Posted in: Comics, Comics Publishers, Current News, DC Comics, Marvel Comics | Tagged: Agent, graphic novel, victoria ying

Victoria Ying's Graphic Novel About Toxic Relationship With Cartoonist

Victoria Ying's upcoming graphic novel, Chasing Sunspots, about a manipulative relationship she was in with a much older cartoonist.

Published Sat, 08 Jun 2024 08:56:09 -0500

by Rich Johnston

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Article Summary

Victoria Ying reveals Chasing Sunspots, a YA graphic novel detailing a toxic romance.
Based on Ying's life, the novel explores self-worth and the pursuit of artistic dreams.
First Second Books to publish the work in 2027, deal brokered by Jennifer Azantian.
Ying is an accomplished animator with acclaimed graphic novels like City of Secrets.

Chasing Sunspots is Victoria Ying's upcoming YA graphic novel about a high school girl who, in her attempt to find validation for her art and chase her dreams to enter the comics industry, finds the strength and self-worth to overcome a manipulative relationship with a much older cartoonist. Ying says that she "wrote the story in 2020 based on experiences from my own life. I have big plans for this book, and I can't wait to share it with you all."

Victoria Ying's Graphic Novel About Toxic Relationship With Cartoonist — Instagram screencap

Kiara Valdez at First Second has acquired the world English rights to Chasing Sunspots for publication in 2027. Victoria Ying's agent, Jennifer Azantian, at Azantian Literary, negotiated the deal.

Victoria Ying graduated from the ArtCenter College Of Design in Pasadena, California, with a Major in Illustration and a Minor in Entertainment Design. As an animator, worked on films like Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Paperman, Big Hero 6, and Moana. Based in Los Angeles, she is the author and illustrator of her own graphic novels, City of Secrets and City of Illusion, as well as the Marvel/Scholastic graphic novel Shang-Chi And The Secret Of Immortality, and artist on the DC middle-grade graphic novel series Diana Princess of the Amazons. Her YA graphic novel debut, Hungry Ghost, was the recipient of the Harvey Award for Best YA/Children's Graphic Novel in 2023.

First Second Books is an American graphic novel publisher based in New York City, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press, part of Holtzbrinck Publishers, and distributed by Macmillan, with Editorial & Creative Director Mark Siegel and Editorial Director Calista Brill.

Jennifer Azantian established Azantian Literary in 2014 and focuses primarily on fiction across genres for MG, YA, and adult readers. She represents bestselling and award-winning writers and is always on the lookout for new talent. She is currently open to children's graphic novels (young readers through YA) across genres and is looking for emotionally complex projects from contemporary to fantasy and everything in between.

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