Bestselling author and illustrator Raina Telgemeier has a new middle-grade graphic novel on the way, People reports.
The Graphix imprint of Scholastic will publish The Cartoonists Club, a collaboration with Scott McCloud, next spring.
According to the publisher, the four young members of the titular club come together to learn about creating comics, each bringing different strengths and limitations to the project. Scholastic notes that the book combines narrative, art instruction, and “comics magic” to showcase the power of storytelling and “inspire a new generation of cartoonists.”
Telgemeier posted about the project on the social media platform Bluesky, explaining that she and McCloud have been working on the book since 2020. “I have wanted such a book to exist since I began writing for kids. Heck, since I was a budding cartoonist myself! To say this project is a dream come true, is the understatement of my life!!!”
McCloud added, “Raina drew the ‘real’ scenes, and I did all the kids’ art, plus some other art extras. And most importantly, we collaborated deeply on the layouts and script. TONS of back-and-forth (during three drafts).”
Telgemeier has written and illustrated a series of autobiographical illustrated books: Smile (2010), Drama (2012), Sisters (2014), Ghosts (2016), and Guts (2019). Collectively, her books have sold more than 16.4 million copies, according to her publisher.
McCloud is the author of The Sculptor and the editor of The Best American Comics 2014, among other titles. He was inducted into the Will Eisner Awards Hall of Fame in 2021.
The Cartoonists Club is scheduled for publication on April 1, 2025.
Marion Winik hosts NPR’s The Weekly Reader podcast.
