Media Release -- BOOM! Studios today announced a summer book tour in support of SANPAKU, the powerful new original graphic novel from cartoonist Kate Gavino (Last Night's Reading) gives voice to the insecurities that haunt teens of all cultures. The acclaimed author will travel across America from August 21st to August 31st in support of SANPAKU, participating in signing events along with moderated panel discussions about the themes of identity, culture and family that the graphic novel beautifully explores.

Kate Gavino, multi-talented writer and illustrator, is the creator of the website, Last Night's Reading, which was compiled into a published collection by Penguin Books in 2015. Her work has been featured in BuzzFeed, Lenny Letter, Oprah.com, Rookie, and more. She was recently named one of Brooklyn Magazine's "30 Under 30."

An extended first look at SANPAKU can be found right here.

The SANPAKU Summer Book Tour stops include:
Tuesday August 21st , New York City: 7:30PM at Greenlight Bookstore (Fort Greene) with moderator Adrian Shirk (author of And Your Daughters Shall Prophesy)

Wednesday, August 22nd, New York City: 7:00PM at the Asian American Writer's Workshop

Thursday, August 23rd, Chicago, IL: 7:00PM at Quimby's with moderator Michi Trota (Managing Editor, Uncanny Magazine)

Friday, August 24th, Minneapolis, MN: 7:00PM a Barnes & Noble with moderator Dennis Madamba

Saturday, August 25th, Houston, TX: 7:00PM at Brazos Bookstore with moderator Bryan Washington (journalist and author of Lot)

Sunday, August 26th, Los Angeles, CA: 5:30PM at Chevalier's Books with moderator Sarah Kuhn (author of Clueless comic books and Heroine Complex novels)

Tuesday, August 28th, San Francisco, CA: 5:30PM at the San Francisco Public Library (Excelsior Branch)

Wednesday, August 29th, Portland, OR: 7:00PM at Books with Pictures

Thursday, August 30th, Seattle, WA: 7:00PM at Elliott Bay Bookstore

Friday, August 31st, Jersey City, NJ: 7:30PM at WORD Bookstore

"For this tour, I've created a visual glossary of some of the major themes and figures that appear in SANPAKU, covering everything from Asian supermarkets to Selena to the exact definition of 'sanpaku,'" said Kate Gavino. "It also includes a pretty comprehensive guide to handling Filipino grandmothers. I'm also excited to be in conversation with some of my favorite writers and artists, discussing the inspiration and creation process behind the book."

SANPAKU is told through the eyes of Marcine, a young woman fascinated with the Japanese idea of Sanpaku—that seeing the white around the iris of your eyes is a bad omen. But it's everywhere Marcine looks—her grandmother has it, some classmates at Catholic school have it, JFK had it…even Marcine might suffer from this odd condition. Eating a strict macrobiotic diet and meditating is supposed to help, but no matter how much Marcine wants it to, it can't save her grandmother's life or make her days at school any easier.

"Kate's honesty, charm and wit shine through in this powerful coming of age story that shows why she's such an important literary voice," said Sierra Hahn, Executive Editor, BOOM! Studios. "I'm excited for audiences across the country to discover the spirit and originality of SANPAKU at these events."

SANPAKU is the latest release from BOOM! Studios' Archaia imprint, home to sophisticated, high-end graphic novels such as Mouse Guard by David Petersen, The Realist by Asaf Hanuka, Rust by Royden Lepp, A Girl in The Himalayas by David Jesus Vignolli and Persephone by Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky, along with series inspired by world-renowned, beloved properties like Jim Henson's Fraggle Rock and Jim Henson's Labyrinth: Coronation. The award-winning imprint has spawned a number of critically-acclaimed recent hits including Jane by Aline Brosh McKenna and Ramón K. Pérez and Bolivar by Sean Rubin, both of which were nominated for 2018 Eisner Awards.

Print copies of SANPAKU will be available for sale on August 15, 2018 at local comic book shops (use comicshoplocator.com to find the nearest one) and August 21, 2018 bookstores or at the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including comiXology, iBooks, Google Play, and the BOOM! Studios app.

For continuing news on SANPAKU and more previews from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to? www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on Twitter.

About BOOM! Studios
BOOM! Studios was founded by Ross Richie in 2005 with the singular focus of creating world-class comic book and graphic novel storytelling for all audiences. Through the development of four distinct imprints—BOOM! Studios, BOOM! Box, KaBOOM!, and Archaia—BOOM! has produced award-winning original work, including Lumberjanes, The Woods, Giant Days, Klaus, and Mouse Guard, while also breaking new ground with established licenses such as WWE, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Cartoon Network, and The Jim Henson Company properties. BOOM! will also bring their original series to life through unique first-look relationships with 20th Century Fox for film and with 20th Television for the small screen. Please visit www.boom-studios.com for more information.

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