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Johanna Taylor is a freelance illustrator and comic artist from Salt Lake City. She has a BFA in Animation, and focused her studies in concept art, storyboarding, and sequential storytelling. She enjoys traveling, reading Victorian classic novels over tea, playing tabletop roleplaying games and feeding crows. She can be found online where she extolls the virtues of graphic novels in today's educational and cultural zeitgeist, or curled up with a good video game and her very spooky cat, Raven. The Ghostkeeper is Johanna's debut graphic novel. You can follow her on social media @Johannamation and see more of her work at Johannamation.com.
"An Indies Introduce Pick (Summer/Fall 2024)! ★""Taylor deftly navigates heavy themes. . .emphasizing the importance of rest and boundaries rather than unending sacrifice and offering a love letter to altruists. The dynamic artwork includes humorous touches and shows an atmospheric Victorian world inhabited by racially diverse people. Powerfully, tenderly, and empathetically examines death, grief, and the afterlife."" —Kirkus, starred review ★ “A delicate yet lively color palette and expressive emotions bring diversely drawn characters to life. . .This heartwarming, emotionally intelligent tale inspired by Oscar Wilde and his Canterville Ghost novella contains many seamlessly executed examples of healthy communication and relationship dynamics without sacrificing the compelling storyline. An absolute must-read.” —Booklist, starred review “This graphic novel has much to delight over: a Victorian-type setting, an adorable queer romance, ghosts, and plague doctor exorcists! Similar to TJ Klune’s Under the Whispering Door, the gentle story probes how grief can haunt us and how we must learn to let go. Readers will delight in the lovable characters and the beautiful illustrations. . .This ghostly fantasy has everything that fans of cozy, spooky books want in a story.” —School Library Journal ""Gentle, contemporary depictions of managing one’s own mental health and setting boundaries are woven throughout a warmly erudite graphic novel debut that’s rich with engaging lore. Taylor’s lush illustrations portray a visually diverse community that populates an imaginative world teeming with cozy bookshops, ghost cats, and glowing banshees, among other paranormal delights."" —Publishers Weekly “A must-read for fans of graphic novels and ghost stories alike. The Ghostkeeper is an evocative tale that weaves together the eerie presence of spirits with the poignant struggles of the living, creating a narrative that is both thrilling and deeply moving. With breathtaking artwork and a story that lingers long after the last page, this is a hauntingly beautiful testament to the power of memory and the enduring bond between the past and present.” —Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys and The Sunbearer Trials ""In the grand tradition of many classic ghost stories, this heartfelt tale is about being haunted by grief, the heavy pull of the past, and most importantly, finding the way to move forward."" —Ethan M. Aldridge, bestselling creator of Estranged"
