Jeremy Fascaldo
As an undergrad, I developed a desire to read and learn as much manga as possible. One of the many comics I borrowed from my local library at the time was Jeff Smith’s Bourne series, previously published by Scholastic. However, in 2005, the series was republished under the newly formed publishing company “Graphics”, which subsequently published a variety of comics, books, and graphic novels from a wide variety of publishers. It will take on a life of its own. And over the next two decades, our graphics continue to evolve and we continue to publish books that inspire the next generation of readers.
magical school bus mural dogman
When I arrived at Scholastic’s offices on Mercer Street in downtown New York City on Friday, October 18th, I had no idea how big the graphics party would be. When I entered the building, I was amazed by the mural of Clifford the Big Red Dog and the Magic School Bus, as well as the statue of Captain Underpants hanging by the stairs (representative of the three I grew up reading about as a child). series). There was even a dog man walking mascot that greeted everyone near the entrance before we headed to the downstairs gallery where various elementary school students’ works were on display.
The 20th anniversary panel discussion soon began, and it did not disappoint. Moderated by Lizette Serrano, Scholastic’s vice president of school and library marketing, the panel featured several authors and illustrators who discussed what they’re working on. The lineup includes Samuel Sattin (The Unico Awakening), Jamar Nicholas (Leon the Extraordinary), and Gail Gilligan (The Baby-Sitters Club, Freestyle, Fresh Start) ), Raina Telgemeyer, and Scott MacLeod (Smile, Ghost, Understanding Comics, Making Comics, Cartoonists Club). .
The panel began with Sattin, who created the Unico series he and his team created in collaboration with Illustration Team Gurihiru (an Eisner Award-winning illustration team from Sapporo, consisting of Chifuyu Sasaki and Naoto Kono, who worked on Gwenpool). Introduced the artwork of Superman crushes Krang and the unstoppable Wasp). This series is based on the original manga created by Osamu Tezuka. He also confirmed that a sequel to the series is in the works, adding that the sequel will explore deeper themes and that the previous film will be seen in a different light after the sequel.
Following this, Nicholas shared some of the creative process behind the creation of the Leon series, which includes Leon the Extraordinary. He explained that he wrote the series inspired by his relationship with his mother. He also revealed that children approached him and asked, “Are you Leon?” He further added that he wanted to reflect that in Leon’s character and his relationship with his mother. To promote his upcoming book Leon: Worst Friends Forever (colored by Bonaia Rosado), he talks about what happens when you save the day and get everything you want, and your friends. He teased that the plot would be about what it means to have.
The panel then turned to Gilligan and the books they wrote and illustrated for Graphics magazine. They also talked about one of the books they have worked on, Freestyle. This book is a high-octane graphic novel about friendship, middle school, and the art of yo-yoing. They shared how their friends completely believed in this project and what a great learning experience this book was. Gail also talks about the artwork for her upcoming book, Fresh Start, and how it is inspired by their own experiences traveling to new cities, attending new schools, and making new friends. We also shared about. It was produced independently during the production of The Baby-Sitters Club series. Gail was delighted to publish this book as it was a very personal story. The coloring was done by K Czap, and it is scheduled to be released in spring 2025.
Last but not least, Telgemeyer and MacLeod talked about their first collaboration on the book The Cartoonist Club. While working on this book together, we both went crazy (in a good way) to make it happen. There was even a small preview where you could see Scott’s artwork within the comic during a sequence where the main characters were working on their own comics. They shared that there is an educational element in the story for the children of the main characters who try to discover something for themselves.
Another highlight of the panel was several panelists talking about the medium of comics and the collaborative nature of publishing. Gail said they draw comics as a hobby and believe we are all in this together. They added that you never know whose life you will change for the better. Samuel said you have to build up and connect with people. McLeod then added his belief in the importance of community, adding Will Eisner’s anecdote about how comics died and had to be reborn as a medium. During the panel discussion, he also shared that making mistakes is a valid strategy. Failure can lead to success, and there is no one way to tell a story. Whatever ideas they chase for inspiration or make them laugh, it’s not a zero-sum game.
While the panelists took questions from the audience, they were joined by David Thaler, who announced several new books that Graphics plans to publish. Sea Legs (Niki Smith and Jules Bakes). One-eyed cat Safi (Joho/Joanna Ho). Reel Life (Cain Lynch) and Diary of a Nature Geek (Tiffany Everett). He also said that Graphics plans to begin publishing manga in the near future starting in the spring of 2025, with titles such as Hikaru in the Light (March 2025) and Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms (April 2025). It was also revealed that.
As Thaler moved on to talk about the Bourne series and the upcoming series collection scheduled to be released during the 2024-25 release schedule, Jeff Smith made a surprise appearance, much to everyone’s delight. During this time, he spoke about his work on Bourne and how the series has grown and evolved beyond the basic comics sold in stores. He also talked about how he drew inspiration from literary influences such as Carl Barks, Walt Kelly, Charles Schulz, and J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
Afterwards, a party was held on the rooftop of the Scholastic building where everyone interacted with each other and had snacks, dinner, and cake. And there was also a special birthday celebration featuring a cake with special sparkle candles. Everyone received a take-home bag containing a copy of the graphic novel that was on display during the evening panel discussion. I got to meet some of my favorite authors and cartoonists, including Jeff Smith and Gail Gilligan. It was a special night that I will never forget. We hope that the next 20 years of Scholastic’s Graphix history will be as diverse as it is now.
Unico: Awakening was released on August 6, 2024 and is available now online and in stores. Leon: Worst Friends Forever was released earlier this month on October 9, 2024, and is available in comic shops and bookstores. Fresh Start is scheduled to be released on January 7, 2025. The Cartoonist Club is scheduled for release on April 1, 2025.
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