You may not have heard of Inchkeith, an uninhabited island in the Firth of Forth, Scotland. Completely uninhabited, not much is known about the early history of Inchkeith, yet it is riddled by colourful rumours, some with more evidence than others. Grounds for a language deprivation experiment, a forced area of retirement for people inflicted with syphilis and an animal sanctuary are just three of the ways mysterious Inchkeith was utilised over the years. Up until 2024, these stories hadn’t ever been explored in comic format – that is, until Onion Press, a collaborative publication house from comic artists Sarah Lippett (Stan and Nan, A Puff of Smoke) and Maria Stoian (Take it as a Compliment). With an aim to explore the world around them, and its histories and secrets, Lippett and Stoian launched a series of zines focused around the rich history on Inchkeith, and its untold stories. Whilst The Language of God, Stoian’s zine, focussing on a language deprivation experiment is what introduced me to the series, today I’ll be looking at Kathleen, an extraordinary story about a woman who found Inchkeith to be a temporary home for herself and 100 animals.
Beginning in 1986, activist Kathleen Allan is searching for a new home for her animal sanctuary, Allandale. Kathleen is a woman completely devoted to her beloved animals, having both sold her home and quit her job to continue to care for dogs, dogs, cats, sheep, chickens, donkeys, geese, ponies, a pig, etc etc. By mere coincidence, Inchkeith needed a caretaker, and Kathleen jumped at the opportunity, being picked from over thirty interviewees to call Inchkeith home.
The story of Kathleen shifts between two perspectives. The first if that of Kathleen, as she navigates life on the island. This includes a flurry of media attention, dealing with cold, damp, isolating conditions, and struggling with her mental health. We also see the perspective of authors Lippett and Stoian in the present day, who are visiting the island for the first time, keen to learn more about her mysterious story, and how it ended.
One of the first things I noticed about Kathleen, and indeed The Language of God, is how well put together and lux the zine feels. Printed on thick-weight, off-white A4, these elaborate, intricately illustrated zines really do feel like they could be a tomb of knowledge about the history of Inkeith. I love that each story is differentiated by colour; while Kathleen is illustrated completely in blue hues, The Language of God is painted entirely in pinks and reds.
An element I really enjoyed was the insertion of real news clippings and interviews about Kathleen’s animal sanctuary littered throughout – by making the comic panel-less, Lippett and Stoian were able to insert these as and when detail was needed to really add to the story, making the reader feel as though they knew Kathleen personally. Some other stand-out moments include learning more about the only pig on the island, Porky, who, as a baby, could fit in Kathleen’s hand. Porky develops a sweet fixation with McGuire the horse, with Kathleen remarking that the two are never apart. I was delighted to notice that a zine I had already purchased from last year’s Thought Bubble festival, Unrequited, was actually a companion to Kathleen, detailing Porky’s adoration – I knew I recognised that sweet duo from somewhere!
As someone who is a huge animal lover, Kathleen’s story realty warmed my heart. Many of the animals she housed came from abusive homes, so to know that they lived happily for many years in her dedicated care is wonderful. For such a short zine, at just over thirty pages, I was fixated throughout, wondering whether Kathleen could maintain a sanctuary of such magnitude, and also worrying about the effects of isolation and deprivation on her as a person. Lippett and Stoian did their research for Kathleen, and it shows throughout– satisfactory or not, we do finally get an answer to what happened to her after she and her animals left the island, five years after arriving. I’m so pleased that Kathleen’s story has finally been told, and in a way befitting her kindness and self-sacrifice. I look forward to more mysterious additions to the Inchkeith series in the future!
Sarah Lippett and Maria Stoian (W/A) • Onion Press, £15.00
Review by Lydia Turner
