Episode 100: The Lamb That Wants to Become Cashmere
Kang Lim returned to his studio and checked the materials he had bought.
Various items from the flea market… This time, he wanted to create a picture book that would satisfy both sight and touch.
A book that could be enjoyed by all children, not just Erlin.
“The screen should be made of thick muslin.”
Since he had to paint, sew, and attach various materials, muslin was the most suitable background.
The working method was to create the picture like a stage set and then photograph it.
“First, draw the background and then add three-dimensional materials. The text will be inserted via computer once the work is complete.”
Kang Lim organized the fabrics and decorations with various patterns.
Since the protagonist was a designer, the fabrics appearing in the story were important.
As many animals appeared, he also skinned the fur of the dolls.
Especially since the protagonist was a lamb, there were many dolls with wool similar to that of llamas and alpacas.
Kang Lim touched the skinned fur with his fingertips.
It was slightly matted yet soft, almost like real wool.
On the other hand, he felt a bit sorry for the stripped dolls.
Ignoring their sparkling eyes, he had cut off their fur; if children saw the process of this book being made, it might destroy their innocence.
“Using doll fur makes me feel guilty; how cruel would it be to use real animal fur?”
Kang Lim shook his head and opened a Hangul file.
He needed to check the framework of the story he had written.
“Erlin read my ‘Special Adventure,’ so he must have learned the lesson that he’s precious. Now, I want to tell a fun story.”
The plot of the new picture book was inspired by Erlin’s story.
It was about the people who bullied Erlin.
Overseas book fairs often deal with heavy themes due to the lack of censorship in children’s books compared to domestic fairs.
This time, Kang Lim planned to reveal the harsh realities of the world people live in.
“A story about having a lot of greed and eventually being consumed by it. The protagonist, who fails miserably due to materialistic desires and loses himself… It’s something Erlin should keep in mind as he grows up.”
The model for the protagonist lamb, Dolly, came from journalists.
Since he had seen journalists chasing issues from a young age, he knew how much stress it brought.
However, he didn’t want to criticize journalists in a one-dimensional way.
Even if they were often criticized for spreading celebrities’ SNS posts, it was still someone’s livelihood.
Kang Lim, while working in a company, had experienced how people could become sharp and sensitive when focused on making a living.
When daily life becomes tough, one naturally becomes less considerate of others.
“Journalists wouldn’t have started out that way. They probably had dreams of becoming intellectuals who reveal the truth in the world. Eventually, the pursuit of clicks for money led to sensational headlines. It’s a tough world to make a living in these days. Rather than attacking a specific group, I want the book to be a warning about overall human selfishness.”
Kang Lim began drawing a forest where animals lived as the first background.
He layered black paint multiple times to create a deep darkness and then dabbed white paint.
It was a very dark forest, a snowy mountain.
Animals gathered together to share body heat due to the lack of food.
Animals huddled together in a large cave. Among them, the most popular was the lamb.
Being with Dolly, who had a plump body and cozy fur, was very warm.
“But Dolly had different thoughts…”
Dolly was staring at the lights outside the cave.
In her round eyes, she could see the village where people lived.
She recalled the memory of meeting people in fancy clothes when she had gone down to get some food.
“In Dolly’s flashback scene, I’ll use fabrics with various textures. Exotic-patterned gypsy costumes, holey lace, and soft silk and nylon that people can touch.”
Dolly was shocked by the clothes people wore.
Skirts fluttering like oak leaves, intricately laced blouses resembling snowflake patterns, and shiny enamel shoes.
People dressed stylishly from head to toe.
Dolly made a resolution while looking at them. She would become a designer who makes beautiful clothes.
“Dolly, saying she’d rather try to succeed among people than keep starving, raising her split hooves up high and smiling brightly.”
Kang Lim squeezed out the water from his brush and applied ivory-colored paint with a swirling touch.
He drew Dolly, who expressed her dream with joyful expressions and abundant fur.
However, the animals opposed Dolly’s words.
They said that the clothes people wore were actually filled with animal fur, and that the recently missing friends from the forest were kidnapped by people and had their fur taken away, warning that it would be too dangerous to go to that village.
Especially, the rabbit and fox, who boasted soft, white fur, frowned.
“I’ll attach synthetic fur that people can touch whenever animals appear.”
Dolly got angry at the animals’ reactions.
She thought they would support her decision, but there was no such creature.
“Dolly, showing her anger, scraping the ground with her front hooves and threatening with her horns, shouting that everyone was just jealous and leaving.”
Dolly then dashed away with a squeal.
The animals all looked at Dolly with worried expressions.
Only the hoofprints in the snow remained.
“Dolly goes down to the village where people live with her family. In the scene where she starts designing, she vows to prove that the animals were wrong and to succeed, so I’ll draw her eyes with a sharp determination.”
Dolly wanted to create her own brand.
Her fluffy and warm wool was her pride, and she thought that preserving it would make for unique clothes.
Dolly diligently sheared and collected wool with her family, making various clothes.
“I’ll draw the workshop with a simple yet tidy background. It should contrast with the glamorous clothes of humans that I drew earlier.”
Kang Lim drew a log cabin in warm brown tones.
Dolly working on designs late into the night.
The room was filled with woolen clothes like duffle coats, sweaters, hoodies, and pants.
“Eventually, Dolly succeeds through her hard work. Everyone wears Dolly’s clothes. Everyone wears wool.”
