Interview by Hannah Luppe
Marianne Boucher is a comics creator and painter from Kirkland Lake, Ontario. After graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design, she worked as a court illustrator, covering crime stories for a Toronto television station for 30 years. Her graphic novel, Talking To Strangers, an adult memoir, was published by Penguin Random House in 2020, and was listed as one of the best Canadian comics in 2020 by CBC. She started a new graphic novel while attending the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia writer’s residency in Avonport in Fall of 2023. A recent move back to northern Ontario has rekindled her desire to return to painting. She is represented by Britton Gallery in Muskoka.
Hi Marianne! Thanks so much for taking the time to answer some questions today. We are so excited to have you! Your adult graphic memoir Talking to Strangers was published in 2020, and your upcoming graphic novel, Survival of the Goodest, is for a lower YA/MG audience and is expected in October of 2024. What drew you to writing for younger audiences?
I wanted this graphic novel to speak to the young vegans, vegetarians and environmentalists, because I’m so inspired by them, I want to fuel their passion. When my daughter was a kid, she and her friends would walk through the neighbourhood in the dark during Earth Hour. They were so excited to see the whole town come together and turn off their lights, seeing that others were committed to the planet was thrilling to them. I know, as an animal lover, the bewilderment of learning that not everyone feels the same way I do. So this graphic novel is a confirmation of that passion.
Survival of the Goodest is described as an eco-adventure about a young messenger named Sable who uses ancient magic to help defend her island’s animals. During a time when environmental preservation is critical, can you tell us a bit about what you hope young readers take away from Sable’s story?
Sable uses ancient magic by way of a paper spell to help defend her island’s animals. This graphic novel is my paper-wish to the world. Just like Sable I wrote down what my heart most desires and tossed it out into the universe. Sable relies on community, compassion and love to defend the island’s animals. Her message is that we all evolved from love and community, as we continue to alienate ourselves from the natural world through greed and exploitation. The message is clear, we need to tell a different story. The known way is an impasse.
What part of your creative process do you look forward to most when you begin a new graphic novel?
When I begin a graphic novel I usually have some strong visual ideas about a few scenes, and I can’t wait to make them into large drawings or a painting right away and then work around the lesser visualized scenes. I also look forward to the research and reading, the deep dives into sailing, costumes, and goat facts. I also like gathering stationary supplies and new sketch books and sticky notes to make visual maps of the book, it’s all fun!
When building the world for Survival of the Goodest, did you have any sources you went to for inspiration, whether it was through folklore, specific artists, real-world places, or otherwise?
I love craft, and so Sable’s whole world involves artists in the process of making cloth from plants, using flowers and fruit and to dye fabric and paper making for the spells. I wanted the island to be a place where I’d like to live, where everyone is growing things, making art, and having animal friends!
If you could give one piece of advice for emerging creators trying to navigate the publishing industry, what would it be?
One important aspect would be to write for a specific audience. Even if you are writing just for yourself, ask yourself what age are you, when you are reading this? Always ask yourself, does this word, this sentence and drawing keep my idea alive?
Hannah Luppe is currently completing her MA in Children’s Literature at UBC. She is the managing editor of Young Adulting Review.
YOUNG ADULTING 