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Serenity Rose Conjures a New Quarterly Series from SLG Publishing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 8/5/03
When you can float through the air and conjure up monsters out of ectoplasm, you're bound to attract attention. But Ms. Serenity Rose, the local witch of Crestfallen (The Spookiest Li'l Town in the U.S. of A., population 231), isn't especially thrilled about being an object of curiosity and adoration. So what's a witch to do when she has to dodge goblins and Goths, deal with a bad case of social phobia and, under the advice of her court-appointed therapist, keep a journal to "work through the negativity"? In Sera's case, the answer is "make a comic book."
SLG Publishing's new quarterly series, serenity rose, is the personal journal of witch, introvert and cynic Serenity Elizabeth Rose, as related to Aaron A. In issue one, to be released in October 2003, Sera introduces herself, her life, and her world as she shows you a day in her life, from flying her kid sister to school to discovering that there are people out there who care about the same thing she does – her art.
In taking on the responsibility of telling Sera's story, Aaron A. describes himself as "positively giddy with glee to share my (semi-authorized) adaptations of this excruciatingly shy little recluse's most private, personal, intensely intimate secret diary with great hordes of leering strangers." However, he admits his motivations are not entirely without self-interest. "When I told Ms. Rose the news, she promised to turn my skeleton to marshmallow ASAP," he says. "I shall be a living peep!"
Creators of Reality Check, Ranklechick and His Three Legged Cat, and the forthcoming Shutterbox and long-time fans of serenity rose Rosearik Rikki Simons and Tavisha Wolfgarth-Simons share aaron a.'s enthusiasm. "Serenity rose has much of what Tavi and I look for in an illustrated book, comic or otherwise: an impressively-designed and affectionate mix of cute and spooky," says Simons. "What makes Aaron A.'s entirely original march into this (often mishandled) genre so wonderful is the impassioned defense of all things cute."
Even with the comic's devotion to the cute side of spooky, serenity rose is a more introspective story than is usually presented in the "spooky-cute" genre of books, according to SLG's editor-in-chief, Jennifer de Guzman. "Sera's cynicism and need to isolate herself are endearing quirks," she says, "but they're also her defense against interacting with the world. Through Aaron A.'s storytelling and art she gets to tell her story and form a kind of connection with people she might have shut herself away from." Sera's magical abilities contribute another dimension to the story, she adds, "But this isn't cartoon or children's books magic, spells and incantations kind of magic. It's a part of who Sera is, and only one of the reasons she's such an interesting character."
Serenity rose is a 24-page black-and-white comic book, published quarterly beginning in October 2003. It will retail for $2.95. A preview of issue one is available here.
SLG Publishing is a San Jose, California-based publisher of comic books and graphic novels, known for discovering new talent and publishing a wide variety of titles, including Squee! by Jhonen Vasquez, Slow New Day by Andi Watson, and The Waiting Place by Sean McKeever and Mike Norton.
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