Press Release
BOOM! Studios brings the beautiful world of artist Camilla d’ Errico to life this March with her new hardcover graphic novel TANPOPO.
This stunning visual journey combines stories of old with Camilla d’Errico’s unique artistic style. TANPOPO brings to life the story of a mysterious young girl, Tanpopo, who takes a journey to experience true emotion. The story of Tanpopo is inspired and narrated by passages from classic literature and poetry. The words and images are woven together, telling Tanpopo’s story as she is guided by the Faustian devil, Kuro, on her journey into the world of humanity and what it means to feel.
The chapters in this volume are reflective of Goethe’s Faust, Samuel L. Coleridge’s Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner, and Psu Sung Ling’s Strange Stories From a Chinese Studio. The result is a text that dances hand-in-hand with d’Errico’s ethereal artwork; manga and poetry fused to create its own unique beauty.
“TANPOPO is a completely new type of book,” says Matt Gagnon, Editor-in-Chief of BOOM! Studios. “It is a new graphic novel experience that combines an Camilla’s unique aesthetic in both the storytelling format and character development. We’re combining classic literature with her ephemeral art.”
“I love teaming up with creators like this,” says Ross Richie, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BOOM! Studios. “We used Kickstarter in a new way to bring the public comics that they might never see otherwise. Camilla d’Errico’s work is both lovely and literary. We are proud to bring books like this into the market.”
Tanpopo (the Japanese word for Dandelion) is superhumanly intelligent and inhumanly emotionless. Attached to a mysterious machine, she is ruled by her mind and vast knowledge. But one day, her heart rises up to struggle against her ruling mind. Torn and confused, she now seeks her humanity, longing to feel what other humans feel.
Kuro, disguising himself as The Poodle, hears Tanpopo’s lamentations, and promises her that she can experience all human emotions, especially love and happiness. Alas, this kind of offer doesn’t come without a price … Kuro is The Devil in disguise, and he is after Tanpopo’s Soul. The series follows Tanpopo’s journey into the human world, as she is confronted with the reality of life and death. As she goes out into the world, she meets a variety of characters and is plunged into challenging obstacles.
TANPOPO, written and drawn by Camilla d’Errico, will ship this March. This title features the first 3 chapters of her self-published work as well as an all new chapter that finishes this volume for a total of 176 pages of story. This book carries a price point of $24.99 with a Diamond Code of JAN120963.
About BOOM! Studios
Founded by Ross Richie, BOOM! Studios (www.boom-studios.com) is 2009 and 2010’s “Best Publisher” and an Eisner and Harvey Award winner, generating a constellation of bestselling comic books and graphic novels with the industry’s top talent, including Mark Waid’s IRREDEEMABLE, new HELLRAISER comics written by Clive Barker, PLANET OF THE APES, 28 DAYS LATER, and Philip K. Dick’s DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP?. BOOM!’s all-ages imprint KABOOM! publishes Charles Schulz’ PEANUTS, Roger Langridge’s SNARKED, and Scholastic’s WORDGIRL. BOOM!’s lit comix-focused imprint, BOOM! Town, recently won the Eisner Award for its first book, Shannon Wheeler’s I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE FUNNIER.
