STINGY JACK - A Halloween Myth. by Lewis Cooper

The Legend .... In old Dublin there lived a man known as Stingy Jack. He was a bad lot, a thief, a drunkard, a liar, a miser and a trickster. He made people’s lives a misery, they thought him worse that the Devil. Hearing this rumour the Devil came to collect his soul and drag him to Hell. But Jack tricked him, as a last request he asked the Devil to get him an apple from high up in a tree. Once the Devil was in the tree, Jack surrounded its base with crucifixes...so the Devil was trapped. Jack said he’d set him free if the Devil VOWED that Jack would NEVER go to Hell. The vow was made. Free from the threat of Hell Jack’s behaviour became worse. When he died, he couldn’t get into Heaven because of his sins. The Devil wouldn’t let him into Hell because of the vow. But the Devil gave him a burning coal from Hell to light his way. Jack now wanders forever in purgatory. He carved out the centre of a turnip and put the coal in it to make a lamp. (These days it’s a pumpkin...easier to carve.) Old Jack now wanders ghostly on All-Hallows-Eve. He’s out there folks!! HE, HE. HAH, HAH...HAAARRR! (In case you’re wondering, that last bit was me having a mad laugh.)

Love stories about trying to outwit the devil. Great drawing. Character props and background.

Great character drawing and a most interesting story!!

Hell of a story and great image to match it!

Great story and great artwork fabulous combo , beautifully drawn Lew .

Good story, super illustration. I think I would have stuck with the traditional turnip/swede/neep (depending on your location) lantern - pumpkins were pretty much unknown back in the day. As was Halloween 'traditions' come to that, we carved turnip lanterns in preparation for bonfire night.

Thank you for your comments. I don’t have any memories of Halloween as a kid in the 1950s. Bonfires yes, and the odd paper lantern that seemed exotic to me. The pumpkin/turnip thing didn’t feature at all. Then it became, like everything else, commercialised. I’ve no real interest in the Halloween shindigs, except that I like drawing fantasy stuff.

Superb Halloween picture and story, nice one Lew.

Great story, wonderful painting Lewis !!

Great drawing and great story!

Great story Lewis and fabulous artwork. Like yourself I grew up hardly aware of Halloween - there certainly wasn’t the fuss and commercialism of today. A time of excessive nonsense, money, making baloney and a distraction from reality. Sorry don’t men to be a party pooper but the demands put upon parents is ridiculous.

What a great story and a brilliant illustration of Jack.

Love it !!

Gosh, what a story and what a great drawing too

Fantastic illustration Lewis

The fog effect works a treat Lewis as dose Stick Jack.

Great illustration Lewis and the pumpkin has the same face as Jack! As a child we made turnip lanterns- no pumpkins around then- not easy to hollow out!

Love the ghosty story Lew, daren’t go out tonight! 🎃😂

I like the effect of this Lewis. Is it watercolour?

Yes Jade. Pen and watercolour.