Legends, superstitions, and the Devil himself? I’m sold! In Dead Sky Publishing’s The Girl, the Priest, and the Devil, writer Theo Prasidis and artist Staša Gačpar create an original horror graphic novel steeped in Greek folklore where a young heroine will do anything to make a better life for herself.
The Beat chatted with Prasidis to uncover more about the epic tale.
DEANNA DESTITO: What inspired this graphic novel?
THEO PRASIDIS: I come from a small town in Northern Greece, which means that folktales were so well integrated into my everyday life growing up, they became part of my culture and identity. We used to keep the fire going during Christmas, so that the kallikantzaroi would stay away, and we used to throw church candles out in the yard during hailstorms, to soothe Prophet Elias’ rage.
However, it wasn’t until recent years that I really got into the field of folklore, along with a general wave of reevaluation of these rural traditions in Greek arts and culture. Nikolaos Politis, the father of Greek folklore studies, put out a monumental work in the beginning of the 20th century named Traditions, where he preserved hundreds of myths and legends from all over Greece, village by village. I dug into it and was struck by the storytelling potential of the material. The Girl, The Priest, And The Devil is my tribute to Politis’ work, and my personal attempt to write an actual folktale, the kind you’d hear from your grandma on a cold winter night.
DESTITO: Your work tends to be in the horror space, but there are other elements there. How do you combine those genres and why do you think that works for your writer’s voice?
PRASIDIS: I follow a simple rule: write what you know. Of course you can educate yourself about anything, and getting out of your comfort zone is vital for creative work, but I believe that artists produce their best work when they draw upon their roots. Art that is profoundly personal is what matters the most. I love horror and I feel comfortable expressing myself through it, because it’s part of my upbringing — again, it all goes back to grandma’s tales by the fire. But the historical aspect is also very familiar to me, living in a place with such a turbulent history like Greece. I’m not a history buff, and I despise the way it is used by many as a means of promoting intolerant nationalistic ideologies. That’s exactly why I think it’s important to always go back to it, to be in constant conversation with it, to try to evaluate and understand it, in order to avoid circling back to its most destructive sides. And —why not?— create new narratives and visions through it.
DESTITO: How has it been working with this creative team?
PRASIDIS: It’s been pure joy. Easy, fun and exciting. Steve Wands from Dead Sky Publishing gave us complete creative freedom, and we all shared the same vision for the book, so everyone brought out their absolute best. I knew Stasha was an amazing watercolor illustrator, but she turned out to be an extremely talented storyteller as well. Her character work was phenomenal, she hit all the right story bits, she poured her vivid personality into the art, and she kicked it out of the park. I still find it hard to believe this was her graphic novel debut. Yasmine [Pond]’s beautiful colors perfectly captured the dreamy fairytale vibe of the story, and complemented Stasha’s linework, Buddy [Beaudoin]’s organic letters blended flawlessly with the art, and Anna [Kubik]’s edit suggestions helped make the book substantially better. I couldn’t have hoped for a better creative team, to be honest.
DESTITO: What is your process for collaborating on a book such as this?
PRASIDIS: I usually put together the entire creative team myself before going to the publisher, but this was a slightly different case. Steve had already greenlit the book from the script stage, so I was on the hunt for the artist for quite some time. When I stumbled upon Stasha’s Instagram account, I was completely blown away. I found an entire universe of folkloric fantasy, filled with lively characters and rich texture. It was exactly what I wanted this book to look like, and I was thrilled she agreed to do it. Stasha was aware of Yasmine’s work, and she suggested we bring her in as our colorist, Steve went ahead and brought Buddy on letters, and the team was complete. It was a collective process, which was new and refreshing.
DESTITO: What do you have coming up next?
PRASIDIS: We’re currently working together with Stasha on a new book, a coming of age tale about four kids and their grandpa who set out for a mountain hike that will change them forever. It’s quite a personal piece for both of us, and we’re very excited. At the same time, my wife and I are planning a series of cultural heritage projects via our newly founded non-profit, and I’m also writing a film script. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop, so amen to that
