Flower Boy

My Final Major Project - a Graphic Novel 250 pages in length, about the experience of teenage isolation and depression as a result of helicopter parenting intersecting with religious influences. The book was originally planned to be printed using a risograph printer, which which why most of the illustrations are in teal and orange.

Character Designs

In the graphic novel, it is implied that he is depicted as a dragon because his mother tells him that the images he draws is a window into his heart, and he enjoys drawing dragons. His appearance also doubles as an analogy for his isolation.

Ma

Harold

Harold, the main character of the graphic novel, was designed to be a Mommy's boy, down to the name. He is constantly dressed in a semi-formal dress shirt and shorts, with black shoes.

Ma is the Primary Antagonist of Flower Boy, who is Harold's mother. She is a devout Christian and wears a white dress, which is often used as a symbol of purity in character design. Over the course of Flower Boy, the sun on her face becomes a reoccurring symbol representing surveillance. It later spreads to the majority of his classmates, as he trusts them less and less.

Neph

Neph is one of Harold's friends and crush, who is a reclusive kid who understands Harold's situation the most. He is a good listener and enjoys reading books - as a result is the most emphatic of all the characters. In this character design, he becomes more closed in as he grows up as he has to bear the responsibility of raising his two younger brothers, although this is not disclosed in the final novel.

Aurelia

Aurelia is an outgoing kid who acts as a sort of comedic foil over the course of the graphic novel - she is a huge fan of bugs and enjoys collecting them. In this design progression I imagine her as the sort of kid who would be into tamagotchis and other "cool" trends going on at the time, although her appearance becomes increasingly scruffy as her mom has less control over her appearance.

Arthur

Arthur overall makes the least number of appearances in the final graphic novel - he is sporty and charismatic with many other friends. He goes through a teenage phase where he wants to be a knight, before that obsession translates to a obsession with a similarly named sports team. As the story progresses, he is one of the characters who's face is covered with a sun, as his mom and Ma work closely together to manage the Parent's Association in the school they attend.

The Art of Natalie Goh