When Kitty Tomblin was growing up, classic rock always played in her house, and she was drawn to The Who for “their incredible music and the unique character of each member,” she says. A spiritual experience listening to the band’s rock opera Tommy while animating late one night at The Savannah College of Art and Design inspired her “St. Who” series.
An animator on Solar Opposites and Rick and Morty, Tomblin says that the style for this series came from her experiences growing up Catholic. “I’ve seen many different stained-glass windows at the churches we attended Mass in,” she says. “The most gorgeous was at the Cathedral Basilica of St. John the Baptist in Savannah.” She was visiting for an architectural history class, and she found herself explaining the various Biblical scenes depicted in the windows to those she was with.
“I realized that a lot could be told through the symbolism of these scenes and portraits, from the hand gestures to the items they were holding. These are usually visual shorthand for what the depicted figure is known for,” she says. “I’ve always enjoyed the godlike presence [lead singer] Roger Daltrey commands on stage, with his golden curls and powerful voice. He is known for [that], and for playing the titular character in the film adaptation of Tommy. The film has famous visuals I’m drawn to, like the scenes for ‘The Acid Queen’ (the crown of poppies), and ‘Pinball Wizard’ (the pinball playfield). I’ve always joked to my friends that music—especially The Who’s music—is my religion of sorts.” Once she figured out that the poppy crown and the pinball playfield had spiritual parallels, she was inspired to create ‘St. Roger the Golden.’
Tomblin made the image digitally using Procreate on an iPad, adding: “I especially love that I can travel with it—drawing rockstars and listening to their albums while flying is unparalleled. It’s my happy place.”
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