Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Abbigayle Bircham, bobby joseph, gosh comics, graphic novel, lakes international comic art festival, My Dad Fights Demons!, SelfMade Hero, ya

My Dad Fights Demons!: Bobby Joseph's YA Graphic Novel Out This Fall

SelfMadeHero is publishing My Dad Fights Demons!, a diverse YA graphic novel by UK Comics Laureate Bobby Joseph and Abbigayle Bircham.

Published Sun, 03 Aug 2025 20:02:04 -0500

by Adi Tantimedh

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Article Summary

My Dad Fights Demons! is a diverse YA graphic novel by Bobby Joseph and Abbigayle Bircham.
Releases September 25th in the UK and October 14th in the US via SelfMadeHero.
The story follows Rye, whose magical dad turns weekends into chaotic, hilarious adventures.
Bobby Joseph is the current UK Comics Laureate; Bircham is a rising illustrator from Norwich.

SelfMadeHero announced they are the publishers of My Dad Fights Demons!, a diverse Young Adult graphic novel, written by Bobby Joseph, the UK's Comics Laureate from London, and illustrated by new UK talent Abbigayle Bircham, who's based in Norwich. The book is published by SelfMadeHero on 25th September in the UK and 14th October in the US. Welcome to Rye's world: their stepdad hates them, their mother ignores them, and they're stuck in a dead-end relationship. To make matters worse, their world is turned upside down one day with the return of their father, the Magical Mr Mantrikz, self-styled "greatest sorcerer in the world", and Rye now has to spend their weekends with this rude, pushy, and frankly ridiculous wizard. And that was never going to work – especially when magic is involved… Hijinks ensue!

My Dad Fights Demons!: Bobby Joseph's YA Graphic Novel Out This Fall — Cover art: Selfmade Hero

Bobby Joseph is an acclaimed South London comic creator, whose early work includes the creation of cult comic classic Skank magazine, in which his best-known strip, "Scotland Yardie", originated. He has written for The Guardian, Dazed and Confused, and Vice. A long-standing advocate for diversity and representation in comic books, his graphic novel, Scotland Yardie (Knockabout Comics, 2017), was the first diverse graphic novel to be studied as a module on an English Literature MA course. He is the fifth UK Comics Laureate, and the first comic book creator of Indian origin to be appointed to the role.

Abbigayle Bircham is a Norwich-based comic artist with a penchant for the weird and wonderful, who is probably scribbling away in her favourite tea shop at this moment. A LICAF [Lakes International Comic Art Festival] Breakthrough Initiative participant, she has published work with Soaring Penguin Press and the Rat Pack Collective, dreams of having her own cartoon show one day, and first met Bobby Joseph when taking his Writing Comics short course.

Selfmade Hero will launch My Dad Fights Demons! at Gosh! Comics in London on September 20th and there will be a talk at the Lakes International Comic Art Festival (LICAF) on 28^th September.

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