The following is an interview with Rye Hickman regarding the recent release of their graphic novel, The Harrowing, through Abrams Fanfare. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Hickman about their shared creative process in working with writer Kristen Kiesling to bring the suspenseful story to life on the page, what they hope that readers may take away from the story, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of The Harrowing! For those who may be unfamiliar, what can you tell us about the premise of this suspenseful story?
Rye Hickman: Thank you, it’s so exciting to see The Harrowing out in the hands of readers! And, yeah, it definitely is a suspenseful story—in The Harrowing we follow a teenager named Rowan who discovers that she has the power to literally see murders before they happen. She lands in a shadowy organization that uses the powers she and other kids have to prevent crime, and Rowan fervently believes in their mission until she discovers that the boy she is in love with will commit a murder. I’ll leave it there, I don’t want to spoil too much!
BD: You are no stranger to working with dystopian fiction, having worked on projects like Lonely Receiver, yet this story truly pushes the genre forward. How would you describe your shared creative process in working with writer Kristen Kiesling to bring this thoughtful and compelling story and its characters to life on the page?
RH: When I initially read The Harrowing, it was an amazing screenplay. It was already very visual, and I was astounded by Kristen’s ability to take Rowan’s simple and admirable goal, to help people, and complicate it with not only the reality of our criminal justice system, but the abstractions of how to decide what justice is. My favorite dystopian fiction, at the end of the day, is secretly a love letter to humanity’s best traits, you know? So, I had this incredible script in front of me, but I didn’t know if Kristen would be okay with the various adjustments needed to make it into a graphic novel. I said yes to the project anyway. Long story short, she’s been a wonderful collaborator, has learned how to script for comics so quickly and so well it blew my mind, is incredibly flexible and smart, and, honestly, I’m crossing my fingers we’ll get to make another book together soon. She’s one to watch, for sure.
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 Rowan’s story may impact readers, and are there any conversations that you hope that it might inspire?
RH: Talking about what societies do with those who harm others is always going to be a charged conversation. I love your #StoriesMatter initiative, because I believe that fiction is, among other things, a fantastic way to talk about charged subjects through a removed/contained lens. The Harrowing is complex in a lot of ways, but I am hoping that Rowan and the other Harrows she befriends—all of them mid leap from childhood into adulthood—sparks conversations about justice, of course, but also about how what we were told as children affects the way we see things as adults and then, its reciprocal axis- what we tell our children who will have to deal with all of the moral complexities and awful violence that Rowan does. That’s a bit more heavy of a hope than I thought I was going to go for, so also, I’d hope that at least one reader does a deep dive on flatworms and then informs their friends! They’re a super wild invertebrate!
BD: What makes Abrams Fanfare the perfect home for this story?
RH: First off, Abrams has a long history of fantastic graphic novels and an unparalleled dedication to expanding graphic novel genres. Then, there really aren’t that many publishers interested in horror/thriller books for teens. But Abrams Fanfare—and our wonderful editor Charlotte Greenbaum—clearly saw that The Harrowing makes sense for YA and was bold enough to commit to our somewhat-gruesome always-intense graphic novel. I’m terribly grateful.
BD: Are there any other projects on which you are working that you’re able to share with readers?
RH: Absolutely! Because, apparently, I really like books that are on the pulse of discomfort, I’m drawing Hey, Mary! It’s about a deeply Catholic 16-year-old boy experiencing a crush on a guy at school and reconciling his faith with his homosexuality. Andrew Wheeler is the writer and he is absolutely brilliant. The story takes us through a lot of religious history (I got to draw so many versions of Mary!) and is both considerate and very funny. It hit home for me in many ways, as a queer who grew up deep in evangelical Christian culture. It’ll be out from Oni Press in the spring of 2025.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about The Harrowing?
RH: I’ve been listening to the amazing Spotify playlist that Kristen put together for The Harrowing—it rocks, it’s perfect, please join me in putting it on repeat! And you can follow both of us on instagram—I’m at @ryehickmandraws and Kristen is at @kieslingbooks. I’m planning on sharing more behind-the-scenes/process work from the book in the coming weeks, and we’d love to hear any questions or responses to the book that fans might have!
