This September, SelfMadeHero are delighted to be publishing My Dad Fight Demons!, a diverse Young Adult graphic novel that brings together writer Bobby Joseph, UK Comics Laureate and illustrator, Abbigayle Bircham.
My Dad Fights Demons!, presents the misadventures of Rye, a down- on-their-luck teenager and the dimension-hopping, demon- battling streetwise sorcerer, the Magical Mr Mantrikz, who just happens to be their absentee father. Whilst this is a tale of magical realism, it also tackles the very real social issue of absentee dads and parental separation.
This is the first new graphic novel by Bobby Joseph since being named the UK Comics Laureate in 2023
Writer Bobby Joseph says: “Being a secondary school teacher has influenced my writing profoundly, especially with regards to absentee parents, and parents not generally understanding their kids. This became the seed of the book. The other seed was representation. Having characters from diverse backgrounds was very important
to me. I especially wanted to write about a lead character with South Asian origins, and like magic, Mantrikz appeared!”
The illustrator Abbigayle Bircham, graduate of the LICAF (Lakes International Comic Art Festival) Breakthrough Initiative programme, has published work with Soaring
Penguin Press and the Rat Pack Collective. Based in Norwich, she has a penchant for the weird and wonderful, and this is her first full-length graphic novel.
My Dad Fights Demons! is published on 25th September in the UK by SelfMadeHero and 30th September in USA by Abram books.
ComicScene magazine 
Leave a comment