When it comes to the creation of Hideous, I wanted one thing, and one thing only – a queer main character who wasn’t perfect, but who also wasn’t the evil stereotype depicted in media.

Inspired by The Sirens and Ulysses by William Etty – I aimed to make Sara both beautiful and broken. I wanted her to be a kind person to those around her while she manipulated them to formulate whatever she desired. In Lucy’s case, I wanted to show her starting in a place of compliance, slowly growing frustrated until she snapped and ultimately betrayed Sara in the worst possible way. Neither girl was perfect in the same way that neither was completely evil.

They were two teenagers who weren’t utilizing both their hearts and minds. Sara was too aware of the societal expectations placed upon her by her mother and didn’t wish to step over that line. Lucy thought too much with her heart and made highly rash decisions, not only ruining her outcome but also for those around her.