Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Rema: The Graphic Novel Series






















Hello! It’s been a long time since I blogged, but I might as well get right to it...

I’m so happy to announce Rema will be a YA graphic novel series put out by Scholastic Graphix, starting in 2019! I am directly adapting the novel I serialized online a few years ago, art and all, and I’m so proud of the work I’ve put into it so far.





















Some quick facts: The series is currently untitled, and I only use REMA as a work-in-progress title. The book is planned to be in color, but I will not color it. Colorist is to be announced. The first prose novel, for those few who read it, is being divided into two parts. I’m about halfway through the roughs and can say for the first time in a decade it truly feels Rema is in its destined final form. As an author, it is such an amazing relief!!! Every page drawn is like “yes! Finally!!” Is anyone really surprised Rema is ending up being a GN series, given my history? Well, I guess I am a bit surprised, but here I am!
The journey to complete this puzzling story is far from over, but many micro steps were taken to get Rema here, pulled along by many friendly forces. I’m compelled to give some thanks! 

First, I have so much gratitude to my agent Judy Hansen, whose patience with me knows no bounds. Many thanks also to the wise, talented editors who gently rejected the novel version so I could find my way to THIS version, and to my colleagues, friends, and family who always had faith in me (especially Kazu, who was hinting at Rema’s comics potential way back when it was an online novel). I'm so grateful to Rema's new editor, the brilliant Cassandra Pelham, who gave this story more chances than I can count. I know for sure this book is in good hands. :)
 
Developing Rema has been such a long, intuitively-guided journey, I have so many people to thank that it would require an entire book in and of itself. More than anyone though, I want to thank the handful of readers who have followed Rema’s progress through the years – from when it was a webcomic in 2003, to when it was an online novel in 2012, and through its quiet travel home to Scholastic. Your enthusiasm for Rema’s characters and world have carried it through many rough spots, and part of the reason I’m so passionate to work on it is because of you. So many times when I felt down about Rema’s progress, I would get a message or an email from a Rema reader, and every time it was like my energy was revived. 

I haven’t met many of you, but I feel we share this world in this imaginary space, and I never felt alone while creating it. As I illustrate the action and romance in comics form, I think of how you might feel about the pages and I can’t wait to share them with you. 2019 seems so far away, but it will be here before we know it. I truly hope the graphic novel series will be, finally, worth the long, long wait!

In the mean time, I will be posting WIP snippets on my twitter account, and you can add the temporarily titled Tabby Charon #1 to your goodreads list, if you’re so inclined. Until next time, I hope your days are filled with love and peace!

11 comments:

  1. !!! I'm a long time fan of the webcomic and I'm so excited to physically hold it! 2019 can't come soon enough!

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    1. Thank you....! I can't wait to have it out there. ^^

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  2. Oh my goodness congrats and I can't wait for the day I can add your story to my bookshelf : ]

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    1. Thank you so much! I finally finished all the roughs, and even in this stage it's already a book I can be proud of. Can't wait to share it with everyone. ^^

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  3. Wow this is fantastic, I've been following this journey from the webcomic too and this is very exciting! :)

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  4. Wow I'm so excited! I still fondly remember the webcomic; I can't believe it was so long ago I first read it... I can't wait to be able to hold a piece of Rema in my hands and make a home for it on my shelves. Thank you for keeping us updated and for pursuing this story for so long. 2019 isn't so far away when I look back at how long I've been waiting for the next chapter of the webcomic ;)

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  5. I used to read your webcomic when I was in school, glad to hear it's coming back in graphic novel form.

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  6. Omg. I haven't checked on you in ages. I wanted to meet Kazu when he was at ECCC but he was always gone when I went to see him :P I love Rema and I can't wait to get my hands on this version. I'm one of those weirdos that's been following your work since ~2003. I love Rema and S&S <3 Keep being amazing. And happy spring!

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  7. This is so exciting. I definitely have to get a copy when it comes out, if only to nostalgically relive my middle school days when I was a big fan of the webcomic. :)

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  8. I was looking for a book to read and that's were I found it and when I first look at it I knew that I was going to be hook thank you for the experience of a lifetime

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