Lumberjanes Gets Its First OGN In ‘The Infernal Compass’ By Lilah Sturgess & Polterink

by Hannah Means Shannon

Surprisingly, Lumberjanes has never had an original graphic novel published by Boom! Studios. The popular property that’s also on its way to becoming a film, is finally getting the OGN treatment in Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass.
The new graphic novel will be written by Eisner Award-nominated writer Lilah Sturges (Jack of Fables, Justice Society of America) and illustrated by polterink. The book’s cover is by Alexa Sharpe (Dressed for Death).
The new book will feature Mal, Ripley, Molly, April & Jo getting separated during an “orienteering outing” due to a mysterious compass. Molly worries about the effect of her relationship with Mal on the other girls, and a “lonely woman explorer” tries to steal the compass, while some “automaton butlers” turn up, too.
Lilah Sturgess says:

I’ve been a huge fan of Lumberjanes since precisely April 8, 2017 — I know because that’s when I started tweeting about how great it is. It’s not just that it’s fun and funny and charming–and it is all those things–but it also represents queerness in a way that I think is enormously important. In the world of Lumberjanes being queer is simply accepted and unremarkable, and I respond deeply to that. The idea of giving young people models of healthy queer relationships is something that really matters to me, and something I could have used myself when I was young.
The inspiration behind the story was a conversation with Lumberjanes editor Dafna Pleban about the relationship between Mal and Molly and what it must have been like for them getting together. First love is a fraught, tender thing, and we loved the idea of focusing on the fears and anxieties the come with starting a relationship in an existing friend group. The rest of it was coming up with the funnest, Lumberjane-iest possible means of expressing that conflict in a big way that also includes interesting artifacts and cool monsters and lots of friendship and yelling and feminist exclamations.


Polterink adds:

Lumberjanes is such a special series with it’s cast of awesome ladies, it’s inclusivity and wonderful storylines that take me right back to my days exploring the woods as a kid. So of course I jumped at the opportunity to be a part of creating even more stories in the Lumberjanes universe! Are there gonna be monsters? Mysteries? Wonders? Who knows, but it’s definitely gonna be a great new adventure!

Print copies of Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass will be available for sale in October 2018 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one), book stores or at the Boom!Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the Boom!Studios app.

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