Jeff Lemire to Make Creator-Owned Debut at BOOM!
Jeff Lemire will make his creator-owned BOOM! Studios debut this September with the new series Minor Arcana. The author described the series as a “love letter” to the Vertigo comics of his youth. The series will mirror the suits of a tarot deck, with story arcs sectioned into The Book of Wands, The Book of Swords, The Book of Cups, and The Book of Pentacles.
“Minor Arcana has become my dream project. Combining small town life with magical realism and supernatural mystery, it lets me stretch my wings and play with all the different kinds of characters and stories I’ve loved working on since Essex County and Sweet Tooth. Writing and drawing the book myself has allowed me to make it an immersive read that I hope will hook readers as much as it’s hooked me. I have big plans for the series, having already plotted it through the first 22 issues,” said Lemire.
BOOM! shared the following synopsis for the new series:
Theresa, the prodigal daughter of a small-town “psychic” tarot reading fraud, begrudgingly returns home to care for her ailing mother after having left home for good–or so she thought. Arriving back in her childhood hometown seemingly untouched by time, Theresa learns that there may be more to the magic than she originally believed. And with that, she finds herself caught up in a town that desperately needs her help…
Scroll down to check out a few of the variant covers & unlettered preview pages that were shared!
Official Press Release
LOS ANGELES, CA (June 17, 2024) – One of the most renowned creators in comics, New York Times bestselling and Eisner Award-winning writer and artist Jeff Lemire, along with the incomparable letterer Steve Wands, brings his first ever creator-owned, ongoing series to BOOM! Studios with an oversized opening chapter of the supernatural in MINOR ARCANA, coming to comic shops September 2024.
“Minor Arcana has become my dream project. Combining small town life with magical realism and supernatural mystery, it lets me stretch my wings and play with all the different kinds of characters and stories I’ve loved working on since Essex County and Sweet Tooth. Writing and drawing the book myself has allowed me to make it an immersive read that I hope will hook readers as much as it’s hooked me.
“I have big plans for the series, having already plotted it through the first 22 issues. If Black Hammer was my love letter to the superhero comics I grew up reading, then Minor Arcana is my love letter to the classic Vertigo comics of my youth, but all filtered through my own style. I really want to get back to doing a true ongoing series that focuses on the importance of single issues again.
“I love writing and drawing this book and living in the world, and I can’t wait to start sharing it,” said series creator Jeff Lemire.
Theresa, the prodigal daughter of a small-town “psychic” tarot reading fraud, begrudgingly returns home to care for her ailing mother after having left home for good–or so she thought. Arriving back in her childhood hometown seemingly untouched by time, Theresa learns that there may be more to the magic than she originally believed. And with that, she finds herself caught up in a town that desperately needs her help…
"Minor Arcana is one of those beautiful creative experiences where everything just clicked right away," said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief, Matt Gagnon. "It really feels like Jeff has crafted a story that explores his deepest interests to the fullest. There's a magical undercurrent running through this series that extends all the way to the creative process. This is such a special story and we cannot wait to share it with the world this September!"
MINOR ARCANA #1 launches the first of the four major story arcs of the new ongoing series from Jeff Lemire and BOOM! Studios. Mirroring the suits of a tarot deck, the story arcs will be collected into The Book of Wands, The Book of Swords, The Book of Cups, and The Book of Pentacles respectively.
MINOR ARCANA #1 features main cover art by series creator Jeff Lemire, and variant covers by highly acclaimed illustrators Tula Lotay (Barnstormers), Dustin Nguyen (Descender), David Mack (American Gods), and more. Additionally, each issue of MINOR ARCANA will feature a special tarot card variant cover illustrated by Jeff Lemire, starting with issue #1’s being The Fool!
“Watching Jeff build the world of Minor Arcana first-hand has been like sitting front row at a master magician’s death-defying new performance,” said Eric Harburn, editor. “I’m thrilled for Lemire fans and new readers alike to experience it this September.”
MINOR ARCANA is the newest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to critically acclaimed original series, including BRZRKR by Keanu Reeves, Matt Kindt, and Ron Garney; Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell’Edera; Grim by Stephanie Phillips and Flaviano; Stuff of Nightmares by R.L. Stine and A.L. Kaplan; Damn Them All by Simon Spurrier and Charlie Adlard; Once Upon a Time at the End of the World by Jason Aaron, Alexandre Tefenkgi, Leila del Duca, and Nick Dragotta; A Vicious Circle by Mattson Tomlin and Lee Bermejo; Ghostlore by Cullen Bunn and Leomacs; Sirens of the City by Joanne Starer and Khary Randolph; Coda by Simon Spurrier and Matías Bergara; Rare Flavours by Ram V and Filipe Andrade; Underheist by David and Maria Lapham; and Animal Pound by Tom King and Peter Gross. The imprint also publishes popular licensed properties, including Dune: House Corrino from Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson, and Simone Ragazzoni; Mighty Morphin Power Rangers by Melissa Flores and Simona Di Gianfelice; and The Expanse: Dragon Tooth by Andy Diggle, Rubine, and Francesco Pisa.
MINOR ARCANA #1 will be available in comic shops September 4, 2024. It is available for pre-order at your local comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including Kindle, iBooks, and Google Play.
For continuing news on MINOR ARCANA and more from BOOM! Studios, stay tuned to www.boom-studios.com and follow @boomstudios on X.
