THE EFFECTS OF PICKLED HERRING cover reveal

The Small Press Spotlight has a cover reveal this week for Alex Schumacher’s debut middle-grade graphic novel The Effects of Pickled Herring. Schumacher offers the cover illustration whereas the cover design is by Elina Diaz, who additionally did the format and design for the e book. Colors are from Allan Ferguson.

Read the synopsis right here:

The Effects of Pickled Herring is a coming-of-age graphic novel that provides a poignant reflection on rising up, sibling relationships, and the enduring bonds of household. The story follows 12-year-old Micah Gadsky and his spirited sister Alana as they put together for his or her twin bar and bat mitzvah. They grapple with a household secret that unravels their understanding of religion and identification. The e book is a vividly illustrated graphic novel for prime school-age readers. It explores themes of self-worth, identification, and anti-Semitism, and portrays the results of Alzheimer’s on a household unit; a novel narrative vividly delivered to life. If you’re searching for books about household dynamics, brother and sister relationships, books about rising up, or one’s introspection on religion, choose up a replica of The Effects of Pickled Herring!

Schumacher’s earlier work consists of tasks with 215 Ink, Viper Comics, and briefly as a storyboard artist for DreamWorks TV. His The Unemployment Adventures of Aqualung was revealed in 2013 by Arcana Studios, and different notable works embody the weekly webcomic Decades of (in)Experience in 2015 and the month-to-month on-line misadventures of Mr. Butterchips in 2016. A set of the latter was launched in July 2020 by SLG Publishing and relaunched as a webcomic in May 2021.

The creator acknowledged:

While not a straight memoir, THE EFFECTS OF PICKLED HERRING is a love letter to my grandparents who’re sadly now not with us and my religion to which I’ve by no means felt extra related. The story loosely chronicles two of the extra considerably formative experiences of my younger life—one being the joint bar and bat mitzvah with my sister and the opposite being my grandmother’s eventual cognitive decline.

That stated, there are many inventive liberties taken contemplating I used to be producing a roman à clef (novel through which actual folks, locations, or occasions seem with fictitious names or particulars) mash-up of types. Rest assured there’s loads of enjoyable and hilarity to be discovered all through the e book cushioning the extra somber moments. After all, that is finally a story of triumph, of resistance, of self-discovery, and of a household with quirks for days!

To mangle a quote generally attributed to Irish poet William Butler Yeats, “There are no unread books here, only friends you haven’t met yet.” My fondest hope is that any younger reader who picks up THE EFFECTS OF PICKLED HERRING will be capable to discover a buddy in Micah (or Alana!).

Check out the cover under!