Exclusive: New Ethan Young Graphic Novel

Big news from BOOM! Studios this morning: Ethan Young is working on an original kids’ graphic novel, Space Bear. Young is the creator of The Battles of Bridget Lee and Nanjing: The Burning City (which won a Reuben Award and was nominated for an Eisner and a Harvey), as well as Life Between Panels, which collects his comic Tails.

Space Bear is a wordless graphic novel that looks like it will be appropriate for the younger end of the middle-grade spectrum. The main character, Cosmos, is a bear who travels the universe collecting specimens of different life forms. When he is stranded on a strange planet, he not only faces an assortment of perils but also comes to question his attitudes and his mission. BOOM! will publish the book under its KaBOOM! imprint in June 2020.

The full press release is below.

Boldly Go Where No SPACE BEAR Has Gone Before With Ethan Young and BOOM! Studios

LOS ANGELES, CA (November 7, 2019) – BOOM! Studios today announced a new original graphic novel SPACE BEAR by award-winning cartoonist Ethan Young (Nanjing: The Burning City), presenting a timely, silent sci-fi story about discovering the unknown and empathy for everyone we encounter, because every friendship begins with an act of kindness, available in June 2020.

Pilgrim Finch is an adventurous astronaut bear who explores the cosmos with a mission to bring samples of life back to his home planet. But when he crash lands on a new planet full of surprises and danger around every corner, Pilgrim will be forced to question his orders and learn that there’s only one mission that matters – compassion for all living creatures, no matter the stakes!

Ethan Young is best known for Nanjing: The Burning City, winner of the 2016 Reuben Award for Best Graphic Novel. His other graphic novels include The Battles of Bridget Leeand Life Between Panels. In addition to comic book work, Young is a prolific freelance illustrator, and once served as a character designer on Major Lazer on FXX.

“SPACE BEAR is one of my favorite projects I’ve worked on that is meant for readers of any age,” said Ethan Young. “My aim was to make a wordless story that early readers, as well as kids and grown-ups will love. I hope you enjoy following Pilgrim’s adventures as much as I enjoyed creating them!”

SPACE BEAR is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning KaBOOM! imprint, home to comics for middle grade and younger readers including licensed series such as Adventure Time, Steven Universe, Regular Show, Ben 10, and Over the Garden Wall, along with original series like Just Beyond: The Scare School by R.L. Stine and Kelly & Nichole Matthews, Hex Vet by Sam Davies, RuinWorld by Derek Laufman,  Hotel Dare by Terry Blas and Claudia Aguirre, and Pandora’s Legacy by Kara Leopard and Kelly & Nichole Matthews.

“Ethan is such an amazing cartoonist that the heart  and soul of this wordless graphic novel is easily conveyed in every line put to paper. SPACE BEAR packs an emotional wallop,” said Sierra Hahn, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Readers young and old will be touched by Pilgrim’s journey on a brand new planet as he learns to embrace a world (and unexpected new friends) wildly different from everything he’s ever known.”

Print copies of SPACE BEAR will be available for sale in June 2020 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), bookstores or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and Madefire.

For more on SPACE BEARand other projects from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

Filed under: All Ages