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Guest Post: Raina Telgemeier on Fairy Tale Comics

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Today we’re excited to have a short interview with Raina Telgemeier, as part of the blog tour for Fairy Tale Comics, which we reviewed on Friday. Do you know how fun it was to be asked if we wanted to interview Raina? We dug her take on Rapunzel and we were excited to ask her more about it. If you want to see what other contributors to the book have had to say about their art, you can see who else is talking and where they’re talking here. 



How did you become involved in the project? Were you approached by the editor and pitched a particular fairy tale, or did you select it yourself?
Editor Chris Duffy asked if I wanted to adapt Rapunzel for the book. It was a pretty easy decision.

What inspired you most with the source material of Rapunzel? When was the moment you knew how to approach the story?
One of the versions of Rapunzel I read included the detail about her mother being pregnant with her, and craving the rapunzel plant growing in a neighbor’s garden. That seemed very human. I like gardens and plants and vegetables (although I don’t have much of a green thumb myself), so weaving them into the story made sense. Logistically, the trickiest part was figuring out a way to avoid violence and death–which I realize is an important part of many fairy tales. But I just don’t have a taste for it.

Do you go for art first or story first? What’s your process?
For me they come together, as thumbnails. I knew I was working with an 8-page template, so I spent a few days reading over the various versions of the tale Chris sent, highlighting and rearranging my favorite elements from all of them, and then sat down and thumbnailed it all in a couple hours on a Sunday afternoon.

What challenges, if any, did you encounter writing such a short story compared with your long-form graphic novels?
With short stories, it’s all about compression. Most of the Rapunzel tales cover her birth, her childhood, and then the more dramatic events when she is a teenager. Some also jump ahead in time to Rapunzel living in the woods with the twins she and the prince have conceived. Distilling that all into a satisfying short was challenging, but I liked being able to strip away all the unnecessary components. Like most fairy tales, the story has a bone structure that works.

What fairy tale re-tellings or interpretations have you loved, in comics form or not?
We had various versions of fairy tale books and records and such around my house; my favorite thing was a German board game called Enchanted Forest, which had little game pieces shaped like pine trees, and each one had a tiny round illustration of a different fairy tale on the bottom.
I’m a Disney girl through and through, and with the exception of Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, I love all the fairy tales they’ve adapted (those two leave me a little cold). However, I avoided re-watching Disney’s version of Rapunzel during this project, because I didn’t want to be too influenced by it.

If you were to create another fairy tale in comic style, which would you choose, why would you choose it, and what “twist” would you add to make it all your own?
Maybe Jack and the Beanstalk. Endlessly tall stalks and a castle in the clouds sound like fun to draw.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on a companion to my first graphic novel, Smile, called Sisters. That will be out in September of 2014.

Twitterview: Carrie Mesrobian (author of Sex & Violence)

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Yesterday, I reviewed Sex & Violence by Carrie Mesrobian, and today I bring a Twitterview with her. As usual, I gave 140-character questions and she responded in 140 characters or less. Also as usual, I’m giving away a copy of Sex & Violence to one US/Canadian reader at the end.


What’s a little different about this Twitterview, though, is that I asked some really tough questions. I admitted as much when I approached Carrie, and she did a great job of answering when she had an answer and telling me when she didn’t and I was being unfair. But that’s what makes this so fun, too. Some questions may border on spoiler territory, so be warned, and there’s also some profanity. 


Without further ado, let’s talk with Carrie Mesrobian about Sex & Violence, gender expectations, and more.


Pitch
Sex & Violence in 140 Words.
How I
Spent My Summer At The Lake With My Weird Dad & Neighbors
Recovering from PTSD As A Former Slutty Boy by Evan Carter

Give
me three descriptive words for the book. 
Opinionated.
Introspective. Funny. Kinda. Okay, sometimes it is. (I am so bad at
this.)

What
inspired Sex & Violence?
Baker. I
wanted a normal girl character who was pretty and smart and
comfortable about her looks. A girl who has sex & lives to tell
about it.

Evan
likes sex without shame — at least at the start. But he likes “easy
girls.” What does that mean?
Evan
doesn’t have a lot of time to woo ladies. He just wants to get
physical. I think he embodies what guys his age wish was possible.

