The Saw Man is a comic adaptation of a New York Times article written by Randy Kennedy, and later published in his compilation book, Subwayland. I have always been drawn to the characters that exists in the underbelly of the city, the homeless, the street performers, the cooks, the construction workers, etc. The subject of this article, Moses E. Josiah, a subway performer who plays the musical saw, immediately captured my imagination. The idea of a religious man who seeks to spread the gospel in the subway with the use of a handsaw as his choice of musical instrument is such an unique combination, that I felt compelled to illustrate his experience. I want to shed some light on hardworking and talented individuals such as Mr. Josiah who make a living performing for the public. Without them, the subway would be a much more miserable place than it already is, and we should all support people like Moses Josiah who lifts us up with his music.

Visually, I sought to create 4 pages of comic that could both read coherently as a storytelling device and also as 4 beautifully crafted illustrations that one could look at simply for the artwork. While reading the comic, I want the reader to feel as though they are one of the commuters in the Union Square Subway Station. My goal is to create an immersive journey, allowing the readers to experience a day in Moses Josiah’s life, his struggles and the impact he has on the subway riders of New York.

https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/22/nyregion/tunnel-vision-some-saw-on-a-fiddle-he-does-the-exact-opposite.html