The Draw Play

I often get asked about the early Browns hydras, but due to a hard drive transfer and failure on my previous computer, I’m pretty sure I have long lost the original version. However, a longtime follower located the earliest version I have seen in a long time, and from what I can tell might be the OG one.

I think there is a chance I made the first at just 21 players, and that this was my first “edit”, to add Connor Shaw to the far left of the 4th row. His head feels slightly out of place, and my original shape for the hydra was not likely conceived as an evolving work of art. The shape makes better original compositional sense if I started at 21 and Shaw was my first addition. Shaw also looks slightly more high-fidelity than the others. Anyway, this was made in roughly 2014-15ish, and you can plainly see I have added 20 more players since. I’ve had to extend the canvas multiple times. I even attempted to retire it once. Just a diabolical historical record here.

I got so curious that I whipped out my storage hard drive anyway, and I think I actually did find it, and my instincts about the one above were spot on: Shaw was the first addition. This is 99.9% likely to be the original hydra:

This was a strange week for me. I got TNF wrong (as would I assume most people did), but then I got every early Sunday game correct. Then I got most of the afternoon slate wrong. A stupid week. I’m a little bummed I didn’t get to draw more for Stephen King week, but those Patreon users will find more to see later on!