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Death By Fish

DECEMBER 5, 2006
My Version
This was originally a rejected sketch by Power & Motoryacht magazine.  A very good client to me but I thought my concept was much better than what they ended up going with.

A true story:  A man went fishing with his buddies and the one day he forgot his fishing knife on the kitchen table (where they later found it).  He speared a giant Grouper fish.  Forgetting his knife wasn't a problem until the fish pulled him over board subsequently drowning him and the fish dying from the spear.  Both were found near a beach, dead.

Bummer.

The magazine, knowing that the people involved in this double homicide will be reading the story, didn't want anything visually offensive so I came up with this sketch.  The issue was, I think the A/D sold an idea already and kept pushing for something else which was supposed to be much more sensitive.

The idea was as sensitive a showing the fish actually drag the man down into the depths of the ocean to his death.  Yes, that sensitive.  Let's show the reader exactly HOW he was killed!  Haha!  Also, they wanted me to cover the guy up more with the fish's tail which really ruined the composition.  I tried to talk them out of it but they had whatever was on their minds.

Needless to say, I had to do theirs but I did mine anyway because it is a good image.  I am posting the printed version also.
The version they wanted.
My thumbnail
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