Magnetic Press and Oni Press have announced a new graphic novel from Blacksad artist Juanjo Guarnido and Garulfo writer Alain Ayroles. A Scoundrel in the New World is slated to hit Kickstarter later this year, and The Beat can exclusively reveal the details.
Inspired by Francisco de Quevedo’s 1626 satirical novel, Historia de la vida del Buscón, llamado don Pablos (The Life of the Swindler named Don Pablos), A Scoundrel in the New World follows a Spanish conman to the New World in search of the legendary treasure of El Dorado. Here’s the full synopsis:
A Scoundrel in the New World follows Don Pablos of Segovia, a charming conman and inveterate liar who leaves behind the treacherous streets of Spain in search of fortune in the New World. After a life of misadventure, Don Pablos finds himself in prison, recounting his experiences to greedy inquisitors as the ultimate unreliable narrator. From the opulent, gilded halls of the colonial elite to the untamed jungles of the young Americas, Pablos weaves a web of complex schemes to climb the social ladder. However, as the lines between his tall tales and reality begin to blur, Pablos discovers that in the colonies, the most dangerous predator isn’t the wilderness: it’s human ambition.
See interior and cover art from the graphic novel below.
“A Scoundrel in the New World may be Juanjo Guarnido’s most ambitious work to date, even compared to his work as the co-creator and artist of the world-famous Blacksad series,” says Magnetic Press Director of Publishing, Mike Kennedy. “Every panel is a painting, filled with immaculate historical detail, expressive characters, and cinematic lighting that really brings the period to life with vibrant intensity.
“Alain Ayroles’ script is a brilliant homage to the Golden Age of Spanish literature, a witty and somewhat cynical tale employing a shifting ‘Rashomon-style’ perspective that keeps the reader questioning the protagonist’s credibility until the final page,” Kennedy continues. “This book combines the cynical historical wit of Blackadder with the sprawling adventure of El Dorado.”
“A Scoundrel in the New World is the result of a decade of thinking, cogitation and rumination around an extremely compelling storyline,” say Ayroles and Guarnido in a joint statement. “It is deeply important to us since it is a tribute and a sequel to one of the most important pieces of the golden century of Spanish literature, as well as the unarguable summit of the picaresque genre: Quevedo’s El Buscón.
“After a decade concluded by three and a half years of storyboarding, adjusting, drawing, adjusting again, watercoloring, adjusting more (oh yes, after watercoloring!) and fine-tuning, this intricate production which is likely, even if we both cherish our other and dear professional achievements, our finest work,” they conclude.
Magnetic Press will release both a deluxe hardcover edition of A Scoundrel in the New World and a limited collectors slipcase edition with a textured spine and Smyth-sewn binding for the Kickstarter campaign. The latter also comes with a bound-in satin ribbon bookmark, gold foil gilding on the page edges, and a numbered bookplate with each copy.
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