Posted in: Comics | Tagged: boom, boom studios, kristen "kiwi" smith, kurt lustgarten, leisha riddel, smooth criminals

Comics Industry to be Struck by Smooth Criminals in November

Published Wed, 11 Jul 2018 14:30:55 -0500

BOOM! Studios has announced another title as part of its Road to San Diego marketing campaign. This one is not, as the name sounds, a sequel to the 1988 Michael Jackson arcade game Moonwalker, but rather a brand new series from Kristen "Kiwi" Smith, Kurt Lustgarten, and Leisha Riddel. A press release reveals the premise of Smooth Criminals #1.

There are certain things Brenda expects to find while hacking: money, secrets, occasional pictures of cats. She is NOT expecting to find a cryogenically frozen master thief named Mia from the 60s. Mia is everything Brenda is not—cool, confident, beautiful. And utterly unprepared for the digital age. Despite their differences, the two will need to team up to find out what happened to Mia—and how to pull off the heist of the century.

Smith and Lustgarten, who have apparently been working together so long that they speak in unison, said in the press release:

With SMOOTH CRIMINALS, we want to tell a female friendship story wrapped in a jewel heist — a buddy comedy about a somewhat-out-of-touch cat burglar from the past who teams with a socially awkward tech savvy genius in 1999 that shows just how much times – and crimes – have changed. We want to explore the idea that women era and different backgrounds can accomplish true change by working together in a world where anachronistic rules are meant to be broken. If you're fan of James Bond or nostalgic for the 90s, you'll love seeing these two team up to pull off the the heist of the century…if they can figure out how to be friends first.

And Riddel said:

I'm very excited to work on SMOOTH CRIMINALS, as someone who identifies as a woman of color, creating characters that are closer to who I am is always great. The story is a bit sci-fi, and a bit action, but still relatable as a coming of age which is a recipe for everything I'm all about. Brenda and Mia are super fun to draw and I can't wait to draw all their escapades.

And BOOM! Senior Editor Shannon Watters said:

Sometimes crime really does pay – in the form of finding your new best friend and hopefully getting super rich. Readers of Misfit City know that Kiwi and Kurt perfectly marry big thrills and even bigger friendships to create unforgettable adventures. Now they're going to steal your heart once again with Leisha-Marie as their new partner in crime and we can't wait for you to see what they've got planned.

Audrey Mok provides the cover for Smooth Criminals #1, with a variant by Chynna Clugston Flores. The book is in stores in November.