And while they sold shoes, they argued

I've been revisiting a story about a shoe shop that I wrote a while back, and have a few illustrations that I'm going to include in my portfolio for the upcoming SCBWI conference.

"And while they sold shoes, they argued.

On sunny days, they argued over where and how to display sunny day shoes in their boutique windows.  On rainy days, they argued over where and how to display rainy day shoes in their boutique windows.  And on days that were neither quite-sunny nor quite-rainy, they argued over where and how to display both rainy and sunny day shoes in their boutique windows.

Saturday, was such a day."

***

Wesley McNub

"Across the street, Wesley McNub owned a Factory Outlet Shoe Store where he sold shoes for Half Off the OSSP (Original Shoe Store Price).  On sunny days he would have factory tours and on rainy days he would have STORE WIDE SALES, discounting all the already-discounted items in his store."

Wesley McNub 2

"Wesley McNub, however, did not think much of Ned's wishes.  'There are plenty of customers to go around' he had insisted the week before.  'If they all choose to shop in my shoe shop instead of your shoe shop, that’s not my problem.  I sell shoes, not problems.' And he had shut the door in Ned's  face.

 ***

And a few more sketches:

Ned 1

"Still, he tried not to worry.  'I only wish...' he'd think.  He wished a little for things the way they were, before.  He wished a little for things the way they weren't, anymore.  But mostly, he wished for someone to buy his shoes."

Ned 2

Ned 3