Juvenile Fiction Fantasy Graphic Novel/Comics
Date Published: 9-24-2020
Publisher: Abigail Books
Orin Bean has terrible luck and a problem with monsters. However, his Nana seems to be a powerful witch, but he's really a perfectly normal boy who just happens to have a dragon in the closet. What kid wouldn't want that? A comic book for children ages 5-10.
Interview with Carolyn Watson Dubisch:
For those interested in exploring the subject or theme of The Dragon in The Closet, where should they start?
The story has it’s roots in fairy tales and classic fantasy. A familiarity with fairy tales is helpful (though not entirely necessary). But for a child who read my graphic novel “The Dragon in the Closet” and felt ready for more stories in this theme I would suggest the Harry Potter series or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Both series address coming of age and follow the heroes journey. I should mention that in my graphic novel it is the first of a series and just starts to touch on the real theme of the series.
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
When I began writing this comic series I deeply connected with Orin’s Nana. It's a children's comic about a cursed little boy who is constantly attacked by monsters. His Nana is a witch who comes to his rescue. I wrote it during a dark time with my daughter who suffers from suicidal ideation. She was so bad they were recommending she be hospitalized but we couldn't afford it and our insurance covered almost nothing. The character, his Nana, is what I wish I was. Someone who could see the monsters and had the tools to protect their child.
As I continued to write issues 2, 3 and 4 Orin’s journey becomes more like a traditional hero’s journey story as he learns to fight his own monsters in the struggle to rid himself of the curse with Dragon at his side and not locked in a closet.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
The goal with this book is a story introduction really. The idea is to present Orin and his flaws and all his struggle and to begin to hint at a much greater story, which I think it definitely does. This book is also very sympathetic to the character of Nana, who works hard to keep him safe and protected, which is something any parent can relate to.
The mystery of Dragon’s story pulls the reader in at this point and I think that intrigue will make children want to read the webcomic series (http://thedragoninthecloset.thecomicseries.com/) or buy the next graphic novel due out in early 2021.
Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans?
Mostly just “Thank you!” for supporting me by buying my books and commenting on my story on the webcomic site and anywhere online.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
The thing I love to do is coming up with the new kinds of terrifying monsters that will try to eat Orin. I also like drawing them.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
My next book is called “Fireflies” and is a more traditional children’s book that is actually about water faeries and takes place off the Maine coast. I also have the second issue of “The Dragon in The Closet” coming out shortly after that. The second issue gives us more clues about Orin’s family and more background on Dragon’s story.
How long have you been writing?
My first children’s book was published in 2001, but I’ve been writing for longer than that. I wrote a comic book series called “The People That Melt in The Rain” that won some awards about a new girl that moves to a cursed town in the midwest and a comic series for kids called “The Horribles” about monsters, ghosts, witches, zombie monkeys and a cyclops.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in The Dragon in The Closet?
Orin is the main character that the readers connect with. He was cursed before birth and while trying to lead a normal life, going to school, going camping or on school trips finds himself attacked by a giant octopus or a terrifying worm creature lurking beneath the street. He is fairly meek and frightened in this book and suffers from an understandable level of anxiety.
His Nana is a powerful witch and uses her powers to protect Orin from these monsters, and Dragon is a mysterious figure in the downstairs closet who seems to know more about what’s going on than anyone.
If you could spend the day with one of the characters from The Dragon in The Closet who would it be? Please tell us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you would do.
Honestly it would be Dragon, just so I could get him out of that closet for a day and he could fly around in the mountains and over the sea. Since he knows all, I’d probably have a few questions for him.
About the Author
Carolyn Watson Dubisch is the author and illustrator of 10 children's picture books, and is a creator of 3 comic book series for kids, including "The Horribles", "The People That Melt in The Rain" (writer and colorist), and "The Dragon in The Closet ".
Originally from New York, she currently lives by the ocean in Mazatlán, Mexico, with her husband, fantasy artist, Mike Dubisch, and their three daughters, who are at the moment studying online due to the COVID 19 pandemic. She also has a very old dog and four very young Mexican street cats that keep life interesting every day.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
0 comments:
Post a Comment