An Interview with Nadine Takvorian

I always meant for it to be a graphic novel that would shed light on a hidden history still denied by the Turkish government today.

Nadine Takvorian began her artistic life as an illustrator, and evolved into comic-making later. And, we are lucky she did, because her debut graphic memoir, Armaveni, is a lyrical and significant book exploring the events of the Armenian genocide and her family’s place in the devastating event. Recently released in March, the book is already garnering stellar reviews, and Nadine is appearing at a number of events in April and May.

We were able to hear about Nadine’s background in art, and her thought process behind the making of Armaveni, among other topics, which we share with you below.

Describe your comics journey. How did you get into making comics?

I’ve always loved comics but I only started making them myself in the last fifteen years or so. My background is actually in illustration and I did a lot of work in the educational market. Even so, I always considered myself a storyteller first and that naturally led to writing my own material. My first comics work was creating art for an adaptation of Beowulf that was part of a leveled reader series for reluctant readers in school. Some time after that an art director asked if I might have any graphic novel ideas up my sleeve and that was my sign to start making my own stories.

How did you develop your voice/unique style?

My illustration background really informs my work. But I also had to “unlearn” some things to make comics. I strongly believe style is dependent based on the needs of a story, so it’s very malleable. I studied under Barron Storey in art school and he was a tremendous influence for me, both as an illustrator and a comics artist. A lot of what people call style is just leaning into your personal way of drawing things, how you interpret what you see. Experimentation and play are key to not getting stuck in a rut and getting bored. Besides that, I really love studying comics of other artists I admire and learn from their way of seeing the world.

What were some of the joys/challenges of making nonfiction comics?

I absolutely love research! It’s one of the best parts of starting a project like this. I love immersing myself in a certain historical place and time period and learning all about how people dressed and ate, and all about their culture. One challenge is falling down the rabbit hole of research and getting stuck there. At some point you need to listen to that little voice in you that says, “Start the project now.” You need to stop researching and get busy creating, and it can be uncomfortable taking that first step. One specific challenge for this particular book was finding reference for Ottoman home interiors and how they were furnished during 1915, since I knew I’d need to set some scenes inside these homes. I had to put together different elements and infer what the interiors looked like based on different museum sources and photographs.

From Armaveni

Can you tell us a little bit about Armaveni?

This is a real passion project. It’s the book I always hoped to make since I was in college over 25 years ago. The story is based on experiences I had as a teen wanting to learn more about my culture and family history, and it also goes into the true story of what my family experienced during the Armenian genocide in 1915. I always meant for it to be a graphic novel that would shed light on a hidden history still denied by the Turkish government today. And it was also very important for me to bridge that history to contemporary times and show why this history is still deeply important today.

From Armaveni

A lot of people learn “history” before they learn their history. How did you want the book to hold the tension between official narratives and intimate family memory?

My family’s history veers from some the historical accounts of forced marches and starvation. I was surprised to learn some of my family’s survival experiences were so different as they escaped extermination. I wanted to show how those forced marches took place, however, even though some of my own family managed to escape them. And then, through my research, I discovered eye-witness accounts that further verified the stories family members shared with us. I wonder how many other different survival stories there are hidden away within Armenian family homes and hearts. These stories help explain how Armenians kept our language and culture alive against all odds.

You’ve weaving multiple strands – contemporary life, historical experience, and fantastical sequences. What did the comics form let you do that prose wouldn’t?

This is probably one of my favorite questions and it’s why I love comics so much for memoir, and documentary-style stories. I think the combination of both words and images makes for a particularly powerful and immersive experience that heightens the emotional resonance for a reader. Comics asks the reader to bear witness to the events portrayed in the story. The very nature of storytelling works as an immersive experience already, whether its prose, oral narration, a movie, or comics. But I think the way comics merges both words and still images amplifies the experience of connecting with the story in a particularly powerful way. I think there are several complex pieces at play here, like Scott McCloud’s notion of “amplification through simplification.” I can play with time and space with the use of panels, spreads, and page turns. I can make certain color, stylistic, and compositional choices that help amplify what I’d like the reader to feel. Every detail was considered in the process of making this graphic novel.

What’s one storytelling or drawing craft decision you’re proud of that most readers might not notice?

There are a few Easter Eggs in my book for Armenian readers to discover but one of my favorites is a bit obscure. Back in October of 2024 I was completely surprised to receive an invitation to visit Oxford University (yes, THE Oxford!) to participate in a workshop about history and storytelling. I traveled there in December 2024, and I had a chance to discuss my graphic novel with the Armenian student group there. Just a couple months after that, my editor and art director decided we needed to use some kind of visual device to cue readers for when we went back in time in the story, to the Ottoman Empire. (The story jumps between contemporary times and historical times.). I remembered that while I was in Oxford, I got to view some Armenian illuminated manuscripts in the Bodleian Library collection. A real treat!

Illuminated manuscripts are overflowing with beautiful, decorative designs, and I thought it would be amazing to try to incorporate that in some way into my book.

I tried a few different design variations, and ultimately we went with what you see now. The top and bottom borders are directly influenced by the lower border you see in the close-up of the manuscript.

So, I guess I can say Oxford University directly had an influence on this book. Every page that takes place in historical times uses this border as a visual cue for the reader that we are no longer in the present.

Anything you want your readers to know about?

I have a few launch events planned:

• I’ll be at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena on Saturday, April 11.

• I’ll also be part of the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley, May 30-31.

• My website: https://www.nadinetakvorian.com

• People can sign up for my newsletter for updates: https://www.nadinetakvorian.com/newsletter

• My IG , TikTok, Bluesky and Threads: @nadinetakvorian

Nadine Takvorian is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s books and graphic novels. She is a first-generation Armenian-American with family roots in Istanbul, Turkey.

Nadine is passionate about exploring Armenian identity and history, and battling cultural erasure. She also nourishes a soft spot for fantasy and alternate worlds. She lives in the Bay Area where she digs holes in her garden and dreams of diving into waves at sea.

Armaveni is her debut YA graphic novel.