Comic

Augustus in the Human World

Emelia Salmon

REPLACE, CT

Advisor: heejoo kim

Artist Bio

Emelia Salmon is an illustrator, comic creator, and designer. Ever since she was a child, she had a creative streak, which included stapling hundreds of printer paper together in the name of “writing a novel”, or following “How-To-Draw-Manga” videos on YouTube.

What was “just a hobby” stuck for nearly two decades and led to pursuing a BFA in Digital Media and Design at the University of Connecticut.

Salmon works with The Digital Experience Group /UConn i3, where she does UI/UX/ Graphic Design work for researchers/faculty across campus. She also has extensive experience in social media marketing and character design, accumulating tens of thousands of followers on TikTok/Instagram, as well as making viral short form content with millions of views. She is excited to work with a vibrant team of people to meet their creative goals and tell stories that appear simple at first, but spark meaningful discussions.

Artist Statement

As I entered my senior year of college, many anxious thoughts flashed through my mind. Things I’m sure we can all relate to, like, “Oh no, I need to find a job,” and “What will friends and family think of me if I end up unemployed after graduation?” Throughout school, I worked hard, because that’s what adults told me to do. You work hard in school so you can get a good job and have a good salary. I’d tell myself, “Just do the hard work now, so you don’t have to work hard when you’re older.” Now as a university senior, I’m beginning to understand that hard work never really ends. I soon realized that I think our society places too much emphasis on your job and how hard you work.

Augustus in the Human World is a graphic novel about a merman who dreams of becoming an office worker. The story offers many perspectives on its central theme of work and the meaning of life. It follows Augustus, a merman with a fish-out-of-water approach to understanding human society. The crux of the story is that Augustus’ real dream isn’t to be an office worker, but to be human. He falsely believes that in order to be human, you have to work. The story explores themes such as toxic work cultures, finding meaning in life outside of a job, and what it means to be human. It is a project where I explore our relationship with work—packaged with slap-stick comedy and romantic elements.