By Zack Quaintance — Today Comics Bookcase had a chance to speak with writer/illustrator Theresa Chiechi (Ithaqa) about her new comic, Drawn to Key West, an excellent blend of memoir storytelling with an informative look at a truly unique artist enclave and community. Drawn to Key West is available for purchase now through the Drawn to Key West website. Enjoy!

Interview: Theresa Chiechi talks DRAWN TO KEY WEST

ZACK QUAINTANCE: The first thing that jumped out at me about this (wonderful) book was the narrative voice. How did you strike such a wonderful balance between conversational and informational?

THERESA CHIECHI: My approach to writing, especially with projects that have humor to them, is I tend to write as though I am speaking to my friends and I'm just trying to tell them an entertaining story. As far as finding the balance between conversational and informational, I think that comes from my love of history. Growing up, history was always one of my favorite classes and I attribute that to the fact that I had some really great teachers who also happened to be excellent storytellers. I think that's why my personal projects tend to be based in reality or off of some sort of event. I find that having that foundation of reality makes a story more tangible and interesting.

ZACK: The book plays a little bit with history (at one point imploring, “please do not use this as a study guide”), but I still came away feeling like I learned quite a bit about Key West. How much new research did you do for this work, and how much of it was sort of learned organically through having spent so much time in Key West?

THERESA: Before working on the comic, my knowledge of Key West was pretty surface level; it was based on my experience as a tourist and from local anecdotes I've heard throughout my visits. But when I moved to Key West, I spent about five months doing all the research. I went to the library and read pretty much every book there was about Key West. I went to the museums, went on all the tours, and just tried to get as much information as possible. The street performers were also very helpful; not only did my interviews with them provide me a huge insight into their world, but they also recommended books and videos to watch to learn more about busking.

ZACK: I also really enjoyed how the history of Key West sort of danced with your own experiences going there to make this book. Was the project always conceived that way, or is that something that found its way in as you went to Key West to inform the work?

THERESA: I don't think I intended it to be that way, but it just happened organically. When I moved to Key West, I didn't know anybody. It was the first time I had officially moved away from home, and I'm a very shy person, so forcing myself to approach complete strangers was very daunting. It was all a lot to handle! So I started making little doodle comics for my Instagram, detailing my experience moving to Key West and working on the comic. It was sort of like a diary, a way for me to process everything. And a lot of those jokes and doodles ended up making their way into the comic. By the time I finished the research and began to write the script, I was trying to figure out how I wanted to present all this information. So, I think intertwining my experience was the natural progression.

ZACK: Who did you have in mind as the audience for making this comic, was it more so aimed at folks curious about Key West or folks who maybe had been there? I’ve never been, and I thought it did a great job considering what I probably already know about the area, Hemingway, sunsets, etc….

THERESA: Honestly, the audience I had in mind at first was mostly me. I was fascinated by the street performers and made it my mission to find out everything I could about them and I just hoped that other people would be as curious about it as I was. Drawn To Key West is my love letter to Key West and the street performing community. I think the comic can be informative for people who have no knowledge about Key West or street performing. It can serve as a guide for tourists or people who are thinking of visiting. I think it could also be entertaining and relatable for people who already know and love Key West. I also weave in a lot of my experiences of overcoming anxiety into the story, so hopefully it can be a positive message for others who struggle with anxiety as well.

ZACK: What do you hope readers take away from this story? 

THERESA: One of my goals with the comic is to shed light on street performing, as a largely unrecorded art form, and help bring more awareness and appreciation to the tradition of the Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. I think a lot of people consume art like movies, books, games, and street theater with little idea of what actually goes into making that art or why people choose to pursue that line of work. I wanted to explore what goes into the lifestyle of a street performer and generally what compels artists to create. And lastly, I hope readers fall in love with Mallory Square and Key West like I did.

ZACK: When can readers expect the next issue, and how can readers stay in the loop with news about upcoming issues?

THERESA: The next issue should be coming out around May or June. Readers can sign up for updates at drawntokeywest.com or follow me on Instagram (@la.fumettista), Twitter (@TheresaChiechi) or Facebook (@tchiechi).

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Zack Quaintance is a tech reporter by day and freelance writer by night/weekend. He Tweets compulsively about storytelling and comics as Comics Bookcase.