A few years back, I stumbled across a tweet from  indigorho that read:

"Out of shape ex-jock seagull bro whose crow roommate keeps bringing him free food from his restaurant job...

and I liked the premise so much, that I made THIS SKETCH. Honestly, the whole fit-to-fat trope is one of my greatest weaknesses. And if you combine that with a round, gradually expanding bird, you have a recipe for the most scrumptious of treats. It is like stale fries to a certain species of marine birds. I R R E S I S T I B L E .

In any case, ever since 2018 this scenario has been in my mind, and I would occasionally revisit it. Imagine how it would have gone. Wonder about what might had happened to our ex-jock as he indulges in more and more burgers, initially being oblivious to his widening frame, mocking his bespectacled corvid pal about how out of breath he would be after climbing a single flight of stairs. Making fun about how —with his exceptional metabolism— he could eat anything and not be concerned at all about putting on a single ounce.

And then, over the course of months, as usual activities become more and more difficult to do, such as bending over, rolling off the bed, and even going through doorways, he begins to realize that perhaps, three triple burgers for each of the three meals a day (not counting snacks), might be the reason none of his workout clothes fit anymore.

Despite being determined to change is habits, his roommate, the cunning crow working extra hours at a fast food restaurant, keeps enticing him with leftovers and spare meals. What good is a walk down the park if several heaps of fries are waiting for you near the couch, all set for a lazy evening zoning out and letting your quandaries be washed away by a couple supersized milkshakes.

And then, one day, while staring at the mirror, trying to comprehend how a formerly-fit feathered fellow could blow up into a positively plump plumed partner, it clicks. It was meant to be. The path is clear... it was never about athletic performance, it was all about greatness. And there is no other way to embrace greatness than to become truly grand. Those prime years are a thing of the past. The gull reached his peak and enjoyed the ride, but now, years later, there was no going back. Now it was time to live a different kind of success: the one that came from the blinking and ever-increasing numbers in the scale.

Sea-gull? He was about to become a true OCEAN-gull!

And just with that, the sound of keys sliding into the keyhole and the door being pushed open, indicated that his next meal had just arrived. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for making fun of the nerdy crow back when he had moved in, but after all this time, it felt like they had managed to leave that all in the past. Blushing a bit he touted the idea of inviting him out to eat at one of those fancier diners by the boardwalk. You know, for a change. Not as a date-date... only as a friendly gesture to his bro. It would be a nice gesture. That's all...

In any case, the far more important matter right now was that hopefully the messed-up order under the black bird's wing had been super-sized.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Back when I posted the original sketch, I said "I'd love to read what the future might be keeping in store for this odd couple", and I guess I took matters into my own hands, and made a general story arc. But still, I would love to see more in depth development of how these two interact on a daily basis. And again, I don't plan for them to become characters of mine. Just a generic ex-jock gull and a nerdy crow.

Original idea inspired by  indigorho

Artwork and story by, yours truly,  dragontzin