“Full of Ghibli style and the finest Tor-novella poise.” —Kieron Gillen, The Wicked + The Divine, Die, Phonogram
Image Comics is pleased to unveil the video trailer—from animator extraordinaire Drew Shields—for the forthcoming paperback edition of Griz Grobus, by co-writer/artist Simon Roy (Prophet, Jan’s Atomic Heart and Other Stories) and co-writer Jess Pollard, with colors by Sergey Nazarov. This high fantasy, graphic novel Kickstarter sensation will be available in trade paperback format for the first time this June 2024 from Image Comics.
“Despite a career-long commitment to excellency in storytelling and an unbridled imagination, Simon remains one of comics’ hidden gems,” said Eric Stephenson, Publisher & Chief Creative Officer at Image Comics. “If you’re only familiar with the outstanding work he did on Prophet, you owe it to yourself to check this book out. Not only is Griz Grobus a perfect example of Simon Roy at his very best, it’s pure, unadulterated comics magic.”
Originally a popular Webtoon sequential webcomic, the Griz Grobus story was brought to a wider audience with a 2021 launch of a Kickstarter campaign for a stunning hardcover edition. The campaign went viral, was fully funded in under a day, and raised nearly $70K—far exceeding the initial stretch goal. Now it will be published by Image in paperback format and gain exposure to an even wider fandom of readers.
Set in the same sci-fi universe as Roy’s Habitat, Griz Grobus is another tale of life after the collapse of the interstellar empire. But unlike Habitat—where a once utopian orbital community found itself descending into cannibal tyranny—the characters of Griz Grobus inhabit the rural world of Altamira, where post-utopian frontier life has blossomed into something a bit more wholesome.
Griz Grobus tells two parallel, intertwined tales from the far-off colony world. High in a sleepy mountain village, the overzealous academic ambitions of a young scribe lead to the resurrection of the town’s ancient colonial-era priest-bot. This long-defunct pastor finds himself in a world that has passed him by, but refuses to simply accept his obsolescence, much to the chagrin of the scribe and the local townsfolk. The second story, a mise-en-abyme, is Altamira’s most famous novel (being avidly read by the characters of the first story). It is a fantasy tale about a war-god who gets trapped in the body of a goose, and the efforts of one pacifist cook to delay the war-god’s bloody return to the battlefield.
This lush, intricately detailed, standalone fable is perfect for fans of Hiyao Miyazaki, Asterix, and Arthur C. Clarke.
The Griz Grobus trade paperback (ISBN: 9781534397866) will be available at local comic book shops on Wednesday, June 5 and independent bookstores, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, and Indigo on Tuesday, June 18.
Griz Grobus will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
Select praise for Griz Grobus:
“Griz Grobus’ dual dovetailing narratives let us discover an alien world and a human heart, full of Ghibli style and the finest Tor-novella poise. The team creates a universe, and is generous enough to let us live there.” —Kieron Gillen, The Wicked + The Divine, Die, Phonogram
“Rich, beautiful and very funny—one of my favorite comics. Get every book Simon makes.” —Tonči Zonjić, Lobster Johnson, Who is Jake Ellis?
“Simon’s worldbuilding skills are yet to be matched, but on top of that his stories are both crazy and profound!” —Carlos P. Valderrama, Giants
“It’s amazing. You won’t get a better world builder than Simon Roy. He’s taking us places and I am here for it. Do not miss this.” —Daniel Warren Johnson, Transformers, Do A Powerbomb, Wonder Woman: Dead Earth
“When Simon Roy announces a new book it’s an event – and a must buy for me and anyone who loves the medium of words and pictures!!!” —Geoff Darrow, Shaolin Cowboy, Hard Boiled
“Simon Roy’s science-fiction embraces heady ideas of futurism while never forgetting for an instant the foibles and frailties of the humans that exist in it. Griz Grobus is no different—an alien world made lived-in and real by the very human characters who exist within it, where at the end of the day, a full belly is what is worth aspiring to. Another extraordinary piece of work, an addition to a growing body of modern classic science-fiction, Griz Grobus continues the trajectory that began with Habitat.” —Jed McKay, Avengers, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange
“Simon Roy has a way of making strange & alien worlds utterly charming. His world building is unique & filled with quirky characters I strangely want to eat with. AND—I really want an Elaphure.” —Ben Templesmith, 30 Days of Night
“Griz Grobus combines beautiful art and mystical storytelling with an intriguing look at humanity on a world half-alien, half-familiar. A sly and often funny take on the creation of new myths and the rediscovery of the past.” —Adrian Tchaikovsky, Hugo and Nebula award winning author of the Children of Time series
ABOUT SIMON ROY
Wayward son of Vancouver Island, Simon Roy a comics artist, illustrator, and writer best known for working on books like Prophet, Tiger Lung, Habitat, The Field, and Jan’s Atomic Heart. He has worked with publishers and clients like Dark Horse, Image Comics, Dreamworks, and more!
ABOUT JESS POLLARD
Jess Pollard is a storyboard and comic artist, editor, writer, and pitch-developer currently freelancing out of Vancouver, BC.
Brian Isaacs - Executive Editor / Publisher