AHOY THERE!

Rum Red is a PIRATE, MURDER MYSTERY MUSICAL!it's a mixed media project WIP consisting of comic pages, storyboards, musical animatics and text scripts!chapters 1-4 are available to read online now.
chapter 5 is coming soon!

we be but small creators, and we rely on support from generous sailors to keep our vessel afloat. but we don't like keepin' our treasures locked up behind a paywall!if you enjoy readin' Rum Red, please consider joinin' tha crew by making a one-time donation or by signin' up for a monthly subscription through our Ko-fi page in tha links above.as a token a' gratitude, you'll be privy to behind-the-scenes material, bonus pages, previews of upcoming chapters and musical numbers, and early access to updates!yarrr!

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Rum Red's update schedule will be detailed here when applicable.
for updates on the project:follow @rumredcomic or @FleurMarigold on Twitter
follow @rumredcomic, @fleurmarigold or @sneakerdoodle on Tumblr

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

meet tha cast

BABS

LOCHY

TIMMY

24Babs is excitable, thrill-seeking and a little bit too loud, but has an unshakable moral compass and a keen gut instinct. she also has a rich passion for musical theatre and will readily dive into a role, a song number or an improv session. 3 and 1/2 years ago, she formed The Loch's Nest crew with her best buddy, Lochy.

25Lochy would much rather bird-watch than be a pirate. he's an aspiring poet, but hardly gets the time to compose when he's busy trying to make a living on the seas. he's snarky and dry, but his sense of humour shines through when he's comfortable. his strongheadedness keeps him from being the voice of reason.

24Timmy - the murder victim. a zesty and bubbly boy, with a smile as bright as the Sun and a temper like a fuse. when he wasn't doodling, snacking on bananas (and abandoning the peels) or hanging upside-down from the rigging, he would be handing out fresh lemon juice to the crew to ward off the scurvy.

BUBBLES

SAZZANA

JIN

51Bubbles is as grouchy as they come. years of serving as the Hippocampus' Captain has worn him down, and things rarely go according to plan with his crew, so herbal teas are how he (just barely) keeps himself calm. he'll talk a big game, but his soft side isn't hard to spot if you know where to look. (hint: it's in his plushie collection.)

49Sazzana is the Hippocampus' co-Captain and ceaseless motivator. her fascination with nonviolent communication makes her an excellent problem solver, and she easily garners warmth and respect. as a pirate diplomat, she represents anarchy in a shiny collared suit. but honestly? she could do with a nap.

28if you could describe Jin in one word, it would be "diva." in two, "the kindest." her room is stuffed with glittery dresses and fluffy scarves, and she makes cameo appearances in high fashion magazines. but behind the glamour, she's a born worrier, and sometimes her stress manifests as tension headaches. she's in a longterm relationship with Sly.

SLY

KENNY

JHERALD

30Sly is a diviner and healer. she uses... illegal herbs to enter a trance state, traverse higher dimensions and commune with the ocean, so she's rarely "fully present" for anything that's happening. she towers above the crew, both figuratively and literally - any decision they make gets run by her and her cards, first. she's not very romantic, so she flirts with Jin primarily by teasing her.

23Kenny is the crew's First Mate, though they wonder why they gave him that role when he mostly coops himself up with a thick chemistry book or stays up until 3am slaving over his lab -- he shares a medical role with Sly, but specializes in first-aid and potion remedies. his thick, hazy goggles make him prone to slamming into doors like a bird. sarcasm is his default language, but he rarely recognizes it from anyone else.

39the newest to the crew, Jherald is... a bit of a mystery to the rest. he's a diehard literary fanatic and a pureblooded 'fair-enough'-er. his extensive internal trivia is... questionable at best - as are his fantastical stories about his adventures past. still, though, he's a decent guy, and good to have around. just don't ask him what he's reading if you aren't ready for a 3-hour answer.

GRINGLE

LACEY

BEAVIS

42anyone who's ever met Gringle would agree that he's a nervous wreck of a man. it's astonishing that he's as remarkable of a chef as he is - considering that his hands have a constant jitter. his past entanglement with the mob has him constantly looking over his shoulder, but the Hippocampus have given him safe refuge. he cherishes them more than garlic and onions.

