I was recently honored to have my mashup profile "Lucy Sullivan: Before and Beyond Barking" published in Colin Blanchette's CANON. It was overambitiously first pitched as an interview with the artist, what with my social anxiety and lack of technical prowess that was not happening! This first section is my raw notes compiled from a dozen interviews and profiles. As a bonus for readers of CANON I'm including a further list of of interviews with Lucy, a bibliography of Lucy's work with other creators, and a section of notes on Lucy's comic influences left out of the original article. If you haven't yet, you can purchase a copy of CANON here.
EARLY YEARS:
Lucy Sullivan: I’m a Londoner, born & bred and as many of us do here I come from a somewhat mixed background. My Dad was from Ireland, my Mum from New Zealand and they ran live-music pubs in the city. I had a pretty unusual but wonderful upbringing. I have a Degree in Animation & Illustration and teach observational drawing.
from https://www.comicosity.com/interview-lucy-sullivan-opens-up-about-mental-illness-in-barking/
LUCY I’m old enough to not really remember for drawing. I certainly recall getting into lots of trouble at about 3 or 4 for drawing on the walls. A skill my own daughter has acquired. I’ve been making comics as a hobby (not really showing anyone) since I was in my teens. It was mainly painful prose with illustrated scenes of my many woes such as having my walkman pinched and such. Agonising to think of now. I’ve been making comics to share, less shamefully, since about 2016.
. I grew up going to China town restaurants and have the most wonderful nostalgic vibes form the glorious concoction of crystal clear broth,
from https://www.millertown.co.uk/lucy-sullivan/
LS: I had considered [it] as a teenager and tried to get a pre-University qualification, but I wasn’t ready and ended up bunking off — skipping classes — and hanging out in Soho with my best mate. In fact, we became friends on that course and were each other’s demise. We had a lot of fun, but we’re terrible influences on each other. We quit the course and moved to France to become snowboarders — a passion I followed until my dad died.
LS: Yes, I drew all the time from a very young age and on any surface — walls, doors, shoes, my bunk bed. Much to my parents’ annoyance. Although my dad was happy to utilize it, as I often drew t-shirts, posters, and notice boards for our pub’s various happenings. In fact, every bar or restaurant I worked in, I would end up as the on-hand artist. Never paid extra, though
I come from a working class background. I got my first job working on a cafe at 13 and worked in hairdressers, bars, and restaurants until my late 20s
from https://fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/interviews/between-the-panels/item/12088-between-the-panels-cartoonist-lucy-sullivan-on-stepping-into-her-first-comic-shop-putting-life-into-art-and-having-jeff-lemire-in-her-corner
KS: When did you start as a comics reader? Some guests first encountered the medium through single issues, or graphic novels, or newspaper cartoons. What about you?
LS: I grew up in a pub in London. By which I mean, my parents ran the pub and we lived above it. We also had a number of live-in staff, so I had access to comics I shouldn’t have probably read at quite a young age, such as VIZ and 2000AD, but luckily I mainly read the strips in my dad’s newspaper. The ones I remember most were Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes — I still think the latter is a work of genius. I probably started buying my own comics at around 7 or 8. I would get magazine titles like Oink and The Beano from the local shop and was often found with a Asterix or Smurfs annual. I was well into my teens before I ventured into a proper comic shop, and I won’t lie — it was a very intimidating experience — but still started a life long love for them.
KS: What comic shop was that? Did the intimidating experience originate internally or externally?
LS: Forbidden Planet, which in the 1990s was in Covent Garden, London, and it was such an unwelcoming environment. I got the full "comic book guy" treatment from the lad behind the counter. I was 16, I think, and ready to embrace comics but with no idea what I was buying, so I blanked him and searched the back of the store, picking comics based on the art. I bought Hellboy: Wake The Devil, Domu: The Dreams of Children [a.k.a. A Child’s Dream], Signal To Noise, and a bunch of floppies like The Maxx and Lobo. The guy at the till judged every single comic before adding the price. By that point, I realized he was just a little man with no power, and [I] smiled back. Those books are still my all-time favorites so I chose well in the end.
from https://fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/interviews/between-the-panels/item/12088-between-the-panels-cartoonist-lucy-sullivan-on-stepping-into-her-first-comic-shop-putting-life-into-art-and-having-jeff-lemire-in-her-corner
I studied Animation & Illustration at Kingston. I’d gone on the course wanting to improve my skills and make comics but that was still a bit of a dirty word in those days. Luckily I found animation had much in common and I fell in love with the process of hand-drawn 2D films.
