The following is an interview with writer/artist Ned Wenlock regarding the upcoming release of the graphic novel, Tsunami, through Pow Pow Publishing on May 6, 2025. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Wenlock about his creative process in bringing the story to life on the page, what various readers may take away from the story’s themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of your graphic novel, Tsunami! For our readers who may be unfamiliar, how would you describe the story’s premise?
Ned Wenlock: Tsunami is the story of Peter, a self-righteous 12-year-old boy, navigating his last 6 weeks at primary school. Life is changing fast for Peter, the future is opening up. Unfortunately, his steadfast attitude is at odds with the complex world around him, and every decision he makes turns out to be the wrong one.
BD: In balancing the writing and illustrative duties, what can you tell us about your creative process in not only bringing these three-dimensional characters to life on the page, but in crafting an honest and genuine depiction of adolescence?
NW: The story is set roughly ten years ago when my own daughters were Peter’s age. It uses the flat, cardboard atmosphere of where we lived, in the suburbs on the coast in New Zealand, and the types of people around us at the time. Quite a few of the scenes come from real memories, either from that time or from when I was a kid. I think this lets me get inside what an event feels like as opposed to it just being a plot point.
I find it hard to plan ahead. I can plan, but then once it’s all sketched out, I lose interest. So, I draw as I go, scene by scene, with nothing but a hazy, hard-to-define destination in mind. I think this allows things to happen organically. The characters had a certain amount of autonomy. I like it when they surprise me.
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 Peter’s story may connect with and impact readers?
NW: I think it really depends on who is reading Tsunami. My mum, for example, could almost not get through it. She felt overwhelmed by the tension and unease. Others tell me they enjoyed the dark humour and saw the actions as representing the heightened emotions of adolescence. A friend of mine described it very well as that tragic/euphoric teenage feeling of running on a beach, alone, in the rain.
It is a highly emotional book, not a tearjerker, but a tense, coiling snake that slowly crushes you. Think film noir with primary school kids.
BD: What makes Pow Pow Press a great publishing partner, and why are they the perfect home for this story?
NW: First off, Pow Pow Press publishes very aesthetically pleasing books. Being a designer, this means more than it should to me. Secondly, they have great taste. I’ve enjoyed all the many books I’ve read from their catalogue. Their stories are deep and emotional, and are subtly humorous. Plus, I feel their books tackle themes in a mature adult way. Tsunami, a book about troubled teenagers and their families, attempts to do just that.
BD: Are there any projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
NW: Yes, the reader could search out a short animated film I made called Spring Jam. A lot of stories I create are about characters being at odds with their environment and the troubles they get into. Spring Jam is very similar to Tsunami in this way, and yet is the positive inverse. Also, it might help people understand where I come from with humour.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Tsunami and your other work?
NW: The best place to see my work is at www.oneedo.com. Links to my social media are there, too.
