‘My Favorite Thing Is Monsters’ is enchanting graphic novel of mystery and horror
Brandon Drick
Have you ever gone to an art gallery with a werewolf? That’s the experience “My Favorite Thing is Monsters” offers in its love letter to artistic muses and horror iconography. It’s the debut graphic novel from author Emil Ferris who derived a lot of inspiration from her childhood spent watching classic creature features and telling stories at her school playground, according to a 2017 interview from The Comics Journal. Released in 2017, it’s the first in a two-part series of graphic novels centered around child protagonist Karen Reyes who depicts herself as a werewolf. Doodles and journal entries tell the story to showcase Karen’s perspective of a bleak 1960s Chicago. When her neighbor, Anka Silverstein, dies, Karen questions the circumstances and dons a detective role straight out of noir to investigate all while struggling with her home life and oppression from her classmates.
Karen is a pretty talented artist for a 10 year old, taught by her brother, Diego Zapata Reyes or “Deeze.” He mentors and nurtures her artistic abilities by bringing her to museums and introducing her to horror iconography through B-movies and comic books. This makes Karen a very interesting and adept expressionist. I remember being enchanted by Karen comparing a green patch in her mother’s iris to a green island she can escape to every night. She follows this by illustrating her literally crossing over to this green island in her mother’s eyes which is mesmerizing and distinct to Karen’s perspective. Each page is a journal entry with doodles cross-hatched with ballpoint pen to meticulous detail to show Karen’s imaginative world. Chapters are presented through mock comic book covers like the ones Karen receives from Deeze. Additionally, a myriad of her artistic idols is displayed from Eugène Delacroix to Claude Monet.
The novel flows like one of Karen’s horror comics and the atmosphere is unsettling.
Sometimes, Karen will even adopt their styles in her entries, such as stippling her caricatures after mentioning Georges Seurat or depicting her neighbor as Pablo Picasso’s “Old Guitarist” piece. Initially, I was shocked that such a young person could be so acquainted with a vast and in-depth world, but her relationship with Deeze makes it believable. While mostly monochromatic, some of Karen’s doodles have grim colors like cold, undead blue, sewage green or a deep, bloody red. Deeze and Anka are some exceptions who receive special treatment from Karen’s crayon box. Deeze’s rosy cheeks make him look like the only living person in Chicago while Anka is colored like an Egyptian sapphire corpse. The other citizens of Chicago are downcast and Karen draws them as malformed and malevolent. While these figures might all look gloomy, their facial features are eloquently expressive. The novel flows like one of Karen’s horror comics and the atmosphere is unsettling.
You can smell the pollution and coffee through Karen’s depiction of Chicago. Her family is considered outcasts there and she is cynical about its residents, dubbing them the M.O.B. (Mean, Ordinary & Boring). She depicts herself as a werewolf to further represent her oppressed misfit role. Her mother is a self-described “Hillbilly Gypsy” with radical superstitions and omens such as “Never ever cut your toenails on a Sunday unless you want the devil to rule you all week” or “Never ever pick up a black button off the sidewalk unless you have a death-wish.” Deeze also scuffles with being a regular womanizer and prone to rage episodes.
You can smell the pollution and coffee through Karen’s depiction of Chicago.
I spent a lot of time with these characters and become accustomed to how they received the role of outcast. I never disliked them though and began to sympathize with many characters’ struggles as I got to know them. This resonated with me the most when I got into Anka’s backstory, who is initially introduced as an unstable person. Through interview recordings, we learn about her tragic childhood as a Jew in Nazi Germany and how it made her the troubled soul she is. It’s clever and insightful, allowing the reader to gather clues alongside Karen to determine whether there was foul play in Anka’s death. The mystery itself is very entertaining, with no discernible clues handed out and even a couple of fake-out hints. There are several twists and revelations resulting in several people being possible suspects well towards the end.
The ghastly imagery leaves you wishing it was Halloween again and its immersive story even comes with a couple of tear-jerkers.
I was enchanted to have walked through this werewolf girl’s journal exhibition in “My Favorite Thing Is Monsters.” It’s alluring and horrific, keeping you on its toes with its mystery while also leaving time to enjoy the sights. The ghastly imagery leaves you wishing it was Halloween again and its immersive story even comes with a couple of tear-jerkers. Ferris weaves her childhood into Karen’s character, and each page hosts so much love for the arts. Each page has great care put into it and puts all of my doodles to shame. Ferris takes something horrific and makes something imaginative and even beautiful with it.
Impressed & Expressed 