Peter Kuper’s remarkable new book, Insectopolis: A Natural History, is a graphic novel/infographic/wild fantasy ride into the secret world of insects and how that world intersects with ours. In other words, it is a thing like we have never seen before, in kind and magnitude. Kuper uses the format of the graphic novel, of which he is a past master (Ruins, Metamorphosis, etc.) to do something quite different: to tell a layered story about insects touring the New York Public Library, explaining the world of humans to their children and to us. It is upon this very clever tree that he hangs richly detailed ornamentation: a trove of information, offering the reader (especially kids) many doors through which their imaginations may travel, while alerting us all to the massive sixth extinction event we are presently in. Every page and spread of this gorgeous book is meticulously rendered, resulting in a deep and intense reader engagement. It is all the result of a year left very much alone at the library, under the aegis of a Cullman Fellowship, while the rest of the world was in lockdown. I recently discussed this project with Peter.

SB: Can you remember your first encounter with the insect world that fascinated you?

PK: It was 1963 in Millburn, New Jersey, I was four. In our backyard the trees were covered with cicadas—I later learned this was brood 11 emerging after 17 years underground. I’m sure many people’s reaction would’ve been to run screaming, for me it was pure fascination. I was hooked like they were a drug!

SB: What would you say the differences in how you perceive them are now?

PK: The only difference is I no longer collect insects. Now I read up, take pictures or draw them and enjoy just staring at them as they climb the trees and flutter around.

SB: What connection do you think the rest of us may be missing?

In the case of cicadas, learning that they burrow underground for 17 years, and remain awake the entire time (not in hibernation), and their connection to the outside world is through the root of a tree. Something, perhaps, in the pH of the tree root that they are feeding on, informs them exactly when 17 years has passed along with a specific temperature change (64 degrees). So, they all know to emerge at the same time by the millions. If that’s not enough wonder and mystery that we have yet to understand completely, then we’re missing one of the many miracles this planet has to offer us. It may also give us clues to greater connections happening in nature that may include us but are currently beyond our comprehension.

SB: You worked alone in the NYPL for a year. Was there something surprising that you learned about the creative process in a world, seemingly, without time or research constraints?

Being in the library during Covid with the entire place closed to the public, I felt like I was in a haunted house. Happily, what was haunting the place was all the entomologists and naturalists from the past who had left remarkable treasures that I had the time and opportunity to excavate. I approached Insectopolis in a completely different way than I had my other graphic novels. I would start to draw a page or two as I did research but not plan where it was going beyond those pages. Instead of planning everything out in advance, I kept myself open to where I might be led by these ghosts. They were all very helpful!

SB: Did the creative process here trigger ideas for future projects?