A new animation-influenced graphic novel from Marlo Meekins and Nick Cross.
PEI, CANADA, March 11, 2024 – Comic book creative couple Troy Little (Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, Rick & Morty) and Brenda Hickey (Aggretsuko, My Little Pony) are expanding their boutique publishing line Pegamoose Press with Orchard of the Tame – the stunning debut graphic novel from Nick Cross and Marlo Meekins – which launched on Kickstarter March 11.
Pegamoose Press emerged quietly during the pandemic as a venue for both Little and Hickey to test the waters of crowdfunding their creator-owned books. With three successful Kickstarters behind them and a growing number of industry award nominations, they’ve decided to expand beyond their own titles and support fresh new voices, starting with the whimsical B&W fantasy epic, Orchard of the Tame.
“Nick and Marlo are just brilliant creatives, so when we heard they had created a graphic novel we just had to see it,” says cartoonist, Troy Little. “Needless to say, we were totally blown away! For the first time we seriously considered growing our imprint because this book just had to be in print. Luckily for us, they were onboard, and we couldn’t be more excited!”
Nick has worked in animation for decades, most recently on Prime Video’s Merry Little Batman. He’s a two-time Emmy winner for his work on Over the Garden Wall and has a long history of creating unique independent short films. He was also the art director for Netflix’s short-lived adaptation of Jeff Smith’s BONE (before it was unceremoniously canceled) and was inspired by Jeff’s comic work to adapt the animated pitch for Orchard of the Tame into a graphic novel of their own.
“We are such fans of Marlo and Nick’s work,” adds co-publisher, Brenda Hickey. “It’s the type of quirky and offbeat graphic novel that inspires us and makes us want to rush back to the drawing board to work on our own books. We hope everyone checks it out and enjoys it as much as we do.”
