Mohawk countryfinding characters jeronim

Unlike the character of Willem Tomassen, who arrived pretty much intact from the start, Harmen’s other companion, Jeronimus de la Croix, underwent some significant changes as I worked on Journey into Mohawk Country. Here we have assembled a smattering of early concepts; some of it works, some doesn’t.

In the journal, Jeronimus comes across as somewhat accident-prone and easily worried, and as such he developed into a more comical figure than his companions in Mohawk Country. Additionally, his robust physique contrasts nicely with tall, thin Willem and short, flamboyant Harmen. There was something about this character that inspired editor Mark Siegel: he was always pushing for me to make Jeronimus “fatter, sweatier”. He did indeed undergo a bulking up from these initial sketches, but I tried to keep his sweatiness to an acceptable level. I’d like to apologize to the real Jeronimus de la Croix, who may indeed have been a very svelte and sweat-free man in life.