Enter Pirates
"Enter pirates." - Shakespeare
Huh? Why, of everything the Bard wrote would we pick this absurd stage direction to illustrate?
Because it was there, my friend. Because it was there.
Like our other favorite stage direction ("Exit, pursued by a bear"), this line originated from one of Shakespeare's later "Romance" plays, in this case Pericles, Prince of Tyre. Despite its challenges, we are big fans of its wild, massive scope. Part Odysseus, part Job, the play features literal deus ex machina moments when greek gods appear, and the best random pirate kidnapping of all time.
Given how much of the play takes place at sea, we wanted our illustration to feature a rogue wave and a shore. Because the play builds its themes using high fantasy, we made a sand castle the object under threat. A setting sun and the wave combine to suggest a pirate flag.
