Boom! Studios – news week August 5th

In our weekly recap of new from BOOM! Studios comes an announcement of a new five part fantasy series coming this November.

FOLKLORDS from writer (and multiple time Eisner nominees) Matt Kindt and artist Matt Smith is “about a young man whose forbidden quest reveals the shocking truth about his world and turns everything he ever knew upside down“

Look for the first issue with a main cover by Matt Smith, and a variant cover from Duncan Fegredo when it is released on November 13th.

The news this week from BOOM! continued with the announcement that writer and artist Marie Spénale will be releasing an original graphic novel titled WONDER PONY next year.

The synopsis from the press release is as follows: “For Louison, going back to school for sixth grade looks set to be eventful to say the least . . . not only is it time to face the terrifying world of boarding school and make friends, but it turns out she has superpowers! Thanks to her friend Jean-Pierre – who happens to be a pink pony – Louison gains the ability to transform herself into a super-heroine: WONDER PONY.“

It sounds like an interesting read for younger readers and definitely one they should check out when it is released in April of 2020.

Last week BOOM! announced that the first printing of their upcoming title from writer Kieron Gillen, artist Dan Mora, and colorist Tamra Bonvillain Once and Future sold out before it even hit shelves, and this week the second printing followed suit.

Because of that, there will be a third printing of the title with an all-new cover from Dan Mora. Look for it on September 4th.

Also this week BOOM! revealed three different cover art versions for SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #1. The main cover by Werther Dell’Edera as well as variant covers from Jenny Frison, and Jae Lee.

The first issue series from writer James Tynion IV and artist Werther Dell’Edera about the mysterious monster hunter, Erica Slaughter who arrives in a small town that is experiencing a few brutal murders. Look for it when it’s released on September 4, 2019.

Also announced this week was a new graphic novel titled WE SERVED THE PEOPLE: MY MOTHER’S STORIES from cartoonist Emei Burell.

The graphic novel has stories that her mother shared from her childhood in mid-1960s Communist China.

Look for it when it’s released in April 2020.

Full press releases for all the news from this week are below.

Face the Legendary FOLKLORDS in New Comic Book Series By Matt Kindt and Matt Smith

Discover the Hidden Secrets Behind an Epic Legend and a Twisted Reality in November 2019

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 5, 2019) – BOOM! Studios is proud to announce FOLKLORDS, an all-new original five-issue series from Eisner Award-nominated writer Matt Kindt (Grass Kings, Black Badge) and acclaimed artist Matt Smith (Hellboy & the BPRD: Long Night at Goloski, Lake of Fire) about a young man whose forbidden quest reveals the shocking truth about his world and turns everything he ever knew upside down, available in November 2019.

In a world of magic and monsters, Ansel is an outsider haunted by visions of well-pressed suits and modern technology. When it comes time for him to declare his Quest on his 16th birthday, Ansel decides to seek out a legend that is only spoken in hushed whispers—the Folklords—hoping they can explain his visions…but looking for the Folklords is expressly forbidden and going on a rogue quest is punishable by death. What will Ansel risk to find out about the world he has never truly belonged in? 

Matt Kindt is the New York Times bestselling writer and artist of the comics and graphic novels Dept. H, Mind MGMT, Revolver, 3 Story, Super Spy, 2 Sisters, and Pistolwhip, as well as the writer of Eisner Award-nominated Grass Kings and Black Badge with BOOM! Studios, Ether with Dark Horse Comics, Justice League of America with DC Comics,Spider-Man with Marvel Comics, and Unity, Ninjak, Rai, and Divinity with Valiant Comics. He has won the PubWest book design award, been nominated for six Eisner Awards, and six Harvey Awards (and won once). His work has been published in French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Korean. 

“Ideas usually sneak up on you. But this one came in a flash. As soon as my plucky editor, Eric, said the word ‘FOLKLORDS’, I had an image of this teenage kid in a black suit and tie…walking through a small folk tale-style village full of gnomes, witches, and trolls. It looked jarring, seeing that kid there. He was completely out of place. What’s this kid wearing a suit for? Is he living in a fairy tale? Why is he there?” said writer Matt Kindt. “I’m not sure why the word triggered that image in my head but I didn’t question it. The question I did have? Who the heck are the FOLKLORDS? This kid…in this suit and tie…who doesn’t seem to belong? He’s going to find out.”

