Tag Archives: nancy pena

Rethink the story of Medea, one of Greek mythology’s worst villains!

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Who was Medea, really?

Prepare for a new take on a timeless tale with Blandine Le Callet and Nancy Peña’s Medea, a stunning spin on traditional Greek mythology. Known in myth and folklore as a powerful sorceress, a barbarian queen, and the murderess who slaughtered her own children, this highly anticipated graphic novel gives Medea a chance to tell her own story, in her own voice––now translated into English for the first time. Enter a world of incredible artistic detail and historical nuance, with translation by Montana Kane and letters by Frank Cvetkovic. Medea’s side of the story is finally here…but are you ready to hear it? 

In this collected edition of the original four volumes, Medea reveals what the myths created by men omitted. Stories cast the legendary sorceress as many things–a caring mother and a passionate lover thwarted by her desires; an independent woman vilified for refusing the tyranny of men; a barbarian who sowed confusion in the regimented world of the Greeks; a formidable witch, mistress of occult forces. Simply put, she was precisely what some would call a monster. And yet, there is so much more to Medea. 

From beyond the hearsay, exaggerations, and distortions inflicted by time, we hear Medea’s story in her voice, from the luxuriant gardens of her childhood in Colchis to the mysterious island from which she gives her final confession. The intoxicating tale builds on mythos thousands of years in the making.

Originally published in French by Éditions Casterman, Medea comes to Dark Horse Books on May 7, 2024. Pre Order your copy today on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or at your local comic shop and bookstore for $29.99.

Meet the Magical Cat From the Kimono

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Humanoids has announced a wonderful and surreal new fairy tale for adults, The Cat From the Kimono, about a black cat journeying through a fantastical world where he’ll survive impossible odds to make his way home… to his mistress’ kimono. From beloved comics creator Nancy Peña and translated by Montana Kane, available in October 2023.

Once upon a time in Japan there lived a beautiful young woman.

The beloved daughter of a silk mill owner, she was lavished with gorgeous kimonos from across the province but her favorite was a deep crimson robe painted with soft, purring black cats, crafted by the finest weaver in the mill.

The weaver, besotted with her beauty, professed his love to the maiden but she spurned his advances, preferring the comfort and warmth of her favorite robe. As revenge, the weaver wreaked havoc on the maiden’s kimono, releasing an innocent painted black cat into the world.

Thus, the black cat began a fantastic voyage, from the murky depths of the ocean to the smokey markets of London, as he attempted to return home, meeting danger and even some familiar historical figures along the way.

Nancy Peña is an author with a very distinctive style, one sure to delight readers. As an artist, her drawings are inspired by engravings, creating whimsically appealing pages. She is an Art Academy teacher in France and has published more than twelve graphic novels, including Médée, The Guild of the Sea, and The New Adventures of Puss in Boots.

The Cat From the Kimono will be available in bookstores everywhere on October 31, 2023 and on November 1, 2023 in comic shops.

The Cat From the Kimono

Humanoids Announces a New Literary Imprint, Life Drawn Focused on Personal and Political Narratives

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Humanoids is launching a new literary imprint in 2018, timed to the company’s 20th anniversary of publishing its acclaimed books in the United States. Best known for seminal genre works including The Incal (Alejandro Jodorowsky, Mœbius) and The Metabarons (Jodorowsky, Gimenez) and internationally renowned creators, including Milo Manara and Jose Ladronn, Humanoids will make a bold break from tradition with its new endeavor. Launching on April 4th, the Life Drawn imprint will publish graphic novels featuring deeply personal and powerful political narratives; these are stories grounded in life on earth, not among the stars.

Life Drawn’s debut season features titles representing a wide spectrum of art styles, tone, and social and cultural perspectives:

Kabul Disco: How I Managed Not to Be Abducted in Afghanistan by Nicolas Wild
Publication date: April 4, 2018; ISBN: 978-1594658686; 160 Pages; $19.95
LIFE DRAWN debuts with the first volume of a satire-laced travel memoir by cartoonist Nicolas Wild about his experiences in Afghanistan, drawing an adaptation of of the Afghan constitution. Wild provides insights into international politics, a war-ravaged country and the lives of his fellow expatriates. In a dazzling passage, Wild explores the fragile state of American democracy through the story of a woman who was working for the Bush campaign in 2000 and was responsible for vote counting in one of Florida’s three counties, ultimately making the fateful phone call that helped swing the election. Acclaimed cartoonist Guy Delisle (Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea) declares that Wild’s “satirical and at times absurdist perspective plunges us into the daily life of a group of expatriates in the heart of Kabul, a city still reeling from the last war. His witty sense of humor makes him an excellent travel companion.” Book Two will be published in September.

Vietnamese Memories: Leaving Saigon by award-winning writer and artist Clément Baloup
Publication date: May 29, 2018; ISBN: 978-1594656583; 164 Pages; $19.95
The first of a three-volume testimonial to the courage and endurance of five different families displaced from their native country by war and colonialism and forced to assimilate in unfamiliar lands, watching their heritage slowly disappear. As Doan Hoang, the award-winning director of Oh, Saigon, says in her introduction of Book One, “History is mostly told by the privileged and powerful, and rarely by those who are most affected. . . . In this sumptuously beautiful and important graphic novel, you will intimately bear witness to what so few in the world have been privy to.”

Luisa: Now and Then by Carole Maurel, Adapted by‎ Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer)
Publication date: June 20, 2018; ISBN: 978-1594656439; 272 Pages; $29.95
A queer transformative tale about self-acceptance and sexuality, written and illustrated by Carole Maurel and adapted by national bestseller Mariko Tamaki, Caldecott Award–winning creator of This One Summer. A disillusioned photographer has a chance encounter with her lost teenage self who has miraculously traveled into the future. Together, both women ultimately discover who they really are, finding the courage to live life by being true to themselves. The book will be published in June, timed to Pride Month.

Madame Cat by Nancy Peña
Publication date: July 4, 2018; ISBN: 978-1594658136; 128 pages; $12.95
Hilarious vignettes presenting the love, laughter and frustrations of a pet who thinks she’s an owner! With narrative mastery, creator Nancy Peña brings us bite-sized sketches that appeal to cat lovers of all ages.