2026/10/01 21:39:06 +00:00 | Jonathan James
“An art book, Fever Dream features 116 pages of never-before-seen comic pages, sketches, and illustrations. An absolute visual treasure trove, Fever Dream is for fans of the process, the raw and the chaotic. Equal parts mysterious and captivating, Fever Dream inhabits the liminal space between a sketchbook and a graphic novel. It is a mosaic made from discarded drawings, panels, and sequentials, with a haunting story that stays just out of reach.”
In support of the Kickstarter campaignthat just launched, I caught up with Becky Cloonan to learn more aboutFever Dream—from its origins as a short story to the artbook it became, Cloonan’s influences, and much more:
You’ve mentioned that you’ve had this story bouncing around your head for almost a decade. When did you originally start creating artwork for the project that would eventually become Fever Dream?
Becky Cloonan: Oh man. Years ago I drew a short story called Wolves, and since then the characters have taken on a life of their own. In 2019 I made another mini comic called “The King’s Story,” which was a take on Wolves, but from a different character’s perspective. I didn’t start drawing the pages that would become Fever Dream until halfway through 2021- that’s when things began to get out of hand!
What was the moment where you decided to move away from traditional graphic novel storytelling and toward the experimental Fever Dream?
Becky Cloonan: It wasn’t a conscious decision, I swear. When I begin a new book, I always start with a script and thumbnails; I’ve never had the ability to freestyle a comic, but for some reason I just jumped in. (It was lockdown! We were all losing our minds!) It felt crazy, I just drew and drew and drew, inking here and there when I felt like it, sketching like a maniac… Several months later I came to and realized that the comic I’d been drawing, all 100 pages, didn’t make a lick of sense!! I hadn’t even gotten to the crux of the plot either! I just put it in a drawer and tried to forget about it.
Since then, I moved to Portland, drew a graphic novel and a few other short stories. But I never forgot that mess in the drawer. Last year I pulled the pages out and even though it was too big of a mess to fix, it might be a fun sketchbook. Once I made peace with the abject failure, I began putting the pages together with vibes as the guide. It let me approach the book freely, incorporating the pages (both penciled and inked) with sketches and illustrations until the overall shape of it felt like a dreamy story.
Once you committed to this direction, was it freeing to be able to experiment with different visual and storytelling techniques without having to worry about what a publisher might be looking for?
Becky Cloonan: Oh, definitely. I was planning on self-publishing this thing from the beginning, but this was such a great exercise in letting go. I used different techniques and tools, without worrying about continuity or consistency. I feel like I learned a lot, but that kind of thing is hard to measure. I guess we’ll find out when I start drawing my next book haha.
How long, in all, did it take to complete what would become Fever Dream? When did it go from an experiment to something you knew you wanted to release?
Becky Cloonan: Probably a little more than a year. I toned most of the pages to make them feel cohesive, and inked a dozen or so of the looser pages. I did most of it on the couch after my day work was done (I called it Night Work), but occasionally I’d get a day to focus for a full day here and there. Passion projects will always demand a big chunk of your personal time, so it helps that I loved every second of working on this.
You’ve created something that’s entrancing and, true to its title, dream-like. Can you speak to some of your inspirations when it came to the visual direction of this book? In particular, I saw you reference Vampyr.
Becky Cloonan: Oh yeah, I love Dreyer’s Vampyr– it’s the epitome of dreamy horror. Weirdly, it wasn’t a major inspiration originally, but became the main touchstone as my vision of the finished book evolved. The Czech new wave epic Marketa Lazarova was an influence from the beginning, not that I could do anything even touching the scope of that film! Onibaba was another one I watched a few times, just trying to soak up the vibes.
In the past, we’ve spoken about your love of werewolf films. How did movies like The Company of Wolves inspire the direction you took in your own story?
Becky Cloonan:Company of Wolves is my favorite werewolf film, hands down. The transformations are so gnarly, and talk about dreamy!! I love stories within stories, and to me every facet of this film is perfect. I don’t know if it inspired the direction in a conscious way, but I saw this film at a young age that its part of my DNA. The way the different vignettes flow from one to the other, the thematic cautionary tales, and my god the staging and sets…!! I can pause this film at any point and get inspired by just the frame. When I get home I’m gonna put this on again!
I can imagine that more comic book artists and writers wish they had more time to experiment in the way you have with Fever Dream. With you having completed this book, do you feel like we’ll see more Fever Dream-type work from you in the future?
Becky Cloonan:Fever Dream only happened because the project was an abject failure, so in that respect I hope I don’t do too many more books like it in the future! But I do plan to field test some of the techniques I played with. At the very least I’d like to loosen up and integrate more pencils in my finished pages.
