Here There Be Gerblins (The Adventure Zone Series #1)

by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Carey Pietsch (Illustrator)

Overview

Welcome to the Adventure Zone!

SEE! The illustrated exploits of three lovable dummies set loose in a classic fantasy adventure!

READ! Their journey from small-time bodyguards to world-class artifact hunters!

MARVEL! At the sheer metafictional chutzpah of a graphic novel based on a story created in a podcast where three dudes and their dad play a tabletop role playing game in real time!

Join Taako the elf wizard, Merle the dwarf cleric, and Magnus the human warrior for an adventure they are poorly equipped to handle AT BEST, guided ("guided") by their snarky DM, in a graphic novel that, like the smash-hit podcast it's based on, will tickle your funny bone, tug your heartstrings, and probably pants you if you give it half a chance.

With endearingly off-kilter storytelling from master goofballs Clint McElroy and the McElroy brothers, and vivid, adorable art by Carey Pietsch, The Adventure Zone: Here There be Gerblins is the comics equivalent of role-playing in your friend's basement at 2am, eating Cheetos and laughing your ass off as she rolls critical failure after critical failure.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250153708
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	07/17/2018
Series:	Adventure Zone Series
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	23,667
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Meet the McElroys! Clint was born first, which recent studies have shown is the best procedure for fathers and sons. Justin came along twenty-five years later, two weeks late, actually, which caused his mother, Leslie, some consternation and more than a little back pain. Three years to the day (yes, the very day) Travis came along, forever ruining Justin’s birthday, at least according to Justin. The decision was made to not have a third child born on November 8th, so Griffin arrived three-and-a-half years later on April 17th. There followed this decade and that, during which there was a lot of school, theater, broadcasting, video games, moving around the country and various and sundry monkeyshines. Then came a time for fewer monkeyshines, so a ton of marriages happened and people were added to the family branch. In the midst of all this begetting, podcasts began springing up in even greater abundance and their names were My Brother My Brother and Me (which spawned a popular tv show), Sawbones, Shmanners, Rose Buddies, and a farcical romp called The Adventure Zone.

Carey Pietsch is a cartoonist based out of Brooklyn, New York. Her previous work includes drawing two arcs of the Lumberjanes series and the artwork for the Mages of Mystralia webcomic. Carey is also the author of Keepsakes and other original comics about magic and empathy. Along with brightening her workdays, The Adventure Zone got her to join a D&D campaign, where she’s currently playing a dragonborn sorceror who cares too much about romance novels.

Editorial Reviews

06/11/2018
The McElroy family ups their metafictional wackiness in this comic adaptation of their podcast of same name, which revolves around live performance of role-playing game The Adventure Zone. The comic follows Magnus (human), Taako (elf), and Merle (dwarf) as they fight their way deep into dungeons filled with monsters, mayhem, and whatever else the dungeon master throws at them. In between exploring and fighting, the heroes amuse themselves by antagonizing one another, pontificating on dwarves’ musical preferences, and cussing out the dungeon master, who occasionally pops into the story to give direction, insult the players, or congratulate himself on his own crafty storyline. In the tradition of RPGs, illustrator Carey Pietsch (Mages of Mystralia) introduces each new character with a trait sheet, helping the reader to quickly get up to speed on their quirks. Pietsch delivers the essence of role-playing, enhancing many scenes’ ambience and transforming the book into a delightful visual experience that balances exposition and action. (July)

Publishers Weekly

A #1 New York Times bestseller

The Adventure Zone is fun, hilarious, and also smart. Hey, guys, can I have a cameo next time?” — Adam Savage, MythBusters

“My excitement about this existing cannot be dwarfed by anything. You see what I did there.” — Jean Grae, hip-hop artist, actor, and comedian

“The warped fantasy lives of McElroy Sons and Dad are as addictively adorable and unstoppably hilarious as they are on their podcast (a popular mind comic); but somehow Carey Pietsch’s gorgeous and playful art makes this deep dive into their beautiful brains even richer, weirder, and more mandatory. This is a critical hit.” — John Hodgman, Vacationland

“Gorgeous art—the characters come to life! I am so happy that this graphic novel is a thing that exists in the world.” — Hank Green, Crash Course , The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

“Clint, Griffin, Justin, and Travis McElroy team up with artist Carey Pietsch to adapt the show’s first quest in The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins, and Pietsch’s rich animated art style imbues their characters with life, capturing the distinct personalities that were created through voice on the podcast.” –A.V. Club

“Pietsch’s art adds depth to the page at every turn, bringing this world to life in a really exciting way and also giving the characters a full range of expression that almost makes you forget you are reading.” –The Mary Sue

"The larger sardonic commentary on taking fantasy too seriously, matched with the characters’ unwillingness to follow a game’s unrealistic rules, will be clever and hilarious to those in the know. —Booklist

From the Publisher

07/01/2018
Gr 10 Up—Based on the McElroy family's hilarious Dungeons and Dragons podcast, this story follows intrepid adventurers Taako the elven mage, Merle the dwarven cleric, and human warrior Magnus Burnsides along with their DM (dungeon master) Griffin as they become entangled in a quest for riches on the "last job" they'll ever need. However, for these weak level 1 adventurers, survival isn't so easy when enemies are around every bend. Readers familiar with tabletop gaming or the McElroys' podcast will appreciate the snarky dialogue, the rampant geekiness, and the critical fail rolls that result in comic injury and mayhem. Likewise, "Lumberjanes" artist Pietsch's vibrant, expressive illustrations capture the characters perfectly. However, frequent profanity, mild sexual jokes, and casual violence make this a book geared to more sophisticated readers. VERDICT With its pop culture appeal and absurd humor, this will be perfect for reluctant teen readers, but librarians should be mindful that the colorful art may draw younger patrons unprepared for the mature content.—Lara Goldstein, Orange County Public Libraries, NC

School Library Journal