Stereotypical Freaks Come to Life Fall 2012

Stereotypes are such because they make us feel comfortable. They give us something to gravitate towards as a baseline to make sense of things happening around us. They also happen to make for an interesting comic from Sea Lion Books called Stereotypical Freaks.

Jacoby Nukik is an exchange student from Canada, with the requisite Canadian wisdom and sensibility. Jacoby and three other disparate high school seniors come together to compete in their school's Battle of the Bands. Jacoby was inspired by real life teen John Challis, according to writer Howard Shapiro.

"John was a teenager dying of cancer who faced his death with courage, dignity, and a never-quit attitude that changed how I went about my daily life. So much so, that I was inspired to create Jacoby to help honor John's memory and his message of 'Courage + Believe = Life.'"

Shapiro is joined by artist Joe Pekar for the graphic novel set to hit stores in the fall of 2012.

Full press release and interiors below.

SHAPIRO / PEKAR
THE STEREOTYPICAL FREAKS

Kids who aren't perfect, don't get straight A's, drive a cool car and
couldn't possibly get a date with a cheerleader or the homecoming queen.

    ATLANTA, GA – APRIL 06, 2012 - Jacoby Nukik is an exchange student from Canada, with a spirit and wisdom well beyond his age.  Jacoby and three other, very disparate, high school seniors come together to compete in their school's Battle of the Bands. They are The Stereotypical Freaks, and their world is coming to life in a new graphic novel from Sea Lion Books.

    The main character, Jacoby was inspired by a real life teen, John Challis, says writer Howard Shapiro. "John was a teenager dying of cancer who faced his death with courage, dignity, and a never-quit attitude that changed how I went about my daily life. So much so, that I was inspired to create Jacoby to help honor John's memory and his message of 'Courage + Believe = Life.'"


    The Stereotypical Freaks is about the Battle of the Bands that the main characters enter, but at its heart it is a story about friendship, the power of music and how we deal with loss. The power of music brings them together... the power of friendship, creativity, and determination takes them on a journey that will inspire the rest of their lives.

   
   
    The story line is vividly detailed in the artwork of Joe Pekar. Artwork with "an otherworldly ability to infuse characters with feeling and emotion simply by their body language, the look in their eyes or their facial expressions."

    The graphic novel will be released in Fall of 2012. Two additional books are planned for the series. Readers will enjoy, root for, and identify with The Stereotypical Freaks.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Since I decided to start writing children’s stories my goal has been to create characters that adults and kids would care about and be interested in following their journey. And also to create stories that SAY SOMETHING. There are thousands of kids books out there and in my little corner of the book store, I want and wanted to do something that can stand the test of time, be relevant and vital. Plus, make it entertaining and enjoyable to read each and every time. I hope I am succeeding in that goal. You can visit Howard's website at http://howardshapiro.net

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Joe Pekar began his art career doing character design and animation in the field of video games. After deciding that a lifetime of video game design was not for him, Joe turned to his passion of drawing, girls, and computer coloring to create his Naughty Girls. Joe is the author of Naughty Girls Volume 1, Pigtails Volume 1, and Strawberry. A comic book entitled Brandi Bare, and based on one of his pinup drawings is due from Silent Devil Productions in the near future. You can find Joe's artwork at http://www.joepekar.com

ABOUT SEA LION BOOKS:
Located in Atlanta, Georgia, Sea Lion Books LLC is a newly established publishing house which specializes in all formats—hardcover, trade paperback, and mass market and in urban fantasy and young adult genres. Sea Lion Books LLC recent roster of authors include: International Bestselling author, Anne Rice, Paulo Coelho, New York Times Bestselling authors, Richelle Mead, Patrick Rothfuss,Richard A. Knaak, F. Paul Wilson, Melissa de la Cruz and Becca Fitzpatrick.  You can visit Sea Lion Books at: www.sealionbooks.com

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