The following is an interview with cartoonist Ren Strapp regarding the upcoming release of the coming-of-age graphic novel, How Could You, through Oni Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Strapp about her creative process in interweaving the stories of the graphic novel’s four protagonists, what she hopes that readers may take away from their stories, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of How Could You! For those who may be unfamiliar, how would you describe the premise of its four interweaving stories?
Ren Strapp: You either had her or you were her: the roommate in your early adulthood who was a major emotional wreck and made it everyone else’s problem. How Could You is about you, that roommate, her ex girlfriend, and her best friend. And also your ex girlfriend. And the friend of your roommate’s ex girlfriend who is also your roommate’s friend’s ex who wants to date your roommate’s ex girlfriend. Lesbian drama is messy and tightly interwoven, especially on a small lib arts campus. College rips you out of childhood and puts you in the autonomous adult practice arena, where you find your friends, your boundaries, and your voice. It’s a process that Molly Song, the emotional, recently-dumped roommate and one of the main characters, has a difficult time coping with, and she’s about to make it everyone’s problem. Meanwhile, her ex is living it up in France on a study abroad semester with Yona, who might be catching feelings for her bestie in the most devastating way.
BD: You have an incredibly diverse background for sequential art, ranging from zines and webcomics to tattooing. What can you share with us about your creative approach to bringing this long-form story to life on the page in contrast to your previous work?
RS: Making zines, risograph prints, and webcomics all have the same ethos in common for me, which is: just make it and embrace the imperfections. The human touch is what makes art, both as a creator and a viewer, worth anything to me, and I like to see the messy accents that an individual can place on their work. I try not to beleaguer the details, and most of my projects are just about conveying emotion as quickly and succinctly as possible, while still trying to make something beautiful and fun. For How Could You, one of the ways I did this was by choosing to hand draw my comic panel borders, instead of using a rectangle tool or a ruler. I wanted to keep the unique wiggly lines of each panel. I also used a color palette inspired by risograph inks, which are familiar to me and helped keep the book looking cohesive, allowing me to switch up the colors for big emotional scenes.
BD: This graphic novel has the potential to connect with so many readers in its depiction of the humor and heartbreak of finding yourself throughout your developmental years. As both a creator and a comics reader, were there certain stories that connected with you along the way and influenced your trajectory?
RS: Making graphic novels takes a long, long time. I began working on the concept for How Could You in 2020. So, the version of me from nearly 5 years ago who set out on this path was inspired by character writing in video games like Life is Strange and graphic novels like Laura Deen Keeps Breaking Up With Me, but as I went along in the project, I became more inspired by the work that my friends and colleagues were making at the time. I can cite Grand Slam Romance, Mr. Boop, and Peepee Poopoo just off the top of my head as what I consider to be PEAK comics: funny, messy, delightful. During this process, I also got really into watching Riverdale and pro wrestling. You might think those are completely disparate pieces of entertainment, but they’re both extremely camp. It’s in the over-exaggerated emotions of those characters that I said, “Wow, I want my book to be more like that.”
BD: What makes Oni Press the perfect home for How Could You?
RS: I’m a Portlander! So much of my art practice is rooted in my experiences coming into adulthood and my career here in Portland, from the zine scene to local print shops, bookstores, and events. Oni Press, being stationed here in Portland, feels local and personal to me in a way that other publishers don’t. Maybe it’s a Portland thing, but when I explain to non-comics people that I have a book and it’s with Oni Press, I add a little “they’re local” to it and watch their faces light up. Beyond that, I think Oni Press values new adult stories in a way that other publishers are just catching onto, but Oni’s been doing it for years. They’ve got a leg up on that market, and it shows.
BD: If provided the opportunity, would you like to expand the lives of Molly, Lou, Yona, and Olene post-college in further graphic novels?
RS: Oh absolutely. I know exactly what happens to them next. If you catch me at a convention and ask me in person, I’ll tell you. Or you can wait for their story to continue. 😉
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about How Could You and your other work?
RS: Check out my website and subscribe to my newsletter! I’m also on Instagram and Bluesky. Thank you so much!
