Dr. Van Naster's Traveling Puppet Circus

Pen and Ink. Based on the "strange traveler" archetype. This piece pays a slight nod to the classic film, "the seven faces of Dr. Lao," with a darker twist.

In many famous stories, there is often a strange traveler who wanders into town and forever changes the lives of the residents who live there, sometimes for better or worst. My piece conveys a story about a traveling showman--Dr. Van Naster-- who puts on display a cast of puppets who entertain guests with their silly performances. Each puppet has their own story, and their own character, and their own intentions in showing, or even exposing, the true colors of their guests.

This piece was drawn with the intention of challenging viewers to take a closer look at each figure in the drawing and to come up with a story of their own.