Adam Smith and Matt Fox are reuniting for a new graphic novel set for release in 2020. The Beat can exclusively announce that the Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated creative team will return for Archaia’s The Down River People, a southern gothic story about a man attempting to survive his family’s dangerous web of criminal ties. The OGN is set for release in July.
“The Down River People is a book that’s hard to compartmentalize: it’s steeped in the horror and thriller genres while still being the most personal book I’ve written so far,” Smith said in a statement. “It’s a story about coming to terms with who you are and what you’re afraid you could be. I couldn’t have a better partner in tackling those themes and ideas than Matt Fox and I’m elated to see the book we’ve made together out in the wild.”
The Down River People follows Myers Carpenter, a bootlegger who just inherited his family’s bar, The Flatbed. When he burns his bridges with a long-time booze supplier in Mississippi, he’s forced to find a new lead — although he’s unsure if he even wants to keep the famous speakeasy.
Out of options, Myers turns to his estranged mother, whom he hasn’t seen since he was a child; she now runs a fishing lodge for the wealthy, with a half sister Myers knows nothing about. As he falls in deeper with his family, Myers learns the secrets of the lodge, including the truth of the dark cult that thrives just beneath the opulent surface.
In a statement, Fox said, “This is the book we’ve wanted to make for a long time now. It’s been exciting to dip my toes in the horror and thriller genres, and I can’t wait to get it into readers’ hands.”
BOOM! Studios Editor Matthew Levine calls The Down River People “a deeply moving and nuanced examination of the complicated relationships that bind us to family and how they define us and our choices…for better or worse.” The OGN hits comic shops, bookstores, and digital platforms in July 2020.
Check out the cover art below and for more information, visit boom-studios.comboom-studios.com.
