Pride Month 2026: Talking ‘Monsters In Love: A Pride Anthology’ With Writer Zoe Tunnell

Some things are better left a surprise, and the title of writer Zoe Tunnell, artist Tench, and letterer Aidtya Bidikar‘s story in Monster in Love is definitely one of them, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t plenty of other questions to ask Tunnell about her piece for the Pride anthology:

Rachel Bellwoar: I don’t want to give away the title of your story (and love the fact that it’s not revealed until the end), but to be vague about it, is this an instance where the title came first or did you land on it later?  

Zoe Tunnell: The latter, actually! The original title was “Goblin Mode”, which I was very proud of, but I was informed there was another project that was using it, and they didn’t want any confusion. Worked out, in the end. I love the new one and think it fits even better.

Bellwoar: How did you first get involved with this anthology, and does it take a while to get ideas or is it more about figuring out which is the best fit?

Tunnell: I was contacted by Greg Lockard from Tiny Onion! It was my first time working with them and I was incredibly excited to dive into things. As far as ideas, he gave me a handful of classic monsters that were already being used and said I could go nuts from there. I call myself a goblin all the time, so it was an easy jump to make from there, and things came together pretty quick!

Bellwoar: As an overthinker, Milly’s pre-date anxiety is very relatable. How was it tapping into that anxious energy?

Tunnell: Hold on, let me have a drink and take my daily anti-anxiety medication while I answer this. To be honest, it was incredibly easy to do. Both because of my own brain and the weight of first date jitters that everyone has had, I think. I’m of the opinion that if you aren’t at least a little nervous before the first date, you don’t care enough about it. So, Milly caring too much was a fun vibe to tap into.

Bellwoar: Have you ever worked with Tench before, and what was it like collaborating on the many outfits Milly goes through before deciding what to wear on the date?

Tunnell: I have known Tench for absolute ages, and we were going to work together on a pitch that, tragically, ended up not coming together due to their schedule. But Tench was the first, and last, name on my list of artists I wanted for the story, and I am so thrilled we got to work together. One of the absolute best in the biz at landing comedy beats and expression work.

Bellwoar: Do you find the restriction of having only a few pages to tell a story exciting, challenging, or a mix of both?

Tunnell: It’s always a mix! I’ve done quite a few anthology shorts, or other shorter stories, over the years now, and they really make you lock in and squeeze the most you possibly can out of every single panel and pick a single tone to focus on. When I decided I wanted this to be a classic rom-com but with supernatural critters, it all fell into place afterwards.

Bellwoar: Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Zoe!

Monsters in Love: A Pride Anthology goes on sale 10th June from Dark Horse Comics.