26Lacey is a riot. she's finely attuned with many an instrument, especially the guitar, and is constantly banging out the tunes with her half-brother, Beavis. before they joined the crew, they were a travelling, 2-man theatre troupe. if there's fun to be had or chaos to make, she's all in -- but at the end of the day, she prizes rest and relaxation above all else.

26 (+ 1/2)Beavis grew from a timid, fretful, prickly young boy into a laid-back, softspoken, sweet-tempered gentleman. his heart overflows with affection for the ocean's natural beauty, and his ponderful nature leaves him contemplating life's mysteries around the clock. he channels his sensitive spirit into rousing soliloquies and haunting flute solos.

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

plot summary

Rum Red is a MURDER MYSTERY! with PIRATES!it's a COMEDY with themes of COSMIC HORROR, ROMANTICISM and SHADOW WORK.

and accompanying every single chapter, there's a MUSICAL NUMBER in the form of an animatic!!!

in it you’ll meet BABS,
a rough n’ spunky lass learning to be a pirate on the high seas--

-- along with her co-captain and best friend LOCHY, who inevitably gets dragged into all her disastrous excursions.

one day while they’re starting up one of their usual tussels THE HIPPOCAMPUS, their rival crew and one of the most powerful and notorious pirate vessels on the seas, something HORRIBLE happens.

TIMMY, the crew’s cabin boy and trusty lemon juice distributor, as well as Babs and Lochy's only friend amongst a crew of enemies...

…IS MURDERED!!!!!!!

…forcing the co-captains of the Hippocampus, grouchy old man BUBBLES and levelheaded pep talker SAZZANA, to reluctantly request their most irritating rivals’ assistance in solving the case.

but all is not as it seems. because there’s no sign of an outside intruder OR a stowaway! leaving the suspects down to the 11 crewmembers who were on board at the time of the murder…

…and when questioned, everyone agrees: even if Timmy was… a little bit much sometimes, NO ONE in their crew would ever have done something so violent and cruel as to MURDER one of their own!!!.........would they?

and why?

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter arr-chive

● content warnings will be listed per chapter!
● page descriptions & transcripts will be added as they are made!

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

pirate code

● content warnings & accessibility ●

content warnings will be listed per chapter (and when necessary, per page) in the arr-chive!
be aware at some points in the comic, there will be:● occasional swearing in dialogue
● mild violence in fight scenes
● discussions/pictures of alcohol and psychoactive (mind altering) substances
● allusions to/implications of alcoholism, mental health struggles (including trauma and suicide ideation), and physical abuserecommended reading age is between T+ (15+) and M (17+) – but please take care at any age as it will be handling these sensitive subjects very openly at some points!rest assured that these subjects are being handled with meaning and awareness, and without any intent to glorify, casualize or dramaticize dark topics.for accessibility, page descriptions & transcripts are in progress, and links will be added as they are made available!

● about the project ●

I’ve been conceptualizing Rum Red since 2019, and it’s become very near and dear to my heart!eventually, it became a work of creative collaboration with my partner, Fern, which has only made it ALL the more fun and meaningful to work on. ♥as a request to whatever audience it may form, if you are going to engage with the comic - be it by quietly reading or leaving comments on my works, I will be SO unimaginably happy and grateful. I'd only ask that you please keep these things in mind:● I am not looking for criticism (constructive or otherwise) with my art or writing skills at this stage. this project is for funsies only!● these characters and this story are INCREDIBLY personal to me! please refrain from making unkind, targeted, presumptuous, insensitive or inappropriate comments.thank you so much!!!

● disclaimers ●

● Rum Red is written by two white, nonbinary authors, both on the spectrum of neurodivergency. much care has been given to portray a cast featuring nonwhite and disabled characters with respect and consciousness.● Rum Red is, ultimately, a personal story - in which the themes, characters and narrative are directly reflective of an inner journey. however, it felt inauthentic not to portray a wide cast featuring characters of many different skintones, bodily abilities and ethnic backgrounds. hence, the characters were not written with the intention of claiming such portrayals as authentic representation for the life experiences of any given group, but these have been definitively taken into consideration when writing the characters and their journeys.● Rum Red takes seriously the attempt to avoid carelessness, stereotypes or negative tropes in the writing process. in the event that these may unintentionally occur, please keep in mind that we are always learning, and always open to incoorperating feedback where we can. just let us know if you think we could be doing better in any given area, and we’ll be absolutely sure to listen!

feedback form

since Rum Red is such a big WIP, and I'm not really used to sharing personal art online in this way, I'm always hesitant to ask for input or feedback of any kind. but if reading it does happen to spark any thoughts or reactions on your end, I'd be very curious to hear them! please read through the about the project and disclaimers sections above before doing so.

