Author Interview: kerri davidson, part ii

I am STOKED to have Kerri back for another round of Q&A- but this time, we discuss her graphic novel series about a drunk, rude chicken.
Seriously.
Graphic novels were my first love- I used to draw them on pieces of paper in junior high/high school and share them with my friends. (I'm pretty sure I created fourteen issues and one "movie" version!) So this interview really spoke to me, and I am over the moon to share this casual "fireside chat". Sit back, relax, and enjoy Henny's story...

Peace
J.E.

"Henny is abrasive, rude, a drunk, and he swears like a sailor."

JE: My first love was graphic novels. When did you start drawing Henny and how did the concept come about?
KD: Once upon a time, in 2008/2009, I sat down to write a sticky note message for my husband’s lunch. This was something I normally did. (JE: Can I say...That's freggin' ADORABLE) A simple “You’re having a good day” or “I love you.”
One day, I decided I wanted to draw a little joke to make him laugh. The original three sticky notes ended up being page 1 of volume 1. But that wouldn’t happen for nearly a decade…
​Long story short, the first knock-knock joke was a hit. I continued to write them and by the second set of notes, I had titled them The Chronicles of Henny in my head.
Henny is abrasive, rude, a drunk, and he swears like a sailor. Some of the jokes make me cringe (after I rolled on the floor laughing). So why did I create Henny to be this way and why do I continue to love him after all these years?
I didn’t create him. He wrote himself. Henny is the one who decided to move himself into Cst. (Constable) Poopers’ house and wreak havoc. And deep down inside, as the story progresses, you’ll find yourself rooting for Henny. It’s messed.
My husband continued to bring the notes home every day, so I compiled them into a notebook. Not the best preservation process. 
Years went by and the pen and sticky notes turned to drawing paper and pencils. I had no intention to publish them. In fact, I didn’t have the slightest clue how I would do such a thing.
Eventually, I stopped writing them. I took the notebooks I’d collected and photocopied them, gifting them to my dad and sister. That’s close to immortalizing them as I came.
So I thought.
In 2017, my dad Bruce brought his girlfriend Pat to our home. It was the first time I’d met her and she told me about her daughter who was a graphic novelist in her spare time. Jamie Isfeld is actually an amazing artist. Her mother gifted me one of her graphic novels (the real deal, not chicken-scratches) and asked about the comics I had drawn as she’d heard about them from my dad. I laughed and dug them out to show her. She said she’d like to take a copy of them home to her daughter and so I sent her off with photocopies.
That year, my dad and Pat returned to visit on my birthday. They brought a gift with them, and he insisted on video taping me opening it. I couldn’t believe it when I found someone had already made The Chronicles of Henny. I was confused and outraged until I turned the book and saw my name on the spine. Pat’s daughter had taken the photocopies of my pen and pencil scribblings and created a proof copy of "The Chronicles of Henny Volume 1".
This changed my life.
I had the opportunity to meet Jamie Isfeld, and she directed me on how to go about publishing this graphic novel. She then asked how experienced I was with computers and graphics and all, so I would be able to continue on my own. I just shook my head in reply.
Nevertheless, after a quick tutorial from her, I formatted and published "The Chronicles of Henny Volume 2".
At this point, I’d run out of pre-drawn material and got back into writing them. For Volumes 3 and 4, I switched from black and white to color.
From the first scratchy, barely legible Volume 1, I sold my first 200 copies and had to order more. In addition to the graphic novels, I created a line of swag including T-shirts, hoodies, beer cozies, ball caps, and toques.
The Chronicles of Henny wasn’t just a comic. It wasn’t just a graphic novel. It was an experience. And it still is.

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"This changed my life."

JE: Hold off while I lift my jaw off the floor. What an incredible story, and I believe some of the BEST content was't initially intended for publication. Now, let's get to know Henny! What’s his fav food?
KD: Lol. The first thing he ever ate after moving in with Cst. Poopers was beer and carrots. However, it wasn’t long before he took over the house and began demanding gourmet meals. Fun fact: They serve him slop, and call it gourmet. I’m not sure Henny even knows what the word means. One of my favorite panels is where Cpl. (Corporal) Poopers’ (he got promoted) father-in-law brings over a bucket of chicken and they x out the label and write “gourmet” on it… I think you get the picture.
 
JE: LOL...What’s Henny’s biggest pet peeve?
KD: First of all, we never ever use the word “pet” around Henny. That would be his biggest “peeve.”

JE: That's too funny! Who is the ideal audience for The Chronicles of Henny?
KD: Grownups who need a laugh. As the disclaimer on the cover says: "WARNING: This comic may appear to have been drawn by an eight-year-old. It is NOT recommended for one. This book contains language and humor that may offend humans and chickens.”
Morale of the story (yes, there is one): Read Henny. Laugh at Henny. Do NOT be like Henny.

JE: Makes sense to me. Now, I admit drawing graphic novels was my first love, prior to writing. I know there are a lot of people out there who want to publish their works as well. Is the process to publishing graphic novels similar to that of a traditional written novel? Is one more difficult than another?
KD: Loaded question. I hand draw everything then scan the pages into the computer. That’s the easy part. Enter Adobe Creative Cloud. You would think it would be simple to make a few square panels to insert the drawings into. You would be wrong. Break out the calculus book and learn, learn, learn. Formatting and pixel scrubbing takes up more time than creating the stories.
And silly me. When I had my first book done up, it was a 6.7” x 6.7” square. I ran with it. Turns out, this is an uncommon paper size. Had I went with an even 6” x 6” it would have been slightly cheaper to publish. However, I managed to find a great printing company that allowed me to stick with my original size without too much additional cost. When I switched to full color in volume three, it got a lot more expensive. Still, I waddled on.  Then COVID came and my printers closed. By the time I found the most reasonable quote from a new printer, I pretty much had to sell them at cost.  Why do I still do it? Because I love my drunken chicken and I vowed to release six volumes of his life. This will be done.
 
JE: Any hints or teasers for us on Volume 5?
KD: I expect to release Volume 5 in 2022. I had originally planned on 2021, but fell behind as I wrote other books.
Volume 5 teasers? Well, Henny’s a Pop. Again. He’s married. For now. He may or may not get struck by lightning and fall off a roof. Just kidding. He for sure will. One thing you can always expect are endless table-smacking laughs to enjoy again and again.
 
I want to give one final shoutout to Jamie Isfeld. The ultra-talented and insanely patient girl who “discovered” Henny and set me on the path to publishing – not only The Chronicles of Henny. It was only after I saw my name on the spine of that graphic novel that I realized I could do this. I could publish books. If it weren’t for Jamie, I’m not sure I would have begun my journey into publishing actual novels at all, never mind the cartoons. She got me started with Henny, and to this day remains my cover artist for all my books. 
I would recommend her and promote her work but she does not take on new clients. She actually doesn’t take on clients at all. For some reason, I’m special. Jamie likes to work quietly in the dark and seems to require no praise at all.
Well, suck it up, Jamie. I think you’re AMAZING!

author website (ALL THE BOOKSSS)

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Canadian, multi-genre author Kerri Davidson currently lives in Elbow, Saskatchewan with her husband Travis. She has lived in numerous other locations throughout Saskatchewan and Manitoba. She used to list all the communities in her bio but has finally run out of room.

A reluctant vegetarian, she loves vodka, potato chips, all animals, and some humans.
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You can find her published works at her online store Bagoflettuce.com. E-books are available at all the e-stores.

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