On the eve of its 15th anniversary, Fanbase Press has announced its first-ever Kickstarter campaign for a deluxe hardcover edition of Ripple Effects, the 2023 Dwayne McDuffie Award winner for Diversity in Comics and the winner of the 25th annual Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for graphic novels and comics.
Created, written, and colored by Jordan Hart, drawn by Bruno Chiroleu, flatted by Shane Kadlecik, lettered by Oceano Ransford, and with cover art by Justin C. Harder and a foreword by Matthew Noe, Ripple Effects follows an invincible superhero who deals with an acute case of type 1 diabetes and a defective pancreas. These conditions require daily monitoring and treatment. It’s rare to see heroes with any kind of disability or illness, let alone invisible ones that are at the forefront of the story. Ripple Effects is inspired by Hart’s lived experience with thrombophilia, a chronic blood-clotting disease.
“Ripple Effects was created to remind those with invisible disabilities and their loved ones, that they are not alone, that they’re unique, and that they’re special,” Hart said. “I have so much joy when a reader says, ‘I’ve waited so long to see someone like me as a superhero.’ Watching the impact this story has on others with invisible disabilities has been the highlight of my career, and I hope that The Deluxe Edition will only widen that impact.”
Ripple Effects: The Deluxe Edition features a new foreword by Gail Simone, study guides by Tim Smyth and Creators, Assemble!, “Unseen Ripples” essays written by individuals with invisibly disabilities and illnesses who relate to the events of the story, and an art gallery that pairs young artists with invisible disabilities and illnesses with established comics artists including Manuel Martinez, Liana Kangas, Don Aguillo, and Ray-Anthony Height.
“We at Fanbase Press have had the honor of celebrating creators and stories across mediums for nearly 15 years, underscoring the vital role that they play in our lives,” said Fanbase Press co-founder and editor-in-chief Barbra Dillon. “We are eager to share Ripple Effects’ incredibly impactful story with even more readers, libraries, and schools all over the world with this expanded edition.”
Fanbase Press co-founder and president Bryant Dillon added, “What sets this series apart is a positive, person-first representation about life with a chronic disease… which just so happens to also include superhuman abilities. But Ripple Effects isn’t just a story about a character with an incurable disease. It’s also a thrilling and relevant superhero tale that touches on the difficulty of finding a work/life balance, the class struggles and economic inequality experienced by many in our nation, and the desire to help others during trying times. Working with Jordan on an expanded edition of such a personal tale which has resonated with so many readers is a perfect example of the modern and meaningful superhero stories that Fanbase Press publishes.”
For updates on the Kickstarter campaign and to receive a notification when it goes live, sign up on the pre-launch page.
