Jordan Hart’s critically acclaimed graphic novel, Ripple Effects, has been nominated for the biggest awards in comics and now, on the eve of its 15th anniversary, GLAAD Media Award-winning publisher Fanbase Press will launch the company’s first-ever Kickstarter campaign to fund an expanded deluxe hardcover edition of the book, featuring all-new contributions from some of the biggest names in comics. Ripple Effects follows the adventures of a superhero whose invincibility is offset by an acute case of type 1 diabetes and a defective pancreas that must be monitored and treated daily. The gripping and inspirational story about living with an invisible illness is inspired by writer Jordan Hart’s own lived experience with thrombophilia, an incurable blood-clotting disease.
“Ripple Effects was created to remind those with invisible disabilities, and their loved ones, that they are not alone, that they’re unique, and that they’re special,” notes Jordan Hart. “I have so much joy when a reader says, ‘I’ve waited so long to see someone like me as a superhero.’ Watching the impact this story has on others with invisible disabilities has been the highlight of my career, and I hope that The Deluxe Edition will only widen that impact.”
Ripple Effects was created, written, and colored by Jordan Hart (The Cabinet, Terminarch, Doppelgänger), illustrated by Bruno Chiroleu (El Borde, Mara and Samu), flatted by Shane Kadlecik, lettered by Oceano Ransford (Eisner Award-nominated Rikki, The Sequels, Haphaven), and features cover art by Justin C. Harder (CLAUS Studios) and a foreword by Matthew Noe (librarian, Harvard Medical School).
Striving to increase awareness and representation for individuals with invisible illnesses and disabilities, Ripple Effects: The Deluxe Edition will feature a new foreword by Eisner and Harvey Awards-winning writer Gail Simone (Birds of Prey, Batgirl, Uncanny X-Men), study guides by Eisner Award nominee and educator Tim Smyth (Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels) and comics literacy advocate Creators, Assemble!, and an art gallery which pairs youth artists who have invisible disabilities and illnesses ranging from deafness to Autism Spectrum Disorder with superstar artists including Liana Kangas, Ray-Anthony Height (Midnight Tiger), Don Aguillo (Spawn), and Manuel Martinez (DC, Marvel). The deluxe hardcover also features “Unseen Ripples” essays written by individuals with invisible disabilities and illnesses who relate Ripple Effects‘ events to their own lived experience, ranging in topic from paranoid schizophrenia to diabetes.
“We at Fanbase Press have had the honor of celebrating creators and stories across mediums for nearly 15 years, underscoring the vital role that they play in our lives,” says Barbra Dillon, co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of Fanbase Press. “We are eager to share Ripple Effects’ incredibly impactful story with even more readers, libraries, and schools all over the world with this expanded edition.”
“What sets this series apart is a positive, person-first representation about life with a chronic disease . . . which just so happens to also include superhuman abilities,” notes Fanbase Press co-founder and President Bryant Dillon. “But Ripple Effects isn’t just a story about a character with an incurable disease. It’s also a thrilling and relevant superhero tale that touches on the difficulty of finding a work/life balance, the class struggles and economic inequality experienced by many in our nation, and the desire to help others during trying times. Working with Jordan on an expanded edition of such a personal tale which has resonated with so many readers is a perfect example of the modern and meaningful superhero stories that Fanbase Press publishes.”
Ripple Effects was the winner of the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics in 2023, as well as being nominated for an Eisner Award and a Harvey Award. The series was included in the American Library Association’s (Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table) 2022 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List and was named the winner of the 25th annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award in the Graphic Novels & Comics category.
To support the project, visit the Kickstarter campaign. For updates, follow Fanbase Press on Facebook, X (@Fanbase_Press), and Instagram (@fanbasepress). You can subscribe to the Fanbase Press newsletter here.
About Fanbase Press
As a GLAAD Media Award-winning and an Eisner and Harvey Awards-nominated 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 2024 GLAAD Media Award-winning Four-Color Heroes, the 2023 Eisner and Harvey Award-nominated Ripple Effects, the 2022 International Latino Book Award-winning Nuclear Power, the 2018 Eisner Award-nominated Quince, and the 2020 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award-winning Quince: The Definitive Bilingual Edition hardcover, are available online at www.fanbasepress.com and on Amazon, as well as digitally through Hoopla Digital, ComicsPlus, and Kindle.
About Jordan Hart
Jordan Hart is the creator and writer of Ripple Effects which was nominated for the Eisner, Harvey, and Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards. The story won the Dwayne McDuffie Award for Diversity in Comics and was named the Foreword INDIES’ Book of the Year Award winner in the Graphic Novels & Comics category. In 2023, the American Library Association selected Ripple Effects for its Best Graphic Novels Reading List. Currently, Jordan’s co-creation, The Cabinet, is releasing with Image Comics and Syzygy Publishing. You can find him on Instagram (@jordyjordith).
