Talking Oni Press’ ‘Goat Magic’ With Kate Wheeler

by Rachel Bellwoar

Alya is a member of the royal family and next in line for the throne. Trill is a goat herder who’s finally convinced her mom to let her go to the market by herself. When their paths cross, Trill and Alya change each other’s lives for good in Kate Wheeler’s Goat Magic. For more on their unlikely friendship, check out this interview with Wheeler below:

Rachel Bellwoar: In the Acknowledgements section you talk about how, growing up, you would always check out fantasy books from the library. How does Goat Magic fit in with the books you would’ve read and gravitated towards as a kid?

Kate Wheeler: Goat Magic is absolutely a love letter to those books! Tamora Pierce is a clear influence: when imagining my two female protagonists, Trill and Alya, I was very inspired by the way she wrote women and girls with agency, magic, and flaws. I will say that though the fantasy genre was well represented (Tamora Pierce, Phillip Pullman, Robin McKinley and Brian Jacques were all favorites) graphic novels and comics were few and far between, sitting on two little shelves in my local library. It was there that I discovered Bone, by Jeff Smith. His style and sense of humor is amazing, but even more important to me was that he seemed to take his young readers seriously. I think Goat Magic also wrestles with big ideas like inequality and corrupt power systems that I think kids are ready for.

Bellwoar: Where did the idea of goat magic come from? It’s so specific. Did you ever consider another type of magic or animal for Trill to bond with?

Wheeler: I’ve always loved goats: they have a really infectious sense of mischief and humor. They have big personalities! I did often consider other animals, particularly when I realized that goats are really, really challenging to draw. (Like, what are their legs doing?!) But the idea for the book started with the question: What if a princess was turned into a goat? And I had to follow that thread wherever it led me.

Bellwoar: I love the fact that the tools Trill uses to cast spells and make charms are regular household items, like rope and bells. Was that the point – to make them items readers would already have onhand?

Wheeler: It was a really conscious decision to make Trill’s understanding of magic physical rather than intellectual, just like her character. That’s not to say she’s not intelligent, but the way she learns and interacts with the world is very hands-on and intuitive. This is a big difference from the way they’re teaching magic in the universities: with books and memorized spells.

Bellwoar: While Trill is able to communicate with her herd, it’s not because she can speak goat or they speak English. Did you enjoy the chance to zone in on body language over verbal communication?

Wheeler: I visited a few goat farms over the course of drawing the book to study how they moved and interacted with one another. Goats are so physical and playful! The herd’s relationship with Trill was so easy and fun to draw. It was also a rewarding character arc for Alya; to see her start the book questioning herself and then over the course of the story, begin to embody the more goaty, confident aspects of her personality.

Bellwoar: Princess Alya’s hairstyle could give Princess Leia’s buns a run for their money. How did that look come about?

Wheeler: Honestly, it was the very first doodle I made when I was sitting at my desk, thinking about what this story would look like. Originally it was Trill’s hairstyle, but as I got to know the two of them it made sense it would be a style for royalty. Not very practical for a goat herder! (It’s super fun to draw, that’s the real reason it’s in there.)

Bellwoar: Amongst the dangers Trill and Alya encounter in this book, the cliff dogs might be the most scary. What was it like getting to create a monster from scratch?

Wheeler: Aw, I always feel a little bad for the cliff dogs! They’re not monsters, they’re animals in the wild: The goats just happen to stumble onto their turf. But they are scary by design: I knew I wanted them to resemble bats, but have the ability to stalk the cliffs, pulling down unsuspecting prey with their hooked paws. It’s really a cougar/bat hybrid. I wouldn’t want to meet one in the dark!