Matt Smith is an illustrator and comic artist based out of Massachusetts. He started out in comics with his tribute to the medieval Icelandic Sagas, Barbarian Lord, published by Clarion Books. Since then, Smith has gone on to collaborate with comics creator Mike Mignola on the upcoming Hellboy & the BPRD: Long Night at Goloski Station for Dark Horse Comics, writer Nathan Fairbairn on Lake of Fire for Image Comics, and several short stories for BOOM! Studios, including Planet of the Apes: When Worlds Collide with writer Matt Kindt.

“Getting to work with Matt Kindt again was something I couldn’t pass up. He brings a depth and  thoughtfulness to the characters that makes me want to invest in them. That’s what I look for in a script. Well, that and a great story to put those characters in,” said artist Matt Smith.  “Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that there are armored librarians, psychotic killers, angry gnomes, and a big ol’ troll, too. Ok, forget all that stuff about depth and whatever, it’s about the troll.”

FOLKLORDS is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including Once & Future by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora; Faithless by Brian Azzarello and Maria Llovet; Abbott by Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivelä; Bury The Lede by Gaby Dunn and Claire Roe; and Klaus by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties including Joss Whedon’s Firefly from Greg Pak and Dan McDaid; Buffy The Vampire Slayer from Jordie Bellaire and David Lopez; and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Ryan Parrott and Daniele Di Nicuolo.

“We’ve all had that sense that we just don’t fit in, that there’s some other world out there where we truly belong — and for Ansel, that might just be the case,” said Eric Harburn, Senior Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Matt Kindt and Matt Smith, along with colorist Chris O’Halloran and letterer Jim Campbell, are a powerhouse team with a brilliant new take on the epic fantasy quest, one that no reader will see coming.”

Print copies of FOLKLORDS #1 will be available for sale November 13, 2019 exclusively at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app.

For continuing news on FOLKLORDS and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

Marie Spénale’s WONDER PONY Transforms Student into Superhero in April 2020

Discover the Magical Power of Friendship and the Wonder of Imagination in New Original Graphic Novel

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 6, 2019) – BOOM! Studios today announced a brand new original graphic novel, WONDER PONY. Acclaimed writer and artist Marie Spénale presents a charming new adventure for anyone who’s ever wished they had the power to save the day, available in stores April 2020.

For Louison, going back to school for sixth grade looks set to be eventful to say the least . . . not only is it time to face the terrifying world of boarding school and make friends, but it turns out she has superpowers! Thanks to her friend Jean-Pierre – who happens to be a pink pony – Louison gains the ability to transform herself into a super-heroine: WONDER PONY. 

Her mission? To keep watch over the school, and protect her classmates and friends from any dangers that might arise . . .

Marie Spénale is an acclaimed French illustrator and comic book author based out of Brussels, Belgium. She has worked as an illustrator with multiple European publishers and publications including Milan, Bayard, Flammarion, Hatier, Dupuis, Thanks, and Mixicom. Spénale’s first graphic novel was Heidi in Spring with Delcourt in 2017. She was nominated for the Angoulême Youth Award for the French edition of Wonder Pony from Jungle in 2018. 

“Louison is a heroine I would have liked to be in sixth grade: a girl who’s a little bit shy, but courageous, and who learns to overcome the monsters that haunt her school thanks to Jean-Pierre, a tiny magic pony!” said creator, Marie Spénale. “Thanks to him, she becomes super strong and very popular. The dream, right? I hope you have as much fun reading WONDER PONY as I did when I wrote and drew it!”

WONDER PONY is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning KaBOOM! imprint, home to comics for middle grade and younger readers including original series like Just Beyond: The Scare School by R.L. Stine and Kelly & Nichole Matthews, Hex Vetby Sam Davies, Hotel Dare by Terry Blas and Claudia Aguirre, RuinWorld by Derek Laufman, Drew and Jot: Dueling Doodles by Art Baltazar, and Pandora’s Legacy by Kara Leopard and Kelly & Nichole Matthews, as well as licensed series such as Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Over The Garden Wall.

“Thanks to Marie’s vivid characters and incredible illustrations, every page of WONDER PONY comes alive with adventure, fun, friendship, and the sense of excitement that comes with each new school year,” said Sophie Philips-Roberts, Editor. “This book is for every kid—and kid at heart—who daydreams about gaining fantastical powers, becoming a superhero, and busting out of their classroom to go and save the day!

