Growing up can be a real nightmare. Unless, of course, you’re Dana Drucker, who embraces the horror head on in Night and Dana, a daring new graphic novel from writer-artist Anya Davidson.
Night and Dana follows our titular heroine, who is an especially passionate fan of horror and special effects, after a “messy prank” lands Dana and her best friend Lily in some hot water. The duo are then forced to work with a community college film class “on a horror movie inspired by local ocean warming” that puts her squarely in the path of “activist and self-proclaimed water witch” Daphne Ocean. The resulting tale expertly tackles the unique challenge of being creative amid the realities of climate change while exploring that extra harrowing prospect of growing up and maturing “when it feels like the world is on fire.”
Night and Dana is officially out next week (Tuesday, September 12) from Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group. In the lead up, we were able to catch up with Davidson, who also teaches comics courses at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, to answer a few pertinent questions. That includes her own path with horror and climate activism, tackling YA and coming-of-age comics/stories, and the intriguing Dana-Daphne dynamic.
Courtesy of Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group.
AIPT: You’d said that you caught the horror bug around when you gained political awareness. What do you make of the double whammy — are horror and community politics more related than we all might have assumed?
Anya Davidson: Night and Dana follows Dana, a horror-obsessed teenager in a fictional South-Florida town as she discovers climate activism and grapples with some major life changes. When the story begins, she’s committing a dangerous public prank, the repercussions of which affect her life in many unpredictable ways. The best horror and sci-fi has always asked us to grapple with big social questions. Teenagers, activists and philosophers are often grappling with many of the same questions.
AIPT: The book ties together horror and climate change. Why is that such a perfect metaphor or analogy?
AD: Climate change is a literal horror that we’re experiencing in real time. Part of the reason we’ve had so much trouble rallying collectively to fight climate change is that it’s not tangible. Protesters sometimes use gruesome imagery or theatrics to try to shock people out of complacency, and so do horror directors.
Courtesy of Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group.
AIPT: Obviously climate change is a massive concern. Did you worry at all about trivializing that (more than some folks already do) or getting too “silly” with a serious concept?
AD: I didn’t worry about that at all because, although Night and Dana does have some humorous elements, the subject of climate change in the book is treated with the utmost seriousness. That said, I grew up adoring the show Captain Planet. That show has characters named Hoggish Greedly, and Verminous Skumm and I think it communicates very effectively.
AIPT: Our hero, Dana Drucker, is pretty compelling early on. How do you see her as a character, and is she a reflection of you or maybe someone you know?
AD: Thank you! I love her. Sam Simon, in an interview on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast, spoke very eloquently about how important it is, as a writer, to love your characters, and I really took that to heart. I love Dana, even though she can be awful, and she is very much a reflection of my unmoored, disillusioned, teenage self.
Courtesy of Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group.
AIPT: I think the book does a dang fine job of showing the organic nature of organizing. Why was that so important?
AD: Thank you again! Greg Hunter, my editor, gave me some very helpful notes about those organizing scenes in particular. He reminded me that organizing is often chaotic and features a good deal of disagreement, even amongst folks with a common goal. Good organizers foster compromise.
AIPT: I’m always intrigued about horror stories when our own world is already a Frankenstein’s monster of hellacious events. Why is horror still important, and does it somehow become more essential these days?
AD: Good horror provides catharsis, it helps us examine familiar problems from fresh perspectives, and it asks us to stretch our capacity for empathy. It upends social norms and invites us to come to our own conclusions. Horror is a powerful tool for subversion, which is partly why conservative groups have long rallied to regulate it in films, comics, YA books and other forms of media.
AIPT: There’s an interesting character here in Daphne Ocean, an activist/water witch. What role does she play and why is she a good contrast of sorts for Dana?
AD: Daphne’s a mentor figure. When I was first researching the book, I read The Power of the Crone, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Young people care very much about how they’re perceived. Crones don’t care what anyone thinks about them. They’re way past that.
Courtesy of Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group.
AIPT: I love your style — I think it sort of touches on some “classically indie” ideas and approaches but feels wildly unique and layered. What does this story specifically present in terms of getting to showcase your skills and approach? Were there big challenges here crafting the right look and feel?
AD: I tried a few different drawing styles and color palettes before settling on the ones I ultimately stuck with. The book is set in Florida, and I wanted it to feel kind of “retro beachy.” I’ve seen some folks reference Archie, and that makes me very happy, because I grew up mainlining Archie Comics, and I adore Dan DeCarlo, who created the Archie “house style.”
AIPT: Do coming-of-age stories get a bad rap? Is this a way to “reinvent” them or maybe show the true depth and significance of this kind of storytelling?
AD: Most people never stop trying to figure out how to live a meaningful life. I think that’s why coming of age stories have enduring popularity. As my character Wye says in the book: every idea has been done already. You just have to take something and make it your own.
AIPT: Why should anyone pick up this book?
AD: I’m a comics professor, and I tell my students “it’s counterintuitive, but the more specificity you put in your stories, the more universal their appeal.” I channeled my lifelong love and obsession for horror and the natural world into this book, and I hope, as a result, it will appeal to anyone who feels passionately about anything.
The following art is courtesy of Graphic Universe/Lerner Publishing Group.
Join the AIPT Patreon
Want to take our relationship to the next level? Become a patron today to gain access to exclusive perks, such as:
- ❌ Remove all ads on the website
- 💬 Join our Discord community, where we chat about the latest news and releases from everything we cover on AIPT
- 📗 Access to our monthly book club
- 📦 Get a physical trade paperback shipped to you every month
- 💥 And more!
You must be logged in to post a comment.