Four-Color Heroes
SYNOPSIS:
Four-Color Heroes is an LGBTQ+, Upper YA graphic novel written and illustrated by Aotearoa/New Zealand-born creator Richard Fairgray (Black Sand Beach, Blastosaurus). It is a touching love story which follows two star-crossed young men who - in spite of their disparate backgrounds - find escape and one another through the pages of a comic book. The coming-of-age romance is set in a New Zealand high school prior to the passing of the Civil Union Act 2004 (which allowed same-sex couples to enter into a civil union).
In light of Fairgray’s New Zealand roots and given the Māori heritage of one of Four-Color Heroes’ protagonists, the graphic novel will be made available digitally in both English and Te Reo Māori as translated by Komako A. Silver and Alejandra Jensen (The Art of Taonga Puoro). The graphic novel will be released in English-language print in the summer of 2023.
The Four-Color Heroes graphic novel is currently available for pre-order. Pre-orders made by May 1, 2023, will receive a discounted price of $19.99 and an exclusive print illustrated and signed by creator Richard Fairgray.
CREATOR
Written and Illustrated by: Richard Fairgray (Black Sand Beach, Blastosaurus)
Genres: LGBTQ+, Upper YA, Romance, Comics, Superheroes
Audience: 16 and up
Printed Trade Paperback Price: $19.99 (pre-order discount) / $24.99 (retail cost)
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Outstanding Young Latinx Comics Creators | 2022 Submissions
The Outstanding Young Latinx Comics Creators (OYLCC) is a digital comic book anthology to highlight the works of emerging Latinx comic book creators and help pave the way for up-and-coming sequential artists. The anthology welcomes original comic book content - ranging from cartoons and comic strips to comic book short stories - from young Latinx creators who are seeking to make their mark.
Ripple Effects
Ripple Effects explores life as a superhero with an invisible and incurable disease. It's like The Incredibles meets the dramedy, 50/50.
SYNOPSIS:
In a world that is no stranger to superheroes, George Gibson is invulnerable to physical harm but fights every day to stay alive. Suffering from an acute case of type 1 diabetes, his invincibility is offset by a defective pancreas that must be monitored and treated daily. This incurable disease makes George's body both his greatest strength and his eternal weakness.
What sets this series apart is a positive, person-first representation about life with a chronic disease . . . which just so happens to also include superhuman abilities. But, Ripple Effects isn't just a story about a character with an incurable disease. It’s also a thrilling and relevant superhero tale that touches on the difficulty of finding a work/life balance, the class struggles and economic inequality experienced by many in our nation, and the desire to help others during trying times.
Issues #1-5 of Ripple Effects was released digitally through Hoopla in 2022. The series will also be collected into a printed trade paperback which will be released on November 15, 2022.
CREATORS
Created, written, and colored by: Jordan Hart (Terminarch, Doppelgänger, Emergence)
Illustrated by: Bruno Chiroleu (El Borde, Mara and Samu)
Lettered by: Oceano Ransford (Eisner Award-nominated Rikki, The Sequels, Haphaven)
Flatted by: Shane Kadlecik
Cover Art by: Justin C. Harder (CLAUS)
Genres: Graphic Medicine, Superheroes, Action/Adventure, Slice-of-Life
Audience: 13 and up
Printed Trade Paperback Price: $24.99
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Nuclear Power
"Nuclear Power #1 is a hell of a start. The alternate history story feels relevant in many ways and delivers a focus on details that’s unexpected and very welcomed." - Graphic Policy
SYNOPSIS:
October of 1962. The Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union is at its peak when the unthinkable happens: nuclear war. Sixty years later, the remaining 13 states rose from the ashes to form the American Union, governed by the authoritarian Joint Chiefs of Staff and protected by a border wall to keep out nuclear radiation . . . and the individuals who were enhanced by it. Nuclear Power is a darkly poignant alternate history tale that posits the lengths to which a government will go to protect (or deceive) its citizens. When the Joint Chiefs’ dark secrets are revealed, will survivors on both sides of the wall join forces to fight for their right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, or will their differences forever divide them?
Nuclear Power is available digitally through Hoopla, Comics Plus and Kindle Direct. The series has also been collected into a printed trade paperback which was released October 19, 2021.
CREATORS
Written by: Desirée Proctor and Erica Harrell (Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead: Michonne, DC Comics New Talent Showcase 2017)
Illustrated and Lettered by: Lynne Yoshii (DC's Gotham City Garage, Inside the Loop, DC Comics New Talent Showcase 2017)
Genres: Alternate History, Science Fiction, Action, Political Thriller
Audience: 18 and up (Warning: This series includes graphic imagery.)
