Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud are collaborating on The Cartoonists Club, a middle-grade graphic novel that will combine narrative and art instruction. Graphix will publish the 288-page book on April 1, 2025, as a paperback with an MSRP of $14.99 and a hardcover with an MSRP of $24.99.
The story, aimed at readers ages 8-12, centers on four would-be comics creators with different strengths and weaknesses who come together to form a club. It was inked and colored by Ray Baehr and Beniam Hollman.
Telgemeier broke the news on Bluesky, saying that she and McCloud have been working on the book since 2020. McCloud added, “Raina drew the ‘real’ scenes, and I did all the kids’ art, plus some other art extras. And most importantly, we collaborated deeply on the layouts and script. TONS of back-and-forth (during three drafts).”
Telgemeier is the creator of the best-selling Smile, Guts, and the first Baby-Sitters Club graphic novels, among others. She has won several Eisner awards and continues to be one of the most popular creators of comics for kids (see “Top Kids Graphic Novel Franchises – Spring 2023”). McCloud, who was inducted into the Eisner Awards Hall of Fame in 2021, is the creator of the groundbreaking Understanding Comics, a graphic novel that explains how comics work, as well as the followup Making Comics and the graphic novel The Sculptor (see “Scott McCloud’s ‘The Sculptor’”).
