Writer marjorie liu on her beautiful, horrifying comic. Hitfix talked with writer marjorie liu about creating monstress, diversity issues in the comics industry, why it was essential to have the comic drawn by a woman, the tokyo museum that. Marjorie liu readies dark fantastic adventure monstress at. In the first part of this exclusive, wideranging interview, marjorie and i discuss the origins of the book. Awakening by marjorie liu and sana takeda to be released for ages. The dazzling new comic monstress explores why we fear. Monstress is an epic fantasy comics series written by marjorie liu and drawn by sana takeda, published since 2015 by the american publisher image comics. Monstress issue 1 is available today, and we spoke with writer marjorie liu about the series and her thoughts on diversity in comics.
Monstress volume 1 awakening graphic novels reed comics. She teaches comic book writing at mit, and leads a class on popular fiction at the voices of our nation vona workshop. Liu born 1979 is an american new york times bestselling author and comic book writer. Liu is a novelist but has also written comics for marvel. Monstress, written by marjorie liu and illustrated by sana takeda, is about women of.
Marjorie liu readies dark fantastic adventure monstress. We got the inside scoop on marjories methods, inspiration, and the most important piece of info for anyone looking to write comic books. Now i will admit that i had never read any of marjorie lius comic books before, even though most of them were highly praised. Set in an alternate world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror, montress tells the epic story of maika halfwolf, a teenage survivor of a cataclysmic war between humans and their hated enemies, the arcanics. Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900s asia, in a richly imagined world of art decoinflected steam punk, monstress tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic. Marjorie liu and sana takeda discuss their monstress collaboration. In the face of oppression and terrible danger, maika is both hunter and hunted, searching for answers about her mysterious past as those. Steampunk meets kaiju in this original fantasy epic for mature readers, as young maika risks everything to control her psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, placing her in the center of a devastating war between human and otherworldly.
Steampunk meets kaiju in this original fantasy epic for mature readers, as young maika risks everything to control her psychic link with a monster of tremendous. Listed below are individual issues, which should be available at your local comic book store. Good, evil and long black tentacles make a monstress gaudy beauty and extravagant horror twine around each other in marjorie lius new graphic novel monstress. Of course, the presence of monsters in this book is a given, thanks to the name, but liu works at a deeper truth to what it really means to be a monster. The beatles, comic books, and bmovies, and are featured in many of these stories. Although she began her career as a novelist, marjorie liu, who teaches comic book writing at mit, says monstressimage comics, cocreated. Marjorie liu raises dark questions on war and slavery for. An interview with monstress author marjorie liu the. An interview with monstress author marjorie liu the atlantic. Monstress is the first issue in a comic book series about magic, slavery, revenge, and the darkness within. Astonishing xmen and black widow writer marjorie liu returns to. She is acclaimed for her horror fantasy comic monstress which is an international favorite and of great critical acclaim. Chris becker talks to marjorie liu about her awardwinning comics and her recent series, monstress. In an effort to highlight the most well received current comic book series, weve set up a real time list of the best image comic book series of the past three months.
With an expansive scope to match its oversized page count, monstress is a whole lot of epic fantasy to take in. Aug 02, 2016 good, evil and long black tentacles make a monstress gaudy beauty and extravagant horror twine around each other in marjorie lius new graphic novel monstress. This is the first scene in monstress image comics, the acclaimed comic series. The world of monstress is so big and expansive that we cant fit it all into the book. I wanted to tell a story that encompasses all these things, and more. She makes her longawaited return to comics with image comics monstress, reuniting her with x23 artist sana takeda. Source point press is a small press that publishes the horrorscifi comic series, up the river, and the true crime series, serial, the was banned from amazon and comixology.
Nov 04, 2015 marjorie liu raises dark questions on war and slavery for new image series monstress. The comicbook writer discusses working for marvel, the loneliness of novelwriting, and why her epicfantasy series is mostly populated by women and characters of color. Former astounding xmen writer marjorie liu has announced today her new image comic coming out this summer, monstress a. My name is marjorie liu, and im a new york times bestselling author of over seventeen novels, mostly urban fantasy and paranormal romance.
