ARTIST AT WORK: Native Miltonian Faith Erin Hicks shows some of the drawings that are part of her recently-released graphic novel.

For Joss and her two friends, university life is full of the usual trappings -- mind-numbing exams, exorbitant student loans... and zombies trying to ingest their brains.

Yup, zombies have overtaken their dorm.

But Joss isn't unprepared. She's confident if she follows "The Rules" -- the clichÈs that seem to appear in pretty much every zombie movie -- she and her fellow fighters will emerge, brains intact.

And so the story goes.

It's all part of a recently-published graphic novel called Zombies Calling by former Milton resident Faith Erin Hicks.

The tongue-in-cheek, 100-page zombie book is Hicks' first published work after doing many years of on-line comics.

"This is really exciting. It's something I've been working towards for a long time," she said.

Hicks will appear for a book signing tomorrow from 1 to 3 p.m. at Geekdom, 17 Wilson Dr., unit 2.

"I'm excited to be back," Hicks said in a phone call from Nova Scotia, where she now lives, just prior to her return to Milton for Christmas.

For many people, the mention of a graphic novel raises the question "What's the difference between a comic and a graphic novel?"

Comics, Hicks said, are a bit of a different format, tending to be floppy, big and thin. They also tell only an installment of a story, leaving readers hanging.

Graphic novels are longer, in novel format, and tell a complete story.

Hicks is the first to acknowledge that comics have been more of a male-dominated hobby, but she said there's more diversity now.

She wanted to create something that would appeal to both genders and ended up with a character that reflects some of her own qualities.

"I read a lot of comics, but you don't typically see characters like me," she said, explaining she's far from a girly-girl with interests that are more stereotypically male. "I am kind of geeky. Joss is a response to that."

She said when she first drew Joss, the character had a different hairstyle, but she later modified it because it was too hip for someone who wears the same shirt nearly every day and likes zombie movies.

Hicks inserts little bits of social commentary into the book, namely about student debts.

"Joss at one point makes the point that her student loan equals the mortgage her parents had on their first home. That's actually a true fact," Hicks said, explaining some family friends made that observation, comparing her loan to their first mortgage. "I felt I should make a few pointed jabs."

Hicks uses a coal erase pencil for sketching her comics and then goes over it with ink from a brush pen, she explained. The originals are much larger than how they appear in the book, allowing them to have more detail, she said.

How she found the time for Zombies Calling is a mystery, even to herself. For about nine months, Hicks spent nights and weekends drawing hundreds of pictures.

But now that she sees the finished product, she's confident it was all worth the effort.

Zombies Calling is available at Geekdom for $9.95.

Hicks currently works as an animator in Halifax, having graduated from E.C. Drury and then Sheridan College's renowned animation program.

Sending the idea for Zombies Calling to a publisher -- SLG Publishing, a California-based indie publisher -- was a "you've got nothing to lose" type of affair.

When she didn't hear back from them for a year, she assumed they weren't interested.

Then she got the call that changed everything.

"I was really thrilled," Hicks said. "They're a publisher whose works I really like."

Hicks began her foray into the world of comics on-line in 1999, where she's amassed more than 700 pages of comics.

Last year, her on-line comic Ice -- which has a much darker flavour than Zombies Calling -- was nominated for a Schuster award, named after Joe Schuster, one of the creators of Superman.

She didn't win, but just being among so many industry greats was a thrill, she said.

She may have left Milton a few years ago to pursue work in PEI and then Nova Scotia, but it's safe to say that with her family still living here, Milton remains close to Hicks's heart.

She remembers spending many an afternoon at Milton Public Library reading comics.

Not having a TV in the house growing up really allowed her creative side to flourish, she added.

"It was an important part of my storytelling development."

As for the future, Hicks said she'll just have to see what comes her way. She hopes to publish more graphic novels, but doesn't know if she'd want to give up her day job to do it.

"I love doing graphic novels, but I also like the studio atmosphere."

For more about Hicks and to see some of her on-line comics, visit www.faitherinhicks.com.

Stephanie Hounsell can be reached at sthiessen@miltoncanadianchampion.com.