACTLY.

She tried to assemble her thoughts.

THERE IS A PLACE WHERE TWO GALAXIES HAVE BEEN COLLIDING FOR A MILLION YEARS, said Death, apropos of nothing. DON'T TRY TO TELL ME THAT'S RIGHT.

"Yes, but people don't think about that," said Susan. "Somewhere there was a bed..."

CORRECT. STARS EXPLODE, WORLDS COLLIDE, THERE'S HARDLY ANYWHERE IN THE UNIVERSE WHERE HUMANS CAN LIVE WITHOUT BEING FROZEN OR FRIED, AND YET YOU BELIEVE THAT A BED IS A... A NORMAL THING. IT IS THE MOST AMAZING TALENT.

"Talent?"

OH, YES. A VERY SPECIAL KIND OF STUPIDITY. YOU THINK THE WHOLE UNIVERSE IS INSIDE YOUR HEADS.

"You make us sound mad," said Susan. A nice warm bed...

NO. YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?

***********

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*Terrin-Auh Nov 14, 2012

Yes, there a Hogfather.

~jamikakish Jan 6, 2011

love, love LOVE the expressions!!!
and LLUURRVVV Hogfather!!! my favorite Pratchett book!
this makes me happy inside ^ ^

*Super-Metal-Sonic May 27, 2010

great pic

~Captain-Chaotica Mar 9, 2010 Hobbyist General Artist

WOOT, Discworld! Hogfather is one of my favourites, too (I also quite liked the movie/miniseries thingie) and I really like the sort of oddball cartoony style here. Especially Susan's expression. That is just PERFECT.

...Notorious

~biscuit1962 Dec 19, 2009

excellent piece from one of my favorite books, and you have captured Susan's attitude perfectly

~kerzv Dec 17, 2009 General Artist

Love your Susan's face

Wonderful job.

*zerry May 16, 2009

I need to read Hogfather... hell, I need to read a lot more Pratchett...

In any case, I like your rendition of Death here, though the scythe's handle looks a little wonky...

(By the way, is the BBC movie version of Death voiced by Christopher Lee?)

*Zenzzen May 16, 2009 Professional Digital Artist

Heh! Well, Christopher Lee did Death's voice in "The Colour of Magic", but in "Hogfather" Death was voiced by Ian Richardson. Both did a bang-up job.

~BrunaBrito Dec 4, 2008 Professional General Artist

I love Pratchett's DEATH so much! fantastic artwork! congratz!
b.

~DarcRose22 Nov 15, 2008 Hobbyist General Artist

AMAZING!!!

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