The origins of monsters in monstress the graphic novel. Comic book writer marjorie liu on how rejection shaped her writing author marjorie liu writes adult fantasy novels that explore alienation and identity. To be eligible for this list, a series must have had at least two issues published within the past three months and at. According to the image comics website, monstress centers on a young woman warrior as. So, when i heard that marjorie liu was creating a new comic book series called monstress and i had heard a lot of good things about this series, i just had to check this series out. Marjorie liu raises dark questions on war and slavery for new. The comicbook writer discusses working for marvel, the loneliness of novel writing, and why her epicfantasy series is mostly populated by. Of course, the presence of monsters in this book is a given, thanks to the name, but liu works at a deeper truth to what it really. I feel like ive been waiting for monstress, volume 1. Han solo comic coming from marvel in june marjorie liu.
Entertainment weekly praised monstress as one of image comics most. Kids in the hall was an integral part of her life from 1988 to 1994. There is a caste system of humans vs slaves, a massive war is going on and something awful went. Comic book writer marjorie liu on how rejection shaped her writing. Marjorie liu on writing comics, the eisners, and monstress. Written by marjorie liu and illustrated by sana takeda for image comics, monstress is a sprawling epic fantasy that drops readers into the middle of. And another guy comes to his mountain base to interview this female.
Oct 11, 2015 monstress is the first issue in a comic book series about magic, slavery, revenge, and the darkness within. She is a little bit broken, liu tells me at new york comic con. Book one, by marjorie liu and sana takeda marjorie liu and sana takedas epic, gorgeous tale of a young woman with a monster inside her has won countless awards and been. What does western popular culture represent to the characters in these stories. In the first panel of marjorie lius recently released comic, monstress, maika, the. Since becoming a design instructor, i have become a better designer. Monstress volume 4 by marjorie liu, 97815343361, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Monstress is absolutely stunning comic with a dark story and artwork that is simply gorgeous. Takedas artwork was unique before, and now that shes working on monstress, shes taking things to the next level. Monstress is about an outsider, a young woman who belongs nowhere. Theyll be debuting a new creator owned series with image comics called monstress.
Liu discusses her own hopes and dreams for the series in this interview with zachary clemente. She teaches comic book writing at mit, and she leads a class on popular fiction at the voices of our nation vona workshop. A monstress journey, part 1 comic book blog talking comics. Marjorie m lius first volume of monstress is utterly breathtaking. The comicbook writer discusses working for marvel, the loneliness of novelwriting, and why her epicfantasy series is mostly populated by. Marjorie liu creates a dark and dangerous world full of mystery and mysticism that in lesser hands would fall apart but here stands tall. But her new series, monstress, goes beyond superheroes to tell a wholly. Marvel creates an atmosphere of chaos, oppression, magic, and dread in this fantasy tale. Comic book writer marjorie liu on how rejection shaped her.
The epic world and all the details that make it so real. Is there a limit as to how much you would fight for those you love. Kippa had to be in the book, because kippa was alive. Lius extensive work includes the bestselling astonishing xmen for marvel comics, which featured the gay. And amidst all of this, i have become a much better artist. Her paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels include most notable the hunter kiss and tiger eye series. Sep 12, 2016 i feel like ive been waiting for monstress, volume 1. Marjorie liu and sana takeda are creators you should be paying attention to. Shes still glowing from this interview also, she lets out an occasional squee. Nov 04, 2015 monstress is a book that shows the freedom of creatorowned comics, as liu discusses in this blog post. Monstress, written by marjorie liu and illustrated by sana takeda, is about women of all shapes, sizes, and dispositions. If you tell people what everything is before they have a. Ive heard of marjorie liu but have not read anything by her.
When i wasnt manning the epic proportions booth, i was able to sneak away and meet with writer marjorie liu. This years image expo announcements seem to have something for everyone. Our flagship title, jack of spades, has been a fan favorite because of its unique noir style and its combination of pulp detective stories dealing with supervillains. Nov 04, 2015 astonishing xmen and black widow writer marjorie liu returns to comics with artist sana takeda x23 for an allnew ongoing series. Marjorie liu gets graphic with monstress marjorie liu. Writer liu astonishing xmen spins an interesting if confusing yarn. Takedas ethereal art and lius masterful touch have created a very smart and imaginative fantasy that is guaranteed to. Browse issues from the comic book series, monstress, from image comics. This is a dark, brutal, and at times gory comic that examines what it really means to be a monster, what it truly means to be human, and how it feels to be caught between the two. Monstress, a new comic book series from image comics which launches this week, is all about hidden depths. I was going to ask how youd sum up monstress, but miyazaki meets game of thrones is pretty perfect. Nov 29, 2015 5 things we love about monstress, the new comic from marjorie liu and sana takeda.