After uni I co-directed and animated music videos for Coldcut and One Eskimo as part of a collective, Smuggling Peanuts. The latter won the ‘People’s Choice’ at the British Animation Awards 2008. But the music industry is ruthless and we were no match for it so I moved into storyboards and pre-visuals for film and TV. Whilst teaching life drawing and location drawing at universities and attempting to create a comic in my spare time.
from https://www.brokenfrontier.com/barking-lucy-sullivan-unbound-books-graphic-medicine/
I’d initially started off as a 2D animation director. I love traditional animation and there’s much it has in common with comics. Especially from my specialist area of hand-drawn animation. I had some success in the industry with my graduation film and as part of a collective making music videos. But I was constantly being asked to “cute-up” my style and making work that frankly was of no interest to me. At the same time, I was teaching life drawing at universities and drawing backgrounds for animation studios in London. It was well paid but unsatisfying work on an artistic level. I knew I wanted to create my own stories without having to please others and draw in my own, not at all cute style. I think in comics I’ve finally found a home for it.
KS: We can probably imagine what you mean by “cute-up,” so my question for the artist is: What was that friction like, either mentally or on the page? Did you not feel that the results were “true Lucy?”
LS: It’s incredibly uncomfortable, like a bare-faced lie or an itch you can’t scratch — but also for me it’s even stranger. I just can’t do it. It’s like the art gods refuse to let me do anything cute. There’s an artist called Yoshitomo Nara who draws unnervingly cute girls holding flick knives behind their backs. That’s the closest I can describe to what happens to my artwork. It just comes out creepy and menacing. I discovered it working on a music promo where the band were represented by animals. My co-director, Matt Latchford, and I both designed our versions, and his were infinitely better. Everyone agreed that mine looked like at any point it may slit your throat! Not ideal for the gentle song we were animating to.
from https://fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/interviews/between-the-panels/item/12088-between-the-panels-cartoonist-lucy-sullivan-on-stepping-into-her-first-comic-shop-putting-life-into-art-and-having-jeff-lemire-in-her-corner
As a member of ‘Smuggling Peanuts’ animation collective, Lucy Co-Directed & Animated Music Videos for Coldcut 'Just For The Kick' & One Eskimo 'Hometime'. Both were nominated in ‘Best of’ categories at various film & animation festivals with ‘Hometime’ winning Public Choice: Best Music Video at the British Animation Awards 2008.
from https://unbound.com/books/barking/
Lucy has taught Life Drawing, Location Drawing & Observational Drawing for Animation at Kingston University, Westminster University & London College of Communication (University of the Arts London).
She has drawn special effects images and story boards for film and illustrated backgrounds for Television.
from https://unbound.com/books/barking/
The field trips were excellent. We drew on location in Seville and Valencia. My friend and fellow student Dorry Spikes and I would split off and go exploring. We found exciting little meeting places, got proposed to by ex-matadors and invited to local Flamenco nights. It was an extraordinary way to meet people and was a highlight of my degree.
I continue my fine art practice through location drawing and life drawing with the Dulwich Art Group, and will soon be selling prints and original works through my website and at exhibitions.
from https://www.kingston.ac.uk/alumni/our-alumni/catching-up-with/catching-up-witharchive/lucy-sullivan/
BEGINNINGS:
In 2016. Lucy followed a lifelong ambition and moved into comics. Her recent works include 1in4 Zines, part of the Wellcome Library Zines catalogue, commissions for Black Hammer from Dark Horse and as the invited artist on a collaboration with writer Ram V for the Thought Bubble Anthology.
from https://downthetubes.net/lakes-festival-focus-an-interview-with-artist-lucy-sullivan/
I couldn’t believe it when Jeff followed me on Twitter and backed BARKING as a supporter. I’m a huge fan of Essex County and was reading Black Hammer at the time. I sent Jeff a message to say how grateful I was and how much I loved his work. He asked if I’d be up for doing a pin-up and I, of course, nearly bit his arm off (not actually). So, my first professional comics gig was a Madame Dragonfly Pin-Up in Black Hammer: Age of Doom #4, and I still feel giddy about it. Jeff is not only a superb creator but an excellent supporter of other creators. I’m extremely grateful for his continuing support.
from https://fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/interviews/between-the-panels/item/12088-between-the-panels-cartoonist-lucy-sullivan-on-stepping-into-her-first-comic-shop-putting-life-into-art-and-having-jeff-lemire-in-her-corner
SULLIVAN: I’ve been lucky to do some exciting projects since Barking and pretty varied ones at that. On the UK scene I’ve drawn artwork on indie comics like IND-XED with Fraser Campbell, Black Cat with John Reppion for Skrawl Magazine #1 and a story with Jordan Thomas for Metallic Dynamite plus pin-ups for indie titles such as Killtopia and a cover for Hey, Don’t Go! for Steve Thompson. Fraser Campbell and I collaborated again on a 1 page comic for Tales From the Quarantine edited by Frazer Brown that’ll hopefully be published soon and I drew a panel for the jam story that runs throughout the book.
