My experimental graphic novel (currently in process) Salt Green Death, is a work of creative nonfiction born out of historical research – a Vancouver-based, family saga spanning mainly 1924 – 1963.
I released the prologue in 2022 as a limited edition 12-page broadsheet newspaper format. JOSEPH, the prologue, uses a minimum of words, i.e. the story is told through a visual narrative. The story focuses on incidents on November 21, 1948. The black and white sketches have an aged and film noir quality. They are hand-drawn with black China Marker on newsprint, highlighted with white ink. The broadsheet format is a celebration of the printed newspaper and its tactile connection to history and place. It also celebrates the fact that I was first immersed in this journey when my father handed me a newspaper cutout in 2003.
© Katarina Thorsen 2022
This was a limited edition publication. 400 copies in total were printed. The hardcopy of the 12-page broadsheet (newspaper) measures: 380 mm x 578 mm (approx. 15″ x 28″). This prologue project was made possible in large part by: The 2021 Yosef Wosk Publication Fund at Vancouver Heritage Foundation (VHF).
The grant facilitated some of the most powerful and transformative experiences of my life. VHF validated my work and, as a result, opened the door to opportunities such as receiving a grant from British Columbia Arts Council to work on 24 drawings between March 1 – May 31, 2023. Serendipitously, on the same day that I received the BCAC letter of approval (Feb 23, 2023), I received my acceptance letter from the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity to participate in their Literary Arts program’s first ever Graphic Novels and Visual Narratives residency April 23 – May 6, 2023.
The residency (first time I have EVER done something like that) allowed me the time, space, support, sustenance to participate and to step fully into my identity as a graphic novelist at age 61. I left Banff Centre with a profound sense of belonging having been part of building a community of extraordinary peers from around the world. I was able to workshop my project, receive profound and invaluable advice and to rework the scope of the project and the narrative arc. My target date for completing the 200 drawing process is June 2024.
I am delighted to share that I will be publishing my completed graphic novel with Conundrum Press in 2025.
