By Tammy Reese
With a chilling blend of real-world dangers and supernatural intrigue, Snitchland, the latest graphic novel from acclaimed author and playwright Tim Mulligan, uncovers the harrowing realities of life near one of America’s most toxic nuclear sites. Inspired by the Hanford nuclear plant’s dark history and whistleblower accounts, this gripping follow-up to Witchland delivers a haunting tale of tragedy, resilience, and ghostly retribution, set against the backdrop of a family’s unraveling world.
Please enjoy our interview!
Please tell us about your 2024 writing endeavors including the release of your latest book, Snitchland.
2024 has been a crazy awesome year for my writing and creative endeavors — my play, Witchland, had very successful productions in both Palm Springs and Off-Broadway in New York, and my Witchland graphic novel adaptation was published in February of this year. The follow up to Witchland, titled Snitchland: The Graphic Novel, was just published in late October. The fun has never stopped this year!
Snitchland is inspired by real events at the Hanford nuclear site. What was the most shocking discovery you made during your research, and how did it shape the tone of your graphic novel?
The entire World of Witchland trilogy is based on my home town, in Eastern Washington State — the home of the Hanford Nuclear Reactor. While Witchland covered more of the troubled past of Hanford, including the thousands of plaintiffs in the Downwinders lawsuit, Snitchland focuses on the current reality of the Hanford clean up site. I did much research into recent dangerous workplace accidents, as well as the hundreds of whistleblowers who’ve come forth at Hanford with reports of safety allegations — and have alleged some pretty shocking ramifications for doing so.
The artwork by Pyrink in your trilogy is visually stunning. How did your collaboration with Pyrink come about, and how do their illustrations enhance your storytelling?
When I first decided to try my hand at adapting the Witchland script to a graphic novel, I at first tried my hand at utilizing AI to handle the graphics — but it proved to be a daunting task, and the artwork didn’t look great. I realized it just made sense to find a true artist to bring my stories to life. I put the job out for bid, looked at many graphic artists around the globe, and Pyrink just rose to the top. He’s been an awesome collaborator — doesn’t shy away from the dark stories, finds the humor, and seems to really just get my vibe. And his artwork is really incredible.
Your work blends horror, humor, and family drama. How do you strike the perfect balance between scaring your audience and making them laugh?
I’m a huge fan of horror as a genre — and for me, the most successful horror shows/books/movies really have a great story at the heart of it all — and then build horror and tension around that story. And in horror, I feel it’s a great addition to throw in nervous laughter — and what’s better than a scary/funny story?
A reviewer called your trilogy “Chernobyl meets The Haunting of Hill House.” What would you like to say about that perspective?
Well first of all, when that review came out, I was ecstatic. I’m trying to craft these scary stories with these characters in a real place that is steeped in mystery and years of darkness. So yeah…that tagline really made my day!
The Witchland Trilogy is set to conclude with Twitchland. Can you give us a sneak peek of what’s to come in the final installment, and how it ties together the themes of the series?
My goal was to stretch myself, and write a trilogy about my life — the main characters are all based on my immediate family and friends, and of course the place is real. I wanted to craft a series of stories with these people, in this place, and have each volume introduce a different supernatural theme — first witchcraft, then a good old fashioned ghost story/thriller, and with Twitchland…well, look out. I’d say it’s a mix of toxic waste, drug addiction, and my own version of a vampire. It’s pretty crazy…
From your experience, what does it take to become a successful author?
For me, I’m not sure I’m there yet. I work full time by day. This started out as a COVID project, and now I just keep going and going. My advice is to not give up, keep at it, even if no one ever sees the work. If the work gets discovered, that’s just icing on the cake. And also, personally, I started this at a pretty late stage in my life, so of course I’d say that we’re not getting any younger — and if one doesn’t go out on a limb and try new things, then it’s never going to happen.
What’s the legacy you hope the Witchland Trilogy will leave behind? If readers remember one thing from Snitchland, what would you want it to be?
This is a great question. I honestly set out to write a series of fun, scary plays — and now graphic novels — based on my strange home town. I wanted these stories to be full of laughs, heart, characters you root for, and scares. I really didn’t set out to craft an expose on the nuclear clean up site, and shine a light on this area, which no matter where you read it is dubbed “the most toxic and radioactive area in the Western Hemisphere.” But, the nuclear waste elements are the areas most are focusing on. I just hope people read these books, and are transported into a place and tone and story that is completely new, fresh, and super entertaining.
What are you most excited about for 2025?
2025 is shaping up to be quite the year for me, creatively. The third graphic novel in the World of Witchland trilogy, Twitchland, releases in the spring. Witchland the play is getting some big productions in new cities. And I have a new scary play — Point Loma — about a real place in San Diego, and runs Off-Broadway in Manhattan this summer. It’s going to be a wild ride!
Stay up to date online:
Website: www.witchlandplay.com
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TAMMY REESE
Tammy Reese began her career as a theater actress performing in 60 live stage shows a year with The Media Unit TV and Stage Production Company. She also directed the weekly live TV show Rough Times Live.
Eventually, she went to Empire State College to obtain her degree in media studies. After graduation, she did more theater and wrote and produced her own videos to spread awareness on social issues through the arts.
Tammy is an award-winning journalist and is best known for her legendary interviews with Angela Bassett, Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Connelly, Skeet Ulrich, Tony Todd, Laurence Fishburne, Phylicia Rashad, Sharon Stone, Jasmine Guy, Geena Davis, Billy Porter, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Steven Yeun, Norman Reedus, Melissa McBride, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Lauren Cohan, Giancarlo Esposito, Morris Chestnut, Vivica A. Fox, Omar Epps, Joseph Sikora, Ryan Coogler, Carmen Electra, Luke Evans, Essie Davis, Tom Arnold, Theo Rossi and many more.
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