Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, announced today the publication of The Cartoonists Club — a one-of-a-kind graphic novel from #1 New York Times bestselling authors Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud. Releasing on April 1, 2025, in the U.S., World rights were acquired by Cassandra Pelham Fulton and David Saylor in a deal with Judy Hansen of Hansen Literary Management.
In the dream team collaboration combining award-winning creators Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud’s trademark charm, reliability, and comics expertise, The Cartoonists Club blends captivating narrative, how-to, and the enchanting art of comics to inspire a new generation of young cartoonists.
“The Cartoonists Club, at its heart, is a story of friendship, so it’s only right that it came about from the real-life friendship of two titans of the comics world. The result of this collaboration is a story that will at once be instantly familiar to readers of their previous work yet something wholly original,” says Pelham Fulton, Editorial Director of Graphix.
“With more than 26 million books in print, in 34 languages, and 639 weeks on the New York Times bestsellers list, Telgemeier’s legion of fans have been eagerly waiting since 2019 for her next book. So to pair her with comics powerhouse, Scott McCloud, the man who literally wrote the book on comics, is a marriage made in comics heaven. Fans will eat up this dynamic collaboration written from both of their hearts,” adds Saylor, Vice President and Publisher of Graphix.
On putting together the book, Telgemeier remarks, “Whenever I speak to kids, they ask me what advice I have for budding cartoonists. I hope this book serves as a good answer, or at least a great jumping-off point! I have wanted a book like this to exist for a long time, and collaborating on it with Scott has truly been a dream come true. I’m ecstatic for younger readers to discover Scott’s insights into how comics work, what makes them special, and how to think about them!”
“Collaborating with Raina on The Cartoonists Club has been one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences I’ve had in all my decades of making comics. She understands the power of comics in her readers’ lives like no one else. I hope that the love we have for these kids and their journeys shines through on every page,“ enthused McCloud.
The Cartoonists Club has an announced first printing of 750,000 copies and will be edited by Pelham Fulton. Books will be in stores nationwide on April 1, 2025.