Band of Bards Comics signs Alexandra McCarthy for manga series RELUCTANT HERO
CONTRACT SIGNED!!!
Band of Bards Comics is proud to officially announce we have signed Alexandra McCarthy (BURNT TOAST) to a publishing contract for her manga series RELUCTANT HERO!
McCarthy, a Birmingham, UK based writer & illustrator received both a BA (Hons) and MA degree in Visual Communication (illustration) from Birmingham City University.
RELUCTANT HERO follows friends Asta & Lola, and newcomer Mallory in a coming-of-age story with a very dark twist. As each young woman tries to balance university studies with discovering themselves and maintaining friendships we see relationships strain. The line between being a loyal friend and an unhealthy dependency becomes blurred.
Asta is an insecure freshman film student who is heavily influenced by pop culture, primarily superhero comic stories. She struggles to meet and make new friends, clinging to her best friend Lola who is in her sophomore year studying Psychology. Asta is embarking on her first steps into becoming a successful screenwriter, however things take a turn when she begins to feel neglected by Lola.
Constantly brushed off by Lola for work and unable to connect with her peers, Asta decides to venture out of her comfort zone and joins the university’s Martial Arts Society. Enter Mallory, a superhero loving peer that Asta quickly connects with. Happy to find another friend who seemingly shares her passions, Asta starts spending more of her time with Mallory. Asta’s excitement blinds her to the subtle ways Mallory begins to sow division between Asta and Lola, only noticing once it is too late.
Lola’s concerns mount but the gaslighting and manipulation of Mallory is not to be underestimated. Recognizing the damage done to their friendship, Lola fears for her friend but is at a loss for what to do. She only knows she must persist for Asta’s sake. Will Lola be able to save Asta? What devious designs might Mallory manifest? Who can you really trust?
RELUCTANT HERO deals with themes like friendship & loyalty, self-discovery, growing up, mystery, and tragedy in a slice-of-life/psychological thriller that will be enjoyed by fans of Cruel Intentions, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Kick Ass, & The Craft. This will be Volume 1 of a three volume manga series. Planned as a chapter-by-chapter digital release with physical distribution after all chapters have been digitally released. Volume 1 is composed of five chapters and will be available in September 2022.
You can follow Alex on Twitter @One_In_Hundred or visit her website.
We are incredibly excited to be working with Alex to bring RELUCTANT HERO to you. Her talent for writing relatable characters who you will want to root for while also holding some reservations about each is something that grabbed our attention. The manga style illustrations capture the reader’s eye and are complimented with McCarthy’s skillful coloring. This transatlantic endeavor is sure to please a multitude of readers. BoB is knackered to bring it to you in 2022!
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