Graphic novels own our heart. Multi-talented author/artists like Sara Varon exemplify not only the ability to draw adorable characters, but can also tell a quirky and compelling story with their characters! Varon combined the two with her staple novel, ROBOT DREAMS, and has continued her abilities with her latest work, BAKE SALE! But it wasn’t just storytelling, as the novel is also packed with easy and yummy recipes.
The Mag got the chance to ask Sara a few questions about the book. Here’s what she had to say about baking, writing, drawing, and more:
What inspired you to write BAKE SALE?
I drew the cupcake character one day, and I wanted to know more about him.Around the same time, I really wanted to visit Turkey. So I combined the 2 things, and made a story about a cupcake who wanted to travel to Turkey. I had to figure out what was the character’s connection to Turkey, and so imagined that he would want to travel to meet a foreign pastry. Also, I had done a small project a long time ago that featured an eggplant character, and nothing much happened with it. So I decided to recycle the eggplant, and make him the cupcake’s sidekick.
What were some of your favourite recipes growing up?
I didn’t do much cooking when I was small – I only started baking later, maybe in my early 20s. I had a friend who was a really great baker, and she gave me my baking foundation. She knew a lot of things about how ingredients react together, things that you don’t learn just from reading recipes.
What are some other books you would recommend for young readers?
That might be a better question for a librarian! Some recent books that I recently read and liked were the ‘City of Ember’ series, ‘The Golden Compass’ series, and of course ‘The Hunger Games’ books. When I was younger I liked ‘The Lion, the Witch, and The Wardrobe’ – in fact, that’s where I came up with the idea of putting Turkish Delight in my
book.(For those who aren’t familiar with the story, one of the characters sells his sister to the witch for a plate of Turkish Delight.) But I’m sure there are plenty of other good books out there that I haven’t read.
Unlike your other popular book, ROBOT DREAMS, this story has dialogue between the characters. Which do you prefer: wordless or dialogue? Is one more difficult to write than the other?
It’s all the same to me. ‘Robot Dreams’ was a simple story that could be told without words, but ‘Bake Sale’ had a lot of complicated details that probably wouldn’t have made sense if I didn’t explain them with words.
What advice would you give to kids who wanted to write their own
graphic novel?
I’d give them the same advice that I’d give anybody who is working on any kind of art project. Have fun. Don’t worry too much about your audience. If you enjoy yourself while you are making it, it will come through in your work. And regardless of whether the project takes on a life of its own after you finish, the enjoyment you got out of making it is worth something in itself.
Are there any other books you’re currently working on?
Yes. Right now I am working on another graphic novel written by Cecil Castellucci called ‘Odd Duck’, not surprisingly about an odd duck. It’s the first book I’ve done that is written by someone else. I think it’s a great story, and it’s been a lot of fun to work on.
Thank you, Sara Varon! An excerpt of her peppermint brownies recipe will be available in our latest issue of The Magazine!
For more stuff by Sara Varon, click here.