The following is an interview with artist Nicole Goux regarding the upcoming release of the graphic novel, Everyone Is Tulip, from Dark Horse Comics. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Goux about the shared creative process of bringing this story to life with co-creator Dave Baker and colorist Ellie Hall, the inspiration behind the graphic novel, the import that the story may carry for readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of your graphic novel! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you share with us about the premise of this story?
Nicole Goux: Everyone Is Tulip is a standalone original graphic novel about an aspiring actress named Becca Harper who moves to LA in hopes of becoming a star. After finding her dreams harder to achieve than expected, Becca falls backwards into a gig acting in YouTube performance videos. She is quickly swept up into the world of viral fame and has to grapple with questions of self-identity, what it is to make art, and how much she would sacrifice to get what she wants.
BD: How would you describe your creative process in working with co-creator Dave Baker and colorist Ellie Hall in bringing this story to life?
NG: Dave and I have been working together for going on 7 years now. We have a very collaborative process in which we come up with, brainstorm, and talk out story before anything gets committed to the page. Dave then goes and writes up a script, and I get a chance to read it and discuss before I start drawing. We brought in Ellie much later in the process. I had done an original 8 sample pages and kind of laid out what I wanted the colors to look like. We talked all that through with her before she started working. Ellie pulled out some really amazing pages and color ideas that I never would have thought of that really help bring the book to life.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Becca’s story will connect with and impact readers, and why do you feel that this story was important for you to bring to life?
NG: To me, Becca’s story is about the moral questions and sacrifices you’re asked to make when pursuing a goal. I don’t think there’s necessarily a right answer, but the point is to bring up the question, “What are you willing to give up to get what you want?”
We also are all consumed by this digital world that Becca finds herself in. I don’t think there are many people nowadays who don’t relate to the experience of living a life on the internet through social media. A lot of the things Becca experiences should resonate with viewers, not always in a positive way, but hopefully in a way that reflects what it’s like to live in 2021.
BD: What makes Dark Horse the perfect home for Everyone Is Tulip?
NG: Dark Horse ended up being such a good place for the book, because we were allowed so much creative freedom, as well as being able to retain complete creator ownership. Our editor Konner Knudsen was so supportive from the get-go and just a joy to work with.
BD: Are there any additional projects on which you are working that you are able to share with our readers?
NG: My current project is called Forest Hills Bootleg Society coming out from Simon and Schuster in summer of 2022. It’s another team-up with Dave Baker and is about a group of teenage girls who go to a conservative boarding school. They start selling bootleg anime DVDs to their classmates, and the stress of running a black-market business puts pressures on their relationships and friendships.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about Everyone Is Tulip?
NG: If you’re a fan of internet culture, stories about creative practices, or just love pastel colors, you’ll probably love Everyone Is Tulip. The book will be available in comic shops on June 16 and bookstores everywhere on June 29. Dave and I are also serializing the book online at www.everyoneistulip.com, where we post 3 pages a week. So, if you want to check it out for free, this is your chance!
