Marist English Professor Releases New Book on Comics in the Hudson Valley

Professor Moira Fitzgibbon poses with her book "Drawn by the River: The Hudson River Valley as a Comics Ecosystem" at her gallery opening on March 11. Photo by Cora Flynn '26

For Moira Fitzgibbons, Professor of English at Marist University, the strong connection between the Hudson Valley region and the world of comics and cartoons was clear, which she celebrates in her new book, “Drawn by the River: The Hudson River Valley as a Comics Ecosystem.” The book, which was released on April 2, explores the art of comics through the region’s rich history by examining local artists and comic communities.

“This book says that we can understand comics better if we think about the place that they were produced,” said Fitzgibbons. 

The cover of Moira Fitzgibbons' new book Drawn by the River: The Hudson River Valley as a Comics Ecosystem which was released in paperback in April 2026. Photo courtesy of Moira Fitzgibbons

Fitzgibbons’ writing process began in 2022, but the initial idea behind this book began in 2020. Before the fall semester began, Fitzgibbons received an email from a future student, Evan Fernandez ’21, requesting a guest speaker for Fitzgibbons’ upcoming graphic narratives class. 

The speaker was Ron Marz, a Hudson Valley local who also graduated from Marist in 1987. Marz is a comics writer for DC, Marvel and other major companies and is best known for his work on “Silver Surfer” and for co-creating “Green Lantern.”

When Marz came to talk to Fitzgibbons’ class, he credited the start of his career to his reporting for the Marist Circle when he was a student, where he interviewed comics writer Bernie Wrightson in Woodstock, N.Y., for an article. After the interview, he got invited to a party at Wrightson's house, where he met and spoke with other comic writers. From there, he was introduced to the world of comics. 

After the talk, Fitzgibbons began to consider other local comics artists, including Summer Pierre, whose memoir was on display in the Poughkeepsie Public Library during the spring 2021 semester. Pierre lives in West Point and has several published graphic narratives. She was also invited to speak at Marist to Fitzgibbons’ students that semester. 

As Fitzgibbons developed a greater interest in local comics writers, a student reminded her of the former printing facility located at the intersection of Route 9 and Fulton Street, across from the Marist campus. Western Printing and Lithographing Co. was a major printing press that was in business until 1983. 

Fitzgibbons took an interest in the facility and began researching what had been printed there. For a period of time, all Disney magazines were printed at Western Printing, along with many other comics, including the popular strip “Little Lulu.” Fitzgibbons began collecting the old magazines, comics and coloring books.

“Every time I go into a thrift store, which is often, I just find this stuff,” Fitzgibbons said. “It's not worth a lot of money, but it's worth something to me because it was literally printed across the street.”

With this information, Fitzgibbons sat down and formally began her research. She contacted former employees of Western Publishing and reviewed microfilm, archives and newspapers from the Wisconsin Historical Society to better understand comics in the Hudson Valley.

“​​The hardest part about writing the book is actually just writing the book,” she said. “You have to be alone in a room thinking your thoughts and really just writing it.” 

A comic on the Hudson Valley drawn by Kait Dugan '25 that is reproduced inside Moira Fitzgibbons' new book Drawn by the River: The Hudson River Valley as a Comics Ecosystem. Photo courtesy of Moira Fitzgibbons

Through this process, Fitzgibbons developed a deeper appreciation of the beauty of the Hudson Valley. She now drives through the region with an awareness of all the artists who are working below the surface.  

“If you're willing to just go that step further and start paying attention, then I think you can really start feeling more connected, and almost more invigorated, about the place where you live,” she said. 

Fitzgibbons encourages students to reach out to their professors, like Fernandez did nearly five years ago. She said it not only creates a more engaging learning environment for students, but also gives new insights to professors. 

“People think about Hudson River Valley Art, and they think about the beautiful Hudson River School landscapes,” Fitzgibbons said. “When we think about Hudson River Valley art, we should think about comics and cartooning that was produced here and the beautiful landscapes that are within those comics.”