The “young adult” publishing category, has more than doubled in size since the early 00s, and the young adult graphic novel segment, grew at a blistering 62% year-to-year, according to Neilson.
Within this group, it’s girls who are doing much of the reading – and the spending. But the traditional comics industry has not done a particularly good job of serving tween girls. The biggest superstars of the current generation like Raina Telgemeier (Sisters, Smile, The Babysitters Club) and Noelle Stevenson (Nimona, Lumberjanes) sell their millions of copies in bookstores, not comic shops. Their success has prompted Papercutz, North America’s top publisher of kids’ graphic novels, to launch a new imprint, Charmz, aimed squarely at girls in the 10-14 age group, set to debut with three new titles on May 2.
Charmz was created by editor Rachel Gluckstern, who has since left to join Scholastic. Papercutz named former DC and IDW editor Mariah McCourt, who helped launch the girl-oriented Minx line at Vertigo a decade ago, to helm the venture. McCourt says her mission with Charmz is to publish relationship-driven books that focus on the issues important to girls entering their teens: first crushes, friendships and family drama.
The three initial releases cover a variety of genres and styles. Chloe (The New Girl) by Greg Tessier and Amandine, is the English-language debut of a successful French YA series. Sweeties, an adaptation of Cathy Cassidy’s novel by Veronique Grisseaux and Anna Merli, explores the drama of step-sisters in a newly-blended family, drawn in Japanese Manga style. Stitched is a light-hearted supernatural thriller written by McCourt and drawn by Aaron Alexovich, an animator who worked on the cult classic Invader Zim.
Expect the first titles on shelves next week, followed by another round in August, then a new series called Scarlet Rose debuting in September. She says each volume, which runs about 100 pages, is a self-contained story, but the titles are envisioned as trilogies, story arcs or ongoing series that can continue to develop.
