Inspired by @shiptalia-sea-of-stars , here’s my own redesign of one of Sherry’s canadian province characters — with a twist! Thank you to you and the @project-canada community for giving this fan web series so much love even today!
The affective feeling I get from Jean’s original design has changed dramatically since meeting my Québécois friends. He’s his own icon and I love him dearly, especially with how he’s evolved through the fandom over the years. I wanted to try and bring the best out of him through the things that my friends are proud of — and play with the big open secret about Canadian identity. I thought it would be hilarious if Matthew’s self-actualisation was achieved through becoming a concept commonly contrasted against what he’s supposed to represent.
Why Ouimet? It’s 3 things: The unanglicised form of Williams, pioneer filmmaker and theatre operator Léo-Ernest Ouimet, and a homophone to “Oui, mais…” (Yes, but…) to reflect the conditionality of his relationships, history and lived experiences. More on that soon!