Artie and the Wolf Moon from Olivia Stephens is out on September 7, so I got in touch with her to talk for a bit about the project. Come check it out!
PS4Blog: Hi! Thank you for taking the time to join us this afternoon. Could you please help us get things rolling by introducing yourself to our readers?
Thank you for having me! I’m a graphic novelist, illustrator, and comics writer from Washington State. I make comics primarily in the genres of fantasy, romance, and supernatural fiction.
PS4B: On that note, all is ready for the September 7 release of Artie and the Wolf Moon, your latest YA graphic novel from Graphic Universe. What can you tell us about this particular project?
Artie and the Wolf Moon is my debut graphic novel, and it follows an eighth-grader named Artemis “Artie” Irvin, who lives with her mother in rural Oregon. Artie’s world is turned upside down after she accidentally discovers that her mother is a werewolf and that she descends from a long line of werewolves. After her own powers begin to surface, her mother reconnects with old family friends in order to help Artie harness her abilities and everything else that comes with their unique werewolf heritage. Along the way, Artie learns about her mother’s relationship with her late father, as well as the sinister threats that lurk in the darkness.
PS4B: What drew you to work on a graphic novel with a twist on the werewolf lore?
I’ve always been drawn to stories about supernatural creatures. But a lot of the media about werewolves I was exposed to focused on werewolves struggling with “controlling the beast within.” I wanted to make something that was modeled a bit more after how actual wolves in the wild behave. Wolves in the wild are very family-focused creatures, and contrary to a lot of stories, there aren’t really any ‘alpha’ power struggles within a pack. In fact, packs are typically comprised of parents and their offspring. I thought I’d try to re-introduce this focus on family and community into the werewolf myth in order to offset the disparity between how wolves behave and how they are often portrayed.
PS4B: Will there be a chance for fans to secure a signed copy of Artie and the Wolf Moon?
If you live in the Seattle area, I’ll be signing stock in a number of bookstores on September 13th, including Queen Anne Book Company, Elliott Bay Book Company, and Third Place Books. You can swing by and pick up a signed copy there!
PS4B: And that’s all the time we have for today. Once again, thank you for doing this interview. Would you like to add anything else before we go?
You can find out more about my work on my website. And you can also follow me on Twitter and on Instagram.
