With the Kickstarter campaign live for The Goblin Throne graphic novel from Iron Circus, we are delighted to be joined by cartoonist, comics professor, and author Mel Gillman.
Hi Mel, it’s so wonderful to have you here with us.
Could you please introduce yourself to our readers?
I first started toying with the idea of drawing a goblin-romance comic in 2022. For me, the idea behind The Goblin Throne germinated with the classic “trade your firstborn to the fey in exchange for something” bargain, which is something you can find in a lot of old fairy tales. I wanted to take that trope and make it less about changeling or adoption stories, and more about a marriage contract – turning the fey bargain into the premise for a romance story. The character of the Goblin Queen grew pretty naturally out of that idea – I could feel her loneliness, her desperation for a wife and family, and the lengths she’d go to to get them.
In terms of creating the art for The Goblin Throne, do you have a favourite part of that process?
I draw all my comics in colored pencil, and coloring is always my favorite part! Colored pencil is a very slow medium, but it’s also very relaxing and meditative too. You can get into a groove with it! This is also the part of the comics process where it’s easiest for me to listen to music or audiobooks while I work, which is nice. I do a lot of my reading this way!
How did Iron Circus Comics get involved with The Goblin Throne?
A few of the folks at Iron Circus had seen me post Parts I and II of The Goblin Throne online in 2023 and 2024, so they knew something of what the story was about before we started talking about the book seriously. I had the opportunity to pitch a print edition of the book to Kel McDonald, an editor at Iron Circus, and was very happy when they picked it up!
How long have you been working on The Goblin Throne?
I drew Part I in 2023, and Part II in 2024. Part III has turned out to be the longest and most complicated chapter of the three by far, so I’ve been working on it since 2025!
What has it been like working with Iron Circus Comics?
I really appreciate the publishing ethos of Iron Circus. They’re a bit of a rarity among graphic novel publishers that are big enough for mainstream bookstore/library distribution, for how unabashed they are about publishing weird, horny, queer adult genre fiction comics. They’re also very pro-webcomics, and don’t mind publishing print versions of books people can also read for free online. Iron Circus’s catalog is full of unusual books that might’ve been considered “too risky” at other graphic novel publishers, for any number of reasons. An adult lesbian goblin-romance-folk-horror graphic novel definitely falls into that category.
Do you have a favourite fairy tale?
I’m going to answer a slightly different question, and name a book of myths that was really influential for me as a kid! Greek Myths by Marcia Williams, first published in 1991. This is one of the few comics I had access to as a kid. (It was cleverly disguised as a children’s picture book, presumably so “comics-aren’t-real-books” teachers and librarians in the ‘90s wouldn’t snatch it away from young readers.) I just about wore out the binding. The bright watercolors, the humor, the gore, and (though I wouldn’t realize this part til later) the sequential art all captivated me.
Visually, what was your aim for the Goblin Queen?
Visually, the character of the Goblin Queen evokes two conflicting emotions – a regal dignity and beauty, and an ominous, asymmetrical roughness. Her design suggests someone who’s no stranger to violence – she’s got scars that must have stories behind them. (And we do find out some of those stories in the book!) Her design is also a bit fluid – readers will get to see it shift subtly at times in the book, reflecting her movements and emotions.
The Goblin Queen is also someone who loves costumes. We get to see a few different outfits she designed for a few different special occasions! There’s a campiness about some of her wardrobe choices that was really a delight to indulge in.
As you are crowdfunding The Goblin Throne and dealing with consumers, does that make The Goblin Throne special for you?
I’m no stranger to crowdfunding comics projects, thankfully! Crowdfunding is a really great tool for helping indie book projects to get off the ground. Raising enough money in pre-orders to cover the initial production costs of a book can make a huge difference financially for small publishers, which are often running on very tight margins.
Does The Goblin Throne have a happy ending?
That’ll depend on the reader 😉
What can you tell us about The Goblin Throne?
The Goblin Throne is a lesbian horror-romance graphic novel, broken into three parts, and told from three different characters’ perspectives. It’s told in the style of an old fairy tale, and like all old fairy tales, it’s an allegory with a lot of chewy layers to it. Without spoiling anything, it’s a story about the awful tension between lifelong love and lifelong guilt, in a horror story where those two feelings can’t possibly be reconciled. And it’s a story about getting in way over your head with a hot monster who desperately wants a wife.
Any message for the ComicBuzz readers?
Thanks for reading! And always remember, if you’re gonna strike a deal with the fey, even if they’re really really sexy…you gotta word the terms of that bargain carefully.
We would like to say a big thank you to Mel for chatting with us and wish (they/them) the best of luck with the campaign for The Goblin Throne.
Feel free to check out the Kickstarter campaign for The Goblin Throne.
