Cassandra Calin, best known for her semi-autobiographical web-comic series Cassandra Comics, made her graphic novel debut in June 2024 with The New Girl. Published by Scholastic imprint Graphix, the title returned to the bestsellers list this year. It follows Lia, who has immigrated to Montreal from Romania along with her family, as she navigates her new home, a new language, and her changing body. Thus far, The New Girl has been on the list for 38 weeks.  

Calin spoke with Q&Q about her inspirations, her dream of creating a graphic novel, and why she thinks The New Girl resonates with readers. 

What sparked your interest in illustration?
I’ve loved drawing since I was very young. But what really got me interested in illustration was my favourite graphic novel series growing up, W.I.T.C.H. (I also reference it in The New Girl with Lia’s favourite graphic novel series Spell.) It’s a story about five teenage girls with magical powers who have to save the world, but also deal with day-to-day problems – school, relationships. A new episode was published every month, and I’ve collected all of them. I loved immersing myself in the story, analyzing every visual and noticing the characters’ unique personalities, their design, their fashion, etc. I would spend so many hours flipping through the books, drawing the girls in my sketchbooks, trying to guess what would happen in the next episode. Reading the series is what got me excited about graphic novels and what made me aspire to create something like that in the future.

Who or what has been a major influence on your illustrating style?
W.I.T.C.H. has been a big influence, probably the biggest!

One of my favourite cartoons growing up was Totally Spies. I was a big fan of the character designs and how the creators didn’t shy away from giving them exaggerated facial expressions to add more humour. It was a great blend of a beautiful art style with a touch of silliness and lightheartedness.

Another influence I need to mention is Tim Burton, and you can especially notice that in my black-and-white comics. I’ve always been fascinated by his unique characters and their big round eyes that convey emotion so vividly. His characters have so much personality.

As an author/illustrator, what comes first, the story or the art?
Definitely the story. It’s the foundation, it’s what sets the tone and adds meaning to the art. The story is the message, the art communicates the message. Both are important and complement each other, but they generally come in that order.

You are best known for your semi-autobiographical web-comic series, Cassandra Comics. Did you know from the outset that you wanted to move into full-length novels?
Yes! Creating a graphic novel has been a lifelong dream. I started making comics from a very young age. I’ve always loved telling stories, with my favourite genre being slice-of-life mixed with comedy. Cassandra Comics is exactly that. I describe it as my visual diary, my journal entries that I share with people in a shorter form. But even when I started the series, I knew that eventually I wanted to write stories longer than just four panels. Both are fun and challenging in their own ways, and I love that.

The New Girl is inspired by your own experiences as an immigrant, and recalling such a journey can be emotionally taxing. How did you work with the emotions that came to the surface during the process?
I generally work with my emotions when I create art, so I tried to simply embrace whichever feeling came to the surface. For emotional scenes, such as saying goodbye to my grandparents at the airport in the first chapter, I would try to capture how I was feeling as honestly as possible. If I needed to step back, I would simply take a break and come back to the page later. But I recognized that every emotion I felt was normal, and I tried to work with it rather than against it.

Generally speaking, however, my emotions were positive. This is an experience I look back at with joy. My life would’ve been completely different had we never immigrated to Canada, the country I now consider my home. Everything that happened has shaped me into the person I am today. I feel gratitude, especially towards my parents; even though the journey came with certain obstacles, it was all worth it.

The New Girl has been on the bestsellers list for 38 weeks. What does that feel like?
I’m amazed! I’m feeling so many emotions at once. I worked on The New Girl for more than four years. I’ve poured so much love into it and, with the help of my wonderful editor, Megan, I was able to tell a story that’s important to me. I’m proud of this book, and I believed it would be received well. However, I DID NOT expect it to be on a bestsellers list, and for so many weeks since its release. What a journey and what an achievement to celebrate!

Why do you think readers connect so deeply with The New Girl?
I think it’s because a lot of readers have been “the new kid” at some point in their lives. It’s easy to relate to that feeling, to understand what it’s like to go through a big change and having to adapt. Plus, all the themes in this book, including Lia’s struggle with uncomfortable periods, are part of daily life for many people. So the natural reaction would be, “This is me! I understand, and I feel seen!” And with that, you connect to the story and the characters a lot more.

Will there be another chapter to Lia’s story in the future?
Yes! Lia’s story will continue. And it will be filled with fun, drama, and challenges to overcome.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

Photo Credit: Cassandra Calin.