When I was a kid, we had a bookcase with lots of books. We had all of the Dr. Seuss books, as well as A Fish Out Of Water, Go Dog Go, and many more. One was a joke book. It had a riddle that asked
What’s big and red and eats rocks?
Answer:
A big, red, rock eater.
I’ve thought of that joke often throughout my life, and I recently did this small mixed media painting:
I didn’t mean to paint a big, red rock eater, but here it is. And then I realized that I have a character in The Adventures Of Flash Meridian which is a big red alien that likes to eat rocks.
I wonder if they are connected.
It was tall, like I said, and its skin was red. Magenta. It had a long, thin neck with a raised spiral encircling it several times from top to bottom.
Two appendages rose from its elongated cranium, looking like antennae or horns. Or pigtails.
That eye. It was so round. So white. So intense. It looked startled, of course. Was it unfriendly? Aggressive? Flash couldn’t be sure, so he remained still and reminded himself that this was a dream. Or was it? Now he couldn’t be sure.
It sniffed the air in Flash’s direction, and then, apparently satisfied with its investigation, turned back and resumed licking the rock face.
Flash walked closer and sat on a rock near the alien.
What are you doing?, he asked between the loud slurping sounds.
Have you tasted these rocks? They are delicious.
from The Adventures of Flash Meridian
Episode 99: Magenta