The following is an interview with critically acclaimed artist Bridgit Connell (Lady Baltimore: The Witch Queens, Brother Nash) regarding the upcoming release of the two-issue Outerverse comic book series, Lady Baltimore: The Daughters of Medusa, with Dark Horse Comics. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Connell about her shared creative process in returning to the Lady Baltimore world with Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden, her approach to bringing even more depth to Lady Baltimore’s character, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the upcoming release of Lady Baltimore: The Daughters of Medusa! As part of the Outerverse, where will the new story carry on after the events of the previous Baltimore series?
Bridgit Connell: Thank you so much! So, these stories take place after the start of WW2 in the Outerverse timeline. Where Lord Henry Baltimore was at war with the Red King, vampires, and the plague, Lady Sofia Baltimore and her kickass crew are at war with Nazis, and several covens of witches that have joined together to form the Hexencorps. This story, as well as the previous one-shot Lady Baltimore and the Dream of Ikelos, are all stories exploring not only Sofia’s place in the war, but it also explores the relationship with the team she has smartly put together. There are some real badasses that we want to introduce the reader to in these storylines.
BD: Your artistic style naturally exudes deep ambience, tone, and mood. When tackling a project like Lady Baltimore, is there anything that guides or propels your approach to the artwork?
BC: Those are kind words, thank you! I think “naturally” is a deception I have pulled off! I think before this project, I approached comics more by being attracted to characters faces, emotions, acting… I rarely used heavy inks/blacks when working. Getting hired on to do this dream project, I definitely adjusted my approach, as Mignola’s books, though at a sprinkling of times might be humorous and light, are definitely heavily shrouded in that horror lighting. Lots of heavy black, face shading, leaving a lot of mystery to the characters which tends to make certain elements much more terrifying than they would be in brightly lit panels. In that way I have really had to challenge myself, so I’m glad it comes off “naturally” haha!! It’s been so, so much fun, and an evolution to how I draw that I’m glad I went through.
BD: How would you describe your shared creative process in not only expanding the world of the Outerverse, but in cultivating the depths of Lady Baltimore’s character?
BC: Before each book, Chris Golden and I literally call each other up just to nerd out about the story. I get to bug him with questions, which he is always excited to answer. I think we have a solid understanding of both who Sofia is and why we love her! There is zero hesitation in her soul about giving everything she has to stand up to evil forces at work in her world. She has no supernatural powers, unless you count stubbornness as magical. She came from nothing – she joined Lord Baltimore with nothing but the shoes on her feet and tattered dress on her back. (When she first joined Baltimore, she literally fought with shovels and lanterns, while everyone else was using military swords and guns.) Now that she was gifted all the resources Baltimore originally had, she is truly a FORCE to be reckoned with. As for the Outerverse world, often Chris will ask my thoughts on what I would like to draw, and like some sort of writer wizard, if he likes it, he will somehow work it into the world and send in a script like the next day. It makes me feel so valued, not only as an artist on a story but as a collaborator and part of the team. It’s not something I thought I would be experiencing on a project like this at all, and I’m so grateful.
BD: Likewise, given your previous work together on Lady Baltimore: The Witch Queens, did you find that there was a creative shorthand in your collaboration?
BC: Ooh, that’s a really good question. In terms of shorthand on MY end that I think I figured out a little faster, learning how Mike designs the monsters and getting the opportunity to understand the choices that he makes was one of my favorite learning experiences. We worked out a harpy design in the first book together, and things started clicking – albeit slowly – in my brain. I think from that point on, I understood something beyond just being a fan and reading stories in the Mignolaverse and going, “OH THAT THING LOOKS SO COOOOL!”
And then there is the element of just learning to trust myself. I think the cool thing about working with Chris was that, most of the time, we’re on the same page. There’s a lot of trust there which is essential. So, there are some story beats I drop in and action sequences that I get to play with that keep the drawing really fun.
BD: Are there any additional projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
BC: I appreciate that – I think the only thing to keep an eye out for is that this isn’t the last Lady Baltimore story, either….! Wink WINK. And also, if you want to hunt down a fun one-shot – if you haven’t already read it – is Lady Baltimore and the Dream of Ikelos. If you like rats, you’ll LOVE it.
BD: Lastly, what would you like to tell fans who want to learn more about Lady Baltimore: The Daughters of Medusa and your other work?
BC: You can absolutely follow me on socials… I’m on BlueSky and Instagram (@bridgitconnell), and I also stream Wednesday mornings on Twitch if you’re into live-drawing and all that. Heroes Con in June is coming up soon, so I always make a little somethin’ somethin’ for that.
