I Kill Giants!

Welcome to a SPECIAL EDITION of the Piece of Advice Newsletter!

Good morning! Today, we’re looking into the graphic novel series and film adaptation of “I Kill Giants”! The film version came out today 9 years ago and I was lucky enough to ask a few questions to the film’s production designer, Susie Cullen! 

Back in 2008, writer Joe Kelly and illustrator Ken Niimura released “I Kill Giants”, a graphic novel that immediately struck a chord with readers. At its heart is Barbara Thorson, a middle schooler who insists she fights giants; though her battles are really with grief, fear, and growing up. Bold, quirky, and deeply emotional, the book quickly gained critical acclaim, earning IGN’s Best Indie Book of 2008, a spot on New York magazine’s top comics list, and eventually the Gold Award at the International Manga Awards. For many fans, it became a modern classic; proof that comics could tell stories as raw and moving as any novel or film.

Nearly a decade later, the story made its leap to the screen. Directed by Anders Walter, with Kelly adapting his own screenplay, the 2017 film carried the same emotional weight, brought to life by Madison Wolfe as Barbara and Zoe Saldaña as her compassionate school counselor. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before landing in U.S. theaters in 2018, with Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan; best known for producing the early “Harry Potter” films; on board. While the movie earned modest box office numbers, it was praised for its sincerity and visual imagination, drawing comparisons to “A Monster Calls” and “Where the Wild Things Are”.

A huge part of the film’s look and feel came from production designer Susie Cullen, whose work gave Barbara’s world its damp, mythic atmosphere. Shooting across Ireland and Belgium, Cullen crafted homes, classrooms, and coastal landscapes that felt both ordinary and slightly enchanted; perfectly echoing the comic’s balance of reality and fantasy. Her designs grounded Barbara’s battles in a believable world, while leaving just enough space for the giants to loom in the shadows. It’s subtle work, but it’s part of what makes the film resonate so strongly.

Today, “I Kill Giants” is remembered as a story that dared to tackle grief through the lens of imagination. Joe Kelly famously refused to let anyone else adapt his work, writing every draft of the screenplay himself to preserve its voice. That dedication, paired with Walter’s sensitive direction and Cullen’s atmospheric world-building, has left behind a film and comic that continue to inspire. They remind us that sometimes the scariest giants are the ones we can’t see; and that courage often looks like facing them anyway.

Fun Facts:

• The graphic novel won IGN’s Best Indie Book of 2008 and the Gold Award at the International Manga Awards in 2012.

• Joe Kelly wrote every draft of the screenplay himself to protect the story’s integrity.

• Susie Cullen’s production design was key in transforming European filming locations into Barbara’s Long Island hometown.

Bonus Questions:

Giancarlo: What was your favorite movie growing up?

Susie: Though this may not be my favourite it is one I remember being terrified by at a very young age, "The Incredible Shrinking Man”. I  remember the scenes so clearly;  the use of scale and oversized props and environments. It’s so naive to look back at but was very effective at the young age I saw it.

Giancarlo: Did you have any push back from friends and family on wanting to be a designer?

Susie: I never knew that the job existed. I fell into it while studying in Art and Design College. I started working on short films and music promos and really enjoyed the team aspect of it and responding to a script or idea. My family was very supportive of me though they really had no idea what I was trying to do. A Lot of my friends were from art college and many ended up working in film and other  creative careers.

Giancarlo: Which of the films you worked on are you the most proud of?

Susie: Each film has its own merits. Sometimes it's the joy of a great team, sometimes it's the resources to be very ambitious and build lovely sets, and sometimes it's experiencing new locations . Lately I have particularly enjoyed "Abigail" which was such fun and fantastic to work with such an open and collaborative directing duo and producer. "Drop " was a very satisfying job , again working with an appreciative director who really utilised the space , and the Blue Moon, soon to be released, was a very special small and contained film with the most amazing performances, and again a lovely team. The common denominator seems to be having the opportunity to do nice work with appreciative and supportive collaborators.

Giancarlo: What is your favorite aspect of “I Kill Giants”?

Susie: This film had a lovely core team of director, DOP, and producer. It had its challenges, being split across 2 countries and set  somewhere else with a modest budget. I had never had to build a shoreline/ beach before and with the help of the greens team , the art director who supervised it and construction who built it, I think it was a great result and I learnt from it.

Piece Of Advice:

Giancarlo: What is this best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Susie: Keep learning, each script is different with different challenges. Keep your eyes open, soak up colours, textures, details from everyday life. Everything is relevant. Absorb any architectural details you can, look at books, the Internet is becoming unreliable for visual references for specifics so keep looking at books for reference material.   

Check out her work: http://www.susiecullen.com/

Thank you for reading! Have an amazing day and we will catch you again soon!

-Giancarlo