Moon Bones

Brooke Reiche

In what hidden ways are we connected to the features of the natural world we inhabit? Light and dark, land and water, sun, and moon. Dualities like these push and pull all life that exists, and have dictated our varied forms in the ways we have evolved. What happens when the balance of these basic elements is disturbed? That is the question I wanted to ask in this story in both a physical and existential context. Metaphors of nature have always been the best outlet for me to express spiritual and philosophical ideas. As I was lucky to grow up surrounded by the beautiful high desert of New Mexico, the landscape, flora, and fauna of this book are based on those I have known while living there. Because water rights issues are prevalent in that area, especially among many Native American groups, the scarcity, necessity, and value of this resource is the foremost metaphor in the overall story.

Using the traditional comic art method of pen and ink, I have enjoyed exploring the fluidity and theatricality of the medium of sequential art in the creation of this book. After completing my first short graphic novel in 2015, my desire to tell a more personal story led me to begin the first draft of Moon Bones. Themes of desire, balance, and symbiosis all play into this mythic narrative. Although human presence is absent in the scenes of Moon Bones, the impact of our current state as a species is fully present in the overall story arc.