Exclusive Preview | John Jennings + Damian Duffy + David Brame adapt Octavia E. Butler’s ‘The Parable of the Talents’

The timely graphic novel about a nation under the grip of a fascist regime arrives in stores this week.

Courtesy of Abrams ComicArts, we’re pleased to share a preview of The Parable of the Talents, an adaptation of the novel by Octavia E. Butler.

The graphic novel reunites John Jennings and Damian Duffy, who worked on the Hugo Award-winning adaptation of Butler’s The Parable of the Sower. They are joined by artist David Brame.

“Being chosen to adapt the Parable duology by Octavia E. Butler into a graphic novel is both an honor and a very serious responsibility,” said Jennings. “Those two books were so prescient and incredibly accurate with their forecasting that we are still amazed by the insightful creative acumen of Butler. It’s our hope that we did the story justice and that the underlying messages resonate through every word and every panel.”

The Parable of the Talents continues Butler’s story from the first volume, known collectively as the Earthseed series. Set on a war-torn continent under the control of a fascist state, the story follows Asha, who searches for answers about her own past while struggling to reconcile with her mother’s legacy. While Butler’s original novel was published in 1998, it feels very timely today — not only does it feature a country under the grip of a Christian fundamentalist denomination, but that group even used the slogan “Make America Great Again” in their propaganda.

The Parable of the Talents is available in stores this week. Check out the preview below.

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The Reuben: The National Cartoonist Society announces nominees for the 2024 Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year

The winner will be announced in August.

The National Cartoonist Society has announced six nominees for this year’s Reuben Award, their annual recognition of the cartoonist of the year for the previous calendar year.

The NCS typically nominates five cartoonists for the award, but due to a tie in voting this year, we have six.

The Reuben Award has been presented annually since 1954 and was named for Rube Goldberg. Past winners include Lynda Barry, Stephen Pastis, Al Jaffee, Matt Groening, Sergio Aragones, Roz Chast and Charles Schulz, to name a few who have taken home this prestigious award.

This year’s nominees include:

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