I was stoked to be part of the first Cartography zine series for Colossive Press, I highly recommend checking out the wealth of indie creators involved in that project, it’s amazing.
I drew an interactive comic with Peter Davison for YOSHIN 10, a fascinating project to commemorate the 2011 earthquakes in Japan and available to read for free on the app or website. I also self-publish zines and have some of these comics on my website to read or buy.
In the US I’ve contributed to Hey Amateur!, Insider Art and Heavy Rotation edited by Shelly Bond (Off Register Press) and created artwork on Sweeney Todd & I with Dan Watters and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou for Razorblades #3 (Tiny Onion Studios), that’s included in the collection that’s been picked up by Image and will be out this July.
from https://www.brokenfrontier.com/lucy-sullivan-barking-black-hammer/
BARKING:
It wasn’t until my dad died suddenly when I was 23 that I thought very hard about what I wanted to do. It’s an intense age to lose a loved one and gain mortality. It wasn’t my first experience of death but the one that hit hardest. I was very close to my dad and although he died young, at 54, he lived an amazing, jam-packed life. He always did what he enjoyed and always found a way to make that work. At the time he died, I had been living in New Zealand, working bars at night and snowboarding in the day. It sounds idyllic, but it was actually a very hedonistic and alcohol-fueled existence that was making me deeply unhappy. I came back to the UK and after a mental breakdown sought help in recovery, took stock, and decided to go to art school. It was a good decision.
from https://fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/interviews/between-the-panels/item/12088-between-the-panels-cartoonist-lucy-sullivan-on-stepping-into-her-first-comic-shop-putting-life-into-art-and-having-jeff-lemire-in-her-corner
LUCY: I had a mental health crisis in my 20s, after the sudden death of my Dad. It was about 18 months after his death and the culmination of a post trauma from flying home from NZ where I’d been living, returning to complicated relationships with the living and an undiagnosed depression & anxiety. I took therapy, which lead to my return to art and in the years following saw many people suffer similar or worse events. I felt the taboo and misunderstanding they faced was exactly as I had years before and I wanted to say something about that. When Nick suggested I make a comic I was in a deep bout of depression, my partner Stephen suggested the comic could be about my depression as a Black Dog and it grew from there. I started looking into mythology, researching the mental health system and reading autobio comics and knew I had the bones of a story to develop a larger narrative from.
RYAN: How personal was this story for you?
LUCY: Very personal. I was fortunate to not be sectioned during those dark days but some of my friends were not so lucky. Seeing and hearing how they were treated and the general response from society as whole angered me greatly. It still does. My paternal grandmother was in and out of the psychiatric ward and I was raised with her being the mad old lady of our borough. As I researched around my own mental health these anecdotes kept nagging at me and I knew my story had to encompass them too. I combined our experiences into Alix, the main character, who is basically me in my 20s. I was an unsympathetic figure as my grief and depression manifested as rage so I took that part of me and put it in the UK health system to talk about how we view and treat people at their most vulnerable whilst also trying to bring the reader into what it feels to be in the grip of a mental health crisis. I’ve put the worst of my life into that book and I hope it will help people to talk more openly about what they have been through too.
from https://www.thecomiclounge.com/post/lucy-sullivan-talks-about-her-debut-barking
LUCY: Whilst teaching at an evening class. I was feeling very unfulfilled by the work I was doing in Animation & although I enjoyed teaching I craved storytelling as a creative pursuit. One of my regular class attendees was comics writer & artist Nick Abadzis (Laika / Dr. Who / Pigs Might Fly). Nick & I would often discuss comics, he worked on many titles that I’d read and I was always interested in trying my hand at it one day, Nick suggested the time might be right.
from https://www.thecomiclounge.com/post/lucy-sullivan-talks-about-her-debut-barking
LUCY: It was a long process with many stages. Prior to going with my publisher Unbound, the comic was something I did in my spare time. Just as I decided to make it a more focused project I found out I was pregnant and couldn’t write or draw for the whole 9 months. After having my daughter my skills returned thankfully and it became something I did when she napped. It’s importance grew again when I met my editor, Lizzie Kaye, at a party that once again I’m indebted to Nick Abadzis for taking me to.
from https://www.thecomiclounge.com/post/lucy-sullivan-talks-about-her-debut-barking
"How did Unbound become interested in publishing Barking?
I’d produced the first two chapters and was sending out copies to publishers to see if I could get it picked up. I had plans to enter it in the Myriad First Graphic Novel Competition and if all else failed self-publish through Kickstarter. I’d been trawling through old Broken Frontier articles to gain any advice and whilst researching I came across Unbound via Grafity’s Wall. I liked their format and decided I would also try to pitch it to them. However it was really luck and chance that led to me meeting Unbound’s commissioning editor Lizzie Kaye.
