By: Nicole D’Andria
In a home
on the border of France during WWII, a family finds a dark past and a cat named
Nook. For the first time, the hardcover version of Nook is available on
Kickstarter, and I’m speaking with creator/writer Caleb Thusat about the
demented dreams he had that led to the creation of this haunting graphic novel!
The
creator and writer of Nook is Caleb
Thusat, who has been featured on Kickstart
the Week several times with his Kickstarter projects for Zed
#1 and Alter-Life
Issues 1-4. Nook is his tenth Kickstarter project. The artist and letterer is Marcelo
Biott, who is known for his webcomic Infracity.
Caleb is seeking
$7,500 for Nook to pay the artist,
print the books, and ship them to backers’ doors. The project must meet its
goal by April 3, 2019 at 11:00 PM EDT. Rewards include digital ($10) and
physical ($20) copies of Nook as well
as bookplates ($25), enamel pins ($35), signed pin-up prints ($40) and more,
which you can see on the
official Kickstarter page.
I spoke
with Caleb Thusat about the universe of Nook
in-depth below!
 |
| Caleb Thusat |
Me: Nook takes place during WWII at a home on the border of France.
What made you decide on this particular setting in time and place?
Thusat: The setting came to the story for a couple of
different reasons. First is my family history. My great grandparents fled
Germany and moved to Ohio during WWII. Some of my family was even stuck and
forced to fight. I’ve always found that part of my family history both
horrifying and fascinating, so I wanted to bring it into my writing. My second
reason for choosing this particular setting is that I am obsessed with WWII
stories. WWII is a true setting of good versus evil. Stories from various
perspectives during this war are primal tales of survival that explore the true
polarity of humanity.
Me: Name some of your
favorite qualities about Avery and why readers will enjoy following her as the
protagonist of Nook.
Thusat: Avery is the embodiment of innocence. She’s clever
and kind, but doesn’t quite understand the horrors that are happening around
her. In the beginning, her biggest concern is the fact that she misses her home,
friends and family. It’s a quality that is easy to fall in love with, and I
hope her innocent perspective shines through during the first part of the book
and makes you relate to her as a child.
Me: What are some reasons why Avery both loves and fears the mysterious cat, Nook?
Thusat: Nook is very curious. He has a certain mystical
look and quality about him from the very beginning. Avery loves Nook because
she sees him with innocent eyes and longs to have a friend to comfort her, but
she also fears that there is something more to him. It is a fear of the
unknown.
Me: You mention in the Kickstarter that part of your inspiration for the story is “demented dreams”. Can you describe some of your most poignant ones that were particularly inspirational for Nook?
Me: You mention in the Kickstarter that part of your inspiration for the story is “demented dreams”. Can you describe some of your most poignant ones that were particularly inspirational for Nook?
Thusat: A few years before I wrote Nook, I had a very vivid and lucid dream about moving into an old house
with my wife. This house had a very old carriage house attached to it with a
small door leading to a storage area. In this dream, the realtor told us that a
small girl had died there. She was locked in the nook and left to starve. For
years I could never shake the memory of that dream, and other dreams spawned
from it. I took those dreams, added a dash of family history and fiction, and
now we have Nook.
Me:
Which of Guillermo del Toro's works is your favorite and how does
that particular work influence the world you’ve created in Nook?
Thusat: Pan’s
Labyrinth
and The Devil’s Backbone are the two
films of his that influenced me the most with this story. Both revolve around a
child living in an extremely visceral environment. Both children are confronted
by something supernatural. And both are set in an important historical time
period. I love how Del Toro uses the supernatural element to tell his stories.
The plot usually never fully revolves around the ghost or mystical being. His
stories are about the horrors of the world around those beings.
Me: You also mention on Kickstarter how this book uses timely themes, like “how we are doomed to repeat the past if we cannot learn from it.” Why do you feel this theme is particularly timely in our world today?
Me: You also mention on Kickstarter how this book uses timely themes, like “how we are doomed to repeat the past if we cannot learn from it.” Why do you feel this theme is particularly timely in our world today?
Thusat: Avery and her parents are Refugees. They are
seeking safety and freedom from the oppression they foresee coming to Germany.
This is a story being told again and again. Even in the U.S. we have refugees
looking for the same escape. Without getting too political: I feel like our
country has taken not just steps, but leaps and bounds backward in our journey
toward acceptance and equality. War, racism, greed, and hate seem to have come
back with a vengeance. Our people and politicians seem to have forgotten what
has happened in the past. We ignore what has and what hasn’t worked and
continue to live in a cycle of repeated failure. I wrote this as a way of
saying, we must not forget what has happened and what we have done or we can
never escape this cycle.
Me: What is the number one reason why you think people should pledge money to your Kickstarter project?
Thusat: Nook is a great story with
beautiful artwork. It’s going to be a gorgeous book that tells a tale with
meaning and purpose. I hope it’s a story that stays with readers and pulls them
back from time to time. It’s also a great deal for a Hardcover Trade. It’s just
$20 with free domestic shipping. You won’t be able to get it that cheap after
the campaign.
Me: What inspirational words do you have for aspiring comic book writers?
Me: What inspirational words do you have for aspiring comic book writers?
Thusat: You are the only one holding yourself back.
Turn the TV off. Stop playing video games. Put your fingers on the keyboard and
write. There is no excuse you can give for not creating. If you want it bad
enough, nothing can stop you. And remember, success takes time. Anyone can give
up, and not everyone will keep going.
Me: Thank you for sharing your inspirational words
and nightmares with us, Caleb! If you’re interested in checking out the Nook Kickstarter, click here.
Do you
have a Kickstarter? Want to be interviewed about it and have the project
featured on "Kickstart the Week?" Let me know in the comments below
or message
me on my website.
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