Baker and cookbook author Kim-Joy (Baking with Kim-Joy, The Great British Bake-Off) is bringing her culinary experience to comics, with the upcoming launch of Turtle Bread: A Graphic Novel About Baking, Fitting In, and the Power of Friendship from comiXology this May and Dark Horse in October. The e-book will observe a younger baker named Yan, as she makes an attempt to make mates and develop into extra assured in herself and her baking.
Joining forces with artist Alti Firmansyah (Spider-Gwen, The Unstoppable Wasp), letterer/cartoonist Joamette Gil (Power & Magic: The Queer Witch Comics Anthology), and designer Cindy Leong (Love & War), Kim-Joy plans to inform a narrative “about self-awareness”:
It’s about that feeling of loneliness, of not becoming in or feeling ok, of self-criticism, and the trail in the direction of self-acceptance. This is explored by means of baking, and specifically, the symbolism of the turtle–popping out of its shell and transferring ahead; nevertheless slowly that could be. Hence: Turtle Bread! (And sure, there’s precise turtle themed bread! Plus a great deal of different recipes). It’s NOT a magical story about how baking and friendship repair all the pieces, however a narrative in regards to the small steps ahead (and typically sideways and backwards) step by step including up.
Turtle Bread is a narrative in regards to the energy of vulnerability; how exhibiting somewhat of our softness from beneath a tricky exterior shell can break down boundaries between us that serve to reinforce the loneliness on the planet. Being cognizant of who we’re and the way we have an effect on others is a present. I need folks to learn Turtle Bread and really feel much less alone, comforted, and impressed to drop their armour, come collectively and convey which means to their lives; in the identical means separate components come collectively when baked to kind one thing recent and new.
Kim-Joy additionally praised the work of Firmansyah:
I’m in absolute awe of Alti’s paintings within the e-book–it’s so expressive and emotive; you possibly can actually really feel a connection to the characters on every web page. As quickly as I used to be launched, I immediately cherished Alti and her work.
Here’s how Dark Horse summarized the graphic novel:
In Turtle Bread, a younger girl named Yan who has a ardour for baking stumbles upon an area Baking Club on her means residence from one other unsuccessful job interview. Her social anxiousness tries to maintain her away however the bakers encourage her to come out of her shell, particularly the caring and supportive Bea. As the membership bakes collectively, Yan discovers that her new mates may have her too, greater than she realizes…
Beatrice, Yan, Amit, Zara, and Geraint make for a motley forged, every with their very own particular person points and life challenges they’re making an attempt to cope with–from demise, to discovering romantic companions, to most cancers, to divorce, to youngsters, to preserving a job. But when Bea abruptly leaves Baking Club and not using a hint, they need to maintain it collectively and head out in quest of solutions and closure.
Turtle Bread: A Graphic Novel About Baking, Fitting In, and the Power of Friendship arrives digitally from comiXology on May third, 2023, with a bodily launch from Dark Horse on October third, 2023.
Discussion about this post