Hopeless Savages is back with Break

More Oni Press news! Jen van Meter’s Hopeless Savages, a family drama about the kids of a punk rock family growing up and coming of age, has run since 2000, a very early example of a comics genre now far more common. Along the way it picked up some pretty amazing artistic collaborators in Christine Norrie, Chynna Clugston, Andi Watson, Bryan Lee O’Malley, and Vera Brosgol. Now it’s back in an updated story with older character. Van Meter writes, Meredith McClaren draws, and original artist Christine Norrie does the flashbacks. The book is back in August.

Oni Press, Portland’s premier independent comic book publisher, announced today Hopeless Savages: Break, a new chapter in the Hopeless Savages story, by original series creator Jen Van Meter and artist Meredith McClaren (Hinges), featuring art by original series artist Christine Norrie. Hopeless Savages: Break will release on August 12th, 2015.

Hopeless Savages: Break continues the story of fan favorite protagonist Zero and her punk rock family. Zero finds herself in college and thoroughly hating it, though an upcoming tour with her band The Dusted Bunnies promises to rejuvenate her spirits. A rival band threatens to end the tour early, and without her family, Zero is in no position to fight back. Meanwhile, the rest of the Hopeless-Savages are dealing with their own problems, including babies, contracts and drug addictions. If there’s one family who can pull it all off, it’s this one.

“The first Hopeless-Savages story came out in 2000,” Jen Van Meter notes. “Fifteen years! And for every one of them, I’ve been so grateful for the support of Oni Press and the work of every one of the many amazing artists who’ve helped me bring this family to life. It took a really, really long time to write Break–largely for personal reasons; I was growing up along with the characters, and I felt a disconnect I couldn’t articulate. When James Lucas Jones–doing what a great editor does–suggested I run toward that, I finally found the emotional center for this story; then Meredith McClaren came aboard and brought beautiful storytelling, great instincts about the characters, and a wonderful sense of humor, making everything I wrote a thousand times better.  The icing on the cake, for me, was when Christine Norrie was able to make time to do the flashback sequences; she’s been with me, Zero, Twitch and the rest of the family since the beginning, and I’m thrilled she was able to continue on this strange road trip with us.”