So he
likes sex without having to work for it? 
The
identification of the target is also enjoyable. But nothing after the
target’s acquired, so to speak. He’s unequipped for that.

And
he’s surprised when this comes back to bite him in the ass?
Evan’s
good at taking his ego out of his targeting of girls. He doesn’t
make it about him. Or them, either. He’s dumb about emotional
stuff.

There’s
a bit of a backstory to Evan and his family, too, so tell us about
that a bit and how it impacts him.
Evan’s
mom is dead. But he doesn’t really have any connections with his
relatives. Lack of connection in general seems to plague him.

Do
you think Evan gets “forgiveness” for his behavior in the
story, either from his world or the readers?
Evan
learns to live with himself and his past actions. What readers will
‘give’ him beats the hell out of me, however. Also I don’t care
if they forgive him or not, really.

Does
Evan NEED “forgiveness” for his behavior in the story,
either from his world or the readers?
Evan’s
very honest about how he views sex. Does honesty require forgiveness?
I think a lot of men feel like he does. They just don’t say it.

Let’s
play a game: what do you think would happen to Evan had he been a
girl in the same situation?
Like, if
he’s beaten in a shower? Or just promiscuous and calculating? Or a
girl with no friends? DERRRRRRP. I suck at this game!

Baker
is my favorite character in the book. Tell me a little more about
her. 
Baker
makes shy, socially anxious people at ease. She talks too much. She’s
also sexually curious. She’s also kinda bossy.

What’s
so attractive about Baker to Evan? 
Evan
likes her social ease. He likes how she belongs where she is, has a
sense of history. Her directness about sex, & life. Also her
boobs.

Little
sex really happens on page. But there is a LOT of talk about sexual
politics in S&V. Do you think this is realistic of today’s teens?
Who
knows about today’s kids? Students discuss sex w/ me, which is
different. When I was young, my friends & I discussed sex a lot,
though.

My
takeaway is sex & violence are related since they can reduce
people to objects rather than actual beings. What’s Evan’s takeaway,
if any?
Both are
fraught with risk. Except Evan would never use the word ‘fraught.’
And I’m not sure he’s got a takeaway even at the book’s end.

If
you had to pick one relationship that changed Evan the most, which
would it be and why?
I think
it’s with Baker, actually. She sort of presses him to tell about
himself instead of lying and hiding.

Writing
from the POV of a teen boy: harder or easier than you expected? Why? 
Original
story had both Baker & Evan’s POV. I just enjoyed telling
Evan’s side more. Some research on boy stuff (boners, etc) was
necessary.

Do
you think S&V is a risky book? 
I don’t.
But I’m me, you know? If YA readers are mostly young girls like
we’ve been told, I’m guessing they’ll hate what Evan
thinks/says.

I
want to ask another unfair question: would S&V be a riskier book
if Evan were a girl? 
I’d
imagine the judgment against such promiscuity would be exponentially
increased against a girl who behaved like Evan.

Would
you call this a redemptive story? How or why not? 
Kinda.
But mostly it’s about how time heals. About how acceptance is more
likely than redemption.

If
you had to give Sex & Violence a “____” meets “____”
pitch, what would it be?
I hate
this question! I am TERRIBLE at that kind of thing! That and the
three words, ugh! So glad someone else wrote my jacket copy!

What
gets you jazzed to write?
JAZZED?
JAZZED,
Kelly? I cannot claim to be JAZZED by anything in order to write! At
least by any one thing. I’m so boring in that respect.

Who
or what do you write for?
I write
for kids who are average. Not gifted & talented. Smart kids get
depicted a lot in YA. I also write to amuse myself obviously.

Who
is your ideal reader? 
This
question forces me to give a snobby answer, so I won’t. Though I’d
imagine teenage boys will get the most out of this book.

What
were your most influential reads as a teenager?
I read a
lot of classics because I was a pretentious nerd. Like, I loved Tess
of the D’Urbervilles. Ugh. I was so gross.

Who
are your top writing influences?
Oh man.
I don’t fucking know! Shouldn’t someone else make that
discernment? I’m a pretty sloppy disaster in my writing and reading
habits.

What
writers do you think are breaking ground in YA right now? 
Yikes.
YA is so vast & varied. Feels dickish to get specific, as I only
have 140 characters. Damn you, Twitterview!

