November 1, 2025

Alum spotlight on D. McFadzean ‘12, whose latest comic, FEVER DREAM, is out from Conundrum Press! This surreal graphic novella lives up to its title, capturing the increasingly nightmarish perspectives of a sick child and the parents who care for him. FEVER DREAM is part of the Conundrum 25 series, which includes 25 volumes of comics by different cartoonists, and was launched to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the press.

“It’s partly a visual exploration of the experience and sensations of a fever dream, and partly an expression of the kind of heightened anxiety caregivers feel, particularly since the pandemic began. The ever-present background fears about health care, institutional erosion, and the uncertain future are intersected with the immediacy of the screaming, spiralling nightmare of the child.” —Conundrum Press

D. McFadzean ’12 is a Canadian cartoonist and author of numerous graphic novels, including Two Know You’re Alive, The Horse You Rode In On, and the Ignatz-nominated collection, Don’t Get Eaten By Anything. He has also had work published by MAD Magazine, The New Yorker, The Best American Comics, and Tundra Books. McFadzean was a co-editor/co-founder of the comics and art anthology Irene, which included many CCS alumni. He is currently working on his ongoing mini-comic series, Last Mountain. Congrats, Dakota on your latest comic, FEVER DREAM. You can see more of D. McFadzean’s work at dakota-mcfadzean.com/

Pick up a copy of FEVER DREAM from your favorite bookshop or directly from the publisher:
conundrumpress.com/product/fever-dream/#