Beware the Ripper

Little known fact about me, I'm a HUGE fan of true crime stories. I like fictional crime stories, but nothing beats the true crime, because, well....they actually happened.

In all of the stories I've read, none has been able to captivate my interest more than the accounts of the infamous Jack the Ripper.

For those not familiar with the story, Jack the Ripper was the first serial killer to gain widespread media coverage, and is arguably the most famous of them all. He committed his crimes from August 1888 to around November of the same year. He was known for his particularly grotesque murders, and the savagery in which he committed them. Without going into the gory details (you can read about them here), let's just say "the Ripper" was able to terrify an entire city in the short time he operated in.

What has always been the most interesting thing to me, is the air of mystique surrounding the events. Jack was never caught, and to this day (123 years later), has yet to be positively identified. There are countless theories as to who Jack the Ripper actually was, but I believe that this is one of those stories that will forever remain unsolved.

I caught a documentary on PBS (I love PBS!) from 1993 that detailed what was believed to be the actual handwritten diary of Jack the Ripper (it's been disputed numerous times). The documentary was set up so that an actual voiceover (well done, by the way) read entries from the diary as they played reenactments of the events. The whole thing was well done, and really re-sparked my interest in the story. The only natural thing for me to do was (you got it)....draw something out.

The top image is a very, very loose sketch of a more fictional, fantasy based Jack the Ripper. If you look at the facial area closely, you'll see that he has sort of a skeletal appearance. I did that to add to the whole mystique of the character. Make him appear as almost a phantasm or ghost of sorts. I really like the tall, foreboding stature, and the over-the-shoulder look.

The second image is based on the cover of a book I saw years ago. While Jack was never positively ID'd, this book presented an interesting theory. I wanted to draw Jack as a good looking, English gentlemen. Someone who wouldn't have a hard time luring his victims away. I also wanted to give him that sinister undertone in the eyes and the shading.

Both of these are just quick attempts to capture Jack the Ripper in some form. They came out better than I thought, so I figured I would share them with you. While the mystery will likely never be solved, I love reading the different theories, and coming up with my own interpretations of just who Jack the Ripper really was.


Word.