If
you listen to music while you’re writing, what are you listening to?
(You can link me to stuff if you want).
I get so
much shit for the music I like! I like country music. The pop kind,
not the cool kind. And Metallica. And Eminem. I’m irrational.

What’s
next for you?
Another
YA book with a boy narrator. A more likeable guy this time. The
tentative release date is fall 2014, again with Carolrhoda LAB.

The
most important question is always the last one: what’s your favorite
ice cream?
I love
coconut popsicles. Anything with lots of chocolate also works for me.
With a sprinkling of coffee grounds on top just for variation.

Twitterview: Sara Varon & Cecil Castellucci

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We have a really fun Twitterview to share with you this month, and it’s one that got us thinking about doing a week-long series of posts featuring graphic novels. Kimberly and I are both huge fans of Sara Varon, who wrote and illustrated Bake Sale, Robot Dreams, and more, and we were super excited to get the chance to interview her about her latest book, Odd Duck. 

As you may know, though, Sara collaborated on the creation of Odd Duck with author Cecil Castellucci. So when the chance presented itself that we could interview them together, we jumped at it — you get to see both the writing side and the illustrating side, as well as what the collaborative process was like.

If you haven’t had the chance to read Odd Duck yet, we’re also giving away a copy at the end of the interview. Kim and I both loved this book, and we hope that you do too. It’s a fantastic introduction to the work of BOTH Sara and Cecil. 

Pitch Odd Duck in 140 characters or fewer.
Cecil: Two ducks.  One is odd.  But which one?

Odd Duck is a collaboration. How did you two team up?

Sara: We were matched up by the publisher.

What was the collaborative process like?

Sara: It was fun! Cecil was a good collaborator, and conveniently we agreed on most things.

Cecil:  Sara is great.  I was always left inspired when we would talk about the pages.

Sara, you write and illustrate your graphic novels. Which comes first: the story or the art?

Sara: Depends. Sometimes it’s the character, like the cupcake in Bake Sale. Sometimes it’s a theme, like the theme of betrayal in Robot Dreams. 

Tell us about your creative process.

Cecil: I dream. Eat chocolate. Cry. Stare at the sky, stars and moon. Then put pen to page.

When did you begin drawing and writing? When did you know this was what you wanted to do?

Sara: I was always doodler my whole life. Writing is newer to me – I didn’t start writing stories until I went to grad school about 10 years ago.

Cecil: I knew and wrote my first story at 7. It was a sequel to Star Wars. Lucas went with Empire Strikes Back.

What draws you to writing and illustrating for young readers?

Cecil: Everything is new and high stakes.  Even if it’s getting a cookie from the jar. 
Sara: I write and draw for myself; the publisher puts the age label on it.

Unusual friendships are a common theme in your stories. What draws you to them?

Cecil: I think finding your true tribe is the way to happiness.  Unusual friendships usually challenge us and help us grow.

Sara, is it more difficult to tell a story that is mostly wordless (Robot Dreams) vs. a more traditional comic? Do you have a preference?

Sara: No, one is not harder than the other. But I prefer the wordless stories because I am better at them. Words are not my strong suit.

Did you read comics growing up? If so, which ones?

Sara: No but I loved cartoons. I loved anything by Jay Ward – Underdog, Tennessee Tuxedo, Tooter Turtle. 

Cecil: yes. Tin Tin. Asterix. Lucky Luke. Batman. Superman. Peanuts.

Do you have a favorite character among those you’ve created? Which and why?

Sara: Nope. Once a project is done, I don’t think about it again. I did like drawing food characters for Bake Sale, but animals are my default. 

Cecil: I love them all for different reasons.

Who or what do you write/illustrate for?

Cecil: I mostly write the stories that I longed for as a young person or long for now.

Who are your greatest creative influences?

Sara: The Jay Ward cartoons of my youth were a big influence. As for contemporary influences, my friends & their art is a big influence on me. 
Cecil: Star Wars set me on the path to telling stories.  I also loved Bunuel. Austen. Ballet and Operas.

What gets you jazzed to create?

Cecil: I think that art – all sorts – is the key to making sense of this crazy world we live in.  Telling stories is like my soul singing in key with you. 

