The collection is housed in the 16th-century vaulted cellar of what was once the Marquis De Sade’s house. Sade lived in the building as a young man and developed the beginnings of his notorious sexual appetite there. Today the museum’s whimsical holdings are a delightful counterpart to its sadist history, and are appropriate for adults and children alike. Every tour concludes with a magic show.” [click here to read more]

Inspiration from the Museum of Magic

While there we saw a very cool optical illusion created when you spun an illustration around (like a roulette wheel) and watched as one drawing became another, depending on whether it was upside down or right side up. This gave Miguel had a great idea. Use that idea to create a “memento mori” that we can use the back cover for all of the Past Due volumes. Sweet!

What’s a Memento Mori

According to Webster’s dictionary:

Memento mori literally means “Remember you must die”. The early Puritan settlers were particularly aware of death and fearful of what it might mean, so a Puritan tombstone will often display a memento mori intended for the living. [click here to read more]

A basic memento mori painting, coin or piece of art would have a skull. There are many examples, but Miguel decided to create one of his own and upped the anti by taking one illustration that is really two, depending on whether it’s upside down or right side up.