Last summer my friend Nick Abadzis (Hugo Tate, Laika, Doctor Who) was visiting, I was telling him about what I was doing with Barking when he had a plan to help. Nick got me into the SelfMadeHero 10th anniversary party to try to meet people. That night I was thrilled to be chatting to so many comics stalwarts when Nick dragged me over and introduced me to Lizzie and you, Broken Frontier’s very own Andy Oliver.
Lizzie said Nick had been very complimentary about Barking so she’d be happy to look at it. I’d been following you both online and got quite overwhelmed, I thought Lizzie was just being polite and I actually tried to talk her out of it! I am truly my own worst enemy sometimes. Luckily she did read it and wanted to commission it. "
from https://www.brokenfrontier.com/barking-lucy-sullivan-unbound-books-graphic-medicine/
LUCY: Once I launched with Unbound it became a full time job. I had created 4 of the chapters by then over a period of about 6 years. Each one having several drafts and I think that gave me a grounding in pagination & time to find my art style.
from https://www.thecomiclounge.com/post/lucy-sullivan-talks-about-her-debut-barking
Lucy: Yes! I’m thrilled to be launching at the Lakes this year. [2019] My partner Stephen at I were at last year’s wet but wonderful Festival and I guess that’s when the Lakes generously came onboard as a collaborator on funding Barking. It took 18 months, 281 backers including the Lakes and a National Lottery/Arts Council England grant to crowdfund the graphic novel with Unbound...
from https://downthetubes.net/lakes-festival-focus-an-interview-with-artist-lucy-sullivan/
Unbound is primarily a literature publisher and graphic novels were a new strand for them. They wanted high production values on their books which meant high targets for the authors to crowdfund. Barking took the best part of 18 months to raise the £13K needed and it took constant promotion to build my readership from the ground up, a co-commissioning grant from the Lakes International Comic Art Festival and a National Lottery/Arts Council grant that I personally applied for.
It was a lot of work but I was constantly learning about the industry and understanding how much the onus is on the creators finding ways to make that work. During the production stage of Barking my publisher Unbound decided to downsize and make redundancies, including the only graphic novel editor. It was a big shock as from the point onwards I was effectively on my own. I had a pretty steep learning curve of organising launches, negotiating reprints and fine combing contracts and then of course, the pandemic broke and I had to cancel all my events and move the launch online. It was a really challenging way to make a debut book and in many ways Barking wasn’t ever actually launched. I hope to rectify that with a 2nd print run one day with a new publisher but I feel like I’m back to square one in terms of what I know of comics publishing.
from https://www.brokenfrontier.com/lucy-sullivan-barking-black-hammer/
However, I would probably change my decision to go with Unbound had I known what was coming up. The crowdfunding process with their platform is incredibly stressful as the targets are high, but having the chance to work with Lizzie Kaye was worth that effort and she was a brilliant support. When Unbound had to make redundancies, including Lizzie, it all became very challenging and meant that I effectively had to take over as my own editor.
Again, I learned much from it, but there had already been a number of issues leading up to that, so I was almost topped-out on problems. Luckily, I found other allies and managed to launch the book myself online during the start of the pandemic. Nearly all the promotion is down to me, and that’s something I will take into future projects. So actually, I’m going to reverse that decision and say I wouldn’t change that, either!
I learned how to get a difficult story out into the world without a publisher, and that is valuable knowledge.
from https://www.comicbookyeti.com/post/an-interview-with-lucy-sullivan
"Your art has a very dark and claustrophobic feel to it. Can you tell us a little about your artistic process and the mediums you work in?
I like to use a variety of materials as an artist but for Barking I wanted to create a sense of urgency so, perhaps foolishly, I decided to do all the sketching in biro. Once I’ve got an idea for the scene I grab my biro and sketch out the images. I have a Cross pen that I love drawing with and by skipping the pencil stage it means the images are imperfect. I think it adds a tension to the page, helping the reader to feel what Alix is going through.
I then scan the drawings into Photoshop and do the layout and inking digitally. I’d originally planned to do all the blacks in Oilbar but it was a messy and long winded process and once I’d found a similar Kyle’s Brush for the job I could work much faster. I find it easier to sketch people off the top of my head but was getting really frustrated with my environments so I’m doing those by going out on location and sketching on site.
