Mad Cave’s children’s imprint Papercutz has revealed Solar Sisters, a comedic sci-fi graphic novel written by Amit Tishler and Elliot Sperl (The Last Warden), with art by Virginia Salucci (Tales of Vulcania), colors by Giulia Zucca, and lettering by Taylor Esposito. Due out October 13, the book follows a former child star who becomes the manager of her alien sister. It will be accompanied by the K-pop EP Nova Starr: Solar Cyclone, produced by Tishler and composer Alon Kaplan (Lost in Play), and the tabletop game Stardom: The Solar Sisters Game, which will launch soon on Kickstarter.
The synopsis reads, “Phoebe Dust’s days as a child star are over. Born and raised on the Moon, she’s shocked to discover her mom’s tourist trap, the Lunar Link, is deep in debt and circling the drain. Determined to save it, Phoebe hatches a plan that accidentally rockets her alien sister, Luna, into interstellar superstardom. Overnight, the Lunar Link is swarmed with tourists, the perils of fame close in, and Nova Starr, the galaxy’s most ruthless influencer, is plotting to claw the spotlight back by any means necessary. With the forces of fame, fortune, and cutthroat rivals pulling from every direction, Phoebe must keep her family’s future from being blown into stardust.”
Tishler states, “Solar Sisters holds a special place in my heart. Every character in our story struggles to find a healthy balance between self-fulfillment and sacrifice, which is a particularly poignant struggle for anyone working in the arts. This adventure is optimistic, colorful, and wholesome, with its characters and world inspiring the production of an entire galaxy of creations. With an original graphic novel, tabletop game, and K-pop EP already on the way, the Solar Sisters universe is going to be absolutely stellar (pun most certainly intended).”
Co-writer Sperl adds, “We created Solar Sisters to inspire others with a sci-fi roller-coaster ride that takes our readers over the moon, across the Kuiper Belt, and back. Juggling elements of slapstick humor, family drama, and over-the-top action, this spacefaring adventure explores what it means to be true to yourself through the telescopic lens of our star-studded cast. It may not be down-to-Earth, but we think this story about a ragtag family and their adopted alien daughter aims high and will hopefully hit home for everyone. After all, it’s not rocket science… just a tale as old as space-and-time.”
Papercutz also announced Archipelago, a post-apocalyptic graphic novel by Basque writers Martin and Xabier Etxeberria, artist Alex San Vicente (aka Sanvi), and colorist Sergio Román Sedyas. Set in 2103, after climate change plunged many countries into a new dark age, the book follows Jare, “a young woman with hidden powers who lives in the Basque Archipelago, will find herself unexpectedly plunged into a world of dangerous intrigue that seeks to disrupt old balances and create new alliances.”
Martin and Xabier Etxeberria said, “When we wrote the original audio series for Basque TV five years ago, we imagined a dystopian future because we’ve always loved sci-fi stories. But given everything that’s happening in the world today, we wonder if Archipelago isn’t, after all, a real prediction of our near future… Beneath the Three Waves, readers will find a story of adventure, fantasy, and romance.”
Sanvi adds, “I’ve always loved classic newspaper comics (Captain Easy, Buzz Sawyer, Johnny Hazard; just to name a few) where adventure, drama, and comedy built the stories. Add to the mix certain fantastical manga vibes ([Hayao] Miyazaki, the master of it all) and voila! I hope we can get a little closer to that kind of story and that readers will join us on the journey.”
Sergio Román Sedyas also states, “The idea behind the colors in Archipelago was to help immerse you in the story, with special attention to the passage of time during the day and night. The main inspiration was [the 1978 TV series] Future Boy Conan by Hayao Miyazaki. I hope the color palettes contribute to the immersive experience of the adventure.”
Archipelago will be released ahead of Solar Sisters on June 16, and you can read a five-page preview below in the meantime.
