Graphic Novel, paper, fine line. (Download der graphic novel.)
The Herd is an allegorical graphic novel set on a sheep farm that falls into an economic crisis when the farmer can no longer sell the animals’ wool. Faced with financial pressure, he announces that some of the sheep will have to be sacrificed so that the farm can continue to exist. The decision about who will be chosen is left to the herd itself.
As the sheep begin to select victims among themselves, the social structure of the herd starts to change. Fear, opportunism, and self-preservation begin to shape their behavior, and the animals gradually adopt the logic of the system that threatens them. Differences within the herd start to matter more and more, and the sheep begin to divide themselves into groups, justifying exclusion and sacrifice through arguments that resemble racism and social Darwinism. Instead of questioning the rules, they internalize them and turn against one another.
The story suggests that this dynamic is not simply the result of individual cruelty, but of the economic system that produces it. Under conditions of scarcity and pressure to maintain productivity, the system itself encourages division, sacrifice, and the normalization of violence within the community.
Matthias Englmaier is a visual artist and graphic designer with a background in illustration and narrative drawing. Before focusing on graphic novels, he primarily worked on illustrative posters, magazines, and brochure design, including a poster that was a candidate for the Munich Oktoberfest. In his latest work, he explores social structures, power relations, and political allegory through reduced visual languages and atmospheric storytelling. He mainly works with traditional materials, combining minimalistic line work with strong, restrained color accents.