Ghosts, goblins and gardening: Norman Shurtliff’s ‘Skull Cat’ starts his job at ‘The Curious Castle’ next month

The new Top Shelf graphic novel kicks off a middle grade series by the creator.

Ghosts, vampires, goblins … they’re all in a day’s work for Skull Cat, the new garden-keeper at Le Dark Chateau, the local spooky castle.

Skull Cat and the Curious Castle is the first in a planned series by Norman Shurtliff and arrives in stores on Feb. 21. The thing I find interesting about it, besides the supernatural elements, is the fact that Skull Cat is a gardener — which makes sense given Shurtliff has a degree in horticulture. So come for the cute cat being chased by monsters, stay for the (hopefully plentiful) gardening tips.

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Quick Hits | Variant covers exploded in 2022 as number of new comic releases increased year over year

Plus: News on ‘Gender Queer,’ ‘Adora and the Distance,’ and more.

The always essential Comichron by comic sales guru John Jackson Miller has a number of charts up about 2022 comics. With distribution scattered amongst numerous players now, it’s harder to pin down sales numbers for many titles, but Miller has been keeping track of the number of new periodical releases, which gives an indication of the health of the overall comics market:

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Welcome your new, creepy ‘Neighbors’ in March

The new title by Jude Ellison S. Doyle, Letizia Cadonici and Alessandro Santoro will debut from BOOM! Studios.

Get out your welcome basket: writer Jude Ellison S. Doyle, artist Letizia Cadonici and colorist Alessandro Santoro will bring The Neighbors to BOOM! Studios later this year.

It’s described as “changeling horror” — which, according to folklore, was when a fairy stole a child and replaced them with a fairy.

“I am so excited for The Neighbors. It’s a story about what scared me as a kid, what scares me as a parent, and the terror that shadows queer and trans people who are raising families in 2022,” said Doyle. “Letizia Cadonici’s witchy, haunted art provides such a beautiful portal into this other world. I sincerely hope you’ll walk through and see what’s inside.”

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