Printed Trade Paperback Price: $19.99
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AWARDS
2022 Independent Publishers (IPPY) Award (Graphic Novel) - winner
2022 International Latino Book Awards (Graphic Novel) - winner
The Sequels
In the height of 1980s nostalgia, The Sequels dares to question whether our grasp on the past is endangering our future.
SYNOPSIS:
Remember the ‘80s? Avery, Gwen, Russell, and Dakota will never forget. As children, they each experienced unique adventures . . . saving the life of a sentient robot, partying with an intergalactic alien, battling the likes of vampires and werewolves, and defeating a nightmarish monster to protect imagination itself. Now, 30 years later, they’re directionless adults, still obsessed with their pasts. When a mysterious figure brings the group together to cope with their experiences, will they be prepared to live out the "sequels" to their childhood adventures?
CREATORS
Written by: Norm Harper (Eisner Award-nominated Rikki, The Naughty List)
Illustrated and Colored by: Val Halvorson and Bobby Timony (The Night Owls, The Simpsons)
Flatted by: Deanna Poppe
Lettered by: Oceano Ransford (A Geek's Guide to Cross-Stitch, Eisner Award-nominated Rikki)
Covers by: Don Aguillo (Rise, Winter, Rise, Winter, Isugid Pinoy!)
Foreword by: Andre Gower (The Monster Squad, Wolfman's Got Nards - A Documentary)
Genres: Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Audience: 17 and up
Printed Trade Paperback Price: $19.99
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A Geek's Guide to Cross-Stitch: Journeys in Space
The next best thing to trekking through the solar system is stitching it!
SYNOPSIS:
Created by Clarissa Thorne of Unexpected Hobby, formatted by Oceano Ransford (The Arcs, Eisner Award-nominated Rikki) and featuring a foreword by Bonnie Burton (The Star Wars Craft Book, Crafting with Feminism), A Geek's Guide to Cross-Stitch: Journeys in Space combines the art of cross-stitch with the science of space travel, providing a new outlet for geeky creativity for crafters of all experience levels.
Journeys in Space will feature over 25 original cross-stitch patterns that celebrate the awe and inspiration inherent in space travel and exploration. With patterns representing NASA’s Cassini and Juno missions, the Curiosity rover, the picturesque Mars landscape, and much more, the book will offer a chance for both beginner and experienced crafters to express their love for science and space with cross-stitch patterns of varying sizes. Plus, Journeys in Space’s spiral-bound format will allow crafters to lay the book flat for ultimate ease while stitching!
CREATORS
Created by: Clarissa Thorne (Unexpected Hobby)
Formatted by: Oceano Ransford (The Arcs, Eisner Award-nominated Rikki)
Foreword by: Bonnie Burton (The Star Wars Craft Book, Crafting with Feminism)
Genre: Crafting/Cross-Stitch
Audience: 8 and up
Release Date: October 22, 2018
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AWARDS
2019 IPPY Award (How-To Book) - Bronze Medal Winner
The Gamma Gals
The superteam that defends Brightstone City (when not playing D&D).
SYNOPSIS:
Kira, Harriet, and Sue are your average high school students at Brightstone City High School by day, but by night, they are The Gamma Gals, protecting Brightstone City from countless super villains, monsters, and more!
The Gamma Gals is a creator-owned, 4-issue digital comic book series that features three RPG-loving teenage girls who awaken from a gamma-irradiated storm to discover they have extraordinary superpowers. Created, written, and illustrated by newcomer Stefano Terry, The Gamma Gals features a diverse cast of characters that aims to show all readers that everyone can be a superhero.
Issues #1-4 of the comic book series are available digitally through ComiXology. In addition, the series has been collected into a printed trade paperback featuring two bonus issues.
CREATORS
Created/Written/Illustrated by: Stefano Terry
Genre: Superheroes, Action/Adventure
Audience: 8 and up
Printed Trade Paperback Price: $19.99
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Quince: The Definitive Bilingual Edition
If you can survive being fifteen, you're a superhero.
SYNOPSIS:
Lupe is just your average, insecure, well-meaning, occasionally cranky teenage girl whose life is completely turned upside down when she discovers she has superpowers at her quinceañera. Her quince powers only last as long as she’s fifteen, so over the course of this rollercoaster year, we follow the adventures of Lupe as she figures out what it really means to be a hero.
