Artist Bri Tippetts to appear at O’Neal Library ‘Under the Mountain’ series

The ever-popular horror genre is getting the respect it’s due at O’Neal Library during its ongoing “Under the Mountain” events series.

The series is designed to be a community source for author events, movie screenings and other macabre treats.

Artist and comic book author Bri Tippetts, a Birmingham resident, will appear at the library Wednesday, May 25, from 7-8 p.m.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the event is free and open to teenagers and adults.

Horror writing in general deserves more respect, said Anthony Vacca, the librarian who helped create “Under the Mountain.”

“For a long-last-ing and far-reaching genre, horror is one that is often most dismissed,” Vacca said in a recent ONL news release.

The “Under the Mountain” series is also designed to broaden the number of readers who appreciate horror writing.

“We want to excite fans, but it’s as important to welcome those who think the genre has nothing for them,” Vacca said.

A Las Vegas native, Tippetts earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in painting and drawing from the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. She also studied independently for several years learning to professionally ink comics.

She received a notable shoutout in December when Josh Ruben, director of horror films such as “Werewolves Within” and “The Night House,” said that the art Tippetts posts on her Instagram page was one of his “favorite horror things” for 2021.

At “Under the Mountain,” Tippetts will discuss her recent graphic novel, “Rictus.”

She will talk about “the creative process of doing illustrations and comics” and “her inspirations that led her to follow this creative dream of hers,” Vacca recently told Village Living.

“You can see through her different works that she is passionate about all the movies she see and the genre itself,” he said.

“Rictus,” which she published in 2021, is “a really fun homage” to teen horror movies and Asian ghost stories,” Vacca said.

“It is a fun graphic novel that appeals to both teenagers and adults,” he said.

For more information about Tippetts, go to etsy.com/shop/britippettsart or follow her on Instagram @britippetsart.

To RSVP for the Bri Tippetts event, go to oneallibrary.org/utm.

For more information about the series, follow “Under the Mountain” on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @undrmtn, or go to linktr.ee/undrmtn.