Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Cherry Baby, rainbow rowell

Rainbow Rowell's Novel Cherry Baby, About Being Caricatured In Comics

Rainbow Rowell writes Cherry Baby, a novel about being caricatured in comic books, to be published in April 2026

Published Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:57:03 -0600

Article Summary

Rainbow Rowell announces Cherry Baby, her new novel about being caricatured in the world of comics.
The story follows Cherry, whose estranged husband's webcomic turns her into a public caricature.
Cherry Baby explores themes of identity, self-image, and life after a public breakup.
Set for April 2026 release, the novel blends Rowell's comic fandom with deep emotional storytelling.

Rainbow Rowell broke out as a young adult novelist in 2013 with Fangirl and Eleanor & Park, followed by Carry On, which were highly praised by critics, with Rowell signing a first look deal with First Second books to publish graphic novels in 2014, including Pumpkin Heads with Faith Erin Hicks. She revealed at the time she was a lifelong fan of comics, saying, citing X-Men, Marshal Law, Hellblazer, Stray Toasters, The Dark Knight Returns and The Killing Joke, getting her into the medium. She was nabbed by Marvel to write Runaways, and has since written She-Hulk, Action Comics, Ms Marvel, Spider-Man and Superman. In April she has a new novel set in and around the world of comic book creation, with the novel Cherry Baby, in which the lead character is desperate to distance herself from the caricatured version her estranged husband made famous in his graphic novel. There are notes of Robert Crumb, Joe Matt and Peter Bagge here…

"#1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell returns with a breathtakingly honest novel about a woman who lost everything — and isn't sure she wants it back. Everybody knows that Cherry's husband, Tom, is in Hollywood making a movie… Almost nobody knows that he isn't coming home. Tom is the creator of Thursday—a semi-autobiographical webcomic that's become an international phenomenon. Semi-autobiographical. That means there's a character in this movie based on Cherry… "Baby." Wide-hipped, heavy-chested, double-chinned Baby. Cherry never wanted this. No fat girl wants to see herself caricatured on the page—let alone on the big screen. But there's no getting away from it. Baby looks so much like Cherry that strangers recognize her at the grocery store. While her soon-to-be ex-husband is in Los Angeles getting rich and famous and being the Internet's latest boyfriend, Cherry is stuck in Omaha taking care of the dog he always wanted and the house they were going to raise a family in… and wondering who she's supposed to be without him. Cherry had promised to love Tom through thick and thin. She'd meant it. One night, Cherry decides to leave all her problems, including Tom's overgrown puppy, at home. She ventures out to see her favorite band play her favorite album… and someone recognizes her from across the room. Russ Sutton knew Cherry when she was a young art student with a fondness for pin-up dresses and patent leather heels. Before Tom. Russ knows Cherry. He likes Cherry. And best of all . . . he's never heard of Thursday. Tender, funny, and utterly human, Cherry Baby is Rainbow Rowell's richest, most surprising—sexiest—novel yet."

Cherry Baby: A Novel by Rainbow Rowell will be published on the 14th of April, 2026.

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