It’s an usual process and quite uneconomical at times but it’s just how the story comes out of me. The personal nature of it means memories come flooding back when I’m drawing so I also like to write the scenes fairly vaguely so that if I sketch a better solution the scene can change. I’ve always produced artwork that has a sinister feel. I’m not at all sure why but luckily it fits this subject well! "
from https://www.brokenfrontier.com/barking-lucy-sullivan-unbound-books-graphic-medicine/
LS: Actually I’m drawing out the whole thing in Biro. It’s a unorthodox approach and one that just happened at first. I’d got a Cross pen that I loved drawing with and found by not pencilling and instead drawing it straight in with biro I would get mistakes and smudges, creating a more immediate and frantic feeling to the images. I’m shocking at laying out beforehand so I just freely sketch then scan into Photoshop to layout. I’m inking digitally with a Kyle’s brush plug in. I like the effect it gives me and it’s at least one part of my process that’s efficient!
from https://www.comicosity.com/interview-lucy-sullivan-opens-up-about-mental-illness-in-barking/
LS: BARKING was drawn traditionally...sort of! As mentioned, it was not a typical process for making comics. When I was mulling over the initial idea for it, I found a Cross biro. I was teaching life drawing at the time and started using the biro to do demonstration drawings to students. I loved how the biro flowed, enabling me to sketch quickly and how it often smudged. It felt immediate, honest, messy and everything my story would be about. So, once I’d loosely scripted BARKING, I would sketch each chapter direct in biro (no pencils) onto animation paper. Whenever the biro ink clogged up, I would smear it on the edge of the paper and build up a catalogue of textures. I had also, at the time, started drawing on location with carbon paper. For those that don’t know, these are A4 sheets of carbon and effectively black, so when you draw with it, you can’t really see what you’re drawing. I use an observational drawing technique to keep track of my line. This is also a messy and visceral way to draw and felt perfect for the Black Dog. Again, when I sketch, I would build up another catalogue of carbon textures from using the paper.
Once a chapter was drawn, I would scan it in and then thumbnail a page layout. I would then start laying out the sketches in Photoshop, adding texture from my catalogues where needed or digital inks if necessary. Each double-page spread and chapter is individually designed, a long-winded process, but it meant that I could allow the sketches to lead the narrative and keep the raw, honest feeling of how it came out on the sketch pages in the final book.
BARKING was always meant as a black-and-white book. Not only for the symbolism of black with both depression and grief but also to make a point that not everything is ‘black and white’.
I also enjoy using negative space in my compositions and felt that I needed to hone my pagination before I started adding colour considerations.
There are early drafts where Alix is called Ada and had blonde hair, the Black Dog was initially enormous, but this became impractical to draw and frankly a bit too on the nose thematically speaking. As it was sketched in biro, I often didn’t get the image right first time. I have a portfolio full of unused drawings from several attempts at one image. This was often frustrating, but all part of this unique approach to comics and when it worked it was very special.
from https://www.comicbookyeti.com/post/an-interview-with-lucy-sullivan
Hey Amateur Anthology:
At the same time, I’ll be writing & drawing a one page “How to…” comic for Black Crown’s Hey, Amateur! Anthology. I’m one of 50 creators teaching you how to go from novice to expert in nine panels. The topics are a mixture of practical, bizarre and humorous skills so something for all tastes, and it’s teen/ YA friendly.
from https://downthetubes.net/lakes-festival-focus-an-interview-with-artist-lucy-sullivan/
Publications at Catford Comic Zone Fair December 2019:
CCZF What can we expect from your table at CCZF?
LUCY Hopefully, hardback copies of BARKING that I’ll happily scribble in for you, my 1 in 4 Zines to go with that project plus prints and Blue Risographs of the Dog. I’ll also have, hopefully, the first set of my new series of zines HOW TO BE A FEMINIST. Each zine is a 2 sided A4 mini comic that folds out to a letter. You can buy singularly by letter or the set to make the first word in the overall sentence. But more than anything you will find me smiling and ready to chat so come and say hi.
from https://www.millertown.co.uk/lucy-sullivan/
BROKEN FRONTIER AWARDS 2019: BREAKOUT TALENT, LUCY SULLIVAN (BARKING)
from January 2 2020 https://www.brokenfrontier.com/broken-frontier-awards-2019-announcing-winne
IND-XED (December 2020):
LUCY SULLIVAN: INDXED is Fraser’s concept but for me LoFi SciFi is a future that is rusty & bolted together rather than glossy. When ai first read Fraser’s script it immediately evoked films like Brazil, Children of Men & Twelve Monkeys. It was of my favourite genres, not represented anywhere near as much as it should be so a pleasure to work on.
