A map can guide a reader through a novel and help them keep track of all the key locations of the story. The most beautiful and beloved go on to adorn fans’ walls, notebooks and t-shirts. When my friend, author Redfern Jon Barrett, commissioned me to create a map for their novel Proud Pink Sky I was delighted to accept.
Proud Pink Sky is set in an alternate history in which Berlin becomes the world’s first gay state. The various neighbourhoods take on distinct cultures and I illustrated each name to demonstrate that personality. For example, Delos, Diesel and Flora are lesbian neighbourhoods connected by permeable, dotted borders. You can tell, not just from Redfern’s excellent choice of names, but also from the style which area is populated by butch factory workers and which is home to hyper-feminine lipstick lesbians. My personal favourite is Twinkstadt which was inspired by the neon signage of the area’s many bars and nightclubs.
“I wasn’t entirely certain what I was looking for when I commissioned the map for my novel Proud Pink Sky. Yet Lindsey’s grasp of the brief was impressive, wrangling broad ideas into a coherent work of art that I’m immensely proud of as an introduction to the book. Lively yet precise, her work showcases an intricacy and detail that exceeded all my expectations. I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
Redfern Jon Barrett
Comic Commission
At the peak of my season of producing autistic diary comics on Instagram, journalist Lydia Wilkins commissioned me to produce a comic for her Substack newsletter. She asked for a comic that illustrated some aspect of life that autistic people have difficulty with, as a few panels can explain a concept as clearly as a whole essay or lecture. I was delighted to work with her.
