The following is an interview with Lucy Sullivan regarding the recent release of her graphic novel, Barking, through Avery Hill. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Sullivan about her creative experience in bringing her own experiences to the narrative, what she hopes that readers may take away from the story, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of Barking! For those who may be unfamiliar, how would you describe the story’s premise?
Lucy Sullivan: Barking follows Alix Otto who, a year since her friend’s death, is beset with visual and audible hallucinations then sectioned to a mental health ward. We step into Alix’s shoes (or lack there of) as she navigates the threats, systemic attitudes and difficulties of hospital life. All whilst dealing with the manifestation of the eponymous Black Dog and maybe some others she’d rather not see. It’s based on personal experience combined with research and a dash of folklore to bring readers a wider understanding of a mental health crisis and the UK care system.
BD: What can you tell us about your creative process in bringing this story and characters to life on the page, and how much of your own experiences influenced your narrative?
LS: I had a somewhat unusual process with Barking. As the story was driven mostly by my experience, I needed the art process to be as immediate as possible. I decided to eschew under drawing & panel layouts and draw directly in ballpoint pen and carbon typewriter sheets onto animation paper. I had a loose script, more like a film script (scene description, some dialogue) but knew I could create a more interesting metaphor when sketching. I would loosely sketch panels, sometimes several times, until I got what felt right for each double spread. I’d then rough out the layouts, scan everything in & put it together in Photoshop. Adding additional blacks from layers of smudges with occasional digital inks. I added lettering either by hand or with a font based on my handwriting and then finally panel lines. These were formed from a library of lines I drew & very much the final piece of the jigsaw. I definitely broke the rules to make this comic, and it’s not a process I would repeat but it was the only way to make this story.
BD: What makes Avery Hill the perfect home for this story?
LS: They are one of the handful of publishers who I feel value unique voices in comics. Along with D&Q and Fantagraphics, they represent some of the most thought-provoking and visually stimulating comics, not to mention varied. Be that in art style or narrative structure, Avery Hill always find the most incredible creators. I’m a bit of a super fan, a large portion of my comic collection is AHP, so it’s a genuine thrill to be a part of their cannon. They’re also a small, but mighty, team that genuinely love the craft. When your work is as personal as mine, it matters that you trust the people you work with. I have felt so supported by the team, and it’s made it even more special for Barking.
BD: Graphic Medicine is an emerging genre that combines the field of medicine with the medium of comics. How do you feel that Graphic Medicine stories like this one can help to better depict the stages of grief, but also the lived experience of working through mental health disorders?
LS: I think the intimate relationship between reader and story adds so much weight to Graphic Medicine comics. It takes it a step beyond someone telling you about their experience or a dry medical account of a condition. You can use the visuals to not only bring your readers into the lived experience of the story but also show them the unseen aspects. For me being able to show the overwhelming experience of audible hallucinations though jumbled lettering was crucial. As was showing the contrasting visual experience of my character Alix to what was actually happening around her. Being able to switch from one to the other in a mere panel really accentuates the experience. Comics are an extraordinary medium and the perfect way to explain life’s challenges that are too difficult or taboo to talk about in person. It’s an amazing way to share, grow empathy and understanding for all sort of conditions but particularly mental illness.
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 this story may connect with and impact readers?
LS: I hope readers will feel more compassion towards people after reading. Particularly when those people may be challenging to help. When I was in my worst state, I was difficult to approach about it. I was aggressive, both verbally and physically. The person that finally got through to me had a history of similar problems but it shouldn’t take that. It’s easy to judge folks from the outside, but the thing is anyone can be affected by mental health disorders. I hope that in reading Barking you may consider how you would fare in a similar situation when your world has just crumbled. I’m grateful for the NHS healthcare we have in the UK, but some of the practices are frankly barbaric and can make patients significantly worse.
I also hope to open a wider discussion around grief and how long it takes to learn how to live with it. That it’s an utterly personal experience and cannot be defined by stages or time periods. It’s a messy, life-long challenge and we need to give people more understanding and all the time they need when they experience loss.
BD: Are there any upcoming projects on which you are currently working that you would like to share with our readers?
LS: I’ve been working on a unannounced project that’s not comics but related. It’s incredibly exciting, involves a personal favourite of mine, and is somewhat mind boggling in who is involved. I cannot wait to tell all when I can. Apologies for not saying more but the contract I signed was legally terrifying!
I’m also working on the next story in my Folk-Horror series, Shelter. These are stories set in West London from 1969 onwards about the formidable Irish woman who settled there. It was a time when you couldn’t trust the police or many folks, so these women set up a support network. At the root of that is Mammy Magee and her unusually skilled girls. They can fix any problem, but for a price.
I’ve combined research with Irish folklore to build a world of witches, goddesses, demons and the fae as their paths cross in sometimes gruesome ways. The next story, ‘Mothers Ruin,’ explores Mammy’s own terrible past as she comes up against another matriarch and her brood of local gangsters. It’s inspired by my dad’s childhood as an immigrant family in London mixed with my love of folklore and fun horror tales.
The first episode is ‘Early Doors’, an introduction story, that was self-published and is currently available on my website. ‘Mothers Ruin’ is going to be much longer and is being developed with a publisher. It will be a while before it comes out as it’s hand-painted and drawn. Currently looking like 160-180 pages… It’s a lot of work!
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Barking?
LS: There are lots of interviews and podcasts around Barking as this is the 2nd edition of the book. I’d say the best way would be to find Avery Hill Publishing on social media and myself, too. We’re frequently posting links or you could read to my website. I’ll be chatting to Ricky from Avery Hill for their podcast, ‘Signals From The Hill,’ soon and have a number of reviews articles and more. I’ll building page on my site that’ll hopefully be up soon with links to it all.
I’m always happy to hear from readers, too, so do drop me a line if you’ve read Barking and have any burning questions. I’ll be at TCAF in May if anyone is heading there. I’d love to do a festival in the States but haven’t got that sorted just yet. I’ll be over one day soon, so follow my accounts or sign up for my free newsletter…
Online – lucysullivanuk.com
Instagram – @lucysullivanuk
Bluesky – @lucysullivan.bsky.social
Newsletter – buttondown.email/LucySullivan