Dolly became the top designer in the village, and people loved the colorful woolen clothes.
The warm fabric was excellent, but the button and zipper designs connecting the fabric were also stylish.
Dolly’s struggle was revealed through unique designs.
“I’ll dye the doll’s wool and sew it with various patterns. I’ll use old coins for buttons and cut shoes to make brooches.”
Dolly enjoyed the success, eating the food offered by people.
Sometimes, she looked out at the forest and mocked the animals still shivering in the cold.
As Dolly became more satisfied, she started to grow lazy.
Now, instead of creating new clothes, she was just replicating them.
“This is where she meets her downfall. One by one, customers stop coming, and dust gathers in front of the clothing store. Dolly starts worrying again, but this time she is much fatter and has a greedy expression.”
Dolly wondered why people no longer visited her store.
When she went outside, she immediately understood the reason.
People were all wearing clothes made of the same material.
Just as they had once cheered for woolen clothes, a new star had appeared.
People now said they wore cashmere.
They said wool was heavy and the designs were boring.
“Dolly immediately sets out to find cashmere. Instead of researching how to make her clothes new, she just copies others’ designs. From here on, Dolly loses her individuality. I’ll draw her eyes looking hollow.”
Dolly went back into the forest to find the animals.
Cashmere was slightly rough yet soft, so she first looked for the skunk.
“I’ll cut a large brush to attach the skunk’s fur. Mixing black and white brushes.”
When Dolly asked if the skunk was cashmere, the skunk, who had been living well alone, farted and said why was she pretending to be friendly now.
The skunk, who had never heard of such a thing, angrily told Dolly to disappear.
“The onomatopoeia for the fart here is important. Kids love this stuff. I’ll draw it big.”
Then what was that slightly rough fur?
In Dolly’s mind, only one candidate for cashmere remained.
An animal she had to risk her life to find, the wolf.
If she just went there, she would be eaten, so Dolly went into a snake’s den in hibernation and gathered plenty of shed skin.
“I’ll make the shed skin clothes from fake crocodile leather bags.”
Dolly covered herself in the shed skin and cautiously walked to the wolf’s house.
However, just as she was about to touch the fur lying in the yard, the wolf, who had smelled her like a ghost, woke up and she had to run away.
“Since this is a tense scene, I’ll only draw Dolly’s front hoof reaching for the fur. Above that, the wolf’s shadow will be cast.”
In the end, Dolly couldn’t find cashmere and returned home crying.
But what was this? A regular customer who often bought her clothes was at her house.
When asked why she was crying, Dolly said she was looking for cashmere.
“Since the protagonist is an animal, I’ll always draw humans with their faces cut off. Only their fancy clothes below the neck should be visible. It should look secretive and scary. Even though it seems like they’re helping, they’re not…”
The suspicious regular customer told Dolly about a factory.
She said if Dolly went there, she could get plenty of cashmere.
Following the customer’s drawn map, Dolly entered the factory.
When she opened the door, a shocking scene unfolded.
“Since this is the highlight, I’ll draw it big on a spread page. I’ll cut the linoleum that I bought from the second-hand market and attach it.”
Sheep were densely packed on a conveyor belt.
All were eating black grass, turning their mouths pitch black.
The sheep, with no expressions, were like machines, incessantly eating.
The sheep spoke to Dolly in the same voice.
If she ate this grass, her fur would turn into cashmere. They told her to come and eat too.
“Since it’s a bizarre scene, I’ll draw it in cold tones, mixing gray with blue. The fur of the sheep standing in the factory should gradually change, so I’ll paint the groups with different shades, from white to black.”
The greedy Dolly didn’t hesitate and got on the conveyor belt.
After eating black grass for months, she felt her fur stiffening.
It looked rough but felt soft to the touch. It was definitely cashmere.
“Lastly, Dolly looks into a mirror. The reflection in the mirror is exactly like a goat. Since lambs and goats have been used as contrasting concepts, like good and evil, since ancient times, it would be good to give a metaphorical feeling. In the end, Dolly lost herself due to her greed. She’s fallen.”
Dolly, excited to see herself as a goat, ran home.
She wanted to tell her family and get everyone involved to make plenty of cashmere.
“But when she arrived, her family didn’t open the door. They only saw the rough and dark fur through the window, trembling in fear, thinking it was a wolf.”
Dolly shouted that she was back, but no answer came from inside.
Shivering in the cold, she suddenly remembered old memories.
She missed her animal friends who always huddled with her.
Then, rustle, rustle.
She heard someone approaching.
“Dolly, suddenly feeling a chill. Here, I’ll stand the brush up and draw her rough fur standing on end.”
The person who appeared in front of Dolly was the regular customer who had introduced her to the factory.
He was wearing a fancy fur coat on his shoulders.
It was made from the fur of all the forest friends she used to be with.
The final scene.
Kang Lim expressed the shadow of the human falling on the lamb like a wolf’s shadow.
The mouth was much larger than the previously drawn wolf.
Sharp fangs were visible between the long, torn lips.
“Even though it’s a sad ending… There were many scary fairy tales that used to frighten kids in the past, so this is nothing. Especially, the last scene will be understood more deeply as the children grow up.”
Kang Lim attached the completed scenes of the fairy tale to the wall.
He numbered the final storyboard and checked the parts to be detailed.
For commercialization, he planned to convert it into digital work and simplify the parts that were meant to be touched.
