When it’s time to go back to school and all the kids are getting boring old books stuck in their hands, Oni Press will be lightening everyone’s load with the third volume in the BLUE MONDAY trade paperback series. September’s INBETWEEN DAYS collects the three holiday-themed one-shots from the last year under one cover, as well as various related short stories, all by series creator Chynna Clugston-Major (SCOOTER GIRL).
“When we first started talking about doing these one-shots, it was supposed to be a stopgap before the next big BLUE MONDAY story,” explained Oni Press editor in chief Jamie S. Rich. “What we ended up with were several loosely connected stories that end up having an arc all their own, as the relationships of our characters deepened and grew.”
“I love holidays, with all the fun they bring,” Clugston-Major said. “That includes all the pain, heartache, and ridiculous accidents that make these celebrations such emotional nightmares. Any girl who knows the pain of not getting a card from the guy she’s crushing over on Valentine’s Day will identify with the LOVECATS story, and any guy who has a dark secret from his past will appreciate Victor’s fast dancing to cover his shame in his star-turn in NOBODY’S FOOL.”
“If you didn’t have a Blue Halloween last year,” Rich added, “then you’ll be happy at your second chance to read DEAD MAN’S PARTY. The collection will be out in September, well ahead of the scariest of holidays.”
Many BLUE MONDAY fans may have also missed the crossover with Paul Dini’s JINGLE BELLE in that character’s own comic. Written and drawn by Clugston-Major, the short story shows that Santa’s teenage terror fits right in with the kids from Jefferson High. “Chynna has a keen understanding of the naughty nature of the adolescent mind,” Dini said. “Perhaps it’s because, like me, she’s never let go of that sense of mischief. Given her fabulous cartooning skills, everything she draws is charged with her incredible sense of play.”
To round out the book, Clugston-Major and Rich have been digging through their archives for special extras, which fans of the series have come to expect in the BLUE MONDAY trades. “I have a manila folder full of goodies I’ve saved from Chynna’s packages,” Rich said. “Some of them are even printable.”
“We have sketches and some online strips I did,” Clugston-Major quickly interjected, “and as usual, I’m going to probably toss together some new drawings and other material just to make the trade paperback an awesome book for everyone.”
The BLUE MONDAY: INBETWEEN DAYS trade paperback has 112 pages of black-and-white story and art, and retails for $9.95 (ISBN: 1-929998-66-X). It features an all-new, color cover by Chynna Clugston-Major and colorist Guy Major. This series is intended for mature readers and scheduled to ship to comic book stores on September 17, 2003.
Fans of Chynna Clugston-Major and BLUE MONDAY also have plenty to rejoice about this month. Today will see the release of the first issue of her new series, SCOOTER GIRL #1. Additionally, the release of the new edition of THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, the first BLUE MONDAY graphic novel, is just around the corner. It features all the stories in one pocket-sized edition with a new cover.
