Ep. 58 - Arizona O'Neill on CBC's Creator Network, Organ Donation and Patrick Watson

Arizona O’Neill’s art delves into topics derived from her Montreal upbringing and French-Quebec culture, and include the ramifications of gentrification, the vibrancy of music, and the origins of revolt. She has contributed several pieces to The CBC Creator Network, which include Hockey Riots, Period Pieces, and History of Jazz. Her novel, Est-ce qu’un artiste peut être heureux? (or “Can an Artist be Happy?”) was published in November 2022. And her impressive catalogue of illustrations, for publications like National Geographic Canada, includes the 2024 edition of "L'enfant dans le miroir" by Nelly Arcan which features a feminist perspective on the late-author’s legacy. Her latest book will be published by Drawn & Quarterly, and is inspired by her own experience donating her late-father’s organs, and surveys themes which include grief and addiction. In our conversation, we discussed her experience growing up in Montreal; her take on the legacy of the Montreal Canadiens; her collaborations with Patrick Watson, as a music video director; and the challenging territory she explored in authoring her latest work.

Opening Credits: HoliznaPATREON - Relic 1 ( LoFi , Dark ) I CC BY-NC-ND 4.0; Anitek - NeedleLess To Say I CC BY-NC-SA. Closing Credits: Christophe Frémiot - l-ind-pendante I CC BY-NC-SA.