THOUGHT BUBBLE MONTH 2026! “We will haunt you and drink all your blood if you ever think of throwing any part of this into an AI’s hellhole.” That’s a statement from the indicia of Carmineclaire and KitsuneArt’s zine Carmilla through Time. It has little to do with the rest of this review but I liked it so much I decided to quote it at the top of this piece.
Anyway, back to the title in question, an appreciation of Sheridan Le Fanu’s 1872 Gothic novella, the sapphic vampire story that preceded Stoker’s Dracula by well over two decades. Carmilla through Time is, first of all, more illustrated prose than comics, although a couple of pages are presented either as sequential art or as tableaux employing the tools of the form.
Both creators provide visual interpretations of portions of the book next to a page of Le Fanu’s original writing. As the title suggests it’s a venture that gives the artists an opportunity to depict their subject through different historical periods. As a zine it has a twofold purpose. For those new to the source material it’s an intriguing invitation to investigate further. For aficionados it’s a chance to see favourite sequences interpreted visually.
And the art is indeed gorgeously realised, with a colour scheme that echoes the motifs of the book. Shadowy black and white overlaid with blood-like red hues. Backing this up is an enlightening conversational text piece between the two that sheds more light on the origins of the project and its subject matter. Carmilla through Time is both an introduction to and a revisitation of a neglected piece of literature, brought to life with obvious love and appreciation of its source.
KitsuneArt/Carmineclaire • Self-published, £10.00
Review by Andy Oliver
KitsuneArt is at Table A2a in the Bubbleboy Hall at Thought Bubble.
Thought Bubble 2026 runs from November 9th-15th with the convention weekend taking place on the 14th-15th. More details on the Thought Bubble site here.
Read all our Thought Bubble 2026 coverage so far in one place here.
Poster art by Núria Tamarit