Who do you believe is breaking ground now, either in graphic novels for young readers or in writing for young readers?
Cecil: GN I think Hope Larson and Faith Erin Hicks.  Also Jon Klaasen and Adam Rex. 
What’s the best writing/illustrating advice you’ve ever received?
Cecil: Put your best ears on so that you can hear critique and get down to making the work better.

Sara: Have a good time making whatever it is that you make. It comes through in the work.

What’s the best writing/illustrating advice you like to give?

Sara: See above.
Cecil: ditto.

What’s next for you?

Sara: An art show with my friends Aya Kakeda & Eun-ha Paek in Mexico City. It will include textiles, paper, murals, installations, etc. 

Cecil: Tin Star, Book one in a Sci Fi duet out in Feb ’14.  Untitled graphic novel about Hobos with Joe Infurnari out in Fall ’14.

And your favorite ice cream flavor?

Cecil:  Anything with chocolate.  

Sara: Depends on the brand, but it should probably have chocolate or coffee in it.  I am generally not a fruity ice cream person.
Want to win a copy of Odd Duck? We’ll pick a winner at the end of the month, and entries are open to anyone who can receive books from The Book Depository.


Twitterview: Phoebe North

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This month’s twitterview guest is Phoebe North, debut author of Starglass, which had its book birthday yesterday! She’s here to discuss her inspiration for the story, world-building, tired SF tropes, and more. You can read more about North and Starglass at her website, and enter to win a copy of the book at the end of the interview.

Pitch Starglass in 140 characters or fewer.

One girl’s coming-of-age on a spaceship where, to survive their 500 year journey, the inhabitants have lived dramatically constrained lives.

What inspired you to write the book?

It started as a grad school assignment, an SF retelling of James Joyce’s “Eveline.” Revisited it years later and it ballooned from there!

You describe the ship’s society as “casually Jewish” (vs. casually Christian). How much did your own background influence this decision?

Quite a bit! My mother (a Fineberg herself) was raised Orthodox Jewish. I am fascinated by the line between religion and culture in Judaism.

How would you describe Terra?

Terra Fineberg can’t get a break. Her mom’s dead, her dad’s a mess, and she’s terribly lonely. But she’s got a secret strength inside her.

The world the Asherah is traveling toward is called Zehava. What’s the meaning behind this name?

Hebrew for “gold.” It’s a Goldilocks planet: not too hot, not too cold. Just right for a human colony–or so they hope!

What about Asherah?

Semitic sky goddess who may have been the consort of god and the Queen of Heaven to the pre-exile Hebrew people.

What was the most fun part of writing the book?

Kissing scenes! And anything involving Mara Stone. I love that little grumpy botanist with all my heart.

Starglass is your debut novel. How long was its journey from idea to publication?

Long! I started the draft in 2010, but the first seed was in a short story written in 2008, and there were four failed novels between.

I loved reading the extra world-building info on your website. What other YA books would you recommend to teens for their world-building?

A Confusion of Princes by Garth Nix! SO GOOD. Also the Earthseed novels by Pamela Sargent and John Christopher’s Tripod books.

What about other books about generation ships?

Beth Revis, of course! But Amy Kathleen Ryan’s Skychaser books deserve a shout-out, too.

What draws you to writing SF?

I am a big, big nerd who loves robots and spaceships and aliens. Seriously, that is the long & short of it.

What is the most over-used trope in YA SF right now?

Aliens who look just like us (or have no physical bodies) and have no appreciable culture of their own. Also bland human cultures.

What would you like to see more of in YA SF?

Alien and human diversity! More weird, surprising stuff that really pushes philosophical boundaries. Scientists as heroes.

Who do you think is breaking ground in YA right now?

I’m kinda digging this sci-fi revival that’s going on!

What did you like to read as a teenager?

Mercedes Lackey (oh, the angst!) and Anne McCaffrey (oh, the dragons!). Their books are written on my heart.

Describe your writing process.

Write all the words (by any means necessary). Sort out the details when you revise.

What’s the best writing advice you ever received?

“Finish the book.”

What’s your best writing advice to give?

My process is not your process. Figure out what works for you. Finish the book!

Outside of writing, what do you do with your free time?

Read, walk, garden, snuggle with my cat. I really am a boring introvert, despite what my wacky hair and tattoos might suggest.

