[Seong Chan-eol’s Comics] Not a Lone Crane, but One Cat Among Rats: 〈Cat Nancy〉

It’s risky to equate a work entirely with its creator. A single work can’t contain the whole person behind it, and a person cannot turn their entire life into a single piece of art. Still, we often sense a shard of the creator in their creations, and I’m especially drawn to works that show the author’s decency. The book I’m introducing this time — Ellen Sim’s 「Cat Nancy」 — is exactly that kind of work. Even though it was published more than ten years ago, I still cherish it.

Ellen Sim’s first published comic, 「Cat Nancy」, collects episodes she originally serialized on social media. The title might sound like the usual slice-of-life story about a cat owner, but it isn’t. In a village inhabited only by mice, the abandoned Nancy is discovered by Dugger — naturally, a mouse. He knows she is a cat and, despite understanding she is a natural predator, he cannot bring himself to turn her away, so he takes her home. His son, Jimi, cares for Nancy deeply as a brother. Having grown up among mice from a young age, Nancy doesn’t even know she’s a cat and lives as one of the mice. Dugger and his son Jimi worry whether other mice will learn Nancy’s true nature and discriminate against her, but out of love they hide her identity. A simple way to picture it is as a Disney-style animal society.

The first to find Nancy is Dugger — naturally, a mouse. He knows she is a cat, but he cannot bring himself to turn her away, so he takes her home. His son, Jimi, cares for Nancy deeply as a brother. Having grown up among mice from a young age, Nancy doesn’t even know she’s a cat and lives as one of the mice. Dugger and his son Jimi worry whether other mice will learn Nancy’s true nature and discriminate against her, but out of love they can’t bring themselves to reveal her identity.

Although the story frames cats and mice, 「Cat Nancy」 can be read as an allegory about discrimination based on lineage. Ellen Sim herself was born in the United States, raised in Korea, and now lives in the United States. The author has never laid out the book’s intent in detail, but some of its fear of and discrimination against other species may well draw, at least in part, on her own life.

Seen from that perspective, there’s an irony: the warmth of 「Cat Nancy」 becomes even more striking. The adult mice detect Nancy’s true identity early on, yet they do not respond with fear. Instead they worry that Nancy will be hurt by being different. They care for her despite the fact that she is a predator who could threaten the whole village. This calm acceptance of difference sends a gentle message to readers living in an era when difference too often becomes a weakness or a target — perhaps even more so now than when this comic first appeared ten years ago. The story quietly shows how dangerous prejudice can be and how comforting it is when people treat genuine differences with care.

You don’t need to read it as an allegory to appreciate the beauty of 「Cat Nancy」. Ellen Sim’s art style itself is part of the appeal. She uses relatively thick pen lines but leaves slight breathing room around contours, presenting characters without visual clutter. Her restrained shading and pastel palette create a warm, gentle image. The author is a cat owner herself — Nancy was modeled on the author’s own pet — and that affection leaves its mark on the anthropomorphized animals, who retain an unmistakable cuteness. The comic lacks high-octane motion, but each frame has a storybook stillness that draws the reader in.

If you enjoy 「Cat Nancy」, I also recommend Ellen Sim’s next work, Reincarnated Animal School. Serialized on Naver Webtoon from 2017 to 2018, that series is set at a school in the afterlife where animals destined to be reborn as humans must erase their animal instincts. Most of the main characters are former companion animals, and the story focuses on how they acknowledge and come to terms with the memories and wounds they carried in life. The chemistry between the characters and Ellen Sim’s artwork will make you smile, and pet owners in particular will find moments that move them to tears — it’s a deeply engaging work.

I’m introducing Ellen Sim’s work now because one of the author’s more recent hiatuses came back to mind. After finishing Reincarnated Animal School, Ellen Sim began serializing Miniature Life Handbook in 2022. Miniature Life Handbook is a youth fantasy comedy that follows Jeong Eun-seo, a high school boy whose body shrinks after he eats a wish-granting jellybean, and what unfolds when Son Myeong-jin, a high school girl who was his childhood friend, discovers his secret. That series, which followed the author's earlier animal-centered works, went on hiatus after Episode 61 in April 2023 and has remained on hold ever since. The author announced a sudden decline in health, mentioning problems with the eyes and saying, "I hope it doesn’t get to the point of blindness," when announcing the hiatus. Three years later, there’s still no return. I hope the author returns safely and in good health; even if the series never resumes, I hope she finds wellness in the warm everyday life her work reflects. With that wish, I close this introduction to 「Cat Nancy」 and other works by the author.