Damian Duffy and John Jennings are back for another graphic novel adaptation of an Octavia E. Butler science fiction classic with Parable of the Talents.
The duo, who won an Eisner Award for Best Adaptation from Another Medium for their graphic novel adaptation of Butler’s Kindred and the Hugo Award for their take on Parable of the Sower, are joined by artist David Brame for the Abrams ComicArts release.
We spoke to Duffy and Jennings about the opportunity to introduce a new generation of readers to Butler’s Parable of the Talents and what its like to adapt Butler’s work in graphic novel form in this exclusive interview.
Both of you are back again to adapt another Octavia Butler classic, Parable of the Talents. How did you approach it this time around after the success with Parable of the Sower? What did you learn from your first experience in terms of scripting and illustrating her work?
Damian Duffy: Because Parable of the Talents continues the story of Parable of the Sower, in some ways we tried to reproduce the visual vocabulary of the first part, in terms of integrating Lauren’s journal writing as narration, and using red to symbolize Lauren’s hyperempathy syndrome. But, because Talents expands to other narrators in the same world, we were also able to introduce different methods of visual storytelling that are unique to this story. Probably the biggest learning curve for me, in terms of figuring out how to balance respecting the original text while still writing especially for the comics medium, was in adapting Butler’s Kindred. With the Parables, I definitely felt more comfortable with writing for the available page space, which gave me a little more confidence in moving towards more experimental ideas for page compositions and lettering sound effects.
John Jennings: Kindred taught me that in order to build a proper visual language to properly adapt Butler’s work, you need to have a team of people. These stories are massive and sweeping and the arduous task is best done with many hands. So, in some instances I’m a designer, in some aspects I’m simply illustrating and then I also have to be an art director and project manager as well. Knowing these aspects made it less complicated when dealing with Parable of the Talents.
As the sequel to Parable of the Sower, where do we find Lauren’s daughter, Asha Vere and what is the world like at this point?
Duffy: Asha Vere is a difficult character, because she’s critical of Lauren and Lauren’s religion, Earthseed, in ways that aren’t present in Parable of the Sower. In Parable of the Talents, we first meet Asha as an older woman in the future, reflecting on her mother many years after Lauren has died. She tells us she expects Lauren to be made into a god, and she doesn’t seem happy about it. Her role in the novel, as a biographer presenting her mothers journals, and her occupation, as creating virtual reality scenarios, allowed us to visualize her interjections as though she’s talking to the reader from within a virtual world.
John-You mentioned previously that adapting the work of Butler is both “an honor and a very serious responsibility”. Why do you feel this way about her legacy?
Jennings: Octavia E. Butler is one of the most important American writers to ever live. Her work has shaped a new generation of Black speculative writers. Butler was a visionary and the stories she wrote were missives to our future. I think we are beginning to see how important it is to protect our history and our narratives. Butler wrote about power, who has it, and who doesn’t. Our power resides in the narrative and I feel that our job has been to protect and proliferate Butler’s work as best we can.
Damian-You have said that Butler’s novels are a “warning about the future”. If her novels have predicted the future, what lessons does she provide about living in it?
Duffy: I think the advice Butler gave about writing is also the lesson she imparts in these novels, which is the power of persistence to effect change, and the foundational importance of building supportive community.
Thoughts on putting the graphic novel out through Abrams Comic Arts?
Duffy: We’ve been lucky to work with Abrams ComicArts on three of these adaptations, and we greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with them in concert with the Octavia E. Butler Estate to bring these adaptations into the world. We were also fortunate to have Abrams support in bringing on layout artist extraordinaire David Brame to help complete Parable of the Talents.
Upcoming projects?
Duffy: John and I have a few projects we’re discussing, and at least one collaboration already in the works, but nothing that we can talk about at the moment.
The Parable of the Talents: A Graphic Novel Adaptation hardcover is now available at your local comic book shop and bookstore.
