Once again I managed to brave the heat to make it out to Coney “no shade in sight” Island to draw Nathan’s annual Independence Day tradition, the hotdog eating contest, except this time, I had backstage passes, aka a better view to draw from. Why? Because my friend Yasir “Doggybag” Salem had finally qualified for the event, and was on stage with the likes of Joey Chestnut and Eater X. All drawings seen here were done in real time on location, and colored in later using Photoshop.
Top: The line-up of hungry hopefuls; above left: Yasir “Doggybag” Salem in the same gear he would wear three days later when competing in the NYC triathlon; above right: Despite tiaras and false eyelashes, the women’s competition was just as ugly as the men’s, and bottom right: Winner Joey Chestnut & runner-up (in festive American flag thong)