CONTRIBUTOR SINCE: March 11, 2016
PRONOUNS: They/Them
Rowan Oats is an artist and writer from Stockholm, Sweden. They enjoy writing stories about people with deep emotional lives, complex problems, diverse backgrounds — and then smash those people together like two Barbie dolls.
COMICS
1049
Ro Deeley is a young, aspiring musher set on winning the Iditarod, the toughest dog sled race in the world.…
Belle
A story of sex, politics, and struggling with gender identity in Imperial Sweden, where little girls grow up to be…
Bentley Jones
A difficult case brings private investigator Bentley Jones back to the one place they promised themselves they’d never return to…
Blissverse
In the vastness of space, they’re jacking in and jacking off. Aboard the starship Red Queen, Ember and Pomona are…
Havamal
Alone in the dark, a young couple keep themselves entertained by telling stories of old gods long since passed. To…
Spook Smashers
When Lydia Parker entered Coldwell Manor to shoot an episode of her hit internet sensation Spook Smashers, she had hoped…
Three Times We Had Sex in the Kitchen
Between Martin’s demanding jockey career and Alec’s studies to become an equestrian physiotherapist, there’s not a whole lot of time…
Via Romana
Divorced, retired, kids all grown up – Karin doesn’t have a lot going for her these days… until she finds…
Spotlight Interview originally published October 2024.
I’m Rowan and I’m an agender comic artist from Stockholm Sweden. I’m the creator of Belle, Bentley Jones, 1049, Via Romana, Three Times We Had Sex in the Kitchen, Spook Smashers and currently Hávamal! I also do a non-sexy advice comic called Dadvice. Most of my free time goes to video games, board games and DM’ing a tabletop run of Baldur’s Gate 3. Yes, I do all the voices.
How long have you been creating comics?
I recently found a comic about cat theft from when I was six, so all my life. My first comic in print was in 2007, and I’ve been doing this more or less full time since 2008.
What do you enjoy drawing most?
It’s no secret that I love history, and evoking a sense of a place and time is real fun for me – I love drawing environments, even if they are time consuming. Oh, and eyebrows.
What are some of your biggest inspirations in your work?
Don Rosa’s storytelling is the backbone of my comic making. Everything else is a mishmash of influences from Baz Luhrman and Jim Jarmusch via “Kamikaze Girls” and “Return of the Obra Dinn” to 17th century Dutch portrait painter David Beck.
What do you like about erotica and/or drawing erotic comics?
The way it forces you to solve problems differently — there’s going to be bonking in every chapter, so how do I do that without repeating myself? How can I make this fresh, fun, unexpected? 90% of the stuff I write are things I’m not personally interested in and that comes entirely from solving the bonking problem. Also, you won’t get better anatomy practice anywhere else.
What was your favorite project you’ve worked on for Filthy Figments thus far?
Spook Smashers will always have a special place in my heart. I’d only ever planned for it to be a one-shot and look at them now.
Recommend a few of your favorite Filthy Figments comics from the archive. Tells us WHY you love them.
Oh, I really liked Captivated by Caitlin Scannell! I’m a big Dragon Age fan and that comic hit a similar vibe, with lots of fun plot, intrigue and variation in the sex scenes.
Long Haul by Rye Hickman blew me away when it first came, the art style is incredible and it has a certain attitude that I found very refreshing.
If I can sneak in a third one: Magnate, by OliveOilCorp – very juicy art, fun writing, all around great.
Any personal projects you’d like to plug?
Dadvice! on Webtoons – it’s a wholesome advice comic where I, Your Dad, answer questions from the readers. So basically the complete opposite of what I do here.
Where else can readers find you online?
My website: www.rowanoats.com – it has all the links to where else I can be found online! I also have a monthly newsletter with updates on what I’m working on and recommendations for cool stuff I’ve seen lately.
