My graphic novel, Salt Green Death (Conundrum Press),  is a work of creative nonfiction born out of historical research – a Vancouver-based, family saga spanning mainly 1924 – 1968.  I released a prologue  to the project (title: JOSEPH) in 2022 as a limited edition 12-page broadsheet newspaper format.  The prologue focuses on incidents on November 21, 1948.

Salt Green Death, Katarina Thorsen, Conundrum Press 2025

(Video and music by Julian Bowers)

“Katarina Thorsen has pushed creative non-fiction in astonishing new directions. Salt Green Death invites the reader to take an active role in sorting through documents and correspondence, drawing their own conclusions and inferences along the way. And she weaves (sometimes literally) the sorry saga of the O’Dwyer family together with her vivid charcoal drawings and buoyant, color renderings of the natural world, lending poetry and grace to this tale of utter heartbreak.”
—Matt Madden, 99 Ways to Tell a Story: Exercises in Style

“This is a remarkable book: a graphic novel that will challenge your notions about the meaning of the genre. In essence, it is an investigation into a history of family trauma but Thorsen’s presentation of the material that has constituted her research turns Salt Green Death into a catalogue of innovations: ingenious compositional turns and strategies make every page a delight, a map of visual possibilities. Doctor’s reports, family letters, administrative records join in a dance with feathers, fur, yarn, bone: you will not find another book so lovingly devoted to textures of such variety. Thorsen has the mind of an archivist, the eye of a painter and the heart of a poet.”
— Bishakh Som, Apsara Engine

“Katarina Thorsen’s extraordinary talents as a writer, artist and researcher shine through in every page. This book is a visual delight that assaults the senses. I loved every inch of it!”
— Eve Lazarus, Cold Case BC, Beneath Dark Waters: The Legacy of the Empress of Ireland Shipwreck

“Utterly gorgeous! The story is chilling and painful; Thorsen takes a deep dive on a topic that lurks in the back of all our minds: what could happen if you were deemed incapable and kept locked up in a psychiatric unit? This is the true story of an immigrant family and the incessant bad luck they encountered here. Thorsen’s research is thorough and the details she uses to tell the story are devastating. The artwork in this book is stunning. Expressive and accurate drawings married to creative and immersive methods of divulging nuggets of critical information. Excellent pacing, a visual feast on every page! If you are a fan of truly excellent drawing, this book is for you.” – Amazon review

“Salt Green Death is an extraordinary graphic novel. It is in a league of its own. I’ve never read anything like this before. If you enjoyed My Favourite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris, you’ll love Salt Green Death. But SGD is even more intriguing and more innovative. The book tells the page turner of a story of an Irish immigrant family who come to Vancouver for a better life, before WW II and after the war. Although their lives are full of the challenges, hopes and disappointments of working class immigrants from the early/mid 20th century, their lives are also punctuated with beauty and love. It’s not just their story but the drawing/telling of it, the incredible drawing and cartooning, the use of archival materials, a visual feast of a read. The book is very much a meditation on grief and love, on family and place, on living with demons and angels in a society riven with both conflict and possibility It’s also a captivating study on psychiatry and institutions, which provide safety at the cost of freedom and self expression. It’s an incredible juxtaposition of transcendent beauty and profound sorrow. For fans of James Joyce, you’ll love the theme and references to Ulysses which run throughout the book. I read the book a few months ago and I’m still ruminating how society treats the weak and vulnerable, on the great risks immigrants take seeking a better life. This book is truly an exceptional documenting of an immigrant experience. It’s also a primo example of the fast emerging genre of graphic medicine and makes you rethink how we understand health and healing, story telling and history. A truly stand out book.” – Amazon review