Pearl of the Sea
A graphic novel
Story by: Anthony Silverston, Raffaella Delle Donne and Willem Samuel
Layout: Willem Samuel
Additional layout: Gabriela Camarillo, Kay Carmichael and Jessi Ochse
Inking and text: Jessi Ochse
Colour: Clyde Beech
Edits: Wayne Jones
Published by Catalyst Press (2023)
ISBN: 9781946395740
Produced by Triggerfish
The Afrikaans metaphor – “niemand se speelmaat” (no-one’s playmate) – is perhaps a most fitting descriptor for the Cape West Coast. Even the best memories a visitor may harbour are often tinged with the shadows of amongst others, a merciless wind, bone-chilling waters and a stark landscape.
From afar, it seems unthinkable to actually live there. People who stay in that part of the world appear trapped by the siren’s song of spectacular sunny skies, marine wilderness and the sense that one has it all to oneself. There is none of the lushness associated with the East Coast’s warm Agulhas current. When winter rolls through places like Yzerfontein, Saldanha and Paternoster, it brings skin-cracking cold and mist so thick one’s very soul is dampened.
Throw into the mix dozens of artisan fisher communities, gutted by drugs, gangsterism and unemployment, and you have the setting for Pearl of the Sea, a new graphic novel. It is published by Texas-based Catalyst Press (with an office in Cape Town), and is the first graphic novel production undertaken by Triggerfish Animation Studio in Cape Town.
The book recounts the story of a young woman in one of these hamlets.
Caught up in struggles typical to adolescents, Pearl must also contend with her world’s social ills and their symptoms. These include a mother who left never to return and an absent father who’s in and out of work as a chef. She escapes to solace whenever she can, with her faithful, one-eyed hound, Moby, motoring her little fishing bakkie out to go snorkelling in the magical worlds among the kelp forests.
Danger lurks everywhere, but she has learnt to handle herself.
It is this very personal journey that is the anchor of the tale rather than the incredible discovery Pearl eventually makes. The latter, however, becomes the fulcrum for transformation and redemption.
Still, this choice of perspective by the creative team is no cross-current to pace. In fact, Pearl of the Sea has a beguiling tempo populated by colourful plates that the reader will want to spend minutes exploring and those that will chase the eye through high drama.
The opening scene has Pearl’s slender form descending through fronds along an underwater reef, tropical fish peering from dark recesses. With the prospect of a hefty 159 pages to follow, we’re excited to see where this all leads.
It is a beautiful, flowing work that echoes both the serenity and tempestuous character of the ocean.
The question is: what is it that keeps us reading despite the story unfurling in what seems just another infuriatingly complex, desperate situation so familiar to South Africa? Undoubtedly, the ethereal lightness of the art, the subject matter and the glimmer of hope give it international appeal. But there’s something to be said for reading this with up-close South African insight and recognising its authenticity in both setting and dialogue.
At one point in the story, Pearl exclaims, “Flip!” in true South Africanism. That’s a smile moment.
Pearl of the Sea is a coming-of-age adventure story, but it is also mixed in with lively humour, tenderness and a measure of sadness. Its multi-layered storylines make for a wide audience of all ages, for sure.
As with his Moby creation, illustrator Willem Samuel has given us several memorable characters. Beyond Pearl, there’s the nasty, blowhard boss at the fish factory and the wheelchair-bound old salt, Richard “Rusty” Collin.
Each part contributes to a solid and seamless work that will easily find praise, and justifiably so. Pearl of the Sea succeeds on every level, creating an entertaining, enjoyable, and immersive experience that is unmistakably and truly South African.
The post Up-close South African insight: a review of <i>Pearl of the sea</i> appeared first on LitNet.