Dark Horse has announced Goblin, a middle grade graphic novel by Eric Grissom and Will Perkins that will be available at your local bookstore, comic shop, or library on May 26th, 2021.
Grissom and Perkins previously worked together as the creative team on science fiction graphic novel Gregory Suicide, also from Dark Horse. Now the duo is embarking for the realm of fantasy with Goblin.
Goblin follows Rikt, a young goblin who is orphaned during a night time raid. Angry and without his family, Rikt swears he will track down the warrior who razed his life and avenge the murder of his parents. During his quest, Rikt finds assistance in the form of unlikely allies, and is soon set upon a path that will lead him to the power that lies at the heart of the First Treat.
If you’re getting a Legend of Zelda vibe, you aren’t alone! According to Grissom, some of the inspiration for Goblin came from video games. However, while video games often present goblins as nameless enemies to be defeated by the hero, Goblin subverts those expectations by making Rikt the hero rather than the villain.
Meanwhile, Perkins said that he drew on his experiences with video games as inspiration for the environments in the graphic novel, pushing to make the world feel alive and hoping that the reader will want to explore whatever may be over the next hill.
You can read the entirety of the official press release for Goblin below. Will you be picking up the middle grade graphic novel when it debuts in May 2021? Let us know in the comment section!
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
NEW MIDDLE GRADE GRAPHIC NOVEL ‘GOBLIN’ ARRIVES 2021
The Fantasy Adventure by Eric Grissom and Will Perkins Embarks May 2021
MILWAUKIE, Ore., (October 21, 2020), A young, headstrong goblin embarks on a wild journey of loss, self-discovery, and sacrifice in Goblin, a new middle-grade graphic novel adventure by Eric Grissom and Will Perkins, the creative minds behind Gregory Suicide.
One fateful night a sinister warrior raids the home of the young goblin Rikt, leaving him orphaned. Angry and alone, Rikt vows to avenge the death of his parents and seeks a way to destroy the culprit. As he finds aid from unlikely allies throughout his journey, Rikt discovers the secret power hidden in the heart of the First Tree. Will Rikt survive the trials that await him on his perilous journey to the First Tree? And is Rikt prepared for the awakening he may find there?
‘Time and time again, from folklore to video games, goblins have been seen as an enemy to be overcome, a monster a “hero” must defeat. With GOBLIN, I wanted to tell a story that flipped that idea. Not every monster is a villain and not every person that looks like a hero acts like one. We set out to make the world of GOBLIN a wonderful, mysterious place and I can’t wait for readers to get lost within it.’ Eric Grissom
‘Drawing the world of Eric’s story was a genuine blast and I was really inspired by my love of video games. I had so much fun filling in the nooks and crannies and trying to help create a world where adventure is everywhere. Inviting the reader to wonder what lay behind that ridge of mountains or beyond the next tree line.’—Will Perkins
Goblin is a fantasy story like no other about overcoming great odds and finding light in even the darkest places. Goblin arrives in your local comic shop May 26, 2021 and bookstores June 8, 2021 for $14.99.
Pre-order today from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop.
