Kids graphic novel publisher Papercutz has two very different books queued up for May release.
The first is Bluebeard, an interpretation of the classic story by the duo known as Metaphrog. The authors tell the story from the point of view of Eve, a country girl with a simple but happy life, a large family, and a neighbor boy who’s sweet on her. Once Eve marries Bluebeard and goes to live in his castle, the story shifts into gothic horror mode. Even as she discovers the chamber of dead wives (only their feet are shown), some sort of spell falls over the village girls and they march zombie-like to the castle. Meanwhile her brothers and the neighbor boy are slashing through the enchanted forest to rescue her.It’s definitely a bit scary for younger kids (it’s Bluebeard, after all), but Metaphrog’s folkloric art, reminiscent of classic children’s books from Europe, and their unusual handling of the story may attract older readers, including adults. The hardcover book is scheduled for May 5 and will have an MSRP of $19.99.
Jim Benton’s Attack of the Stuff, on the other hand, is a goofy comedy with plenty of Benton’s incongruous twists. Bill Waddler, the main character, can hear what inanimate objects are saying. This is not as awesome as it sounds when it’s his toilet telling him “Not today, Bill” or his peanut butter and jelly bickering over whether there’s such a thing as a jelly allergy. Bill gets no respect from anything in his house and he finally runs away to live in nature and get away from all his chattering belongings. He finds peace in nature, sort of, but when the internet mysteriously shuts down, and the world starts to fall apart, Bill is the only one who can ask the internet what’s wrong.Benton is the author of Catwad and Clyde; his humor has a surreal edge but also plenty of fart jokes, so it’s fun for kids and adults alike. Papercutz will publish Attack of the Stuff on May 27 with an MSRP of $9.99 for the paperback and $14.99 for the hardcover.