Transcript
Titled ‘The Fairy Ring’, Gray’s work takes the form of 6 sheets of A4 paper in landscape position, folded and sewn down the centre to create a 12-page A5-size comic. Inspired by traditional Welsh folklore (primarily the stories of Pwca and Tylwyth Teg) it follows Gwynedd as they set out from their home for the day (with a reminder from their mum to be back in time to have Welsh rarebit for tea at six o’clock, and a warning that “it’s a full moon tonight, so all sorts of mischievous elves will be on the lookout for forgetful young ones like you [so] remember to turn your mittens inside out so the PwCa can’t trip you up!”. Gwynedd sets out with their labrador-like puppy into the forest. Foraging flowers and toadstools Gwynedd trips over a wire stretched between two trees. They almost stumble into a tunnel that’s half hidden by leaves. They glance at their watch (“five thirty”), shrug, then venture into the hole with their puppy. They emerge to discover a fairy ring, bounded by toadstools. A pink-winged fairy, clad in pink dress and matching conical hat flutters beside Gwynedd, coaxing them into the ring (“come on in, we don’t bite!”). Gwynedd hesitates, mindful that they “have to get back for dinner by six o’clock” then steps into the fairy ring. A fairy places a pink conical hat on Gwynedd’s head. Holding hands, Gwynedd and the fairies dance in a circle. One fairy delves into Gwynedd’s basket begging for “just one toadstool”. Gwynedd hugs the basket to their chest. A fairy asks for the toadstools as they would be “the cherry on top” of the fairies’ feast. Gwynedd hands over the basket then trudges away. A fairy yanks them back, asking “you’re staying for the feast of course?” Gwynedd’s puppy peers over the edge of the tree-stump table as Gwynedd and the fairies feast. Afterwards, a fairy gives Gwynedd a map which she promises will “take you right back in time for dinner”. Gwynedd and their puppy crawl back through the tunnel to find the time is “five thirty again…?” and the tunnel entrance almost hidden by leaves. Back home, Gwynedd sits with their chin propped against one hand as they gaze down at the uneaten Welsh rarebit plated in front of them. Gwynedd’s dad assumes they “must still be full from today’s picnic”. Now smiling, Gwynedd says “year, we had lots of fun actually”, quickly defining the ‘we’ as “just me and the puppy I mean.”
The story is told through sequential picture boxes, many bordered by free-hand lines. Speech is captured in speech bubbles, although many of the boxes are pictorial only. Much is conveyed through Gwynedd’s body language and facial expressions (particularly through the positioning of their head and eyebrows). Gwynedd wears a green sweatshirt and beige trousers and has a shock of brown hair.
Gray deploys a select pastel colour palette throughout the comic, which is complimented by the pale blue thread used to bind the pages together and the pearlescent paper stock. The front cover features a spiral of mushrooms and toadstools around a central star. Above is the English title (‘The Fairy Ring’). Beneath, the comic’s alternative title in Welsh (‘cylch y tylwyth teg’), “a comic by Gray Edwards. The back cover is largely blank but for two fungi and the copyright and licensing information.
With this story, Gray’s aim was “to create a timeless and nostalgic story with a universal coming of age narrative”.
