Fergus the Horse was first created into a comic strip by Jean Abernethy in 2004 and has been published in numerous horse publications. Jean’s work has taken her coast-to-coast to farms and equestrian events, where she’s been involved with a wide variety of horse breeds, sports, and disciplines. Fergus entertains with humor, history, trivia and teaching training methods. Fergus is all horse. That is why he’s so effective at showing us how human we are.
How long have you made equestrian drawings and portraits?
I have been drawing since I was old enough to hold a pencil. I remember learning to make the letters of my name. The pencil simply made lines. It could do anything. So I explored learning to make letters, and drawing figures at the same time. By the time I was in my teens I was selling a few drawings and portraits.
When did the Fergus cartoon start?
Fergus was conceived and initiated about 1999, following many years of generic horses in my comics. I made the decision to create a singular character and give him a name. The very first Fergus was stuffed into a fax machine, and emerged in England in the home of a friend, proclaiming that he’d rather travel by satellite than horse trailer. I adapted comic strip format that now appears in facebook “cover photos” around 2003.
Are you surprised that Fergus has over 200,000 international followers?
Yes. I am also humbled and gratified. Fergus would be nowhere without his fans. My gratitude is enormous.
Where do you find the humor and history you use in the cartoon?
The history is everywhere. In order to have horseless carriages, we had to have a few thousand years of horses, first. They are woven inseparably into human history and culture, so finding historical situations in which horses can play, is easy. As for the humor? Well, we’ve all had our feet stepped on, haven’t we? We’ve all dealt with our 1,000 lb friend bolting sideways without notice. Laughter is the only reasonable response to this behavior. We’ve all also been exposed to their forgiving nature, when we’ve asked them to do things that make no sense to them whatsoever, and they do it…or present their own idea. I find that the disconnect between human instinct/logic, and equine instinct/logic is a constant source of humor.
Fergus has a variety of characters and friends in his herd, a Friesian, Appaloosa, Shetland pony, a mule and a Clydesdale named Hughie. Do you have a favorite?
Cartoon characters thrive on stereotypes. Fergus is undoubtedly my favorite, being the quintessential average horse. The other characters are formed around stereotypes of their breed and country of origin. For example, Hughie the Clydesdale is the gentle Scottish giant. Grace the pony is the clever matriarch. Kase, the Friesian knows he is photogenic, and has a Dutch accent. Whether it is their physical characteristics, or their attitudes, they can each bring something unique into the dialog.
You teamed up with PATH International to create a Fergus Holiday Christmas card. What’s next for Fergus and friends?
Fergus’ animated debut on Inside Reining has been a great success so far. It is a delight to see him move. We have only just begun that, and it will be fun to see where it takes us.
Beyond that I have ideas and ingredients in the caldron…for now, I’ll keep the lid on and keep them simmering!
For more information about Jean and her cartoon “Fergus” www.fergusthehorse.com
