Posted in: Comics | Tagged: abrams, John Jennings, megascope

John Jennings to Head Up Megascope Graphic Novel Imprint at Abrams

Published Sat, 22 Sep 2018 16:29:38 -0500

Bestselling comic creator, UCR professor, Eisner award-winning editor, and founder of multiple comics festivals including September's SOL-CON, John Jennings, is adding yet another job title to his resume, so what the hell have you done with your life lately?! Jennings will head up Megascope, a new graphic novel imprint at Abrams publishing which will publish a speculative fiction comics by creators of color in a wide range of subgenres. A press release provides details:

Megascope takes its name from the legendary scholar W. E. B. Du Bois's allegorical invention—a device that can peer through time and space into other realities. Megascope will capture the intention and spirit of DuBois' invention by rediscovering powerful speculative work by and about people of color and also visualizing new diverse narratives through the comics medium.

Megascope will publish an array of graphic novels and art of comics books, including stories of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and magical realism, as well as creative nonfiction narratives centered around social justice issues. Andrew Smith, SVP, Abrams Children's Books and ComicArts, and Charles Kochman, Editorial Director of Abrams ComicArts, collaborated with Jennings to bring this new line to ABRAMS. Charlotte Greenbaum, Editor, will work with Kochman to assist Jennings in overseeing the process for all Megascope titles. Jennings will acquire and help guide the editorial vision of Megascope, which will publish between four and six books per year, the first of which will release in fall 2019.

Said Jennings:

Everyone who participates in our society deserves to see themselves and their culture reflected back to them in the media with which they interact. Storytelling is an empathy technology and it gives us a space to share and explore everyone's humanity. We plan to reach back and find speculative critical narratives of the past and introduce them to new audiences. We also want to help develop new stories from new voices that speak to the imagination and wonder of fantastic shared narratives for all to learn from and enjoy. ABRAMS has repeatedly shown its dedication to creating beautiful books for everyone. It's just one of many reasons why this partnership is so timely and exciting for me.

Look for Megascope to begin publishing in 2019.