Whisper Court is a 300-page light horror graphic novel centered around Finch: a ghost that suddenly appears one day in the Whisper Court Ghost Sanctuary. Because the home they appear in was the only one left unhaunted, it was investigated time and time again until Finch was created through the intention and determination put into the building itself. Because of this, they have no past, no memories, and no sense of personality. They must race to figure out who they are and what they want to do with their afterlife. If they cannot do this within 30 days, they will fade away from existence forever.
This graphic novel seeks to explore themes of identity and community. Finch’s narrative takes shape around my own experiences as a genderqueer individual, and how discovering this part of yourself can make you want to rework your entire identity. While the community Finch resides in rejects them at first, they eventually gain friends, allies, and become comfortable with how they exist and the circumstances surrounding it.
Whisper Court will be ten chapters with a brief intro, combined into one full book. Presented for thesis are five pages during the second half of the book, as Finch reaches one of their lowest points and reaches out to anyone they can think of to get them away from their responsibilities. This section was chosen not just for its example of Finch’s struggles, but also because this excerpt discusses struggles I myself have experienced very recently. I feel these experiences will be important to explore both in the comic and with myself as I shift into post-graduation production of a long-form project.