in this issue
from the publisher
Welcome to our first Graphic Mundi Newsletter, addressing in one shot what’s new and noteworthy in the worlds of Graphic Mundi and the comic book industry! We’ll be sending out these quarterly newsletters to draw your attention to our new releases and to update you on any notable reviews and awards or upcoming events you might find of interest. We’ll include an artist spotlight in each issue, and we’ll mention fragments of industry news that have captured the imagination of those of us on the Graphic Mundi team.
Well, we did it! We officially launched Graphic Mundi with the February publication of COVID Chronicles: A Comics Anthology. Listed as one of The Beat’s “75 most anticipated graphic novels” of Winter 2021, COVID Chronicles has gotten some great reviews, including a starred one from Kirkus. If you haven’t already seen it, check out this Kirkus interview, where Rich Johnson and I talk about putting together an anthology during a pandemic. We also had a fantastic time on 2/19 during a virtual book launch for the anthology, co-hosted by Seminary Co-op Bookstores. Now we look forward to the publication of the three additional new releases listed below, available for the first time to anglophone readers. Watch this space in our next issue for an introduction to the Graphic Mundi Advisory Board and for info on the second half of our spring releases. We’ll do our best to keep it interesting and to keep after our mission of drawing our worlds together.
—Kendra Boileau
Publisher, Graphic Mundi
new & noteworthy
Covid Chronicles
A Comics Anthology
edited by Kendra Boileau and Rich Johnson
“In a diverse, impassioned book, these quick responders illustrate the impact of the pandemic with work of lasting value.”—starred review, Kirkus Reviews
The Parakeet
Espé
“This beautifully told and brutal story strikes home.”—starred review, Publishers Weekly
Twister
Roland Burkhart
“This plainspoken dispatch will appeal to anyone who has confronted unexpected medical challenges, providing an uplifting example of how to build a different but fulfilling life.”—Publishers Weekly
Fat
Regina Hofer
“Hofer’s work is sparse, rich with blacks, and heavy on its impact. . . . An uncomfortable read, but one that nevertheless can evoke a lot of feeling and understanding.”—Multiversity Comics
industry news
via Bleeding Cool:
Adult Graphic Novels Sales In Bookstores More Than Double In A Year
By Rich Johnston | Feb 8, 2021
“Adult graphic novels sold through bookstores or online booksellers. . . [outperformed] the rest of the market significantly, up 110% on their equivalent sales a year ago.” Read more.
via BBC News:
The cartoonists making mental health their muse
By Emily Oomen | Jan 20, 2021
“Comics are not just about superheroes. Emily Oomen meets the artists shaping graphic medicine—a genre focused on the experience of living with illness.” Read more.
awards & reviews
Booklist, in a starred review, calls Espé’s The Parakeet “spectacular” and “a tender, gorgeous tribute.”
Booklist also calls Crude: A Memoir by Pablo Fajardo “staggering”: “Give this book to those readers who shun graphic novels for their lack of artistic talent and those who support global environmental causes.”
artist spotlight
Roland is a freelance illustrator based in Lucerne, Switzerland. A trained artist, he was rendered quadriplegic by an accident at work, and subsequently learned to draw left-handed. His experiences are the inspiration for Twister—originally published in Germany as Wirbelsturm—in which his protagonist, Piedro, also recovers from a serious accident and learns to find independence.
Roland Burkart...
has a website!
is on Instagram!
discusses the process of creating Wirbelsturm in this documentary short by Mauro Schweizer (click “CC” for subtitle options).
upcoming events & exhibits
May 8–May 15
Join us for the Toronto Comic Arts Festival! Watch this space for more information.
for librarians & booksellers
Graphic Mundi titles are available from the following wholesalers:
- Baker & Taylor
- Ingram
- YBP
- EBSCO
- ProQuest
To view a list of our retail sales representatives, click here.
Interested in working directly with us? Please contact Brendan Coyne.
is an imprint of
Penn State University Press
