What’s Fear Got To Do With It? (Conundrum Press) is the title of the first full-blown graphic novel by Ivana Filipovich. The story opens on a bustling night at the Richmond Night Market, where its three main characters are simultaneously sampling the Market’s food stalls, engaging in petty relationship drama, and facilitating criminal activities.

Filipovich’s illustration style is dark, urgent and visceral, and What’s Fear Got To Do With It? is both full of tension and violence, and layered in nuance. In a recent chat with Filipovich, we discuss why the Richmond Night Market makes a good backdrop for “noir”, Balkan food-related traditions, and what’s whetting her appetite around town these days.

First of all, please briefly introduce yourself to Scout readers: who are you; what’s your background; what are you doing these days?

I am a Serbian/Canadian cartoonist and illustrator who hadn’t been active for almost 20 years, until 2017. I moved to Vancouver in 1999, and discovered there were few paid opportunities for short comics in North America. At that time, the slump in printed magazines started, and as a fresh immigrant without anything to fall back on, I couldn’t afford to do free work. Once I got a university job, it became increasingly difficult to maintain a high-level professional job and my art career, so I had to stop making comics.

My background is in architecture and archaeology. In Canada, I shifted to educational media and worked as a designer, art director, and executive producer. I now work in communications as an insights and analytics specialist and am trying to revive my comic arts career. I have three recent books in the market – two in English and one in Serbian – and most of my time last year and this year was spent participating in comic art festivals and promoting the work. I just returned from the Thought Bubble Festival in the UK, where I was one of the featured guests.

What’s Fear Got To Do With It? Has been described as “noir” – what drew you to this genre/style in particular when developing this book? Why do you think that the Vancouver/Richmond backdrop suits this choice so well?

B.C. has a money laundering problem, and from what I read in reports and news articles, some of the money was laundered through casinos by supplying cash to high rollers. I also heard about cash being delivered to gamblers in simple grocery store plastic bags. Like every big urban area, we have our share of criminal activities.

I primarily wanted to show a group of amoral people and their egotistical natures. They all indulge their lowest impulses without consideration for others, as influencers or criminals. The characters have a certain harshness and cynicism that fits very well with noir and late-stage capitalism. Again, this is not specifically a Vancouver/Richmond problem, but a broader consequence of extreme segmentation of the working poor and rich. Some of the book’s readers commented on it being a critique of consumerism and obsessions with money and appearances. You could read a lot into it.

You chose to make the setting of your graphic novel, What’s Fear Got To Do With It? at the Richmond Night Market…which begs the question: what’s your favourite part of the Night Market? What about your favourite street food?

The Night Market always bustles with energy and colourful visuals. I often go to take photos, and those were very helpful as references for my graphic novel. My 2024 Night Market favourites were sushi tacos, grilled squid, and creme brule crepes. Closer to me, I often visit the Chao Shou Wang stall selling wonton and pork gut soup in The Crystal Mall. (This is the pork gut soup mentioned in the graphic novel, if people want to try it.) I’m warning you: it’s deadly spicy, even if you ask for a mild version, haha. Other Crystal Mall favourites are Shanghai Dimsum House and Old Xian. From what I hear from my Asian-Canadian friends, The Crystal Mall and Richmond Public Market are the closest you can get to Asian street food in the Lower Mainland. I love them both and visit as much as I can.

What is your favourite – or most nostalgic – Balkan/Serbian food or dish?

The one dish always present at Balkan celebrations is the so-called Russian or Olivier Salad. It’s easy to make in both regular and vegan versions. It’s equal parts finely chopped boiled waxy potatoes, carrots, canned peas, and dill pickles, with a bit of salt and pepper, smothered in mayonnaise. My secret ingredient is a heaping spoon of mustard, while other people add a small amount of raw onion, celery, or hardboiled eggs. Since I discovered I can use a chopper to make it, we’ve been making a massive container for Xmas and other celebrations.

How about the best meal you’ve eaten in Vancouver in recent memory?

Do Chay on Kingsway was a fantastic surprise. I never thought I would lust for vegan food so much. I can’t get that place out of my head. St. Lawrence and PiDGiN are for special occasions, and so is Sushi K Kamizato in Port Coquitlam.

When we first got in touch, you pointed out to me that it was the eve of the Serbian New Year (January 14th, 2025). Did you do anything special to mark the occasion? Are there any food-related traditions that you can share with us?

Other than eating a bathtub-sized Russian/Olivier Salad, I don’t do much; but most Balkan people go to restaurants or parties multiple times in December and January, starting with Saint Nicholas Day (patron saint day) on December 19th. In Europe, New Year’s Eve is the biggest party of the year; and in Serbia, the celebrations typically last until the Serbian New Year, with the last big party in January. There is usually a mountain of very high-calorie dishes, but also a lot of fermented food (like fermented vegetable salads) to cut the fattiness. Serbian dinners usually start with a fruit or nut brandy called rakia. Plum, grape, quince, cherry, apricot, and walnut brandies are most common. Unfortunately, the best brandies are difficult to find here, and most Balkan people bring them back if they travel home.

What’s Fear Got To Do With It? is currently available from such local independent bookstores as Lucky’s Comics & Books. Check out more of Ivana’s art work on her website, and in the gallery below.