Miles Franklin-winning author Sofie Laguna and acclaimed fantasy illustrator Marc McBride have turned the forced domestic confinement of pandemic lockdowns into their first joint creative venture, the graphic novel Blunderbore.
The Melbourne-based husband-and-wife duo, each a heavyweight in Australian literature in their own right, developed the project while sequestered together during Victoria's prolonged health restrictions, ABC News Arts & Lifestyle reported. Although the pair have shared a household and family life for two decades, Blunderbore marks their debut as direct co-creators on a full-length sequential art narrative.
A domestic creative collision under lockdown
Laguna, best known for her award-winning adult fiction such as The Eye of the Sheep alongside a prolific catalogue of junior books, found herself sharing close working quarters with McBride as normal routines halted. McBride, whose vibrant airbrushed artwork famously brought Emily Rodda’s bestselling Deltora Quest fantasy series to life, had long occupied his own distinct studio practice.
When the pandemic disrupted standard publishing schedules and school appearance circuits, the proximity within their home inspired an artistic convergence. ABC News Arts & Lifestyle reported that the shared downtime allowed the couple to explore a medium neither had tackled in tandem: the graphic novel, a format demanding an intricate balance between scripting and visual pacing.
Reimagining giant folklore on the page
The resulting work, Blunderbore, draws its title from the classic Cornish giant folklore traditionally featured in tales of Jack the Giant Killer. In Laguna and McBride’s hands, however, the ancient legend is reshaped into a contemporary graphic adventure tailored for younger readers.
Where Laguna’s written work typically relies on rich interior monologue and emotional vulnerability, writing a graphic novel script necessitated a leaner, visually led discipline. McBride, conversely, was tasked with translating his wife’s narrative beats into kinetic panel layouts, departing from his customary cover art and standalone plates to embrace the sustained momentum of sequential visual storytelling.
Navigating partnership across the drawing board
The collaborative process introduced a new dynamic to the household. Creative partnerships between established artists can often run aground on stylistic possessiveness, but the project evolved through iterative feedback sessions across the kitchen table.
Industry observers note that married creative teams face the delicate challenge of separating critical editorial assessments from domestic life. For Laguna and McBride, developing Blunderbore meant adjusting to real-time critiques, testing scenes across multiple drafts, and learning to trust each other's distinct artistic instincts.
Riding the surge in graphic storytelling
The project arrives at an opportune moment for Australian publishing. Graphic novels have experienced unprecedented commercial growth across domestic bookstores and school libraries over the past five years, shedding their niche reputation to become primary drivers of youth literacy.
With Blunderbore, Laguna and McBride not only expand their respective bibliographies but also contribute significant local pedigree to a sector often dominated by overseas titles. The couple's pandemic experiment demonstrates how the unusual pressures of confinement could yield enduring, inventive artistic work.