Posted in: Comics | Tagged: graphic nove;, kate leyh, thirty mermaids

Sneak Peek at Kate Leyh's Thirsty Mermaids Original Graphic Novel

Published Sun, 03 Jan 2021 05:00:31 -0600

Kate Leyh has gained plaudits for her work on Lumberjanes and her own graphic novel Snapdragon, with kids, middle-grade and YA readers. Thirsty Mermaids, however, is very much her first adult-oriented original graphic novel. Bleeding Cool has mentioned it before, but we now have a little, low-res, look inside the pages. Should give you an idea for what's coming down the track.

Sneak Peek at Kate Leyh's Thirsty Mermaids — Credit: Kate Leyh

The listing describes Thirsty Mermaids, thus;

The raucous and literal fishes-out-of-water graphic novel from prolific comic artist and writer Kat Leyh, creator of the acclaimed Snapdragon and coauthor of the Eisner and GLAAD Award–winning series Lumberjanes. Fresh out of shipwreck wine, three tipsy mermaids decide to magically masquerade as humans and sneak onto land to indulge in much more drinking and a whole lot of fun in the heart of a local seaside tourist trap. But the good times abruptly end the next morning as, through the haze of killer hangovers, the trio realizes they never actually learned how to break the spell, and are now stuck on land for the foreseeable future. Which means everything from: enlisting the aid of their I-know-we-just-met-can-we-crash-with-you bartender friend, struggling to make sense of the world around them, and even trying to get a job with no skill set…all while attempting to somehow return to the sea and making the most of their current situation with tenacity and camaraderie (especially if someone else is buying).

Publisher's Weekly describes Thirsty Mermaids as

"another smart, heartfelt, and hilarious fantasy adventure" and summarizes "after drunkenly transforming themselves into humans to party on dry land, three merfolk wake up to discover they're trapped when they can't undo the magic, and are forced to adapt while looking for a way to break the spell. While brash, scrappy Tooth and gregarious Pearl find odd jobs to pay the rent, their podmate Eez—a sea witch—toils in vain searching for both a solution to their dilemma and relief from the intense dysmorphia of being in a two-legged body. Leyh aptly uses this setup to explore themes of social alienation and queer "found family" as the trio bond with their new roommate Vivi, a trans woman of color, who teaches them about movies, breakfast food, and the horrors of capitalism. Each page vibrates with glowing colors, lending energy to Leyh's already raucous (and bodily diverse) character designs; even the lettering feels full of life."

Thirsty Mermaids will be published on February 9th in the US and in March in the UK by Gallery 13.