Courtesy of Mad Cave Studio, AIPT can exclusively announce Confetti Realms, a new original YA graphic novel from Eisner Award-nominated writer Nadia Shammas, illustrated by Karnessa, and colored by Hakto Oshiro. Set to release appropriately on October 31, 2023, it’s a story about a group of teens transported from a graveyard to another realm where they must collect teeth— and learn about themselves— in order to return home.
It’s a story that started, as Shammas says, started with a Victorian Christmas card. “I was really inspired by the festive yet strangely macabre animals in their finest clothes. When thinking about developing the energy of the book further, pairing with Karnessa influenced a lot of creative decisions,” Shammas said. “This book is probably the strangest and most joyous work I’ve done yet. It’s a touch of Over the Garden Wall with emo teens, a quest for loose teeth, and big emotional stakes.”
Shammas added, “I’ve been a fan of Karnessa’s work for a long time, they manage to balance comedy and horror so incredibly well, and their creature design work is just off the charts. I feel like we kept leaning into the absurdity of the world we had created, and it kept pushing us to go funnier and weirder.”
So what’s Confetti Realms officially about?
On Halloween night, when the moon is full, teenagers get up to mischief. But when an encounter with a giant, sentient puppet in a graveyard sends four teens to a mysterious dimension called the Confetti Realms, they must overcome obstacles in their own friendships–and collect the debted teeth owed to the puppet–in order to make their way home.
But the allure of staying in a fantasy world is a hard one to beat, and going home to their normal lives is starting to sound less and less appealing for some. Will these friends return home?
Featuring a diverse cast of characters, this Tim Burton-esque, comedic, modern, and high-energy story.
Shammas continued, “Confetti Realms is a deeply personal story for me, and a world I needed to make for myself during the pandemic. I put some of my most personal teenager memories into this, but also a frog that robs people at knifepoint. It also a dream to make something so intimately focused on the emotional lives of alt-queer kids of color. I honestly hope readers just enjoy the world we’ve made, and these messy kids who are doing their best.”
Check out a preview below, and preorder it today.
For more on this news, read the official press release below.
Maverick and Mad Cave Studios are pleased to announce Confetti Realms, an original graphic novel from writer Nadia Shammas, illustrated by Karnessa, and colored by Hakto Oshiro, publishing October 17, 2023.
Summary: On Halloween night, when the moon is full, teenagers get up to mischief. But when an encounter with a giant, sentient puppet in a graveyard sends four teens to a mysterious dimension called the Confetti Realms, they must overcome obstacles in their own friendships–and collect the debted teeth owed to the puppet–in order to make their way home.
But the allure of staying in a fantasy world is a hard one to beat, and going home to their normal lives is starting to sound less and less appealing for some. Will these friends return home?
Featuring a diverse cast of characters, this Tim Burton-esque, comedic, modern, and high-energy story is written by Eisner Award-nominated Nadia Shammas, with art by Karnessa and colors by Hackto Oshiro.
Karnessa, the book’s illustrator, said that “this comic is like a weird vinaigrette of my favorite stuff. It has a little bit of everything: friendship, teeth, frog crimes, romance, catboys, more teeth and even a handsome automaton with the tumblr sexyman vibes.”
The book arrives as Mad Cave’s Maverick imprint enters its second full year of releases. Since its launch in late 2021, we’ve been so pleased to see that there is a strong market appetite for the engaging and authentic coming-of-age stories that we have wanted to tell from the outset. Confetti Realms is a landmark addition to our growing list of stories for those who think differently, who aren’t afraid to be independent, who find freedom in the unexpected, and who fight for who they truly are.
Maverick’s senior editor Lauren Hitzhusen said, “I’m so proud to be a part of Maverick as it enters its second year. Growing up can be such a challenge! Learning to balance your calling and what others expect of you–and what society expects of you–is a difficult balancing act. These three books are wonderful tales of self-discovery, friendship, and adventure, featuring heroes that don’t often see themselves represented. I am so proud of the work the creators have put into these books and thrilled to put them out into the world.”
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