Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Easy To Love, graphic novel, it rhymes with lust, Matt Baker, phantom lady

The Story Of America's First Graphic Novelist, Matt Baker

The story of America's first graphic novelist, Matt Baker, told by Timothy Schaffert, José Villarrubia, and Jean Frédéric Koné

Timothy Schaffert, José Villarrubia, and Jean Frédéric Koné's graphic novel collaboration Easy To Love is a fictionalised portrait of pioneering queer Black cartoonist Matt Baker to be published in February 2027.

Clarence Matthew Baker was an American comic book artist working in the forties and fifties on romance comics and on  Phantom Lady, influential on Dave Stevens and Adam Hughes. He is one of the first known African-American artists to find success in the comic-book industry, and drew the first recognised American graphic novel, It Rhymes With Lust, written by Arnold Drake and Leslie Walker and published by St. John Publications in 1950.

Mark Irwin and Mike Marts at Mad Cave have bought the world rights to Easy To Love from the creators' agent Alice Tasman at the Jean V. Naggar Agency.

Jose Villarrubia says, "After several years in the making, the cat is finally out of the bag! I could not be more excited for this upcoming project! I think it is going to be just great! I could not have better collaborators in Timothy Schaffert and Jean Jean-Frederic Koné!… Timothy Schaffert and I are thrilled to collaborate with French artist Jean-Frederic Koné in our upcoming fictionalized bio-comic of Matt Baker. Jean-Frederic has published mostly gay erotic comics, particularly his long-running soap opera series Santa Francis. He's a master storyteller who has great drawing skills that combine European, US comics and Manga styles. We could not be more pleased to work with him! This is going to be a dream project and a beautiful graphic novel. I thank my buddy Justin Hall for helping us get the team together. The graphic novel, titled Easy to Love, will be published in 16 months by Mad Cave Comics."

Timothy Schaffert, author of The Swan Gondola, teaches creative writing and literature at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. José Villarrubia is a comic book artist, colourist and comic book restorer, including working with Alan Moore on Promethea and Mirror Of Love. Jean Frédéric Koné is a French comics creator known for webcomics space with strips such as Bruise, American Freaks, and Les Princes, and the print comic Santa Frances that follows the lives and times of gay friends in San Francisco.

Mad Cave Studios, based out of Miami, Florida, was established in 2014 by Laura Chacón and run by Mark London. The Jean V. Naggar agency is a full-service literary agency founded by Jean Naggar in 1978. In 2004, Jean partnered with Jennifer Weltz, now President of the agency. Alice Tasman is a Partner at the agency and has been an agent for over two decades.

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