Debbie Jenkinson
Midlands

A graphic novel about a pharmacist who finds herself in exile in small town Ireland

Publishing

Un-commissioned | Professional

Why did you make this work:
My interest is in telling stories about ordinary people - the untold stories about unsung heroes. This is about a pharmacist from Dublin who somehow ends up living in a town in the Irish midlands, how she solves the mystery of her family and finds her place in the world. The comic format lends itself so well to these stories, having the power to depict the real moments that constitute our lives.

What materials and techniques did you use?:
Coloured pencils on paper, scanned, with text and some lines applied digitally afterwards. The pages and cover were compiled in InDesign.

How were your illustrations used:
My illustrations appear throughout; the book, page design, and writing are by me. The way picture and text work together in the comic format is magic to me, how you can move from drama to quiet moments so seamlessly, the power it offers to trigger empathy in the reader, the way the creator can slow the reader down to observe a gate swinging on its hinges, a cat lying in the sun.



Social Media:
twitter.com/debbiejenkinson
instagram.com/jenkinson.debbie

Personal Website:
debbiejenkinson.net/


Currently Based:
Ireland

Biography:
Irish illustrator/author Debbie Jenkinson makes comics which explore the small triumphs and frustrations of ordinary people. Ghosting, a graphic thriller set in Dublin, won the Irish Comic News Awards’ Overall Best Irish Comic 2020, Midlands was listed in the Best of 2023 in The Irish Examiner. She is on Illustrators Ireland board, and is a member of the Dublin Comic Arts Festival committee.

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