Boom’s New Sports Drama Fence Is ‘Exuberantly Queer’
by Hannah Means Shannon
Boom! Studios has announced a new original comic series for November that will take us into the drama behind a fencing team, written by novelist C.S. Pacat (Captive Prince) and illustrated by “online sensation” Johanna The Mad.
Described as “teen soap opera” with the “adrenaline rush of competitive fencing”, Fence is set to explore identity and “self-discovery”.
Pascat says:
FENCE follows the rise of sixteen-year-old outsider Nicholas in the world of competitive fencing, as he joins the team at an elite boys school. Readers will experience the world of fencing, its elegance and danger, and the high stakes of a combat sport. But most of all, FENCE is about the characters—with intense rivalries, lifelong friendships, and the thrill of romance between teammates—a diverse cast and a story that is exuberantly queer.
Neither Pacat or Johanna The Mad have worked in comics before, though both have fan followings. Pacat’s bestselling book series, Captive Prince, began its life as an original-fiction web serial that was picked up by publisher Penguin Random House. Johanna The Mad has gained widespread support for her “sketches, illustrations, and handmade items”.
Johanna says:
FENCE means the world to me. It has always been one of my biggest dreams to draw comics, but I never thought I’d be able to work on one that I’d end up fangirling about!
Fence #1 will be launching with two open-to-order covers, one by Johanna The Mad and another by artist Kevin Wada (Scarlet Witch). The series will be colored by Rebecca Nalty.
Print copies of Fence #1 will be available for sale at local comic book shops or at the Boom! Webstore in November 2017. Digital copies will be available to purchase on digital book marketplaces, including ComiXology, iBooks, Google Books, and the BOOM! Studios app.