Abigail "Zabbs" Nott

I've always felt an interest towards the “Wild West” and the classic image of the cowboy, a lone figure glancing into the pale orange sunset of the great beyond. For my sustained investigation I wanted to subvert this classic narrative, the monolith that makes up the cowboy, and create a story that felt like one I’d read. I want to tell a story that isn’t about gun duels, or riding horses, or damsels in distress, but one that shows complex characters and a dynamic story.

My western revolves around three cowfolk as they search for something that has been missing in their lives. I made sure that the characters were actually reflective of the year in which it is set, 1875, but also relatable enough to feel like they belonged in the present. My main goal was to make a story I would want to read, and eventually I can formulate into a comic that can be in tandem with these works.

The process of these pieces aren’t that tedious, but the research related to them has been. Studying what shoes they wore, their jeans, etc. is what makes up the majority of my process. I also wanted to pay homage to classic western tropes, such as color palettes, composition and plot lines, but adding a twist.