If there is anything that can bring hope during turbulent socio-political moments like what we are currently experiencing, it is art and storytelling. In a world where those in power will do everything to make us feel powerless and push us to stay small, messages that remind us of the strength we have are more vital than ever.
A perfect healing balm that is helping us refocus on the power we all have within us right now, is the highly anticipated original graphic novel, The Girl Who Draws on Whales, written and illustrated by Ariela Kristantina, arriving digitally on September 23, 2025, from Comixology Originals (Amazon’s exclusive digital content line) and in print from Dark Horse Books on March 31, 2026.
In The Girl Who Draws on Whales, Kristantina takes readers on a powerful and atmospheric journey through a lush island environment inspired by her homeland of Indonesia. With soft and inspiring colors by Sarah Stern, letters by Bernardo Brice, and edits by Will Dennis, The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a captivating and visually stunning story of exploration and discovery. This epic YA adventure marks the first-ever graphic novel that Kristantina has both written and illustrated.
Blending Southeast Asian folklore with themes of colonization and the unshakable power of art and storytelling, The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a coming-of-age story about resistance, siblinghood, and believing in your voice—even when no one else does.
“This story is about trust. About believing in yourself. About what happens when no one else does, except the one person who always will,” said Ariela Kristantina in a press statement.
Siblings Wangi and her younger brother Banyu live in a sea-village in a post-apocalyptic world, centuries after The Great Flood changed the face of the world. Wangi shares a mysterious bond with the whales that visit their waters and they allow her to draw on their backs. One day a whale arrives alone, wounded and adorned with strange new markings that seem to carry messages from other lost settlements. Wangi believes it’s a call for help. No one listens—except Banyu.
Motivated by this mystery, Wangi vows to investigate. Although forbidden by their parents and the village elders, Wangi and Banyu embark on a wondrous sea journey into the unknown, only to stumble into a much larger fight: one that pits ancient sea magic against a volcanic empire fueled by war, greed, and conquest. Together, they must fight to save their home in The New World.
The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a testimony to the power of stories—their uncanny ability to entertain, educate and, ultimately, unite us. Ariela shared how creating The Girl Who Draws on Whales was a deeply personal experience for her.
“Living in the island nation of Indonesia, surrounded by the beauty and mystery of the sea, I drew inspiration from the rich landscapes and diverse cultures of our islands. Through Wangi and Banyu’s story, I wanted to capture the bravery it takes to defy expectations and the strength found in siblinghood,” she said.
We had the chance to dive a little deeper into the art, storytelling and themes in The Girl Who Draws on Whales in an interview with the writer/artist ahead of her digital release. Scroll below to be inspired and empowered!
Where did the original inspiration for ‘The Girl Who Draws on Whales’ come from?
It all started with this little sketch I did after another project —a little girl and a whale floating together in the ocean [see below]. That image stuck with me for some time until I finally decided to expand it into a full story, though the original drawing was sold long ago.
I’ve always had a soft spot for animals—whales in particular—they’re incredible creatures. I wanted the girl and the whales to bond in a certain way: what if the whale wasn’t just a means of transportation, but also a friend? A guardian? A co-storyteller? From there, it naturally branched out to several other elements found in the story.
How much of your Indonesian heritage and upbringing did you draw from for this project?
I didn’t set out thinking, “I’m going to make this story look Indonesian or Southeast Asian.” It’s more that my heritage and upbringing naturally seep into everything I do—it’s just part of who I am. I grew up on Indonesian folklore and wayang comics my parents bought me, and those stories always stayed with me. At the end of the day, I draw what I want to see in a comic book, and for me, that means telling stories and drawing things that don’t feel too unfamiliar to my own roots, instead of just another all-out Western-style dystopia.
🌊🐋 Every story begins somewhere.
— Comixology (@Comixology) September 12, 2025
Years ago, @ARIELAkris drew this image and sold it—but it never left her. That spark grew into her first graphic novel as both writer and artist: The Girl Who Draws on Whales.
Available digitally from Comixology Originals Sept 23, 2025. pic.twitter.com/8McoKZeUth
Can you tell us a bit about the theme of colonization, and why it was important for you to weave this into the story?
The funny thing is, I didn’t think it was “important” to weave colonization into the story—it wasn’t something I set out to teach. But in Indonesia, and Southeast Asia in general, colonization is unavoidable. It’s not something you consciously add when it’s something you live in. We still carry the trauma and long-term effects.
The Portuguese (the early-mid 16th century), Dutch (the late 16th century), British (briefly around the early 19th century), Japanese (1942-1945) were involved in our past. The Dutch left in 1942 and the Japanese in 1945—that’s not ancient history.
My own father was born just a few years after the Japanese left. And even now, it’s not like colonization ever really stopped. It just shifted forms. It’s still happening in other parts of the world, whether we choose to call it that or not.
How do you use art and storytelling as a way to capture people’s emotions and thoughts to help them draw parallels with what is happening in the world?
I don’t sit down thinking, ‘okay, today I’m going to tackle colonization in 100 pages.’ I just build the world and tell the story that excites me, and the parallels show up on their own. Readers are smart—they’ll spot them; I can’t control what readers *want* to see in my story either. My job is to make the art and story strong enough that they feel something. If someone connects with Wangi’s frustration, her hope, her fight, then maybe they’ll start drawing their own parallels to their lives or even to bigger issues in the world—without me ever having to spell it out.
The themes of climate change and animal protections are also very prominent in the story. What message do you hope readers will understand after reading ‘The Girl Who Draws on Whales’?
I live in Indonesia, which is made up of more than 17,000-ish islands. When you grow up surrounded by the ocean, you don’t really have the luxury of ignoring it. Rising sea levels aren’t some distant warning—they’re very real, and we’ll probably be among the first to feel the full impact. So, I have to care.
And it’s not just whales. Climate change—forest fires, floods, unpredictable changing seasons, algae bloom, rising temperatures—is quietly wiping out species before most people even realize what’s happening. Animals disappear silently, and it barely makes the news until it’s too late.
With this story, I wanted readers to feel a little of that urgency–even when it’s not front and center. To be entertained, yes, but also to carry away this awareness: how we treat the ocean and the creatures we share the planet with matters. It’s bigger than us and it’s also our responsibility.
Whales are such incredible and magical creatures. What is it about them that fascinates us so much?
Their intelligence and the way they care for each other fascinate me the most. They grieve, they protect, they communicate across oceans. Whales are ancient and mysterious—almost mythical—but they’re very real, and they’ve been here far longer than us. It’s heartbreaking to think we might be the reason they won’t be here much longer. There’s still so much we don’t understand about them, yet instead of learning, we nearly hunted them to extinction.
And it’s not just whaling. Globally, 346 facilities across 56 countries still hold whales and dolphins captive—15 species in total (based on uk.whales.org). I think we really need to be more concerned about how we treat these creatures, both in the wild and in captivity.
In a world where there is so much violence and division, how do you hope ‘The Girl Who Draws on Whales’ will inspire unity, joy, and empowerment in all of us?
I see myself first as an entertainer—I want readers to escape into this world and feel swept up in the adventure, even if just temporarily. But I also know violence and division touch everyone, especially children. In The Girl Who Draws on Whales, you see how they are often caught in cycles of violence, hatred and resentment passed down from older generations. That’s real life too.
My hope is that readers—especially parents and adults—recognize that cycle and actively choose to be better. And for young readers, I want them to feel empowered: to see that their voices, their creativity, their bonds with each other matter. Even in dark times, joy and unity can be an act of resistance.
You can pre-order a copy of ‘The Girl Who Draws on Whales’, and follow Ariela Kristantina on Instagram to see more of her work!
