Free Piano (Not Haunted): A Cover Reveal and Q&A with Whitney Gardner

My 13-year-old asked for her own YouTube channel the other day. I said no, but it’s not the first time I’ve found the world of content creation to be so alluring to my offspring. With such thoughts on my mind these days, I was very drawn to graphic novelist Whitney Gardner and her upcoming comic (with a killer name) Free Piano (Not Haunted). Out July 15, 2025, here’s a quickie plot description for you:

“Margot’s determined to win her wannabee-webstar absent dad’s approval by becoming a famous songwriter, but her secret weapon—a haunted synthesizer—comes with some unexpected baggage: the ghost of an 80’s pop star, Vision. As Margot chases fame and followers, with her friends who run a popular Youtube channel for smashing things (Smash Bros), her unlikely friendship with the ghost of her thrifted instrument pushes her to question if “likes” are what she really wants, or if her real passion is offline (and for herself).”

I was asked to do the cover reveal, but I’ll do you one better. Let’s Q&A the heck out of this baby first! Whitney was kind enough to answer my questions, so here are some answers! 

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Betsy Bird: Whitney! Thanks so much for joining me today. So first off, 10 out of 10 stars for the title FREE PIANO (NOT HAUNTED) right there. The book has a real Tiffany/TikTok/Exorcist vibe that I very much enjoyed. Can you tell us a bit about where the book came from?

Whitney Gardner: Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the title. It was such a fun idea to play around with. The story actually began with an actual ad I came across offering a free piano, with the odd reassurance that it wasn’t haunted. That line sparked my imagination and made me wonder… What if it was? It got me thinking about all the ways bringing home a supposedly ‘normal’ piano could go hilariously or terrifyingly wrong.

Once I started developing the story, I knew I wanted the ghost to have a unique personality, and that’s when the idea of an 80s pop star came in. It felt like the perfect mix of quirky and haunting, a spirit with style that would make the story both spooky and entertaining.

BB: And who doesn’t love spooky/entertaining (or, as I call it, spentertaining)? Your books often have this nice science fiction or supernatural element to them. In this case, it’s good old-fashioned dead people. Kids are suckers for ghost stories and this most certainly falls into that category. Were you a ghost story fan yourself in the past at all?

Whitney: Absolutely not! I was definitely not into spooky things as a kid. It’s only recently that I’ve started to appreciate scarier stories, though I still prefer them with a lighter twist. I think that’s why the supernatural elements in my books aren’t purely evil or sinister, they’re more playful or quirky than outright terrifying. Adding humor keeps things approachable and makes the ghostly elements feel more fun than frightening.

BB: Just to delve into this more on the cartooning side of things, what comics are you particularly influenced by? Or, for that matter, cartoons?

Whitney: There are so many incredible graphic novels and comics out right now! A few recent favorites of mine are Art Club by Rashad Doucet, Shark Summer by Ira Marcks, The Wizerd! and the Potion of Dreams by Michael Sweater, and Anzu and the Realm of Darkness by Mai K. Nguyen. Each one has a unique style that I find really inspiring. As for cartoons, Gravity Falls and Regular Show have definitely influenced my work. I love how both shows blend everyday life with the bizarre and supernatural in such an unexpected way. They each balance humor and mystery in a way that I try to bring into my own stories.

BB: Oh yeah. Love me some Gravity Falls. And you’ve some particularly pertinent things to say about art in an age of online followers. Was this a topic you’d been thinking about for some time or did it just suddenly come to you?

Whitney: Yes, it’s definitely something I’ve been grappling with for a long time. Once you turn your art into a profession, whether it’s music, drawing, or writing, the joy of creating can get overshadowed by audience expectations and sales goals. Social media amplifies this pressure even more. Suddenly, you’re not only thinking about sales but also about followers, likes, views, shares, and all these overwhelming metrics. Don’t even get me started on The Algorithm.

With this book, I wanted to remind kids just starting out in art that their joy should come from the process of creating itself, not from how it’s received online. Experimenting, discovering what you love, and making art that makes you happy—that’s what really matters, and it’s something I hope young artists can hold on to, even in an age of constant digital feedback.

BB: Okay, I have to know. Is Vision a variation on Tiffany or any other specific pop stars of the past? Because her whole early storyline felt very Robin Sparkles to me.

Whitney: It’s funny you picked up on that! When I first pitched this book to my editor, I described Vision as Robin Sparkles meets Tiffany. I wanted her to have that vibrant, iconic pop energy. In fact, before every writing session, I’d watch Tiffany’s I Think We’re Alone Now music video to get into the right headspace. There are even little easter eggs in the illustrations that nod to the video. Tiffany has this incredible pop aura that I wanted to bring to life in Vision’s character. I’m a huge fan!

BB: I’m just pleased that Robin Sparkles is having her due. Finally, what do you have coming up next? What can we look for?

Whitney: Right now, Free Piano (Not Haunted) is my big focus, but I’m also really excited for The Racc Pack Two: Prince and the Pawper, which comes out in January! I did the illustrations for this one, and it’s been a blast working with Stephanie Cooke on it. The Racc Pack series follows a raccoon family on all sorts of hilarious trash heists, and it’s full of laughs and adventure. I can’t wait for readers to dive into it!

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All right, you patient people. Here’s the cover itself for your perusal and enjoyment!

Many many thanks to Whitney for taking the time to answer my questions today. Thanks too to Zoe-Aline Howard for helping to put all this together. Free Piano (Not Haunted) is out July 15, 2025 absolutely everywhere. Look for it then!

Filed under: Cover Reveal, Interviews