The series has earned many awards, including five eisner awards, four hugo awards, and the harvey awards book of the year in 2018. Monstress series 5 primary works 6 total works set in an alternate world of art deco beauty and steampunk horror, montress tells the epic story of maika halfwolf, a teenage survivor of a cataclysmic war between humans and their hated enemies, the arcanics. Shelley smarz is a comic book scholar and business woman. We spoke with writer marjorie liu about the oneshot, which is part of marvel comics year long women of marvel celebration. Oct 12, 2015 i spent this past weekend at new york comic con.
Ive been hearing good things about it from various sources since the first issue was released but i dont want to start reading graphic novels per issue, so i to wait for volume. Astonishing xmen and black widow writer marjorie liu returns to comics with artist sana takeda x23 for an allnew ongoing series. The first issue is much longer than a typical comic, and yet, it only. Dec 18, 2009 marjorie liu revisits x 23 in march, x23 returns to the mean streets of nyc where she reunites with her former friends from the nyx series. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read monstress. That was a major development, because outside of some nonreturnable comics produced for whitmanwestern.
Former astounding xmen writer marjorie liu has announced today her new image comic coming out this summer, monstress a tale of an alternate history, a brave girl, and. Image expo announces marjorie liu and sana takedas. Marjorie, i know you write novels as well as comics. By benjamin nobel, november 8, 2015 in 1979, something happened in comics that would change everything marvel made its first sales of distinct direct edition type comic books to specialty comic shops, at discounted prices but on a nonreturnable basis. Never has a comic been so cute or so horrifying within the same few pages. Her comic book work includes x23, black widow, dark wolverine, and astonishing xmen, for which she was nominated for a glaad media award for outstanding media images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Though this is the first issue of monstress, you already get a sense of how rich the world is. Marjorie liu raises dark questions on war and slavery for new image series monstress. New york times bestselling and awardwinning writer marjorie liu is best known for her fiction and comic books. Maika is analyzed and explored using murdocks heroines journey model. The dazzling new comic monstress explores why we fear powerful women.
Marjorie liu image comics marjorie liu is an attorney and new york times bestselling author of over nineteen novels. Jul 22, 2016 comic book writer marjorie liu on how rejection shaped her writing author marjorie liu writes adult fantasy novels that explore alienation and identity. I started out as a fine artist, specifically a printmaker. Sep 14, 2017 written by marjorie liu and illustrated by sana takeda for image comics, monstress is a sprawling epic fantasy that drops readers into the middle of a magicfilled alternate history. In monstress, readers are transported into the early 1900s, where immense leviathans roam the earth. Set in an alternate matriarchal 1900s asia, in a richly imagined world of art decoinflected steampunk, monstress tells the story of a teenage girl who is struggling to survive the trauma of war, and who shares a mysterious psychic link with a monster of tremendous power, a connection that will transform them both. Marjorie liu signs copies of monstress at san diego comiccon.
This was just one of many anecdotes that combined to paint image comics monstress as. Do you see yourself as a person whod be willing to kill others if it would bring you, and the memories that haunt your every sleep, peace. For me, the most exciting is the announcement of monstress, a new series written by marjorie liu and drawn by sana takeda. I really cant stress enough how much i loved all the imagery. Liu wrote astonishing xmen, which featured comic books first gay. Marjorie liu and sana takedas world building is excellent and immersive.
Some of them are slaves, and some are the slavedrivers. Sana takeda is an artist and has done work for marvel too. The series has earned many awards, including five eisner awards. Trade editions in paperback and hardcover, which collect these issues into a single bound format, are also listed in the following section. Not only for the title character a teenager who literally has a monster living inside. Liu, sana takeda, image comic 2nd printing, an allnew ongoing series. Marjorie liu revisits x 23 in march, x23 returns to the mean streets of nyc where she reunites with her former friends from the nyx series.