With the release of Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man #1 from Mike Mignola, Jesse Lonergan, Clem Robins and Dark Horse Comics today, we are delighted to be joined by writer and artist Jesse Lonergan. Jesse has worked on comics/graphic novels such as Flower and Fade, All Star, Hedra, Faster, Miss Truesdale and the fall of Hyperborea and Drome.
Hi Jesse, it’s so wonderful to have you here with us. Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
Hello, readers! I’m Jesse Lonergan and I draw comics. I’ve done stuff with Star Wars, TMNT, DC, and I even got to draw Godzilla destroying Boston. My comic Hedra was nominated for an Eisner in 2020, and my most recent solo work, Drome, has been getting great reviews. The Washington Post called it “a miracle of a book.”
What can you tell us about Drome?
The plot follows a demigoddess who arrives to bring order to a lawless humanity, but it feels like an injustice to try and sum up and mostly wordless 300-page epic in a sentence or two. I think it’s the kind of book where it’s best if you just look at it, you’ll understand so much more than you can by reading about it. It’s epic, experimental, and a ton of fun.
Who is Miss Truesdale?
Miss Truesdale is a Victorian secretary who suddenly becomes aware of her past life as Anum Yassa, a gladiator in ancient Hyperborea. The first series, Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea, follows these two characters separated in time as their lives grow more and more intertwined.
Can you tell us about the origins of Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man?
When Mike first started talking to me about working together, I think he had the story of Miss Truesdale and the Fall of Hyperborea mapped, and if the first series went well he had plans for more. I think we both felt good about how Fall of Hyperborea came out, so we went ahead with this one.
What was it like returning to Mignolaverse with Mike Mignola?
The first time around I was a little hesitant. Mike is a great guy and very supportive, but it’s still a bit intimidating to be working with a legend. And also, at the time, I had never done a series of issues. I’d done a fair number of graphic novels, but that process and the deadlines are very different. I have more experience now and I’m more comfortable with Mike, and I think the work benefits from that. I feel more visual ideas get pushed in this series than in the first one.
What can you tell us about Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man?
It follows the merged Miss Truesdale and Anum Yassa as she explores the very beginning of the world in the Hellboy universe. And as she wanders an evil force follows her turning the creatures she meets against her. There’s lots of beasts and battles as Truesdale comes closer to figuring out who is following her and why.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
Read more comics! Pick up something that’s new to you that you know nothing about. There’s so much good stuff out there.
We would like to say a big thank you to Jesse for chatting with us and wish him the best of luck with the release of Miss Truesdale and the Rise of Man.