Quince: The Definitive Bilingual Edition oversized hardcover collects the full English and Spanish editions of the 15-issue, Eisner Award-nominated comic book series, Quince, as well as forewords by Gloria Calderón Kellett (Executive Producer/Showrunner/Director/Actor, One Day at a Time) and Peter Murrieta (Executive Producer/Showrunner/Writer, Mr. Iglesias), an academic essay by Frederick Luis Aldama (Distinguished University Professor and Eisner Award-winning author of Latinx Superheroes in Mainstream Comics), a study guide by Dr. Theresa Rojas (Professor, Modesto Junior College), an art gallery Javier Hernandez (El Muerto), Sabrina Cintron (The Witches’ Grimoire, La Borinqueña), Malena Bonilla (Twitter: @Malbondesigns, Instagram: @malbondesigns), and Jose Cabrera, and a heartfelt letter to the reader by creator Sebastian Kadlecik.
CREATORS
Created by: Sebastian Kadlecik Translated by: Valeria Tranier
Written by: Kit Steinkellner Formatted by: Oceano Ransford
Illustrated by: Emma Steinkellner
Hardcover Price: $39.99
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AWARDS
2020 Independent Publishers (IPPY) Award (Graphic Novel) - winner
2020 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award (Graphic Novels & Comics) - Gold Medal winner
2020 Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards (Adult) - finalist
2020 Virginia Library Association Diversity Award - honor book
2020 International Latino Book Awards (Graphic Novel) - finalist
2021 Tomás Rivera Book Award - finalist
Quince
SYNOPSIS:
Lupe is just your average, insecure, well-meaning, occasionally cranky teenage girl whose life is completely turned upside down when she discovers she has superpowers at her quinceañera. Her quince powers only last as long as she’s fifteen, so over the course of this rollercoaster year, we follow the adventures of Lupe as she figures out what it really means to be a hero.
Quince is a 15-issue comic book series that was released on the 15th of every month via ComiXology from January 15 - December 15, 2017. Each issue is available digitally in English and in Spanish. The English-language series is collected into a printed trade paperback that is now available through Fanbase Press.
CREATORS
Created by: Sebastian Kadlecik
Written by: Kit Steinkellner
Illustrated by: Emma Steinkellner
Translated by: Valeria Tranier
Genre: Superheroes, Comedy
Audience: 8 and up
Collected Trade Paperback Price: $19.99
AWARDS
2018 Eisner Award (Digital Comic Book) - nominee
2018 Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity - nominee
2018 Excellence in Graphic Novel Literature Award (YA) - nominee
2018 Mosaic Award for Diversity - nominee
2018 IPPY Award (Graphic Novel) - winner
2018 Cybils Award (YA Graphic Novel) - nominee
The Margins
Some stories are an escape. Some stories are a refuge. Some stories change in the telling, relentless to live on. Then, sometimes . . . it’s we who refuse to let go.
SYNOPSIS:
Artist Charley Keo’s new gig begins as a fun challenge to breathe new life into the forgotten pulp world of Elad - this time as a comic book. But as tendrils of this lost realm creep into her sleepy Portland neighborhood, Charley realizes that Elad is much more than the lines on a day-dreamt map, more than the sum of an old hack's prose. Elad has its hooks in Charley, and what was once fantasy has become deadly reality for both the artist and the woman she loves.
The graphic novel examines the dual nature of an artist's creative process in providing a healthy outlet for self-expression, as well as an unhealthy mechanism for avoidance and isolation. At its core, The Margins serves as an allegory for the growing trend of gatekeeping and its devastating ramifications.
CREATORS
Written by: David Accampo (Sparrow & Crowe, Lost Angels) and Paul Montgomery (Wormwood: A Serialized Mystery, Panels.net)
Illustrated by: Amanda Donahue
Genre: Fantasy, Pulp, Action/Adventure
Audience: Young Adult
Price: $19.99
Release Date: July 23, 2018
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Fearworms
"I'm not generally one for poetry, but Fearworms bored its way into my brain and chilled my soul. I couldn't put it down, poem after poem. What a gripping selection of verse-based stories to ice your veins on a dark winter's night!"
- Sandy King Carpenter (John Carpenter's Asylum)
SYNOPSIS:
Fearworms: Selected Poems features Robert Payne Cabeen’s new and previously published poems--from the 1980s to the present. These manically crafted word machines are visceral, psychological, haunting, and terrifyingly humorous, and they are guaranteed to leave readers squirming.
*Robert Payne Cabeen's horror poetry collection was nominated by the 2014 Bram Stoker Award (Poetry), the 2015 Elgin Award, and the 2015 Rhysling Award.
CREATORS
Written and Illustrated by Robert Payne Cabeen (Tainted Treats, Heavy Metal 2000, A Monkey’s Tale, Walking with Buddha)
Cover Art by Bill Sienkiewicz (Elektra: Assassin, Stray Toasters, The New Mutants)
Genre: Horror, Poetry
Audience: Mature
Printed Price: $14.99
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