Comics Alternative Interviews: Carol Tyler

Last week at Small Press Expo, Derek had the opportunity to sit down with Carol Tyler for a one-on-one interview. Her book from last year, Soldier's Heart: The Campaign to Understand My WWII Veteran Father: A Daughter's Memoir (Fantagraphics) was up for a 2016 Ignatz Award in the "Outstanding Graphic Novel" category. Derek talked with Carol about the book's nomination and about the impact her memoir has had on her own life since its publication. They spend a good deal of time talking about the current state of veteran's affairs, the debilitating effects of PTSD, and how Soldier's Heart both has and hasn't resonated within the veteran's community. Carol also discusses the current projects she has underway, including a follow up (sort of) to her father's story and a project documenting the days leading up to her attending The Beatles concert at Comiskey Park in August 1965. As she tells Derek, in that work she'll be channelling her inner 13-year-old-girl self. This is a moving and, at times, a deeply personal interview, one that reflects the sheer impact of Carol Tyler's writing.