You’ve got the conclusion to the Starglass duology coming out next. What other writing projects are you working on?

Some various projects: space school, Cernunnos hunters, magical transhumanism, a girl and her robot. We’ll see what happens.

Is there anything more you can tell us about Zehava, or will we just need to wait until the sequel arrives?

One word: ALIENS.

Twitterview: Katie Williams

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This month, we have author Katie Williams here as our Twitterview guest. We’re talking about her new book Absent, about creepy YA, ice cream, and much, much more.  I reviewed Absent yesterday and it’s one of my 2013 favorite readers. I am going to give away a copy to one lucky winner at the end of this interview.


For now, Katie!

What inspired Absent?

Staying after hours when I was in high school. It feels strange to be in a place built for crowds when it’s empty.

If you had to put a genre label on Absent, what would you call it?

A ghost story through the looking glass? Or post-death coming-of-age? I like to mess with genres.



There are ghosts in this book, and they aren’t necessarily Casper-nice. What inspired the ghostly aspects of Absent?

My ghosts are facing this incredible loss. It makes them look at who they were and how they’ll be remembered. They have tough moments.

What sort of research, if any, went into Absent? Feel free to link to relevant media that influenced/informed your story.

I read ghost stories to decide how I wanted my ghost world to be. Recommended
ghostly reading: here, here, here, here, and here.

Paige can “press into” anyone and BECOME them, altering their destiny (at least briefly). If you could “press into” someone, would you?

I want to say no because it’s a truly unfair thing to do. But honestly, who could resist that sort of masquerade?

Who would it be and why?

See? You knew I’d say yes. Maybe not any one person, but a lot of different people, not to change things, just to walk for a bit.

Stereotyping is a big theme throughout the book. What do your characters learn about this through their journey?

Viewing others with nuance and generosity allows you to view yourself with nuance and generosity. We should do more of both.

What, if anything, should readers walk away with from Absent?

That quiet, complete feeling of having read a good story. (This is what I hope!)

If you had to give a “______” meets “_________” pitch for your book, what would you say are the 2, 3, or 4 titles it’s a combination of?

Since you’ve asked for a Hollywood pitch, I’m going to give you movies. How about “The Breakfast Club” meets “The Others”?

Both Absent and The Space Between Trees are creepy reads. What inspires your writing in this way?

So macabre, I know! But I see them as about identity, the stories we tell about ourselves and others. And fear is a great revealer of self.

What gets you jazzed to write?

Reading good books. Taking long walks. There’s also a fair bit of procrastination masked as apartment cleaning.

Who or what do you write for?

I write YA for my sixteen-year-old self.

Why YA? What’s compelling about this arena to make you want to write it?

YA takes risks; it’s sleek and fiery; it doesn’t care what genre. Readers demand both pleasure and knowledge, in short, a damn good story.

What scares you the most about writing or the writing process?

Representing people or experiences in a reductive way.

Is there something you’ve always wanted to explore in your writing but have been too fearful to do yet?

I’m terrified of the 1880s setting of my current project. Our time period shapes us, and we also recognize each other across time, both.

What’s been the most satisfying part of your career to date?

Hearing from readers. I also love seeing the covers because I wish I could draw.

Who are your top three writing influences?

Tops is Ursula K. Le Guin. Two others: Jennifer Egan and Kelly Link. All three take risks and trust the reader.

What was your most influential read as a teenager?

I read everything Stephen King had ever written…under my desk during class. I think my parents had to take a special meeting.

Who do you believe is breaking ground in YA right now?

Kristin Cashore astounds and amazes. All hail.

What’s the best writing advice you ever received?

Read your first drafts like your sweetest friend and your final drafts like your snarkiest critic. Wisdom from writer Charles Baxter.

What’s your best writing advice to give?

It’s normal to feel foolish or frustrated (or both!) when you write. Be brave. Keep going. You will get somewhere true.

Do you have a writing soundtrack? Care to share some of it?

I don’t. I start typing the song lyrics! But my mom says this song reminds her of Absent:

(It’s pretty uncanny.)

What’s next for you?

Next: Low-magic fantasy in late-1880s American West. Then: Near future science-
fiction about a teenage reality TV show.

Favorite ice cream?

Cinnamon. Try it. Trust me.