Last week during MoCCA, I did what most attendees came here to do and sought to find some captivating artwork by emerging talents. The kinds of pieces compelled one to stop in their tracks in visual awe, which is how I stumbled upon the unique and whimsical stylings of SVA graduate and Chinese illustrator, Caitlin Du. Her depiction of childhood innocence intertwined with vibrant landscapes prompted me to stop at her booth and learn about her most recent creation, Fly Child. Which is a tale about family trauma and the quest for belonging.
We spoke with Du in an interview, which was edited below for clarity.
CHRISTIAN ANGELES: I loved your booth, which was filled with colorful adorable characters and pretty scenic backgrounds. For those unfamiliar, can you share with audiences who you are?
CAITLIN DU: My name is Caitlin Du. I am a Chinese illustrator who draws a lot of comics. I like to describe my art as “Expired childhood”. As in, my illustrations are vibrant, whimsical, and have a sense of naivety to them, but often depict realistic themes such as family trauma, isolation, and death. So my work would taste like the nostalgia of childhood, but moldy! The reason I dabble on those sad themes is first, to help myself process through some trauma. And second, because maybe my work can help others process through the same feelings.
ANGELES: How bold! Your booth really stood out in this corner of MoCCA. Can you share what your experience has been like with the festival over the years?
DU: I visited MoCCA for the first time in 2022 and tabled at MoCCA in 2023 and this year. MoCCA 2023 was my first time tabling ever. I applied with three friends and got a 4-foot table. Tabling was such a new experience so I was obsessed with my sales. I thought that sales was a solid criteria to show whether people liked my work. But that made me very anxious and antsy throughout the entire event.
This year, I felt at ease after viewing MoCCA more as an exhibition opportunity. I was happy whenever someone flipped open my zines even if they didn’t want to buy it. This calmness allowed me to genuinely connect with people. During the first day, an old man slowly and carefully read all of my zines page by page. He told me that Fly Child reminded him of his partner, who spent 60 years healing through parental trauma. His words motivated me to create more personal and emotional work.
ANGELES: You have a new comic called Fly Child. Can you tell us a bit more about this project, like its overall story goals and themes, and better yet, inspirations?
DU: Fly Child is a comic about the aspiring villain, Alex’s (aka Fly Child) emotional journey of dealing with the pent-up anger caused by her mother (aka the hero Lantern Fly) leaving to save another city. The comic zine that I have now is (hopefully) a chapter to a more extensive story!
Fly Child started as a class assignment in my graduate program in SVA MFA Illustration As Visual Essay. My professor, Viktor Koen, asked us to start a project based on “The Human Fly” by T.C Boyle. “The Human Fly” is a short story about the stunt artist Zoltan who performs increasingly self-destructive acts for fame. I got inspired by the story themes of “self-destruction” and “desire for attention”, and of course the insect part of the title.
I took these inspirations and created at least three written drafts of Fly Child. Fun fact! Alex beats Mrs. Pattingson up in the first version. I was advised by many to change the story because Alex was too mean and not sympathetic at all!
ANGELES: It’s funny, besides your background designs, I really loved how Fly Child plays well on the insect versus the world theme. But what’s up with “Moth York” or “Buuglyn” in Fly Child? What kind of world are you building here?
DU: I love how you describe Alex’s experience as “insect versus the world” because that’s definitely what she would think. But the world is not against her. In a way, she is the one creating obstacles for herself.
I want to build a world that is bug-themed, where all the heroes and villains are inspired by bugs. Although I am scared of insects (especially roaches), they have such unique shapes, patterns, and distinct movements. Bugs are great inspirations for exaggerated character designs. And since these heroes are so admired (Lantern Fly especially), it would make sense for the public to name cities after them. Moth York is based on New York (in case the pun isn’t apparent). Buuglyn Thrift Store is inspired by the Beacon’s Closet in Williamsburg!
ANGELES: A bit of a spoiler, the Mrs. Pattingson’s twist in the first story arc is awesome. Can you elaborate more on their particular relationship and do you have any other rogue villains planned in the series?
DU: I created Mrs.Pattingson at first to be the final villain Fly Child has to face. Frogs and flies are natural enemies! Instead, she is now a mentor to Fly Child. Both Mrs. Pattingson and Alex are lonely outcasts. Mrs.Pattingson is an undercover hero when she could’ve been a celebrity like Lantern Fly. Her costume is also a frog, while this world idolizes bugs. But besides that, they are neighbors too. I implied that Mrs. Pattingson has been distantly taking care of Alex since a young age, even before Alex’s rebellious stage (she knows Alex likes stew!).
I also made their hero costume function similarly. Neither of them have superpowers, but they rely on technology to help them fight. In the future, Fly Child will get some updated techware with the help of Mrs.Pattingson.
And yes, there will be a lot of wacky rogue villains coming up. For example, Cynthia (the mean girl)’s father, seems to be one of the top villains. I wonder if he would be mad knowing that Alex tried to punch his daughter…
ANGELES: Speaking of parents, can you talk about Alex’s heroic mother? People seem to love her even though she’s distant. Seems there’s unresolved parental trauma here.
DU: Alex’s mother Lantern Fly is a career-oriented independent woman. She has a lot of responsibilities: protecting Moth York, protecting cities besides Moth York, and numerous brand deals. She definitely thinks about Alex occasionally. But she believes a hero’s child should be strong and independent.
This mother-daughter dynamic is inspired loosely by my own experience growing up in a traditional Chinese household. I know my mom loves me, but I am often hurt by how she is emotionally distant and difficult to impress.
Alex probably feels the same. Maybe she wants to be a villain to increase the crime rate in Moth York so that Lantern Fly would come back.
ANGELES: Can’t wait to read more. Finally, what do you aspire for in your artistic career over the next few years? Do you have any words of wisdom for fellow creatives looking to make art and break into the industry?
DU: I want to publish my own graphic novel! That’s my ultimate goal. But besides that, I want to draw editorial illustrations, make more comic zines, and table at more fairs. I am working on another fun comic project now! The story is loosely autobiographical, about a Chinese kid being thrown into an American public elementary school not knowing how to speak English or how to make friends. And I will also be tabling at a few more fairs before the summer, including NYC Feminist Zinefest, Brooklyn Independent Comic Showcase and Brooklyn Comic Con.
And for fellow creatives, please don’t let rejections scare you! I used to be sad because I could never get into any illustration competitions. I even cried when some of the winner announcements came out. However, I realized that I am not suitable for those competitions that accept single-image submissions. Because my comic functions better as a sequence. So instead of judging yourself based on one rejection, find your own target audience, evaluate your strengths, and define your own success!
You can find more from Caitlin Du on her website www.caitlindu.com or follow on instagram via @phantalism