The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir

What was a particular comic story that really hit you in your younger days? KS: Fanbase Press launched the #StoriesMatter initiative in 2020 to highlight the impact that stories can have on their audience. I was reading her comics - Love & Rockets, Swamp Thing - and also getting into my own favorites, especially Claremont’s X-Men stuff. My mom was a pretty avid reader she took my brother and I to the comic book store basically weekly. INW: I didn’t have much of a choice when it came to reading comics.

KS: What did your comics reading diet look like in your younger years? Were you a regular collector? When I returned to reading comics after college and eventually making them, I felt like it was this perfect blend of my lifelong passion for writing and my interest in visual art and visual storytelling. I thought I wanted to be an art critic, and I sort of abandoned fiction writing for a while. I always wanted to be a writer, but then I went to college for art history and photography. I used to fill entire sketchbooks in a matter of days with my own comics. Ivy Noelle Weir: I grew up reading comics, and making them, as well. Instagram: other sites where you’re active: I just joined tiktok and I have no idea what I’m doing, but folks can find me at Press Contributor Kevin Sharp: I start with the big question: Why comics? What attracts you as a creator specifically to making comics? Your specialties (artist/writer/letterer/inker/etc.): Writer While we could have spent another entire chat related to her job as a librarian, our focus here was on her journey to becoming an award-winning comics author. With the help of her new friends, Colin and Dickon, Mary works to restore the garden to its former glory while also learning to grieve, build real friendships, and grow.While studying art history and photography in college may not sound like a background that would lead to writing comics, Ivy Noelle Weir found the best creative outlet to let her take advantage of all her interests. Looking for comfort in this strange, new reality, Mary discovers an abandoned rooftop garden and an even bigger secret…her cousin who suffers from anxiety.

With her parents always working, video games and tech become her main source of entertainment and 'friends.' When her parents pass away in a tragic accident, she moves to New York City to live with her uncle who she barely knows, and to her surprise, keeps a gadget free home.

Mary Lennox is a loner living in Silicon Valley. The lettering was done in-house by the publisher. The artwork created for the book includes original character designs, cover art, digital pencil layout, inks, and colors. The book will be released on October 19, 2021, and is currently available for pre-order from a wide variety of vendors. I’m proud to announce my debut graphic novel The Secret Garden on 81st Street written by Ivy Noelle Weir and published by Little Brown.

The Secret Garden on 81st Street by Ivy Noelle Weir