The first Cartoonist Laureate of Vermont has teamed up with a former Vermont Poet Laureate for a new book called The Exquisite Triumph of Wormboy.
James Kochalka drew the new book, while poet Sydney Lea added verse to describe the adventures of the tiny invertebrate hero.
“I drew a wordless 50 page story about a worm with a human face, which was versified as an ekphrastic epic by Vermont Poet Laureate Sydney Lea,” said Kochalka on Tumblr. “And it really is an incredible piece of work, unlike any graphic novel you’ll find anywhere.”
Here’s the description from the publisher:
In The Exquisite Triumph of Wormboy, multi-award winning illustrator and graphic novelist James Kochalka brings us a thematic collection of drawings that chronicle the exploits of a worm who embarks on an adventure of rescue, fueled by inescapable surges of bravery. This odyssey is aptly and expertly versified into an ekphrastic epic by former Vermont Poet Laureate Sydney Lea. Readers of all ages will be entertained by the sights, tension, suspense, and humor of this unique collection.
Yet here’s a leaf! And here’s a boat!
And here’s the cure for the chill of doubt!
Why should not hope, however odd,
Be just as strong, no, stronger than gods?
The book can be bought directly from Able Muse Press, or you can find it in bookstores in November.