If I went to New York Comic Con last year and tried out an artist’s alley, I met a huge booth belonging to one Sandstorm comic. It quickly became a story amongst the comics people who wanted to know who they were and what their story was. They sponsored alleyways and handed out samplers for comic book lines. This hinted at a long tenure in the space, both as a sponsor and a new and remarkable presence in the industry.
This year, Sandstorm will return as both sponsor and exhibitor, but there is a more robust graphic novel offering aimed at solidifying its position as a serious comic publisher. To promote the expanded list of books, they will hold a panel on Saturday, October 11th from 3:15pm to 4:15pm. It takes place in Room 1C03 and details their years as a comic publisher in the Arab world and how their stories reflect that identity.
Their most popular book is called Solar Blader, written and edited by Mo Abedin (Editor of Sandstorm Comics), and drawn by Ozgur Yildirim. It is promoted as a solar punk story set in the future where underground groups are dangerous races and solar power host their own currency.
Available at the Sandstorm booth, the book focuses on young underground racers discovering new alien life forms that are sought after by mystical organizations. It features extensive world building and fair investment in lore and backstory. It was held in Abu Dhabi in 2587, a high-tech cultural hub where aliens, robots and other species coexist, creating an environment where hidden agendas and public policy conflict every day.
In this sense it reminds me somewhat of a blade runner. Future Abu Dhabi is presented as a multi-layered setting that is bursting in the seams in competing history and communities. However, this action takes more time after films like Tron and sports anime. The races are intense and intense, all of which are motor explosions of violence and colour that look ready-made in animation. Artist Yildirim is at the top of his game here, giving each panel a sense of immediacy that keeps the story moving forward at all times.
Among the other manga from the publisher are comic-inspired and easygoing, red and cats, and all the time. Created by Teko Mamaladze, Acro follows a professor or fear and phobia who loses the power to cause fear after inviting stray cats into their homes. All the periods written by Sarah Al Mutawa and drawn by Lucjan Pakulski are riffs of the classic fairy tale ratio tropes. The villain lures the wrong royal subject, then lives to regret it, as his prisoner is more trouble than he negotiated.
Sandstorm appears to be aiming to be a group of readers of all ages at least with their first graphic novel. Plan a stop at this upcoming NYCC booth to see what their future holds. There, several 11 books will be sold, and five will be released on Con itself. The two Sandstorm titles have also been reformatted to vertical scrolling and will be released on Wednesday in NYCC.
You can’t miss Sandstorm comics this year. Just like I couldn’t miss last year. Their huge booths are located at the mouth of the artist’s alley, and they become fierce to push the story into the world. Getting new players on the radar is always exciting. You never know where the next comic book classic will come from.
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