Princess Decomposia and Count Spatula

by Andi Watson

Overview

Princess Decomposia is overworked and underappreciated.

This princess of the underworld has plenty of her own work to do but always seems to find herself doing her layabout father's job, as well. The king doesn't feel quite well, you see. Ever. So the princess is left scurrying through the halls, dodging her mummy, werewolf, and ghost subjects, always running behind and always buried under a ton of paperwork. Oh, and her father just fired the chef, so now she has to hire a new cook as well.

Luckily for Princess Decomposia, she makes a good hire in Count Spatula, the vampire chef with a sweet tooth. He's a charming go-getter of a blood-sucker, and pretty soon the two young ghouls become friends. And then...more than friends? Maybe eventually, but first Princess Decomposia has to sort out her life. And with Count Spatula at her side, you can be sure she'll succeed.

Andi Watson (Glister, Gum Girl) brings his signature gothy-cute sensibility to this very sweet and mildly spooky tale of friendship, family, and management training for the undead.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626722750
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	02/24/2015
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.20(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Andi Watson was born and raised in the north of England where he loved to draw and read books. It rained a lot. Upon graduating college he realised this was the perfect background for a cartoonist. He has created comics for grown ups and children and those somewhere in between. Occasionally he's been nominated for awards (three Eisners, a Harvey, and a British Comics Awards). He works from home where he should buy fewer books or more bookshelves. He lives in Worcester with his wife and daughter.

Editorial Reviews

. . . a delightful confection for graphic novel fans looking for a qurirky, tame romance.” —School Library Journal

“With an amusing (and occasionally decomposing) cast of floating skulls, eyeballs- on-skeleton-legs, and more, it's a comic that will charm younger readers and adults alike.” —Pubishers Weekly

From the Publisher

02/01/2015
Gr 6–10—In this graphic novel by longtime comic artist Watson, harried Princess Decomposia is so busy running the Underworld for her overbearing and hypochondriac father that she never has time to eat properly. With state affairs hanging in the balance, she hires pastry chef Count Spatula as the new cook, hoping he will finally be able to assuage the King Wulfrun's cantankerous belly, so that he can go back to running the gloomy kingdom. When Wulfrun (who could give Jane Austen's Emma Woodhouse's dad a run for his money) discovers the growing friendship and romance between the Princess and the cook, all hell breaks loose as the burgeoning couple take a day trip aboveground. Visual and textual puns abound in this Downton Abbey-esque romp, which balances serious discussions on class, gender, and politics with humor and wordplay. Decomposia learns to stand up for herself, inspired by her new friendships, and comes into her own, a lesson that could border on preachy, but is delivered with nuance. The inky black-and-white illustrations on the mostly three-tier, six-panel pages denote movement and facial expressions with aplomb. The narrative is appended by a section of character sketches that will intrigue visual artists. VERDICT This comedy of manners and errors is a delightful confection for graphic novel fans looking for a quirky, tame romance.—Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

12/22/2014
In loosely sketched and tidily framed b&w panels, British author/artist Watson creates a sweetly spooky underworld setting for a story that’s part coming-of-age romance, part comedy of manners. Princess Decomposia, a young woman whose black gowns and bat-wing pigtails suggest a grown-up Wednesday Addams, is working herself to the bone to keep her invalid father’s kingdom running smoothly, meeting with delegations (including werewolves and Japanese yokai monsters) and trying to find a replacement for the cook who left for a prison “where the food is more nourishing.” The princess gains a much-needed ally—and potential love interest—in Count Spatula, the dapper vampire she hires as a chef, whose adventurous recipes are a hit (the visiting Zombie General is thrilled to do battle with a Mud Monster Cake that comes alive at dessert). But persuading the woebegone king of Count Spatula’s virtues isn’t easy, threatening to stop this nascent romance (un)dead in its tracks. With an amusing (and occasionally decomposing) cast of floating skulls, eyeballs-on-skeleton-legs, and more, it’s a comic that will charm younger readers and adults alike. Ages 13–up. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly