“Rated R for Boobs, Blood, Bullies, Body Horror, and Bad Language.”

That’s the warning label on Maggie Vicknair’s (’21) webcomic, ‘Horror Hospital School.’ Maggie has been working on the story since 2019. It was originally a Risograph publication, but was moved online quickly where Maggie could develop the story.

The webcomic follows Stella King, a student of the St. Argento’s School for Unwell Girls. Stella’s horrific adventures make graduating an unlikely conclusion to her stint there. With a mix of humor, compelling characters, horror, and crystal-clear storytelling, Maggie just wrapped up the seventh issue with an eye-opening (and bloody) cliff hanger. Be sure to check it out, but be warned! Maggie explores horror tropes and unsettling situations.

Maggie’s prolific output is not surprising. Her work as a student at MFAVN included thoughtful and page-turning work like the Digital Short Story, ‘The Last Child of Hamelin’ – an ode to the Pied Piper fable. Then, with Dylan Meconis as a mentor, Maggie delivered a fantastic thesis story titled ‘Tommy Lin: A Motorcycle Fairy Tale.’

My thesis story is a comic adaptation of the folk tale Tam Lin, but instead of being set in medieval Scotland, my version is set in America and has a motorcycle chase! The main character of my story is Gretchen, a teenage girl who is on the outs with her BFF Janet, ever since Janet started dating the no-good Tommy.  Unfortunately, Tommy is mixed up with an evil, supernatural, motorcycle gang, and Gretchen is the only one able to save him, so she’ll have to put aside her jealousy towards Tommy for the sake of her friend’s happiness.