Panic!
Bi-panic under the pressure!
Panic! is a romantic-comedy graphic novel that follows Savannah, who gamifies dating to the point where it becomes unhealthy. Savannah’s love life is a disaster, until she accidentally wishes that dating could be as easy as a dating-sim game. Her wish comes true in the form of a UI that ‘helps’ her navigate dating scenarios. As the lines blur between simulation and sincerity, Savannah must decide whether she wants a perfect romance or a genuine one.
Why Panic?
Today, many young people treat dating like a game, especially with the rise of dating apps, AI boyfriends, and the popularity of dating sims. We have grown up online, building our sense of intimacy through screens, parasocial attachments, and games that promise affection at the tap of a button. Panic! tells a story about the modern search for love. Not the curated, swipe-right kind, but the messy, awkward, deeply human kind. Savannah’s story is my way of examining why people gamify dating, and why their coping mechanisms tend to lean towards digital solutions.
Questions for Abby Ryan
Q: Can you talk about the importance of New York City in your work?
A: Growing up, I moved around a lot. My dad is in the army, so I have lived in 9 different states over fifteen moves. When I was in middle school, I latched onto the idea of living somewhere for long enough that it could really be home. So, I moved back to New York City in 2018, and I never looked back. To this day, it’s the place I’ve lived the longest, so it was a no-brainer that Panic! would be set in my neighborhood.
A lot of my work has roots in New York. from poster projects for NYC events to comics about the Franklin Ave Shuttle and one-off illustrations of my friends’ pets, New York City is less of a location and more of a living, breathing character.
Q: Why did you decide to create the sample art using watercolor when you have a history of using the risograph to make prints and comics?
A: While I didn’t grow up making comics, I did grow up painting. When I started taking my work seriously, I latched onto watercolor as a medium. I dropped watercolor painting because I genuinely didn’t have the time to do both computer animation (my undergraduate degree) and watercolor illustration. It broke my soul a bit, and honestly, I’ve never been that good with computers, so after graduating, I went almost full analog.
It started with the risograph, my beloved. It’s a printmaking process that is very quick and is littered with imperfections, but that’s why I love it. Over time, I have done a lot to master its registration quirks, learn which riso in the RisoLAB is my favorite, and experiment with the beautiful color palettes that come with RISO inks.
But, when approaching Panic!, I decided that instead of riso, I would let myself fully indulge in watercolor. At the time I was first conceptualizing this pitch, I was experimenting with taking a watercolor painting and putting it through the risograph to make prints. I wasn’t particularly in love with the initial results, so I decided to simplify the process a bit and focus on painting the pages rather than printing them on the riso.
I haven’t painted so consistently since high school, but somehow it came back to me as if I had never dropped the paintbrush. Letting myself return to watercolor was a breath of fresh air for my practice. I tell people all the time that my ideal workday would be painting from the time I wake up until the moment the cats I live with start meowing for dinner. So that’s what I did!
Q: Can you speak to the role of nostalgia in your work?
A: Nostalgia is a big part of my overall inspiration when it comes to creating art. Those who know me, know that I’m an avid little-guy collector. While I was moving around, I really latched on to cute things as a form of comfort. As a result, little guys show up a lot in my work. Drawing specific plushies or figures that I have, and even drawing the games that I enjoy, is something that comes pretty naturally to me. When I open up a sketchbook, the first thing I’m usually doodling is whatever little creature is on my mind.
With Panic!, I even took the opportunity to make my own little guys. Most obviously are the angel characters that show up in the game world, Lover Hunters. They are cute little chibi angels with pink hair, halos, and wings, and dress in just their underwear. I wanted to make sure the style of the game world was stylistically different from the real world of Panic!
Abby Ryan is an illustrator, cartoonist, animator, and risographer based in Brooklyn, New York. She makes quirky, colorful prints and illustrations, as well as experimental 2D animations. Her work is driven by nostalgia for video games and internet culture, as well as my passion for whimsy and love of little guys. She uses cute aesthetics to tell stories about love, friendship, and daily life. At the end of the day, her goal is to make people smile and giggle!
Abby has a BFA in Animation and Digital Arts from Pratt Institute and an MFA in Visual Narrative from the School of Visual Arts. She is currently seeking representation.