LUCY: Thanks very much Zack, I’m very happy BARKING has struck such a chord with you. I did intend to draw IND-XED completely differently from BARKING. I’m keen to develop my colour work & been dabbling with Procreate. I sent Fraser some character ideas. He tweeted the images & they went down well so that was the style set! It’s a painterly style, I tried to think about what I’d learned from an oil painting course on colour spots whilst using a film of dust across the comic to hint at what has happened in this society.
from https://www.comicsbookcase.com/interviews-archive/fraser-campbell-lucy-sullivan-interview
HOW TO BUILD A FREE WOMAN set of Riso minis (December 2019):
I’ll also be developing my own work. I’m planning a series of zines called How to Build a Feminist that will be part of a wider project around my next planned graphic novel. I’m quite excited about this one, as it’s set in my childhood in a live-music pub in late 1970’s London. I had, shall we say, quite a unique upbringing!
from https://downthetubes.net/lakes-festival-focus-an-interview-with-artist-lucy-sullivan/
SHELTER: EARLY DOORS (November 2022):
LUCY: Next up is as the artist on IND-XED with writer Fraser Campbell ( @FraserC69 on Twitter ). It’s a lo-fi sci-fi one shot and much delayed in production. I’m absolutely itching to draw it and we’ll be Kickstarting the comic as soon as it’s ready. I have a couple of smaller artwork gigs lined up and then I’m going to produce a short prequel comic called Shelter that I’ll be Kickstarting in the build up to my next graphic novel/ series idea. That is called The Bad Old Days, a Thriller/Noir with a supernatural element that’s set in an alternate 60s-70s London. It’s based on some of the characters I grew up with and will follow an immigrant women as she navigates a unwelcoming city, scandalous gossip, murder and a coercive marriage. I’m hoping to find a creator-owned publisher to work with on that but will see where the Kickstarter takes me first. It’s going to be a busy year so if anyone would like to be kept up to date please find me on my social media channels and follow to find out more
from https://www.thecomiclounge.com/post/lucy-sullivan-talks-about-her-debut-barking
I’ll also be re-scripting and drawing out my next comic, SHELTER. It’s an urban fantasy/horror set in London, 1969. It’s all based around a part London where my dad grew up and chock full of mythology based on his Irish roots. It’s been fun to develop and is written and thumbnailed now, so it’s just a matter of finalizing the look, then getting going on the artwork. I’m still hoping to launch it on Kickstarter this year, but with Covid-related delays to other projects, it may well be Spring 2022.
from https://fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/interviews/between-the-panels/item/12088-between-the-panels-cartoonist-lucy-sullivan-on-stepping-into-her-first-comic-shop-putting-life-into-art-and-having-jeff-lemire-in-her-corner
I’m currently scripting and thumbnailing my next comic SHELTER, a supernatural cautionary tale set in London, 1969. It’s looking at being about 30 pages and will be a prequel to my next long-form story. I haven’t yet decided if that will be a graphic novel or a series, but it’s been a lot of fun to create so far. I’ll be launching SHELTER on Kickstarter later this year (2021). I also have a couple of collaborative projects lined up that I’m not able to mention as yet, and hopefully another story with Fraser one day, but I need to create my own work again for now.
"I think I would always like to be moving forward with my art and I’m not interested in repeating myself. Every project I create will aim to be distinct from another and specific to that project. Repetition is the death of art for me."
CBY: Can you share anything more on SHELTER? Will it have a different look (painted, colored, pencils, etc) or more of the black-and-white pen work? Do you have anyone assisting you? If it is a prequel, does that mean the follow-up is only guaranteed by its success?
LS: SHELTER was created as part of a pitch to a publisher. I had been brewing a longer idea for a while and they wanted something shorter, so I created a one-off story within the same universe. However, the contract, when it came in, was frankly exploitative and I declined to sign it. The story had bones to it though, so I decided to develop and create it anyway and then self-publish.
I’ll be doing everything myself, pretty much. I may yet bug Hassan [Otsmane-Elhaou] to letter it, as he’s so much better than me and it’s a much more complicated story than my previous work. There are numerous characters in SHELTER, but predominantly, it follows Ealga, a recent immigrant from Ireland to London. It’s set within the London Irish community of Shepherd’s Bush that my Dad grew up in, his family having emigrated from Dublin in the ‘40s. It’s a fascinating part of my city, with a complex cultural mix and lots of characters. In my version, however, not everything is as it seems, with much mythology interwoven into the story. I’ve been trying to figure out a comparison, but perhaps if American Gods met the Long Good Friday? Except centred around the female characters.
I’ve recently settled on the look I’m aiming for it, after some experimentation. I wanted to bring in the painted look of IND-XED, but mixed with [the] linework of BARKING, so this one (SHELTER) will be painted with watercolour, then I’ll draw carbon line-work over the top. There’s a glimpse on my social media feed, if anyone is interested. The script is pretty much written, and I’ve just started figuring out the thumbnails, so it’s gradually coming together. I’m excited to see what people think as it’s quite different from my other work so far.
from https://www.comicbookyeti.com/post/an-interview-with-lucy-sullivan
INFLUENCES:
KS: If you discovered those favorite titles after braving the store, when were you old enough to first identify different artists and their styles?
