* The Shenk as The Book of Murmurs is being released by Fantagraphics in Winter 2026 *
The Girl has just moved to a new town with her mother and father. She lies on her bed, head swimming with the anxiety of starting a new school in the morning. In an attempt to soothe her, the Girl’s mother digs an old, beloved poetry book out from a stack of unpacked boxes but is called away before she can read to her daughter. There in the lamplight, on the edge of sleep, the Girl recites an old nursery rhyme about a monster.
And then the trouble starts…
The Shenk: Oja, Catwitch, The Girl, The Goblin, Heron and a Librarian
The Shenk is a story of displacement, lost and stolen power and the search for home, whatever that means. It began as a web comic in 2018, the characters having come to me while walking the West Highland Way the year before. In 2021 I was awarded the Individuals Grant by Creative Scotland to adapt it into a graphic novel and this enabled me to shape the lengthy, ink scraps into the first pencilled draft. It was another few years before I could return to the many worlds, but then in 2024 I decided to make the time to write, draw and colour a chapter a month. The main 6 parts are watercolour and pencil colours, while the folktales saw the demise of several 4B graphite pencils worn down to the nub. I released these chapters as monthly comics which helped to fund the completion of the book while garnering a small but dedicated following along the way.
A few complete collections of the original comics remains, which you can buy here or by clicking on any of the images below.
