Rob Murray:  I’m speaking with Mandi and Hana Kujawa. We’re here to talk about a brand new graphic novel released by local publisher Renegade Arts Entertainment called A Slug Story. It’s a very different subject matter than something I’m used to reading. Where did this idea come from?

Hana Kujawa:  The idea came from us spending a lot of time in hospital together over the years. I was diagnosed with epilepsy and I’ve had to spend many days in hospitals trying to figure out what was going on. We’ve had a lot of time there together and that’s where ideas started.

RM:  Mandi, I know you’re not new to the world of graphic novel writing. You wrote Jacqueline the Singing Crow. Working on that book, was that an impetus for doing another book based on some of the ideas from your conversations?

Mandi Kujawa:  Yes, and it was a way of us processing the experience because Hana wasn’t diagnosed easily so she was in the hospital for a very, very long time. It was just a tough time and we learned a lot about ambulance rides and hospital visits, and we hopefully can bring some comfort to somebody else who has an experience like that.

RM:  Where did the idea in this book about seeing these invisible wings come from?

HK:  That came up from us trying to understand what you’re seeing when you’re looking at all these amazing people who are helping you. It was a way to visualize all of the kindness.

RM:  What was it like actually seeing your story turned into a graphic novel with all the illustrations and the characters?

HK:  It was really interesting and amazing to get to do the first full read when it was fully finished. As it was on its way you’d get a little picture of what it’s like before the colour and then the little digital image of the colour, but it was so amazing to see it fully printed and get to physically flip pages.

RM:  Is this your first book, Hana?

HK:  It is!

RM:  Are you happy with the finished product?

MK:  We’re so blessed. It’s hard to express how lucky we are to have such amazing people working on the book.

RM:  I really liked how the story has a happy ending. Hana, are you doing well? Is your story having a happy ending right now?

HK:  I think it’s interesting how happy endings can kind of be on a scale. You can be happy, but it’s not like everything turns perfect in the end. I’m still going through problems with my health, and the characters aren’t a hundred percent cured. People don’t always get that kind of happy ending, but there are some ways to still be happy with what’s going on.

RM:  Who do you think this book would appeal to?

MK:  Anybody who’s spent time in the hospital or knows someone who spent time in the hospital might be interested, but we hope that any kid would find it fun to follow the character stories. Also, they might enjoy how the characters poke fun at adults for saying things that are maybe not the wisest thing at the time.

HK:  It can also be a little bit helpful for people who are going to see someone in the hospital for what are the nice things to say and for what it’s really like to be in there.

RM:  I’m not a kid, but I really enjoyed the book. I just found it to be a very interesting story and one that was really well told. Where can people pick up a copy of A Slug Story?

MK: Café Books is going to carry them, and they’re available online. We’re just so grateful to Alexander Finbow for seeing the potential in the story and coaching us through the process of making it into a book.

Filed under: Banff, book, Canmore, Renegade Arts Entertainment