LS: Probably as a teen. Although I would painfully copy and trace early comic faves — my Odie was legendary at school. I think when I started to read Deadline and realized there were art styles I couldn’t get on with even if the writing was good or vice versa.
KS: Who were some of the first ones you did get on with?
LS: I fell deeply for Jamie Hewlett’s artwork on Tank Girl and around the same time was reading The Maxx and watching Aeon Flux. I think there’s certainly a link between styles there and not one I emulate now, but I tried at the time. My continued art crushes remain for Dave McKean who I found through Signal To Noise with Neil Gaiman, and Katsuhiro Otomo, not through Akira — although it is an all-time favorite — but through Domu. It remains one of my most cherished graphic novel buys.
KS: We’ve talked a lot about the idea of story here recently. What was a particular comics story that had an impact on you as a reader?
LS: I think the first story that really shook me was reading the collected edition of Halo Jones (Titan). As a young, female comics reader, I often had to contend with depictions of women that felt inauthentic, but this story hit hard and was probably the first time I realized I had mental health issues. It also was the first time I felt I understood what being in a war might be like. I was around 17 when I read it. I think although there were many stories that I enjoyed and admired greatly, Halo Jones changed the way I saw the world — and for the better.
from https://fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/interviews/between-the-panels/item/12088-between-the-panels-cartoonist-lucy-sullivan-on-stepping-into-her-first-comic-shop-putting-life-into-art-and-having-jeff-lemire-in-her-corner
I’m mostly looking forward to the books being launched this year, like The Book of Forks by Rob Davis and Mark Stafford’s Kangkangee Blues, plus catching up with comics pals and meeting visitors and new fellow creators. I’m a huge fan of Judith Vanistendael, whose graphic novel When David Lost His Voice was a great inspiration for me on Barking and I can’t wait to see more of her work.
Which one comic creator would you most like to meet, and why?
Lucy: I’d love to meet and chat with Eleanor Davis. Eleanor has exquisite draftsmanship and seems to be able to work beautifully in any medium. Added to this, she is an excellent writer. Her stories are well paced, plotted and always from the heart. She has a deep held political stance and manages to maintain a prolific career.
I’m quite in awe of her, as you can probably tell, and would love to meet her one day. I throughly recommend reading her short form compilation How to Be Happy and I’m sure you’ll feel the same.
from https://downthetubes.net/lakes-festival-focus-an-interview-with-artist-lucy-sullivan/
LS: I have a couple of absolute crushes. Anything by Eleanor Davis but most recently The Hard Tomorrow. It’s beautifully drawn and paced with a close-to-the bone story. I find I have an increasing existential dread about the world and Davis understands that feeling and envisages it perfectly. I also adore Gipi and have his latest book, One Story, next to read. I first found him through Garage Band and then Notes on a War Story. His ability to depict everyday moments amid stunning (and clearly Italian) landscapes is breathtaking. I love Gipi’s delicate line and skillful use of watercolor. Lastly is Taiyo Matsumoto. I read Gogo Monster while creating BARKING and have just finished Sunny #1. Again, it’s an ability to render the mundane as just as important and beautiful as any epic. I love Matsumoto’s storytelling and admire how his work remains distinctly Japanese without being like any one else. I would give my drawing hand to create anything near as good as any of their works.
from https://fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/interviews/between-the-panels/item/12088-between-the-panels-cartoonist-lucy-sullivan-on-stepping-into-her-first-comic-shop-putting-life-into-art-and-having-jeff-lemire-in-her-corner
INTERVIEWS:
These are the sources for the above quotes used for my profile of Lucy Sullivan.
