#cushing

Ever since Emmrich’s writer named Peter Cushing as his primary influence, I haven’t been able to get this image of them together with this quote out of my head.

The quote is from Hound of the Baskervilles ‘59, which starred Cushing in the role of Sherlock Holmes. But I chose to draw Cushing in his outfit from the Horror of Dracula where he played Van Helsing.

I absolutely adore Peter Cushing and I have so many thoughts on the implications of his influence on Emmrich.

Cushing was, himself, a gentle man and a gentleman of big emotions. His wife was the love of his life, and in his autobiography, he stated that his life as he loved it ended with her passing. He didn’t believe in ending one’s life intentionally, and lived out his remaining decades waiting to see her again in the afterlife.

He also had a deep-seated fear of death, instilled in him by his mother, who would feign her own death when he’d been naughty as a child.

His friendships were also deep and lasting, with Christopher Lee (Dracula in he Hammer films, Saruman) saying upon his passing “At some point of your lives, every one of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend whom you love and care for very much. That person is so close to you that you are able to share some things only with him. For example, you can call that friend, and from the very first maniacal laugh or some other joke you will know who is at the other end of that line. We used to do that with him so often. And then when that person is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life ever again”

I think of these things and how they influence the lens through which I see Emmrich. His desire for that “one true love,” as Cushing had with Helen. How deeply he cares for his friends. How kind and compassionate he is.

I have many more thoughts and could likely write essays on this. But I shall restrain myself.

Alfred Eisenstaedt. Andrew Wyeth's bedroom, Cushing, Maine. 1965

it’s the size of a blueberry roughly and pushing into my optic nerve so that’s like cool as hell

i’ve named her tina tumour, and i absolutely plan on glorifying, romanticising, and laughing about my tumour.