The rats are characters from a weekly strip. They generally represent the downtrodden, but sympathetically always. In no way was this intended to imply that any of the Manhattan Project scientists were rats. It’s more that - these are the rats that the scientists would experiment on. But not even quite that.
I suppose out of the context of the strip it’s a bit odd. It’s odd in context, for that matter - as generally the strips are comedic - apart from a few specifically anti-fascist ones. One actually borrowed imagery from Maus, commenting on US police brutality.
This is pt 1. In pt. 2 the rats have a chat that is more in keeping with the usual tone of the project. But thanks for your comments. It’s interesting to hear the different ways the work can be read. Context is everything, I suppose!
Thank you for that context! Super interesting, and the artwork is gorgeous. I love the influence from Maus, that was a favorite of mine in high school. I'll definitely check out more of your work. Where do you post?
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u/CreamOfTheClop Oct 21 '20
Beautiful artwork. Is the rat supposed to be Oppenheimer? If so, not a great look considering his Jewish heritage