Werewolves

Werewolves - by Paul Jessup

Werewolves! They're not here to cuddle. That being said, they're people too. Written by Paul Jessup and published by Chronicle Books. I was brought on board to flesh out a young girl's artistic journal after she and her brother survive an attack by what they guess are wild dogs. The story fallows their transformation from the point of view of young teenage vegan Alice Carr, as she learns to cope with ravenous new cravings; a body that's rebelling against everything she once understood as herself; and the new dynamics of life in a pack under constant threat. Threat from what? I wont say, but they look uncannily like some people I know.

Here's a taste:

So... I have a dirty secret. I'm not a true werewolf fan. I admit that, at first, I was surprised and perplexed as to why I might be tapped for such a project. My experience with werewolves up to this point amounted to Teen Wolf and the brutish crazed killing machines found in most horror flicks. But as I got to know the details and read Jessup's story, I could see that this wasn't your typical werewolf tale. Instead, this book takes a look at werewolves from a somehow realistic perspective. The format was also a draw for me. That the art should reflect the thoughts of a savvy girl as she jots and sketches her unique experiences down made it more like a found treasure then a graphic novel. I loved that keeping the style loose and sketchy was key.

alternative sketch

I was so excited to see this book on shelves over the weekend! looks like my healthy love of critters and blood has finally paid off. Thank you so much Paul for the great story, and Chronicle Books for publishing and vision. Also huge thanks to Katie, Kasey and Todd over at becker&mayer! book producers for being not only great designers, but also an extremely organized life line and guidance system during this project. yay!

If you want to read more about Werewolves please check out this nice write up in the LA Times. and if you simply must know more about this Paul Jessup fellow, here's a link to an interview on SUVUDU or listen to this really interesting podcast on talechasing.com were he discusses a bit more in depth about how the book came to be and his writing process.