I am very proud to announce that the graphic novel I (and my longtime friend and artist Alex Forbes) have been working on for years and years finally has a home! THE CASE OF THE MISSING MEN is going to be published in Fall 2017 by CONUNDRUM PRESS. This represents our first foray into the world of comic books and graphic novels, and the culmination of a dream--to write and draw stories together--some 25 years old.
The Case of the Missing Men is the first part of an ongoing mystery thriller set in a strange and remote east-coast village called Hobtown. The story follows a gang of young teens who have made it their business to investigate each and every one of their town’s bizarre occurrences as The Teen Detective Club (a registered afterschool program). Their small world of missing pets and shed-fires is turned upside down when real-life kid adventurer and globetrotter Sam Finch comes to town and enlists them in their first real case—the search for his missing father. In doing so, he and the teens stumble upon a terrifying world of rural secret societies, weird-but-true folk mythology, subterranean lairs, and an occultist who can turn men into dogs.
Alex's artwork for this project is truly breathtaking, drawing inspiration from old Stratemeyer Syndicate illustrations (such as Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys and others) and combining it with unique style, careful line work, and expressive, articulated characters. I'm continually impressed by his ability to take my script and show me things inside of it that I didn't even know were there.
Here's a sneak peek!
(All artwork by ALEX FORBES)
