Return To Sweet Valley High With Academic All-Stars OGN From Dynamite
by Olly MacNamee
While some are forever signalling the death of comics, many others have noticed a growth in publishers appealing to younger readers, such as the DC Ink and DC Zoom lines. Not to be left behind, Dynamite have announced an adaption of Francine Pascal’s Sweet Valley High as an original graphic novel.
Sweet Valley High Academic All-Stars sees the return of the Wakefield twins as they are reinvented for a new readership as well as appealing to readers who fondly remember the books (over 400 of them in total!) too and it’ll be brought to you by writer Katy Rex (Charmed Magic School, Jade Protection Services), artist Devaki Neogi (The Skeptics, Curb Stomp) and colorist Pippa Mather (Charmed Magic School).
The usually impulsive and rash Jessica develops a crush on her new Shakespeare teacher, motivating her to model herself on her regimented and sincere sister Elizabeth. Will people start mixing the two girls up? Will Jess fall back on her ways only for Liz to straighten everything out?
And, it would seem that writer Katy Rex was a fan too:
I have been an absolute bookworm my whole life and I transitioned from Sweet Valley Twins to Sweet Valley High, and in a lot of ways I grew up alongside Jessica and Elizabeth. They’re timeless characters, so much so that it’s practically intuitive to see how they would feel and act in any era. My lifelong experience with the books really allowed me to nail the voices and the feeling of the series. This is absolutely classic Sweet Valley and it’s equally absolutely 2019.
Rex isn’t the only fan working on this new book either. Artist Devak Neogi was a fan too as she explains:
Sweet Valley High is a book I read as a teenager and to actually be on art duty in the translation to the graphic medium is a dream to me!I have spent the large part of a year on this book and the entire team of Katy, Pippa, Cathy and Joe (Rybandt – editor) have been fantastic to work with.
Sweet Valley High Academic All-Stars will be available this May from Dynamite.
