Lumberjanes
| Lumberjanes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Publication information | |
| Publisher | Boom! Studios[1] |
| Format | Ongoing series |
| Genre |
Action Fantasy |
| Publication date | 2014 |
| Number of issues | 13 |
| Creative team | |
| Writer(s) |
|
| Artist(s) |
|
| Letterer(s) | Aubrey Aiese |
| Colorist(s) | Maarta Laiho |
| Creator(s) |
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| Editor(s) | Dafna Pleban |
Lumberjanes is a comic book series created by Ross Richie and Shannon Watters, and published via the Boom Box! imprint of Boom! Studios. The story follows a group of girls spending summer at a scout camp, and the strange creatures and supernatural phenomena they encounter there. Originally planned as an eight-part series, the comic was quickly made an ongoing series following strong sales and critical acclaim.[2]
Publication history
Lumberjanes came about as the result of Boom! Studios editor Shannon Watters approaching writer Grace Ellis in the hopes of creating a girl-centric comic series. After settling on a story set at a summer camp, the pair brought in Brooke A. Allen for initial character designs and Noelle Stevenson as a co-writer. [3] The series would be the second published on Boom! Studios' Boom! Box imprint, which aimed to feature experimental, creator-driven work by writers and artists from outside the mainstream comics industry. [4] A single eight-issue story arc was originally planned, but shortly after the release of the second issue, Boom! Studios announced that Lumberjanes would become an ongoing series. [5]
Overview
The story is set in and around Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types, a summer camp whose attendees are known as Lumberjane Scouts. The five scouts of the Roanoke cabin - Jo, April, Molly, Mal and Ripley - witness a mysterious old woman transforming into a bear, and after following her into the woods, encounter a hostile pack of three-eyed supernatural foxes. As more three-eyed creatures start to appear, the girls task themselves with solving the mysteries surrounding the camp.
Over the course of the story, characters earn or refer to various Lumberjane scout badges; these are added to a sash printed on the back of each issue. The characters frequently invoke the names of notable female pioneers, with phrases such as "Oh my Bessie Coleman" and "What the Joan Jett?" [6] Each issue ends with a track listing for a mixtape prepared by one of the characters.
Characters
Jo is the leader, and the most cool-headed and analytical member of the group. She specializes in the more mathematical puzzles the group faces and is the most by-the-book of the scouts. She has a strong bond with April.
April has a flair for the dramatic and a love of puns, and habitually takes notes on the various puzzles the group encounters. Though outwardly the least physically imposing Lumberjane, she is revealed to be the strongest after successfully arm wrestling a giant living statue.
Molly is a skilled archer, but sometimes worries that she doesn't contribute enough to the group. She has a raccoon companion named Bubbles, and has a mutual crush on Mal.
Mal, despite her punk rock appearance, is the most cautious and sensitive of the group. She specializes in crafting elaborate plans, which are frequently ignored or rendered irrelevant by changing circumstances.
Ripley is the most naive, childish and energetic of the girls, liable to launch herself towards danger without any fear. She loves animals, from kittens to dinosaurs.
Jen is Roanoke cabin's scout-leader. Though she takes her job very seriously and is often stern with her campers she genuinely cares for them and tries to protect them from harm. She is extremely knowledgeable about various fields such as botany and astronomy, and usually tries in vain to interest her adventurous campers in safer activities.
Rosie is the camp scout-master, an easy-going, tattooed woman who enjoys woodcarving. She seems to know more about the mysterious events surrounding the camp than she is willing to reveal.
Reception
Lumberjanes launched to positive reviews. Many reviewers commented on the importance of the comic as an all-ages, female-led and female-authored title. Alison Berry of Comicosity said that "Lumberjanes is the book that so many have asked for, both accessible and girl friendly without sacrificing entertainment value for the older set... Girls doing for girls is important in comics especially, because it is traditionally dominated by male characters and creators." [7]
The series has a rapidly growing fanbase and at the Staple Comic Con in Austin Texas on March 7, 2015 the regular artist of the series, Brooke Allen, said the official name for fans of the series is "Lumber Jumbies" and hopes the fans takes to this name.
References
- ↑ "BOOM! Box Announces Stevenson, Ellis And Allen’s New Lumberjanes Series". Comics Alliance. 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
- ↑ "Interview: Shannon Watters on Lumberjanes". ICv2. 2014-10-17. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
- ↑ "Grace Ellis Sends Girl Power to Camp in Lumberjanes". Paste. 2014-07-14. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
- ↑ "Lumberjanes #1 Arrives Next Month. It Looks Awesome". Panels and Pixels. 2014-03-13. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
- ↑ "Lumberjanes Goes Ongoing at BOOM! Studios". Multiversity Comics. 2014-05-19. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
- ↑ "What the Junk: Lumberjanes #1". Panels. 2014-10-05. Retrieved 2014-11-14.
- ↑ "Review: LUMBERJANES #1". Comicosity. 2014-04-14. Retrieved 2014-11-14.