Arizona O'Neill measures other cities against Montreal, not the other way around. She grew up in the Mile End, walks through Mount Royal Cemetery on the way downtown, and spent years working at Drawn & Quarterly before publishing her debut graphic novel with the press. That book, Opioids & Organs (2026), is about her father's death from a fentanyl overdose in 2015 and the organ donation decision she made in its aftermath.
But it's also, in its bones, a Montreal book: macabre, literary, and completely unashamed of both.
We sat down with O'Neill following of her book’s launch at Drawn & Quarterly to talk about making art in this city, the film grammar underneath her illustration work, and what it means to finally put her mother and her father in the same book.
For readers who care about Montreal
Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.
Comments
Welcome to The Main's comments section!
Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.
No comments yet. Be the first!