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 1: the crew

content warnings: ● nongraphic character death, some blood ● mentions of throat trauma
● mild alcohol consumption ● mentions of psychoactive (mind altering) substances
● occasional swears in dialogue

flip-through view

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tips for viewing:
● might take a moment for the doc to fully load!
● use arrow keys or buttons to navigate
● pages may 'blink' as they load in - take care if photosensitive
● use the pen tool to doodle on the pages if you'd like, lol

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better for mobile

tips for viewing:
● if flip-through doesn't work out for you or you just prefer scrolling, you can view & download a full PDF of this chapter through the link above!
● pages might take a bit longer to load but they'll be bigger & better quality!
● when you get to the animatic prompt, you can come back here to view it in sequence

animatic link

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 2: the reunion

content warnings: ● minor family conflict ● mild alcohol consumption

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tips for viewing:
● might take a moment for the doc to fully load!
● click within the frame and then use arrow keys to navigate
● pages may 'blink' as they load in - take care if photosensitive
● use the pen tool to take notes as if this comic was your journal

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better for mobile

tips for viewing:
● if flip-through doesn't work out for you or you just prefer scrolling, you can view & download a full PDF of this chapter through the link above!
● pages might take a bit longer to load but they'll be bigger & better quality!
● when you get to the animatic prompt, you can come back here to view it in sequence

animatic link

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 3: the breakout

content warnings: ● discussion of psychoactive (mind altering) substances ● allusions to a fictional police force ● slight suggestive dialogue (page 38) ● mild unreality horror (page 49)

flip-through view

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tips for viewing:
● might take a moment for the doc to fully load!
● click within the frame and then use arrow keys to navigate
● pages may 'blink' as they load in - take care if photosensitive
● use the pen tool to psychically communicate with the characters

scroll view

better for mobile

tips for viewing:
● if flip-through doesn't work out for you or you just prefer scrolling, you can view & download a full PDF of this chapter through the link above!
● pages might take a bit longer to load but they'll be bigger & better quality!
● when you get to the animatic prompt, you can come back here to view it in sequence

animatic link

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 4: the blacksmith

content warnings: ● occasional swears in dialogue ● discussion of death by throat trauma ● alcohol(ism) mention and slight suggestive reference (in animatic)

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tips for viewing:
● might take a moment for the doc to fully load!
● click within the frame and then use arrow keys to navigate
● pages may 'blink' as they load in - take care if photosensitive
● use the pen tool to write what you think about each character using big red arrows. don't worry they probably won't see

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better for mobile

tips for viewing:
● if flip-through doesn't work out for you or you just prefer scrolling, you can view & download a full PDF of this chapter through the link above!
● pages might take a bit longer to load but they'll be bigger & better quality!
● when you get to the animatic prompt, you can come back here to view it in sequence

animatic link

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 5: the shipwreck

content warnings: 😬

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 6: the cove

content warnings: first lesbian relationships

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tips for viewing:
● works best if your zoom is set to view the entire frame!
● click within the frame and then use arrow keys to navigate
● pages may 'blink' as they load in - take care if photosensitive
● use the pen tool to

scroll view

better for mobile

tips for viewing:
● if flip-through doesn't work out for you or you just prefer scrolling, you can view & download a full PDF of this chapter through the link above!
● pages might take a bit longer to load but they'll be bigger & better quality!
● when you get to the animatic prompt, you can come back here to view it in sequence

animatic link

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 7: the revenge

content warnings: OCD breakdowns, gross old women

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 8: the kraken

content warnings: villain musical numbers

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 9: the ball

content warnings: social anxiety

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 10: the ritual

content warnings: faggotry

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

intermission

content warnings: 😏

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 11: the lighthouse

content warnings: piano serenades, suicide ideation everywhereee

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥

chapter 12: the party

content warnings: nothing it's just a party :-)

♥ written by Fleur and Fern ♥