Emil Ferris

Emil Ferris, acclaimed for her graphic novel My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, blends visual art with storytelling to create impactful works. Overcoming the West Nile Virus, which left her partially paralyzed, Ferris demonstrates remarkable resilience and dedication in her intricate cross-hatching and emotionally charged illustrations.

My Favorite Thing Is Monsters intertwines a coming-of-age story with a murder mystery and a historical reflection on the Holocaust. Through young Karen Reyes, Ferris delves into themes of identity, fear, and the complexities of humanity. Her art, inspired by horror magazines and pulp fiction, juxtaposes the grotesque and the beautiful, fostering empathy and understanding.

Ferris challenges the boundaries of graphic literature, using the medium to address complex social issues and personal histories. Her work confronts internal and external monsters, revealing profound truths about the human experience. By pushing the limits of graphic novels, Ferris elevates the form to explore deeper narratives and emotional landscapes, inviting readers into a world where art and story are inseparable.

Ferris’s contributions extend beyond her graphic novels. In April 2022, Ferris was reported among the more than three dozen comics creators who contributed to Operation USA’s benefit anthology book, Comics for Ukraine: Sunflower Seeds, a project spearheaded by editor Scott Dunbier, whose profits would be donated to relief efforts for Ukrainian refugees resulting from the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

My Favorite Thing is Monsters has been translated into French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, German, and Korean. It has been honored with numerous awards, among them: The Lambda Literary Award, multiple Eisners, the Ignatz, and the Fauve d’or at the Angouleme Festival, France.

Ferris has exhibited her art extensively in the US and Europe, and prior to the pandemic she was honored to teach classes at the Louvre.

Presented in partnership with the U‑M Library, Vault of Midnight, and the Ann Arbor District Library. This project was made possible by a grant from the Arts Initiative at the University of Michigan.

Series presenting partners: Detroit PBS and PBS Books. Media partner: Michigan Radio.