Best Looks - Abel Boddy #360 (Patreon)

Another walk and talk between Howard and Bonnie. In retrospect, every major arc should've opened this way because I found it was a great way to set the tone for what was coming but also integrate Howard's best girlfriend into the story. She is based on three good female friends of mine but since the side characters did not have their own arcs you never really got a feel of her day-to-day - but I tried to say something with her clothes. Which was like: "Howard - but a lady - but more successful".

Howard's look here is pretty simple. He was a temp worker for most of the strip until he landed a full time gig at the corporate office of Chrome Donuts. So, sometimes I'd dress him based on the idea that he was coming from a random job. So here, it's just a gray sweater and slacks, with some clean autumn shoes. A tailored blazer/jacket thing, knit beanie and a scarf for the weather. But my favorite touch is the green motorcycle gloves.

In the next strip, Howard comes home to his guardian angel in the middle of a hook up. What did Howard do between walking with Bonnie and getting to his door? He stopped by a store, he picked up the mail... - it's these sorta details I labor over, for better or for worse.

And if that wasn't enough: The banister in Howard's hallway was based on the one in the 1967 film Barefoot in the Park, the sconce is based on the one in the hallway on the sitcom Friends.