We've all seen lots of stories about a young protagonist having adventures, and usually they're all boys, [and] there is sometimes a token female, or two.

I like things that are weirdly imaginative and couldn't be real, but I also like stories that are recognizable and relatable.

Doesn't matter if it's personal or professional, a good partnership takes work.

Yeah, that's right. Flee in terror, bitches!

Happy endings are bullshit. There are only happy pauses.

There's a lot of dark stuff from the '80s that we don't think about.

I write the book for one person — for Fiona [Staples, the artist]. I spend a lot of time just thinking how she'll react to things and manipulating her into drawing perverse, horrific things. It's a really weird job but I enjoy it.