Print copies of WONDER PONY will be available for sale in April 2020 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), bookstores or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app.

For continuing news on WONDER PONY and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

ONCE & FUTURE #1 SELLS OUT AGAIN, BOOM! STUDIOS FAST TRACKS
THIRD PRINTING

The Most Anticipated Original Series Of The Year Is Sold Out Again!

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 7, 2019) – BOOM! Studios announced today that ONCE & FUTURE #1, the extra-sized issue kicking off an all-new series from New York Times bestselling writer Kieron Gillen (The Wicked + The Divine, Star Wars), Russ Manning Award-winning artist Dan Mora (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Klaus), and acclaimed colorist Tamra Bonvillain (Doom Patrol), has sold out of its second printing at the distributor level before the series debut on August 14, 2019.

Due to the incredible demand for the premiere issue of the hotly anticipated series, BOOM! Studios has fast-tracked the ONCE & FUTURE #1 THIRD PRINTING VARIANT, featuring an all-new cover by series artist Dan Mora, arriving in stores on September 4, 2019. 

The most anticipated original series launch of the year, ONCE & FUTURE introduces readers to ex-monster hunter Bridgette McGuire, who must pull her unsuspecting grandson Duncan, into a world of magic and mysticism to defeat a legendary threat when a group of Nationalists use an ancient artifact to bring a villain from Arthurian myth back from the dead. Now Bridgette and Duncan must navigate the complicated history of the McGuire family and combat the deadly secrets of England’s past that threaten its very future.

“We knew Kieron, Dan, Tamra and the team made something special with ONCE & FUTURE, but we’re floored by how quickly the second printing sold out. Even though we fast tracked the second printing to get copies in stores quickly, demand exceeded our expectations and we’re going to have to allocate,” said Filip Sablik, President of Sales and Marketing, BOOM! Studios. “ONCE & FUTURE #1 returning with a third printing means even more readers can discover why this is the most anticipated original series of the year!” 

You can also download the official ONCE & FUTURE trailer right here: ONCE & FUTURE #1 Trailer

ONCE & FUTURE #1 is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including Once & Future by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora; Faithless by Brian Azzarello and Maria Llovet; Abbott by Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivelä; Bury The Lede by Gaby Dunn and Claire Roe; Klaus by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora; and the upcoming Folklords by Matt Kindt and Matt Smith. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties including Joss Whedon’s Firefly from Greg Pak and Dan McDaid; Buffy The Vampire Slayer from Jordie Bellaire and David Lopez; and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Ryan Parrott and Daniele Di Nicuolo.

Print copies of ONCE & FUTURE #1 First Printing, featuring cover art by artist Dan Mora, will officially be available for sale on August 14, 2019 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. 

ONCE & FUTURE #1Second Printing, featuring a new variant cover by Dan Mora will be available for sale on August 28, 2019 at local comic book shops. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app.

For continuing news on ONCE & FUTURE and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

Superstar Jenny Frison Covers SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #1 From BOOM! Studios

The Most-Anticipated New Horror Comic Book Of The Year Debuts in September 2019

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 7, 2019) – BOOM! Studios today revealed a first look at the SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #1 variant cover by acclaimed artist and illustrator Jenny Frison (Wonder Woman), featuring the mysterious monster hunter, Erica Slaughter, who arrives in the middle of a string of startling deaths in a small, close-knit community rocked by the tragedies and consumed by fear. The first issue of the hotly-anticipated new series by award-winning author James Tynion IV (The Woods, Justice League) and artist Werther Dell’Edera (Briggs Land) will be available on September 4, 2019.

In a sleepy town in the heart of America, children have started to die in horrific ways. The local police are mystified by the brutal murders, and frantic to catch the killer. But they refuse to believe reports of impossible creatures that lurk in the shadows snatching children and tearing them to pieces, especially since the only people who claim to have seen these so-called monsters are other children. Enter Erica Slaughter, a mysterious stranger who rides into town and claims she can solve their “monster” problem. But can the townspeople trust this dangerous outsider with their children’s lives? And more importantly, can the children trust this strange adult with their secrets? 

SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #1 features cover art by series artist Werther Dell’Edera and a variant cover by artists Jae Lee and June Chung (Batman/Superman).

SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #1 is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including Once & Future by Kieron Gillen and Dan Mora; Faithless by Brian Azzarello and Maria Llovet;Abbott by Saladin Ahmed and Sami Kivelä; Bury The Lede by Gaby Dunn and Claire Roe;Klaus by Grant Morrison and Dan Mora; and the upcoming Folklords by Matt Kindt and Matt Smith. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties including Joss Whedon’s Firefly from Greg Pak and Dan McDaid; Buffy The Vampire Slayer from Jordie Bellaire and David Lopez; and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers from Ryan Parrott and Daniele Di Nicuolo.

Print copies of SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN #1 will be available for sale September 4, 2019 exclusively at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app.

For continuing news on SOMETHING IS KILLING THE CHILDREN and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

Emei Burell Reveals Her Mother’s Unforgettable True Story in WE SERVED THE PEOPLE: MY MOTHER’S STORIES from BOOM! Studios

Discover One Woman’s Coming of Age Under Mao’s Rule in Communist China in April 2020

LOS ANGELES, CA (August 8, 2019) – BOOM! Studios today announced the new original graphic novel WE SERVED THE PEOPLE: MY MOTHER’S STORIES, available in April 2020, from Eisner-nominated cartoonist Emei Burell as she breathes new life into the stories her mother shared of growing up in mid-1960s Communist China and discovers a connection to her family history and heritage.

In China, an entire generation’s most formative years took place in remote rural areas when city kids were sent to the countryside to become rusticated youth and partake in Mao’s mandated Great Leap Forward. In an inspiring tale, Emei’s mother, Yuan Ye Ping, recounts how she ended up as one of the few truck-driving women during the Up to the Mountains and Down to the Countryside Movement, which sought to increase agricultural outreach and spur social and ideological change amongst youth.

Burell’s stunning illustrations honor her mother’s courage, strength, and determination during a decade of tremendous political upheaval and introduces us to a young woman in a new era of self-discovery. 

Emei Burell is a two-time Eisner Award-nominated cartoonist and illustrator based in London. Burell is currently venturing into the video game industry but has dabbled in animation while working for Cartoon Network. Her previous comics work has been  published by Image Comics, and featured in The Nib, The Believer, BOOM! Studios’Adventure Time series, and in Ed Piskor’s Hip Hop Family Tree from Fantagraphics. 

“Getting to work on such a personal story of someone who I love and admire so much is truly amazing. I can’t wait to share with the world all of the incredible stories that my mother has shared with me growing up until now.” said author Emei Burell.

WE SERVED THE PEOPLE: MY MOTHER’S STORIES is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ ambitious Archaia imprint, home to graphic novels such as Mouse Guard by David Petersen; New World by David Jesus Vignolli; Jane by Aline Brosh McKenna and Ramón Pérez; About Betty’s Boob by Vero Cazot and Julie Rocheleau; Bolivar by Sean Rubin; and licensed series including Lev Grossman’s The Magicians: Alice’s Story by Lilah Sturges and Pius Bak; Jim Henson’s The Power of the Dark Crystal and Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: Coronation.

“Emei explores her mother’s sometimes funny and often inspiring stories of working agriculture during a time of immense political change in China during the late 1960s,” said Sierra Hahn, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Throughout the constant relocations and endless days of back-breaking physical labor, Yuan Ye Ping lost none of her joy, humor, or sense of adventure and ambition—attributes her daughter shares and poured lovingly into each page of this graphic novel.”

Print copies of WE SERVED THE PEOPLE: MY MOTHER’S STORIES will be available for sale in April 2020 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), bookstores or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app.

For continuing news on WE SERVED THE PEOPLE: MY MOTHER’S STORIES and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios was founded by Ross Richie in 2005 with the singular focus of creating world-class comic book and graphic novel storytelling for all audiences. Through the development of four distinct imprints—BOOM! Studios, BOOM! Box, KaBOOM!, and Archaia—BOOM! has produced award-winning original work, including Lumberjanes, The Woods, Giant Days, Klaus, and Mouse Guard, while also breaking new ground with established licenses such as WWE, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Cartoon Network, and The Jim Henson Company properties. BOOM! will also bring their original series to life through unique first-look relationships with 20th Century Fox for film and with 20th Television for the small screen. Please visit www.boom-studios.com for more information. 
 
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