The following is an interview with cartoonist Meredith McClaren (Black Cloak) regarding the recent release of the graphic novel, Meat Eaters, with Oni Press. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with McClaren about her creative process in bringing the poignant story and characters to life on the page, the themes that she hopes will resonate with readers, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of Meat Eaters! What can you share with us about the premise of this visceral story?
Meredith McClaren: Thank you!
So, Meat Eaters is about Ashley Moore, who died, and now has to suffer the indignity of keeping up with the world anyways.
BD: The story deftly weaves the camaraderie of a buddy comedy with the poignant themes of a supernatural drama. How would you describe your creative process in not only crafting the mystery of Ashley’s backstory but also bringing the story and characters to life on the page?
MM: I think… what’s most important to me in a story is not giving TOO MUCH away. I try to let my audience fill in some of the blanks. Maybe even figure out plot points before I’ve even gotten there. I think an audience enjoys solving the mystery with the story instead of having things spelled out.
As for character interactions, I try to find a core character trait and a motivation and then let the characters act out those emotions accordingly. I’m a big advocate of letting the characters tell their own story, even to the author.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums – no matter the genre. How do you feel that Ashley’s story may connect with and impact today’s readers?
MM: One of the hearts of Ashley’s story is accepting a change in yourself that is not ideal or even wanted. It happens to everyone at some point. Sometimes, you look around and realize that a fundamental part of your character, or your lived experience, is not the person you hoped to be and it’s not always something that’s within your control to change.
People have problems, mentally and physically, that will affect their path, sometimes irrevocably.
But you do the tremendous damage when you try to ignore those changes.
BD: What makes Oni Press the perfect home for this graphic novel?
MM: Oni’s always taken very good care of me! They gave me my first comic contract with Jen Van Meter’s Hopeless Savages v4, and I’ve gone on to work for them on several other projects since then.
They have a great team, with a wonderful library of horror, so it felt like a great fit for Meat Eaters.
BD: Are there any additional projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
MM: This was a pretty busy year for me. Black Cloak v2, which I draw and Kelly Thompson writes, came out at the beginning of the year. Followed by Crumble written by me and drawn by Andrea Bell. I’ve also got a self-published travelogue set to post online before year’s end following a recent trip to Vietnam.
There’s always a lot going on. ^_^
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Meat Eaters and your other work?
MM: They can find me on Patreon at patreon.com/meredithmcclaren and Bluesky at @iniquitousfish.bsky.social.
Thank you so much!
