Thursday, June 4, 2009

My name is Caine


Today started off with a bit of sad news. David Carradine passed away. I won't get into the particulars of how or why, that's not my place. Especially since I am completely not in the know, or in Thailand right now. But I will say that I was really saddened to hear this news.

Obviously, I was too young to watch Kung Fu on television. I was around for Kung Fu: The Legend Continues. But was actually disappointed with the show, so I wasn't a regular viewer. However, I did LOVE the Kung Fu movie. David captured my imagination as Kwai Chang Caine. Not to mention the fact that Brandon Lee was in the movie too. It was hokey, and had a very predictable plot. But it was fun.

Then a few years ago they released the original series on DVD and I fell in love. It is a refreshing dose of television, not just for its time, but today as well. It teaches such basic life lessons that people often overlook, but that martial arts training has always tried to instill in its practitioners.
Caine's search across america is nothing short of wonderful. The characters he interacts with are varied and colorful, and at the end of each episode you truly feel like he touched the people in the episode.

So today's sketch is inspired by Kwai Chang Caine. Is it a perfect rendering of Carradine? No. It is none the less an interpretation of the character. One that became an influence on me, even long after its prime.

If I have time I may do another sketch showing the softer side of Caine. But we'll see what happens.

Have a great day everyone. Enjoy the sun.

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