Artist, writer and colourist Bex Glendining made a real mark on us last year when their debut graphic novel On Starlit Shores got not just a very positive review at Broken Frontier but also led to Glendining being nominated and then winning the Breakout Talent category in the 2025 BF Awards. On Starlit Shores follows the story of the grieving Alex Wilson and her friend Grim who return to Alex’s hometown of Indigo Harbour after many years away. A locale that has magical undercurrents running through its environs.
I chatted to Bex recently about the book, the importance of colouring as a storytelling tool in comics, and what reactions to On Starlit Shores have been like…
(Art from On Starlit Shores unless otherwise specified)
Self-portrait
ANDY OLIVER: Let’s start by asking you what your entry point into comics was? How did you discover the form and what were your early interactions with it?
BEX GLENDINING: When I was a kid I used to read Beano and the comic strips in there, and the odd strip in random magazines, but it wasn’t until I got into cape comics in my teens that I really started understanding what comics were and was drawn to them as a mode of storytelling. It opened up a whole can of worms. I’d pick up random comics at the local comic shops or heavily consume indie comics on places like tumblr or artist hosted websites.
AO: Who do you count as inspirations and influences on your work from both within and outside comics?
GLENDINING: I find inspiration in so many things so it’s hard to narrow it down. For comics I’d say Hamlet Machine, Rebecca Mock, Shazleen Khan, Wendy Xu and Linnea Sterte stand out, and I’m forever inspired by the rich worlds they’ve created and how they stay true to themselves and the stories they create. I’m inspired by Cassandra Jean, Kim Sanho and Choo, Yoshitomo Nara, who tell a story in every illustration. I’m inspired by friends and family and the way the light hits a wall at a certain point. I try to consume a variety of mediums and genres, be it music, books, games, whatever and gather inspiration from anything that tickles my brain.
AO: How important was your part in the Edmonia Lewis volume of BOOM!’s Seen: True Stories of Marginalized Creators (above) series to you in terms of establishing yourself in comics? And what is it about comics for you that make them such a powerful medium for communicating stories of such socially important relevance?
GLENDINING: So incredibly important! It was my first foray into longer form comics and my first time working with a writer as an artist. Jasmine Walls, the writer, was so supportive and kind and became a good friend whose support and talent helped bring On Starlit Shores to life. It was also a moment when I realised I could actually possibly do comics as a job, not just as a colourist but as an artist.
AO: You’re the winner of the Broken Frontier Breakout Talent Award for 2025 for your debut graphic novel On Starlit Shores…
GLENDINING: Yes, I still can’t believe it!
AO: How would you describe the book’s premise and the themes it explores?
GLENDINING: On Starlit Shores changed a lot from the initial idea but it’s always been a story about grief. I started writing it not long after the passing of my own grandma and used it as a kind of therapy, feeling lots of regret, guilt and anger which got passed onto Alex. Alex is going through a big moment in her life and she’s put a lot on her shoulders, feeling like she needs to kind of prove herself by clearing out Sophia’s cottage although no one expects this of her. The magical realism came into it later on, but was pivotal in bringing everything together and making the town of Indigo Harbour feel more alive, a safe haven for people who are different.
On the surface it’s witches and stars and there’s easter eggs of vampires and the like, but underneath, it’s a place where queer and marginalized people are protected and it’s important that the town slowly begins to let Alex and Grim in. There’s Sophia, who meant so much to Alex, but also so much to these other people, she had a whole life Alex wasn’t privy to, which brings up all these feelings and makes her kind of question everything. On Starlit Shores is about queerness, family, loyalty, grief, and at its core love in all its forms.
AO: On Starlit Shores is such a beautiful, haunting story. What has the response been like to it from reader reactions? What has been some of your favourite feedback on it to date?
GLENDINING: Thank you so much! It’s been really moving and reassuring. People seem to really like Alex and Grim’s relationship, and that their friendship feels real, which is lovely as I had so much fun writing them! I’ve also had several people say they connected with the story during their own grief process and dealing with the loss of a loved one which has made my heart so warm and I’m so glad people were able to find comfort while reading.
AO: Have you any plans to revisit the world of On Starlit Shores in the future?
GLENDINING: I’m not actively working on anything in the On Starlit Shores world at the moment but I’ve got stories about Emmanuel I wouldn’t mind visiting in the future. Emmanuel is a pretty big character in Indigo Harbour who knows everyone and everything, so there’s plenty more to share about him and the secrets of the town.
Bex’s colours on Rye Hickman’s art in DC’s Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story, written by Nicole Maines
AO: Your use of colour in the book is a key component in enhancing mood, atmosphere and theme…
GLENDINING: Thank you!
AO:…Can you talk a little about how you use colour as an integral storytelling tool in your work?
GLENDINING:: Most of On Starlit Shores is cast in blues/purples with small hints of warm colours which creates a strong base for swatches of light to hit across characters and backgrounds leading the eye. I use this to help set the mood but also to show Alex’s emotional state, there’s often less light, darker tones when Alex is struggling more, whereas the tones get a bit warmer or there’s more light when she’s doing better.
From Bex’s Forgotten Oceans comic
In contrast, Emmanuel is almost always surrounded by warmer tones, he’s kind of a beacon of positivity, a very warm and welcoming person. This also shows up in flashbacks, where Alex’s flashbacks are grey-blue tinted muffled by grief and fuzzy memories, whereas Emmanuals are pinkish-grey, clearer and brighter. Grim is similar to Emmanual in that the lighter/brighter colours are often on him in scenes with Alex, but he’s still in grief/sadness with her.
AO: Moving onto your creative process, what mediums do you work in to bring your stories to life?
GLENDINING: I pretty much work exclusively digitally for comic work. While I would consider myself an artist first before a writer, I find it a lot easier to have an overview and script written up before doing much more than some character concepts. Then I usually go straight to inks after doing some rough thumbnails to get the layout and bubble placement down.
AO: And, finally, what else are you currently working on and what can we expect from you in the future?
GLENDINING: I’m in the early stages of my second graphic novel pitch which is a queer, YA horror set in a museum! I’m also working on a couple of short comics for Thought Bubble, one featuring my vampire OCs Theo and Evelyn.
Non-comic related I’m attempting to write an adult contemporary novel.
Visit Bex Glendining’s website here
Interview by Andy Oliver
