Mad Cave Studios’ young adult imprint Maverick is set to release Heat of Fashion, a trans and queer-friendly YA romantic comedy from writer Lilah Sturges (Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass, The Magicians), artist and colorist Natalie Nardozza (Archie Horror), and letterer Rob Jones.
When Haring Arts and Design Magnet School royalty Ben Wilcox is assigned to work with maverick and outsider Annie Jacobs, he’s enthralled by her talent and her charms and does whatever it takes to get her to like him, including lying about his dating history. They fall in love while working on their final senior project, but when Annie discovers Ben’s lies, it doesn’t just damage their relationship: it threatens to sink their senior project as well!
The writer of numerous comics, including Girl Haven, The Science of Ghosts, and Public Relations, as well as titles from DC, Marvel, IDW, and other publishers, Lilah Sturges uses the romantic comedy setup to dig into trust, identity, and the mess people create when they try to become what someone else wants. The story brings queer and trans characters into a funny, complicated look at romance, friendship, and the pressure to get everything right before graduation.
Set against the creativity, competition, and social pressure of fashion school, Heat of Fashion brings queer and trans characters into a YA romantic comedy about attraction, trust, and the increasingly complicated consequences of trying to become the person someone else wants.
Heat of Fashion goes on sale December 8. Ahead of the release, we have an exclusive preview here!
