The following is an interview with Maria Sweeney on the recent release of the graphic memoir, Brittle Joints, through Street Noise Books. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Sweeney about her creative process in bringing her personal narrative to the page, 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 Brittle Joints! What can you tell us about your decision to share your story of living with a progressive disability with readers?
Maria Sweeney: Thank you so much! Sharing my personal experiences of living with a rare disability came rather organically and out of a need to express the grief and inaccessibility my disabled community and I face on a daily basis. The disabled experience can often intersect with isolation, as social and economical systems are not designed with disabled people in mind. This prevents us from being included in our communities and thus our stories and experiences are silenced and the cycle of exclusion is perpetuated. It was after creating a few single-page comics about being disabled that helped push this project into something more realized. As a longtime comics reader myself, I struggled finding stories that included the disabled experience, particularly including those with physical disabilities. Comics felt like the perfect format for conveying the many nuances of being disabled.
BD: In balancing the writing and illustrative duties of the project, what can you share with us about your creative process in bringing this personal narrative to life on the page?
MS: When I begin the creative process of starting a comic, my initial steps are creating loose panels to contain and guide the rest of the scene. I visualize my comic pages like a movie, with each panel being a “shot” or scene of different elements to convey the environment, mood, and pacing of the story. From there, I’ll move into thumbnail sketches, sourcing references and just continually adding and refining. Some of my research might be finding specific areas I’ve lived in or certain topical events from a certain period of my life and how these elements are woven into the disabled daily experience.
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 your story may impact readers, and are there any conversations or questions that you hope that it might inspire?
MS: Brittle Joints is a book for anyone and everyone, and I hope that my shared experiences can help my disabled community and loved ones feel included in this world and that their pain, joy, grief, and desires are all seen. I also hope this book can be part of the conversation of combatting ableism in our daily lives and environments. This book is a call to my able-bodied loved ones to help carve accessibility alongside us. Disability is an all-inclusive community and if you have the opportunity to age in this world, you will be welcomed into this expansive circle. It is in all our best interest to push for a disabled-centric world!
BD: What do you feel made Street Noise Books the perfect home for Brittle Joints?
MS: I had the opportunity to meet Liz Frances when I was self-publishing Brittle Joints as a zine and she continued to encourage and follow my work throughout the years. Liz also really understood my vision and pacing for the book and met me with continued guidance and support, especially as I faced continued life challenges extending the process for some time. Street Noise Books’ body of work seeks to uplift and publish intersectional queer and inclusive stories, and it felt like the perfect place to nestle Brittle Joints among so many amazing titles published already.
BD: Are there any other projects on which you are working that you are able to share with our readers?
MS: Yes! I had the pleasure of working with Dorothy Ellen Palmer for her children’s book, The Scooter Twins, published by Groundwood Books/ House of Anansi. The book features two children experiencing the joys and challenges of disabled childhood, and it was immensely fulfilling having the opportunity to work with another disabled advocate in cultivating a vibrant world through a disabled lens.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find out more about Brittle Joints and your other work?
MS: My book can be found on Street Noise Books’ website, as well as most retailers and online bookstores/ libraries can request it! I also share more of my comics-making process, sketchbooks, life photos and other personal aspects of my creative practice on my Patreon.
https://mariasweeney.com
https://www.patreon.com/mariasweeney
https://www.instagram.com/moldovamaria/