Lucy Sullivan(?), November 2017. https://unbound.com/books/barking/
Andy Oliver, January 25 2018. https://www.brokenfrontier.com/barking-lucy-sullivan-unbound-books-graphic-medicine/
Chris Campbell, February 8 2018. https://www.comicosity.com/interview-lucy-sullivan-opens-up-about-mental-illness-in-barking/
Kingston University London, February 2018. https://www.kingston.ac.uk/alumni/our-alumni/catching-up-with/catching-up-with-archive/lucy-sullivan/
John Freeman, August 16 2019. https://downthetubes.net/lakes-festival-focus-an-interview-with-artist-lucy-sullivan/
Henry Miller, October 2019. https://www.millertown.co.uk/lucy-sullivan/
Ryan Balkam, April 13 2020. https://www.thecomiclounge.com/post/lucy-sullivan-talks-about-her-debut-barking
Zack Quaintance, September 29 2020. https://www.comicsbookcase.com/interviews-archive/fraser-campbell-lucy-sullivan-interview
David Vieira, May 21 2021. https://www.comicbookyeti.com/post/an-interview-with-lucy-sullivan
Kevin Sharp, September 15 2021. https://fanbasepress.com/index.php/press/interviews/between-the-panels/item/12088-between-the-panels-cartoonist-lucy-sullivan-on-stepping-into-her-first-comic-shop-putting-life-into-art-and-having-jeff-lemire-in-her-corner
Lucy Sullivan, February 25 2022. [Creating Comics UK Series 2 | Identity Episode 1 @6:35] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ONjPjV4E85o
Andy Oliver, July 7 2022. https://www.brokenfrontier.com/lucy-sullivan-barking-black-hammer/
MORE INTERVIEWS:
These are other interviews with Lucy Sullivan not utilized for my profile.
COMIC UNITY PODCAST/ANDY N channel July 29 2020
ESCALE TV channel [Josee Maynard: interviewer] November 10 2020 (United States)
TITULAR CHARACTERS/EVA WEBB channel March 13 2021
TINTA NOS NERVOS channel May 17 2021 (Lisbon, Portugal)
CREATING COMICS UK IDENTITY EPISODE 2 March 4 2022 [multiple clips throughout]
CREATING COMICS UK IDENTITY EPISODE 3 March 11 2022 [@11:50 mark]
CREATING COMICS UK PRODUCTION EPISODE 1 March 18 2022 [@18:00 mark]
CREATING COMICS UK PRODUCTION EPISODE 2 March 25 2022 [@4:25 mark]
CREATING COMICS UK PRODUCTION EPISODE 3 April 1 2022 [@5:15 mark]
CREATING COMICS UK STORYTELLING EPISODE 1 September 9 2022 [@5:55 mark]
CREATING COMICS UK STORYTELLING EPISODE 2 September 16 2022 [@6:05 mark]
CREATING COMICS UK STORYTELLING EPISODE 3 September 23 2022 [@1:40 mark]
CREATIVE COMICS UK FAN CULTURE EPISODE. 1 October 7 2022 [@6:30 mark]
CREATING COMICS UK FAN CULTURE EPISODE 2 October 14 2022 [@7:30 mark]
CREATING COMICS UK FAN CULTURE EPISODE 3 October 21 2022 [@6:15 mark]
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON? [BJ Mendelson interviewer] February 1 2023
Steven Kaul/Lyndon Radchenka w/Lucy on CREATORS ON COMICS PODCAST 18, February 21 2023 (date via twitter)
COMIC ART FEST March 23 2023 Lucy Sullivan/Lucie Arnoux discussion and signing Pictures on twitter here and here
NERDS FROM THE CRYPT Episode 102 March 29 2023
Comics for other people. A bibliography of Lucy Sullivan:
THOUGHT BUBBLE ANTHOLOGY 2016 (Image Comics) unpublished [confirmed on twitter by Lucy and Ram V] read here
BLACK HAMMER: AGE OF DOOM #4 (Dark Horse) August 2018 pinup
HEY! DON'T GO! (Kloob Comics) Publication Date Unknown cover [cover can be seen in this twitter post]
HEY AMATEUR! (Off Register Press) March 2020
COLOSSIVE CARTOGRAPHIES [THE GRAPPLE] #6 July 2020
INSIDER ART (Off Register Press) December 2020
IND-XED (Fraser Campbell) December 2020 Fraser Campbell story
TALES FROM THE QUARANTINE unpublished [Fraser Campbell posted his and Lucy's page on twitter]
SKRAWL 1 January 2021 John Reppion story
RAZORBLADES 3 (Tiny Onion) February 2021 Dan Watters story
KILLTOPIA 3 (BHP Comics) May 2021 variant cover [Dave Cook posts some Lucy Sullivan art from a previous kickstarter campaign on twitter]
HEAVY ROTATION (Off Register Press) June 2021
YOSHIN: STORIES OF THE TOHOKU EARTHQUAKE 10 YEARS ON (Blue Donut Studios) December 2021 [A digital anthology, more information here]
METALLIC DYNAMITE (Jordan Thomas) August 2022 Jordan Thomas story
"Betwixt, Between" (Jeff Lemire) online only August 2022
MEANWHILE...A COMIC SHOP ANTHOLOGY (Ryan Higgins/Kevin Sharp) 2023
For up-to-date information on Lucy Sullivan's current and upcoming projects subscribe to her newsletter ON THE HUSH QUARTERLY here, or follow her on social media.
LUCY SULLIVAN'S SMUGGLING PEANUTS COLLECTIVE MUSIC VIDEOS:
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