EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW: ‘Night and Dana’ Graphic Novel Is a Coming-of-Age Story in the Era of Environmental Horrors

We all know how much representation matters, and cartoonist Anya Davidson’s Night and Dana focuses on a particular aspect of growing up that every person in younger generations has to face: climate change. This coming-of-age story follows Dana Drucker, a young special-effects makeup artist in Florida who pulls a prank gone wrong with her best friend, Lily. Following the incident, Dana and Lily enroll in a community college film class and start working on a horror movie inspired by local ocean warming.

This puts the pair on a collision course with activist and “self-proclaimed water witch” Daphne Ocean, whose presence initially inspires Dana’s creativity. However, as filming progresses, she and Lily begin to grow apart and Dana has to navigate waves of major change while also learning her own relationship to the real-life topic of her film.

“I caught the horror bug at the same time, in early adolescence, as I began to develop a sense of political awareness, and those interests of mine are inextricably linked,” Davidson says. “With Night and Dana, I knew I wanted to tell a coming-of-age story about horror-obsessed teens, but I also knew I wanted to depict activists organizing.”

Ahead of Night and Dana‘s September release, The Mary Sue has an exclusive preview, seen below.

“Anya Davidson’s Night and Dana is a love letter to self-proclaimed weirdos of all kinds, but especially those obsessed with horror, the environment, or environmental horrors,” says Graphic Universe editorial director Sean Tulien. “It’s a deeply unique and deeply relatable coming-of-age tale about friendship and finding your voice.”

Although Davidson’s book is fictional, it centers on an important, real-life issue, allowing readers to see their own concerns reflected back to them. Climate change is featured in lots of fictional media, which allows audiences to understand it through different frameworks—especially kids, teens, and young adults who are unfortunately being tasked with handling an issue their elders have ignored for decades.

Night and Dana will be available everywhere books are sold on September 12.

(featured image: Graphic Universe)