Parasocial

by Alex De Campi

Genres: Suspense

Synopsis

In the middle of the pandemic, a fading genre-TV actor—fresh from his long-running series' cancellation—collides with an obsessive fan at a Texas convention. When she lures him to her home, he'll have to put on the greatest performance of his life simply to survive until morning. Unless, of course, he's the real monster...

Bestselling, critically-acclaimed Dracula, Motherf**Ker! duo Alex de Campi (Archie vs. Predator, Kat & Mouse) and Erica Henderson (The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Jughead) reunite for another stylish horror reinterpretation, this time the psychosexual thriller.

Early praise for Parasocial:

"De Campi and Henderson follow the success of their reimagining of vampire mythology, Dracula, Motherf**ker!, with a stylish psychosexual thriller examining the dynamic between celebrities and their fans... De Campi’s fast-paced script takes increasingly exciting twists while posing provocative questions about what celebrities owe to those who place them on a pedestal. Henderson varies her line quality and color palette from one scene to the next to evoke layers of subtext and depth of character as the story builds to its intense climax. VERDICT A provocative and harrowing thriller with a distinct and passionately expressed perspective on the modern world." —Library Journal (Starred Review)

“A horrifyingly compelling portrait of loneliness and obsession.” —Sarah Gailey, bestselling author of Just Like Home, The Echo Wife

"...Captures the general strangeness of conventions...The fickle nature of fandom, and the mercenary relationship between actor and audience, is shown through authentic-looking social media postings and text messages, giving the conflict between Lily and Luke a convincing, claustrophobic background. Luke and Lily are complex characters, and their interactions, both verbal and physical, are tense and exciting... The book uses bold colors and expert linework to convey literal images, but also moods and attitudes... Parasocial is the gripping graphic novel in which a minor celebrity is taken hostage by a fan." —Foreword Reviews

"Loved it. Misery in the social media age is the obvious reference, but it's smarter in its refusal to put creatives on a pedestal and dwells on our performances and the way we fail to see one another. It's also got a playful, petrifying approach to the medium, with a real understanding of the impressionistic effect of cartooning line, expert integrating of media... If you liked The Wicked + The Divine, you should be all over this." —Kieron Gillen

“Does Parasocial look good? It sure does… the finished product is a true thing of beauty. There’s an intentional contrast between the constant insertion of digital text, be it in the form of tweets, DMs, actual text messages. All the ways we leave trails across the digital landscape. They’re butting against the art, defined throughout by Henderson’s supple, organic line.” —The Comics Journal

“Holy shit, this book fucking rocks! It’s rough as hell, but also tenderly real, like a fresh bruise. From the playlist to the characters, colors, and panels, Parasocial is this generation’s Misery” –Vita Ayala

“An incredible piece of comic booking. It’s stellar.” –Kyle Starks

“De Campi and Henderson are electrifying creators” –Nadia Shamma

Release date: October 3, 2023

Publisher: Image Comics

Print pages: 128