The Marvelous Collection of Alvin Guilbert

A Mermendium Story

by Manelle Oliphant

Alvin’s goal in life is to save the mermaids. They are dying out all around the world. To this end, he collects and studies their bodies. He has one of the most famous mermaid collections in the world. But, all his efforts only seem to be making things worse. What is causing the mermaids to die? Will he be able to save them before they die out completely?

#Mermay is an Instagram event created by Tom Bancroft where artists draw mermaids throughout May and post them using the hashtag. This is my third self-published sketchbook for #mermay.

In 2020 when everything was shutting down and feeling scary I wrote this story. It’s about letting go of control and trusting that things will turn out well.

This is story is perfect for any time you feel like life is running away from you. Take a moment to re-center as you read Alivn’s journey and how he learned to let of control and trust that things would turn out ok.