Underneath Edward’s upbeat exterior you’ll find that he has his own share of insecurities. He was picked on in school for his lack of ability, and was the choice target of freshman bullies well into his senior year. With thick glasses and allergies galore, he might as well have had a bull’s-eye painted on his forehead. In class Ed was the butt of every joke. He couldn’t manage even the simplest of light and shade illusions, and though he worked to master the art of shadow puppeting, his always seemed to move of their own accord. Already the center of (negative) attention, he became a world-class class clown, cracking jokes and playing pranks whenever the opportunity arose. Laughter was the balm to soothe his battered pride, and so he worked daily to develop fresh material for class. Though his schoolmates stopped openly tormenting him, he became the laughingstock of his grade. More a clown than a monster, the other phantasms dismissed him as a bad joke, thinking that in only a few short years he would find himself sweeping up their garbage.

Poor Edward...He never did manage to fend off those bullies. This picture here is from when he was still in haunting school. He didn't do a very good job of concealing that black eye, but at least he was still able to smile. They had to respect him for that.

(1-29-05: Quick pen and ink drawing, approx. 1 hour. Even though this is a simple little drawing, I like it very much and thought I'd share it with the rest of you. Must be the expression. )