EXCLUSIVE Cover Reveal: Bring Magic Into Your Art with HOCUS FOCUS from First Second

Artists of the realm, prepare to take up your swords and pencils once more!  In 2009, James Sturm, Alexis Frederick-Frost, and Andrew Arnold released Adventures in Cartooning: How to Turn Your Doodles into Comics.  An amalgamation of enthralling fiction and informative drawing tutorials, the book was a smash hit among young readers and aspiring artists picking up a pen for the first time. Now, the three are teaming up with publisher First Second again to bring you Hocus Focus, a brand new fantasy adventure that promises to expand upon the world of their informative franchise.

All day long, the Knight peels turnips. This isn’t what she had in mind for her first magic lesson. She wants to make a magic potion, not soup! Things get a lot more exciting when she steals the wizard’s magic wand and spell book. Her potion transforms Edward into a giant worm—and he’s hungry!

Hocus Focus offers more sweet, goofy storytelling from the creators of Adventures in Cartooning. With simple how-to-draw tutorials on the endpapers, these cute picture books are a playful extension of the hit instructional series.

James Sturm‘s books include The Golem’s Mighty Swing, Market Day, and Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow. He is the co-founder of the Seattle alternative newspaper the Stranger and the Center for Cartoon Studies, an MFA degree granting college. cartoonstudies.org

Andrew Arnold‘s work has appeared in several publications, including Nickelodeon Magazine and Cambridge University Press. Originally from Houston, Texas, Andrew currently lives in New York City.

Alexis Frederick-Frost‘s illustrations have appeared in a variety of publications including Nickelodeon Magazine, First Second Books, and others. Alexis currently lives with his wife in Maryland. alexisff.blogspot.com