Windows and Mirrors, Crammed Full of Fun and Funny

An Interview with Rob Harell 

Some authors do research for their books, some live the experiences they write about. Some express their stories in graphic novel format, while others choose prose. And some do all of the above, like Rob Harrell, who started with graphic novels in his Life of Zarf books and then pulled on his own experiences and research to create his novel Wink. He returned to graphic novels with Monster on the Hill and Batpig, a character that first appeared in comics within Wink who now has his own series.

Mr. Harrell says his writing process differs depending on the format he works in, but he doesn’t necessarily have a favorite format. “I really love doing a graphic novel – and being able to play with writing and art together – but writing Wink was so fulfilling…Doing a novel, you sort of sculpt the story through rewrite after rewrite, and with a graphic novel you keep sculpting it as you do the art. I love how changing a few words or just a single expression can reshape a scene.” In other words, he chooses the format to fit the story, rather than pushing the story to fit a certain format.

Format is not the only thing that makes his novel Wink stand out, however. He wrote it with a purpose. “The story was inspired not just by my cancer experience, but also by that of my best friend’s daughter. She was in school when she was diagnosed and had some really cruel things said to her… I was kind of blown away by the lack of empathy. So, I hoped [Wink] would be a book where kids could put themselves in the shoes of someone going through a really scary, isolating time. I wanted it to be fun and entertaining as well, but empathy became the driving force for telling Ross’ story.” Books that are “windows” or “mirrors” for young readers are in high demand, and Mr. Harrell wrote Wink to be exactly that, even before the pandemic arrived and taught us all the cost of social isolation.

The opposite of isolation is being together, and Mr. Harrell has done a lot of working together with authors. “I started out as a freelance illustrator,” he said, “so I’ve had quite a bit of experience with doing art for someone else’s ideas.” But would he ever consider co-writing a book with someone? “Absolutely! I think it would be a challenge, but that’s part of what makes it fun…Getting to where what’s on the paper makes both writers happy sounds…challenging. But intriguing.” 

Collaboration will have to wait, though, because Mr. Harrell has some exciting things coming up for his readers on his own. “Batpig: Too Pig to Fail, is due out July ’22, and I absolutely crammed it full of fun and funny. The same with Book 3 – which I’m hoping will be called Go Pig or Go Home. If kids have half as much fun reading these as I’ve had writing/illustrating them, they’re in for a good time. I’m also working on several ideas for another novel, more along the lines of Wink…I’d love to check in on Ross, Jimmy and Abby – even if they were in the background.” Whatever happens in regard to that book, his audience is in for a great read.

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