In stores January 26, 2027. Pre-order available now.
LOS ANGELES, CA (October 29, 2026) – Calling on comic fans who dream of creating their own comic, Top Shelf is set to release Viridian: Makes His Mark—the story of middle schooler Viridian “Vee” James and his rival, Chuck, each have their own style of writing and artwork, but work together to pursue their creative dreams. This is the graphic novel debut from Roland Boles featuring engaging illustrations alternating with the dramatic black-and-white comics drawn by various characters within the story. This charming adventure invites kids to Take the challenge! Enter the contest! Unlock the comic-making master inside!
“A lot of Viridian comes from my experiences in middle and high school. I was that kid drawing cartoons on copy paper and sharing them with my classmates, so making comics has been a major part of my identity for a really long time now,” says creator Roland Boles. “That part in my life was very formative, as it led me to pursue comic art as a career. I wanted to make the kind of comics middle-school I would’ve related to. And by extension, everyone who is (or maybe once was) like middle-school me. What I ended up with was Viridian. A story about making stories, and how the process of trying to entertain each other is more important than we give credit for.”
About the Book
Viridian “Vee” James is an average middle-schooler with a habit of drawing comics and cartoons on the back of his worksheets. When another kid in class finds these comics, he’s nervous, but… it turns out they’re great! His classmate shares them with friends and encourages Viridian to make more. Quickly growing more confident, Vee decides the best way to get his work out there is to enter a contest to become the official cartoonist for the school newspaper. How hard could it be? But he won’t be the only one gunning for the job… and he’s got a lot to learn about making comics.
Viridian: Makes His Mark will be available wherever books are sold, as a full-color softcover graphic novel (ISBN: 978-1-60309-603-4) as well as a digital edition, on January 26, 2027, for a list price of $9.99. For more information please visit the Top Shelf web site.
