A summary of the story:
“Bloodchild”, written by Octavia E. Butler, follows humans, or “Terrans”, living in an area known as “The Preserve”. Long ago, humans arrived to an alien planet, losing a bloody war with its inhabitants. Here, an insect-like alien species called the Tlic dominate the world, allowing Terrans to live there in peace as long as they act as living hosts for their eggs. Gan is a Terran whose family belongs to T’Gatoi, a high-ranking Tlic that advocates for better living conditions for Terrans.
In my own interpretation of the story, Gan aims to fight for his freedom and escape The Preserve, once he accidentally witnesses T’Gatoi helping Bram Lomas give birth to his Tlic’s larvae. Raised from birth to be T’Gatoi’s egg host, Gan lives a life of privilege and is kept in the dark about what Tlic larvae really do to the human body. His worldview, now shattered, forces him to resist his own family and T’Gatoi, whom he once loved and trusted since infancy.
Character lineup for "Bloodchild". Characters from left to right: Xuan Hoa, T'Gatoi, Gan, and Bram Lomas.
Gan is our main character of the story. Prepped as an alien's incubator his entire life, Gan has a cautious demeanor. He covers himself up in an attempt to expose as little skin as possible -- an attempt to shield himself from the outside world. I made the black jumpsuits similar to a prison uniform, symbolizing the power imbalance the Tlic have over Terrans.
Xuan Hoa, a secondary character. Her clothing expresses a comfortable and relaxed character, accepting of the world around her. She acts as another obstacle to Gan's freedom, trying to convince him that it is an honor to host the Tlic larvae. She represents Gan before he knew the truth, never questioning the system that the Tlic have put humans in.
Bram Lomas, eaten alive from the inside by larvae, is heavily drugged for most of the story. He is left exposed in his undergarments, representing that he is a shell of his former self and fully exposed to the unforgiving nature of Tlic reproduction.
T'Gatoi is a female Tlic, raising Gan since birth to host her eggs. I based T'Gatoi's appearance off of a Praying Mantis, and gave her eight eyes resembling a spider. Her warm, red underbelly clashes with her hard green exterior, representing that she has a weakness for Terrans, especially Gan. She struggles with two choices: Let Gan and the Terrans free, or keep him forever.
Tlic anatomy is similar to that of insects in real life. I studied bee anatomy when designing the internal organs of the Tlic. Like bees, they understand their purpose when they are born. Physical characteristics such as the color of a Tlic's underbelly determines their role in life. The eggs match the color of a female Tlic's underbelly, denoting their role in Tlic society before they hatch.
In The Preserve, Terrans are prohibited from having weapons of any kind. Gan's father kept and hid this shotgun from the era in which the Tlic and Terrans were at war. When Gan's father passes away, he learns of the hiding place that the shotgun is kept in, eventually coming to use it to aid his escape.