Rob Clough: Adult Drawing on STAR OF SWAN

August Tales

Breakdown Press, a benchmark in revolutionary comic publishing, has released two new comics by Margot Ferrick called “Star Of Swan” and “Half Gold/Half Dung”. They both dive deep – a glimpse into Ferrick’s psyche, notably exploring the self and creative expression. “Star Of Swan” portrays the challenge of creating in a disapproving world. “Half Gold/Half Dung” experiments, and explores gender identity and passion through a video game narrative.

Role-Playing Games influence on Art

Starting as a Dungeons & Dragons player in the early 80s, I find the influence of the game fascinating. Artists are drawn to it, likely due to how role-playing games champion character narrative and world-building. Besides defeating monsters and seeking treasure, the allure lurks in the chance to ad-lib character reactions within established plotlines. This process, described by Ferrick in “Half Gold/Half Dung”, can lead to surprising revelation of the self. Video game narratives have followed suit, allowing you to step inside a ready-made character or to devise your own.

Cartoonists’ journey into Character Narrative

For an artist, the draw to create their character’s narrative and explore their experience is addictive. One such representation is the game Dark Souls being euphemised by Virginia Paine as an enduring fight against depression. In “Half Gold/Half Dung”, Ferrick sketches a pointed-hat wizard as her male alter-ego. The narrative flits through romance, peril, and heroic poses, then distills down to intimate illustrations of lovers in familiar embraces.

Unveiling the Unconscious through Fantastical Worlds

The second part focuses on the knight’s journey in remembering his past while the audience learns through his discoveries. His painful realizations mirror his hoary past, thereby aligning with the “half-dung” imagery referenced in the title.

Meanwhile, her other comic, “Star of Swan”, winds through a surreal journey. Leona, an anthropomorphic swan, yearns for a utopia that simply does not exist. This longing forms the central connection between Ferrick’s works. Leona’s ultimate dream is to transform into an airplane, a symbol of purity and liberation.

Comic Connotations and Transformations

Ferrick’s skillful foreshadowing paints an ironic and intriguing tale of anthropomorphism as a means for salvation. In this peculiar climax, Leona willingly subjects to a horrific transformation to become an airplane. Yet, the hope of releasing her nightmares of isolation and disconnection dissipates when the experiment fails.

Art as a Vouchsafe for Dreams

The comic ends on a poignant note when Leona, in her perpetual yearning, hopes for art to bring her dreams to fruition. The interconnected themes revealed in “Half Gold/Half Dung” reverberate in “Star Of Swan”. Ferrick conveys the humiliation of exposing oneself through art. This dialogue resonates with Gabrielle Bell’s quote, “It is humiliating to expose myself like this, but it is worse to try to hide it.”. Ferrick’s work compels her to bare her soul on paper with compelling visuals.