Changing appearance to seduce your loved one is the prerogative of the shapeshifter, a fantastic creature that Timothé the Butcher has staged in the guise of Francesca Forabosco.
Renowned and eccentric singer, she wants to possess the young Ambroise, a harpist who seeks to impose himself within the orchestra he has just joined.
The opportunity for Francesca to take him under her wing and offer him a strange deal: he will have to take up 47 challenges to obtain the harp of his dreams.
The prey is shod.
Read also
The
BD box:
The Patient
, immersed in the frightening mind of a psychopath
“
If a character had the power to shape their body and character to seduce their loved one, what would happen?
», Asked the author in the preamble of the first part of
47 strings
. After causing a sensation with his graphic novel
These
Vanishing
Days
, a sci-fi tale based on the double identity, the psychological thriller,
The Patient,
the author returns with the UFO
47 Strings
. The one who was inspired by the tragic tale of
The Little Mermaid
by Andersen, has produced a sensual and captivating album offering a gallery of colorful characters. Because Francesca does not skimp on metamorphoses to approach Ambroise, alternately male or female. "
The character in
47 strings
is multiple which raises a lot of questions about identity, gender, physical stereotypes, romantic desire ... Themes that I have already addressed in my previous albums but in a different way ”
, emphasizes Timothé Le Boucher.
Interweaving realism and fantasy, the designer gives his work a metaphorical dimension specific to mythological tales, from
Ovid
's Metamorphoses to
the Iliad
and
the Odyssey.
of Homer.
By virtue of their supernatural ability, shapeshifters rise to the level of the gods.
Like a Zeus transformed into a shower of gold to seduce Danae, Francesca Forabosco and her many avatars use humans to establish their power and cheat their boredom.
And is not the ambrosia this tasty substance serving as food for the gods of Olympus providing immortality to those who eat it ... Relayed by a refined graphics, which brilliantly highlights all the force of the subject, this first section, rich in 387 pages, holds the reader in suspense from the first to the last page.
The BD box: decryption of Timothé Le Boucher
“The character of the singer allowed me to take the reader into the strange world of the shapeshifter.
A world where she is so bored that she creates ubiquitous stagings to entertain herself »Thimothé Le Boucher / Glénat
“This box marks the first appearance of Francesca Forabosco, the shapeshifter who set her sights on Ambroise.
The young man has come for a small job of which he does not know the purpose.
He was asked to put on a jumpsuit and stand in a room in the middle of men, reduced to the status of objects.
In the right box, it is in the center.
The entry of the singer is part of a theatrical performance. To comfort people the shifter used a physique from the collective imagination. Over the course of her many transformations, she realized that people liked bodies that matched their somewhat cliché vision. The shapeshifter has fun with her audience, which she measures. Her body language, her haughty attitude translate the emotional bluntness she has for humans. In his eyes they represent only simple utilitarian objects. His relationship with humans is limited to domination and enslavement. However, Ambrose has a cracked mask, as a sign of rebellion that sets him apart from the rest. This is also why she chose him.
“This scene also contains a metaphorical dimension, illustrating the abuse of the overpower that comes from wealth.
"
Timothé The Butcher
The character of the singer also allowed me to take the reader into the strange world of the shapeshifter.
A world where she is so bored that she creates ubiquitous staging to entertain herself.
This scene also contains a metaphorical dimension, illustrating the abuses of the overpower that comes from wealth.
The extreme wealth enjoyed by the singer allows her to use others as objects for her own pleasure.
To highlight its superiority, I made it appear in the opposite direction of the gaze.
She should have entered from the left.
The shifter character often pops out of the boxes as if comic codes or rules don't apply to her.
For the decor of the villa, which can be seen in the background, I revisited the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles in a more refined and stripped-down version.
This baroque aesthetic mixed with contemporary elements illustrates both the distant era from which it came and its ability to adapt.
On the walls there are mermaid paintings painted all over the place.
The mermaid is a seductive being who attracts its prey to the seabed.
This figure is the main inspiration for the shapeshifter character.
Graphically I use a stylized line to facilitate reading and to highlight the subject.
The anatomies are more realistic than in my previous albums, to be able to be more precise on the design of the many characters.
Regarding the color, which for me supports the narration, I opted here for white latex suits enhanced with light reflections highlighting subdued hues in this slightly shaded atmosphere.
It also allowed me to put before the body of the singer, which we can glimpse through the transparency of her dress.
47 Cordes,
Timothé Le Boucher, Glénat editions, 25 euros.
