Fanbase Press is thrilled to announce the newest addition to its publishing slate with the LGBTQ+, Upper YA graphic novel, Four-Color Heroes, written and illustrated by Aotearoa/New Zealand-born creator Richard Fairgray (Black Sand Beach, Blastosaurus).
Four-Color Heroes is a touching love story which follows two star-crossed young men who – in spite of their disparate backgrounds – find escape and one another through the pages of a comic book. The coming-of-age romance is set in a New Zealand high school prior to the passing of the Civil Union Act 2004 (which allowed same-sex couples to enter into a civil union).
Born completely blind in one eye and with only 3% of vision in the other, Fairgray is an award-winning creator who has published over 200 titles, ranging from children’s books like Gorillas in Our Midst and My Grandpa Is a Dinosaur (Sky Pony) to graphic novels and ongoing comics like Shed (Blue Fox Comics) and Haunted Hill. He splits his time between his home in Hollywood and his home in Canada, where he lives with his husband and dogs.
“The stories that meant the most to me growing up were the ones where friendship and love (often queer love) triumphed,” notes Fairgray. “Tiny, sweet moments from those books and comics have stayed with me, maybe giving me an overly romantic outlook on life. With Four-Color Heroes, I got the chance to create those moments in my own work, and I got to make it explicitly about comics. This book is like if all my favorite things went down a slide too fast together and got merged into one.”
In light of Fairgray’s New Zealand roots and given the Māori heritage of one of Four-Color Heroes’ protagonists, the graphic novel will be made available digitally in both English and Te Reo Māori as translated by Komako A. Silver and Alejandra Jensen (The Art of Taonga Puoro). The graphic novel will be released in English-language print in the summer of 2023.
The Four-Color Heroes graphic novel is currently available for pre-order through the Fanbase Press website (www.fanbasepress.com). Pre-orders made by May 1, 2023, will receive a discounted price of $19.99 and an exclusive print illustrated and signed by creator Richard Fairgray.
Founded in 2010, Fanbase Press celebrates fandoms and creates new ones! As an award-winning comic book publisher and geek culture website, Fanbase Press produces new and distinctive works, as well as daily reviews, interviews, and podcasts, that span the pop culture spectrum and give voice to the themes, ideals, and people that make geekdom so exceptional.
Fanbase Press’ previous titles – including the 2018 Eisner Award-nominated Quince, the 2022 International Latino Book Award-winning Nuclear Power, the 2020 Foreword INDIES Award-winning Quince: The Definitive Bilingual Edition, the 2019 IPPY Award-winning A Geek’s Guide to Cross-Stitch: Journeys in Space, the 2014 Bram Stoker Award-nominated Fearworms: Selected Poems, Ripple Effects, The Sequels, The Margins, The Gamma Gals, Something Animal, Identity Thief, The Arcs, and Penguins vs. Possums – are available online at www.fanbasepress.com and on Amazon, as well as digitally through ComiXology, Comics Plus, and Hoopla Digital.
For more information on Four-Color Heroes, please visit www.FourColorHeroes.com or www.fanbasepress.com. Four-Color Heroes may also be found on Facebook (/FourColorHeroes) and Twitter, @4ColorHeroesGN.
###
