Inferno: Canto IX

Feeling a little uninspired this time around, but not for lack of interesting imagery.

You see, the 9th Canto has Dante and Virgil waiting outside the gates to the city of Dis for some divine intervention before they can proceed. While waiting, they are set upon by the three Furies; Megara, Alecto, and Tisiphone. The Furies curse at the duo and claw at their own flesh, heralding the coming of the Gorgon, Medusa.

Each one her breast was rending with her nails;
They beat them with their palms, and cried so loud,
That I for dread pressed close unto the Poet.

"Medusa come, so we to stone will change him!"
All shouted looking down; "in evil hour
Avenged we not on Theseus his assault!"

Before that can happen, an unnamed angel arrives striding atop the river Styx as if it were soil. The angel raises a "tiny rod" which causes the gates to open and allows the travelers safe passage.

All I could muster was a little sketch of the angel parting the doors to the city. Much of the image is obscured in white, as I would imagine that looking upon such a divine being from the darkness of Hell would be most blinding. I probably would have been better off with a depiction of one of the Furies, but I've never been much for snake-haired women.

A Twitter Comic A Day

Quick check in here;

A new 'multiverse' comic is starting on Twitter under the title ATWOMIC

Link here for details from the creator:
http://wineink.blogspot.com/2011/05/atwomic-twitter-comic-or-multiverse.html

It's basically a draw-a-day from a tweeted prompt which is left up to the artist to interpret. The result is that the same story is told in a multitude of alternate realities by different artists. Appropriately enough, if you do a bit of Google-Fu for Divine Comedy artists, you'll come across several tellings of the tale in a variety of media.

It's open to all so go ahead and sign up!