Tom Tom the Tomato Hookworm

 And here he is, munching his way to mothdom.

And here are my Halloweenies.

And here is the photo.  I have worked on this three times and failed utterly every time.  The last time the painting had taken on a sinister tone and since it was near Halloween I enhanced it.

I first came across the photo in Chicago History Magazine.  I believe it is was taken about 1911 somewhere in Pilsen.  I was struck by their poses which reminds me of one of those lurid John Robbins books of the early sixties.  In the center is the blonde, note her stride, she would rise from abject poverty to become a big Hollywood Star ruthlessly treading over the bodies of those who got in her way.  The brunette became sort of a shy academic, at first thrilled by her friend's ascent than horrified by the means of ascent.  She would be compelled to write a tell-all book which would pit the childhood friends against each other.  Who would win?  Would they reconcile?  You will have to read the book to find out.  The smaller blonde is the younger sister of the bigger blonde and would try to follow in her adored sister's footsteps, but would fall prey to soulless swains and of course drugs.  Would she fall by the wayside or would she see through the tinsel and take herself away to a nunnery?  Again you will have to read the book.

Now that I have explained that I don't really need to do the painting do I?  But maybe I will.  Mebbe I will.