Chelsea cartoonist Meggie Ramm has built a growing audience with Batcat, a graphic novel series that blends humor, heart and a slightly spooky world. The books have connected with readers across a wide age range, from first-time readers to kids into middle school.
“The great thing about comics is they are accessible to a lot of readers,” Ramm said. “You look cool carrying a comic around.”
Ramm did not always expect to build a career in comics. They attended the University of Michigan planning to study science before a comics class changed their direction. They later earned a master’s degree in comics from California College of the Arts and spent time in California pitching ideas while teaching kids to make comics.
Batcat began to take shape in 2020. Ramm said they were teaching comics at the time and created the character while looking for a new project of their own. They placed Batcat on “Spooky Island” because they love drawing skeletons, and the concept eventually grew into a book series. Abrams picked it up and contracted four books.
For Ramm, the story is also personal.
They said the first Batcat book grows out of the feeling of not fitting neatly into one category, of being “not bat enough, not cat enough.” Ramm, who is nonbinary, said they created a nonbinary main character in part because they wanted to see that reflected on the page. In Batcat’s world, they added, nobody asks about pronouns because it reflects an ideal world of their own.
Each Batcat story starts with a childhood feeling, Ramm said. The second book is about fear of water. The third centers on wanting something badly. The fourth, they said, deals more with grief after Ramm lost their father as a child.
“And there’s frogs,” Ramm said.
Ramm said hearing from young readers has been one of the most meaningful parts of publishing the series. They described getting piles of letters from kids who connected with Batcat and their world.
Ramm also works full time at Ten Speed Graphic, a Penguin Random House imprint, helping prepare comics for publication. Their own creative work often happens before and after the regular workday.
“If I’m not at my job making comics for other people, I’m at home making comics,” Ramm said.
The work behind each book is extensive. Ramm said a project usually begins with about two months of script writing, followed by months of sketching and inking. A Batcat book typically takes around nine months to complete and runs about 80 to 100 pages.
Readers will have several chances to meet Ramm in the coming weeks. Upcoming appearances include an April 13 workshop at Chelsea District Library, an April 28 release event in Lansing, an April 29 signing at Vault of Midnight and a May 2 signing in Royal Oak. Ramm said readers can also find their books through Chelsea District Library and local bookstores.
Featured image: Chelsea cartoonist Meggie Ramm with their latest Batcat book. Photo by Heather Finch
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