That said, I would like to take another stab at this story at some point, properly next time. Starting with a script and some goddamn thumbnails!! I won’t make that mistake again!
From the Press Release: Award-winning comics artist and writer Becky Cloonan (Somna: A Bed Time Story; DC’s Batgirls series, Creepshow) is thrilled to announce her next project, Fever Dream, [now available on Kickstarter.]
An art book, Fever Dream features 116 pages of never-before-seen comic pages, sketches, and illustrations. An absolute visual treasure trove, Fever Dream is for fans of the process, the raw and the chaotic. Equal parts mysterious and captivating, Fever Dream inhabits the liminal space between a sketchbook and a graphic novel. It is a mosaic made from discarded drawings, panels, and sequentials, with a haunting story that stays just out of reach.
Dark, atmospheric, and intended for mature readers, Fever Dream speaks to the readers who resonate or run on vibes and are looking for the next evocative project to bring their emotions to the surface. Becky said, “It started as a graphic novel, but after giving up it turned into a place to experiment with different tools and techniques without worrying about consistency or a coherent plot.”
In a collection of rewards only a book titled FEVER DREAM could bring into being, readers will find:
- FEVER DREAM Softcover Edition – Signed, not a limited edition.
- FEVER DREAM Hardcover Edition – Signed and exclusive to Kickstarter.
- FEVER DREAM HC + Letterpress Bookplate Print – Signed and exclusive to Kickstarter with limited edition 5×7” signed and numbered bookplate out of 250.
- FEVER DREAM Sketched Hardcover – Signed and exclusive to Kickstarter, with a hand-drawn sketch by Becky Cloonan.
- FEVER DREAM HC, Stickers + Miniprint Set – Signed and exclusive to Kickstarter, with a 5 sticker set, and a 5 miniprint postcard set in an exclusive envelope sealed with an artisanal sticker.
- FEVER DREAM Sketched Hardcover + Letterpress Bookplate Print – Signed, exclusive, with a hand-drawn sketch by Becky Cloonan. It will also include a limited edition 5×7” signed and numbered bookplate out of 250.
- FEVER DREAM Collector’s Bundle – Includes a sketched hardcover, limited edition 5×7” letterpress bookplate print, sticker set, miniprint postcard set, A King’s Story minicomic, SWORDS sketchbook, By Chance or Providence trade paperback, and a Becky Cloonan original artwork.
- Cover Quality 11×17 Commission – Includes a sketched hardcover, with buyer’s choice of a cover quality, and original art by Becky Cloonan.
Additional add-ons for fans of Cloonan’s work, will also be listed on Kickstarter.
Inspired by a love of cult and cinematic classics, Cloonan translated it into her work. “I’ve always found inspiration in black and white films: Rashamon, The Third Man, Czech New Wave epic Marketa Lazarová, and Dreyer’s Vampyr to name a few. And because this comic was pure indulgence, I could play with the grey tones in ways I haven’t had the chance to before.”
“I’ve had this story bouncing around in my head for over a decade– anyone who has read “Wolves” or “The King’s Story” will recognize the characters and themes,” said Cloonan, referring to her previously published minicomics.“They’re comfortable for me to draw, so calling this project self-indulgent wouldn’t be inaccurate!” Fever Dream will open on Kickstarter on September 1st for early backers, and officially launch on October 1st.
“Becky’s art is incredible. The way she portrays emotion is second to none. I don’t think there’s another artist that manages to evoke dark romanticism as perfectly as she does. This book is another example of that. Beautiful, inspiring, and always super hot.” — Tula Lotay, Somna
“Becky Cloonan is an American comic book artist and writer with a lengthy resume of industry accomplishments and accolades. Highlights include a 2013 Eisner Award win for her self-published, written and drawn “Best Single Issue/One-Shot” The Mire. In 2023, she received the prestigious Inkpot award, which celebrates an individual’s contribution to the worlds of comics, scifi, fantasy, film, tv, and fandom.
Becky most recently received a pair of Eisner wins in 2024 for DSTLRY’S Somna (Best New Series, with collaborator Tula Lotay) and The Kelpie from Dark Horse Comics’ Four Gathered on Christmas Eve (Best Short Story.) She is well-known for her writing contributions, notably The Punisher at Marvel with the legendary Steve Dillon, and at DC she co-created Gotham Academy with Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl, and scripted Wonder Woman and Batgirls with co-writer Michael Conrad.
Outside of comics she’s illustrated several movie posters for Mondo, as well as several gig posters for bands like Black Sabbath, Metallica, and The Cure. Her most recent releases include The War with Garth Ennis at Boom! Studios, and the anthology Come Find Me at DSTLRY, which she contributed to as well as curated.”
