Penny Nichols

by MK Reed, Greg Means, Matt Wiegle (Illustrator)

Overview

Somehow, sarcastic Penny's gotten roped into helping make an amateur slasher film. With a team of flakes and weirdos, she's probably the only one who can save this stupid movie... but maybe it can save her, too. Now can somebody please stop that dog from licking the fake blood?

"I never wanted to be a teacher or lawyer. I never wanted to be anything, really." Stuck working mind-numbing temp jobs, Penny Nichols yearns to break free from the rut she's found herself in. When, by chance, she falls in with a group of misfits making a no-budget horror movie called "Blood Wedding," everything goes sideways. Soon her days are overrun with gory props, failed Shakespearean actors, a horny cameraman, and a disappearing director. Somehow Penny must hold it all together and keep the production from coming apart at the seams.

This hilarious original graphic novel is a loving tribute to the chaos and camaraderie of DIY filmmaking, and the ways we find our future — and our family — in the unlikeliest of places.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781603094481
Publisher:	IDW Publishing
Publication date:	06/11/2019
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

MK Reed is the Eisner Award-nominated author of Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers, as well as, Americus, Palefire, and The Cute Girl Network (with Greg Means and Joe Flood); all graphic novels and comic series on subjects ranging from humorous paleontology history, to romance, to young adult first amendment rights. Her latest series, The Castoffs, is about teen girl wizards who fight robots.

Greg Means is co-author of The Cute Girl Network (with MK Reed and Joe Flood) and is the editor/publisher of the Ignatz Award-winning anthology series Papercutter.

Matt Wiegle is the artist of the webcomic Destructor (with Sean Collins) and drew the Romeo & Juliet adaption for Spark Notes. He currently works as an industrial designer in Philadelphia.

Editorial Reviews

04/15/2019

In this smart, snarky ode to the joy of creation, sarcastic, struggling temp Penny finds her niche: working on the production of an ultra-low-budget horror film called Blood Wedding. Led by the vision of their film-geek director, the cast and crew all seem faintly bewildered by their circumstances: “One day I’m serving hash browns, the next day I’m in his backyard getting stabbed in the ass with a knife,” says the lead actress, who’s excited to play the killer instead of the victim for once. Penny rewrites the script, nearly gets the shoot on schedule, and tries to elevate the project from a shoestring hobby to a polished, or at least competent, film. Wiegle’s fantastic, funny black-and-white art is the perfect match for the offbeat story; the characters are ingeniously figured with asymmetrical shapes and rubbery poses, and writing team Mean and Reed (The Cute Girl Network) depict the film’s visual excesses with wicked glee. (“Remember, everybody,” Penny tells the cast, “shock, then disgust.”) Under the wonky humor, this comedy revels in the pleasures of finding fellow enthusiasts and facing the difficulty of making even the most modest artistic dreams come true. (June)

Publishers Weekly

08/09/2019

Gr 10 Up-Reed and Means partner with artist Wiegle for a graphic novel that combines feminism with DIY moviemaking and existential angst. Sarcastic 26-year-old Penny is mostly content with her low-key lifestyle of temping, avoiding her irritating roommate, and reading YA novels. On a whim, she agrees to help two strangers with their super-low-budget slasher movie. Penny discovers a natural talent for behind-the-scenes organizing and meets a group of like-minded new friends and begins taking on a coterie of jobs for the film. Under her influence, what was originally the gory tale of a bride with bloodlust starts to incorporate thoughtful feminist themes. This graphic novel is simultaneously fun, funny, gross, and sweet, with a lovely pairing of words and images. Wiegle's expressive black-and-white illustrations are by turns edgy and tender. Readers with an interest in DIY filmmaking will be inspired by the narrative and the epilogue's tips on pursuing film as a career path or hobby. Some swear words, an implied sex act, and lots of graphic horror movie-style gore may be a bit much for younger teens. VERDICT For older teens with an interest in filmmaking, especially horror movies, as well as for fans of Bryan Lee O'Malley's "Scott Pilgrim" series and the creators' previous work.-Ann Foster, Saskatoon Public Library, Sask.

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