Artist, Feral Wife, And Toddler Momster Bridgit Connell Talks ‘Lady Baltimore: The Daughters Of Medusa’

Welcome to the table,

It’s not secret I love the worlds that Mike Mignola creates. His creative partners include visionaries and dreamers who are all so wildly talented. Each adds their own unique touch to the ever-sprawling landscapes of his lore-rich realities. Each issue of each series is something I look forward to with great anticipation. When I was offered the opportunity to sit down with artist Bridgit Connell and talk about the upcoming Lady Baltimore: The Daughters of Medusa, I was double-delighted!

You can check out the interview below!

Anton: Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today. Before we dive into this upcoming chapter in the ever expanding story of Lady Baltimore, can you please tell our readers a little bit about yourself?

Bridgit Connell: Absolutely, Anton – thanks so much for reaching out! I’m a comic book artist, feral wife, and toddler momster out of Concord, North Carolina. I like spending time with my family, drawing spooky shit, and talking my rottweiler/shepherd into keeping me company while I draw in my studio.

Anton: Now, this new chapter in Lady Baltimore’s adventures takes Sofia and her team to Paris to face the fabled gorgon. What excited you most about bringing this iconic mythological monster to life on the page?

Bridgit: I like what Medusa has become a symbol of over time – she represents a sort of safe space for women. You’ll see historical context of this in the pages of the story as well. Medusa was originally cursed by Athena after a terrible encounter with Poseidon.

Whether the story has evolved or if it has been researched to mean something different I’m unsure, but some versions of her story say that Athena actually blessed Medusa with the monstrous form of the gorgon in order to protect her from men. That type of lore paired with such power in the aspects of the gorgon is so intriguing. It was a fun, classic concept of a monster that I have always loved, and I had the absolute joy of tackling it in this two-parter.

Anton: Christopher Golden has mentioned that your artwork balances both beauty and horror, sometimes in the same panel. How do you approach that balance when designing the supernatural elements of these action packed stories?

Bridgit: That’s really nice of him! I think Chris’ writing makes way for those quiet moments between characters. There are still some epic scenes of battles and fights, and he writes action to pull you in from the very first panel on the very first page, but Chris is so good at writing relationships, romance, and dynamic storylines to characters.

I think that’s why I enjoy working with Chris so much, is those emotions and relationships … character acting is truly one of my favorite things to draw. To choose the exact moment in conversation through character expression is why I chose sequential art as my craft. Chris writes mood with such clarity, it’s a real treat to work with him.

Anton: You’ve worked on Lady Baltimore before, with The Witch Queens arc and The Dreams of Ikelos one-shot. I’m such a fan of how you bring motion to the page with magic, blood, and blade effects that seem to draw the eye from panel to panel in an almost supernatural way. Were there any new artistic triumphs or challenges you came across as you were working on The Daughters of Medusa?

Bridgit: That is so kind of you and such amazing praise, thank you so much.

In terms of artistic triumphs, there are so many action scenes that showcase the talents of Sofia’s crew in this book – and, speaking of scenes, the locations were really incredible in these issues. Like I said previously, one of my favorite things to draw is character development through emotion, but on the other hand, seeing a character fight and the decisions they make defending their friends in battle or leading the charge is also character building as well.

As for challenges, I think a gorgon with dozens of snakes on her head is a challenge to draw just because of the dialogue that has to take place and any action the gorgon does… well, she has a ton of snakes on her head! I didn’t want them to be stagnant either, I wanted them to move in solidarity but not complete unison. Like they aren’t all mind-controlled. So I wanted some of them to be slithering stealthily or reacting aggressively in different times but also supporting the creature whose head they’re on at the same time, if that makes any sense.

The more I fleshed out the creature though, the more they added to her personality, which was super fun to play around with. So long story short, a lot of over-thinking. But I think ultimately it paid off.

Anton: I have heard that this is one of your favorite monster scripts to date. Can you give us a little insight into what to expect from the story as we all jump in? Is there anything we should keep an eye out for?

Bridgit: I love Jo and this story has a strong story thread about her – so keep your eyes peeled. I don’t want to spoil much but I will say, the way her story is written tangled with the adventure they’re on is one of the most beautiful and smart things I’ve read. Maybe I was just impressed by the way Chris sent me the script – he asked me what I wanted to draw, I said gorgons, and he turned the script around almost instantly. I was astonished the depth of her story, there is such heartache and meaning there that I was so happy to figure out in the panels.

Anton: The Outerverse is such a fun, strange landscape. I have two framed Baltimore pieces in my office, the Joe Golem and Baltimore books on my shelf, and a deep love for the strange world of witches and wandering warriors that inhabit the place between the pages. As one of the architects of the visual landscape of the Lady Baltimore stories and in turn a major part of this universe, are there any particular characters or creatures you hope to explore in the future? 

Bridgit: That’s a great question. I’m already getting to draw the ghost of Baltimore himself which is a real treat. The Wolf and the Apostle was my favorite arc in the original Baltimore, so I would’ve loved to draw Judge Duvic but I don’t think it’s in the cards anytime soon, since he’s dead. I thought he was such a twisted but well developed villain, truly insane with what power he lords over others, but then his crazed nature just gets amplified with the curse he receives in the books.

There are so many covens of witches that Chris and Mike have allowed me to create that I would just love to deep dive into some more. There’s more lore there under the surface and I’m curious how much we’re going to bring up.

I am currently working on another three-parter that answers this question but I have to – giddily – keep it to myself. Just know that some of the answers I would have given for this question are coming up in the next arc.

Anton: As we are wrapping up I wanted to thank you again for taking the time to speak with me. Your work is an integral part of this universe and I thank you for it. Where can our readers keep up with all you have going on across the digital landscapes? 

Bridgit: Thank you again, sincerely. It was a pleasure! They can find me on Bluesky, Instagram, and Twitch as @bridgitconnell, and at my website bridgitconnell.com. I also am going to be at Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC as well!