The following is an interview with comic book artist Bre Indigo on her graphic novel adaptation of Little Women for Little, Brown Books and Tapas Media. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Indigo about the shared creative process with Rey Terciero and Rex Ogle, her experience of adapting the story 150 years after its initial release, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of your graphic novel adaptation of Little Women from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and Tapas Media! What intrigued you about working on this project as an artist?
Bre Indigo: Thanks so much! I’m so proud of the team. Everyone worked so hard to get to this point, and we’re all very excited to see how it’s received! Little Women was my first big project, and so I was excited to have a chance to prove myself, get my feet wet, and for the opportunity to work more closely with the team at Hachette and Tapas. When I heard what the project was going to be, I was even more psyched, because it was something I was familiar with.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in working with Rey Terciero and editor Rex Ogle?
BI: Oh, working with the writer and editorial team was a dream! The editor, Rex Ogle, is so understanding, patient, and motivating! If I was having a rough time on anything, he and Christina, our art director, were always there to help me out of a creative rut. Through e-mail, the writer and I would gush about the characters and the fact that Rey was so considerate of my opinion of the characters and script meant a lot to me. Reading Rey’s writing has also helped me figure out a few roadblocks I was facing with my own scripting as well. 10/10, great team members and mentors, would work with them again.
BD: Given that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the original story, what do you hope that readers will take away from this modern adaptation of Little Women?
BI: Since this isn’t meant to replace the original, but to complement it, I hope that readers can get from it what they got from the original, and then some. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy’s struggles are similar as before, but through a modern lens. I hope that readers can apply the girls’ growth to their own lives and develop themselves into even more empathetic and understanding human beings.
BD: What makes Little, Brown Books and Tapas Media a great home for this project?
BI: Little, Brown Books was the original publishers for the original, so it’s right at home. Then, partnering with Tapas is a great way to reach new readers, since digital comics is a growing industry.
BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
BI: I’ve got a few under my belt, but nothing I’m ready to share about in detail. I like to tell bittersweet stories of growth, and so we’ll see how that goes. For now, I plan on completing my current project, Jamie, and I hope to get printed one day soon.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Little Women and your other work?
BI: You can read Little Women in weekly updates over on Tapas. It is scheduled to go to print in the winter of 2018.
As for my own art, I’m most active on Twitter. Thank you, I hope your readers enjoy Little Women.
