PRESS RELEASE
In the midst of a global pandemic, as many people find themselves questioning their purpose in life and grappling with mental health issues, Joshua Kemble’s debut graphic novel is even more relevant now than when it was first created.
The vividly-illustrated story of a young comic book artist’s loss and eventual rediscovery of his faith, Two Stories: Book One is now available for preorder from Amazon and comic book retailers. UK publisher Markosia officially launched the book on Dec. 14.
Kemble spent many years painstakingly hand-drawing, lettering, and inking this brutally honest graphic memoir. In it, he juxtaposes his sometimes humorous, often painful childhood experiences attending a Christian school with his adult descent into a mental health crisis that leads to the erosion of his faith.
An ambitious comic creator with a hip Portland apartment, an artist fiancé, and an exciting life ahead of him, Josh thinks he’s living the artist’s dream. Until the night he finds himself on Burnside Bridge, willing himself to jump. How did he get here? Two Stories is a confessional comic that grapples with questions of faith, mental illness, and redemption in a fallen world.
Kemble was inspired to create Two Stories in the hope that a frank discussion of topics often considered taboo—including suicidal ideation, panic disorder, trauma, and mental health—would help readers feel less alone “in the fight.”
“People who suffer from mental illness often feel alone and frustrated because people, especially those in faith communities, rarely share their experiences with subjects like suicide, panic disorder, and caregiving in relationships,” he said.
“If we are dishonest about what that fight looks like, we do a disservice to the many people in our communities who are suffering and don’t speak of these things for fear of social shaming.”
Joshua Kemble working on a page for Two Stories: Book One
About the Author/Artist
Joshua Kemble is a full-time art director, freelance illustrator, and Xeric Award-winning cartoonist. He writes and illustrates his own comic books, while creating freelance illustrations for t-shirts, magazines and other media. His illustration clients have ranged from Scholastic to Random House, and his comic work has been published in anthologies and self-published mini-comics.
An unabashed comic book geek, Joshua was born in 1980 in Tarzana, California, and grew up in the Antelope Valley. He received his BFA and MFA in Illustration from California State University of Long Beach and resides in Lancaster, CA, with his wife and fellow artist, Mai S. Kemble, and son Benjamin.
He co-hosts both The Artcasters and 48-Hour Art Check and is a member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the National Cartoonist’s Society. To see more of his work, visit www.joshuakemble.com.
About Markosia
Established in 2005, Markosia has become one of the UK’s leading publishers of graphic novels. Based in London, the company produces a diverse range of comic books and graphic novels that cover almost all genres. Creators who have worked on Markosia titles include Midnight Kiss artist Ryan Stegman (Superior Spider-Man), Starship Troopers artist Neil Edwards (Fantastic Four), Of Bitter Souls artist Norm Breyfogle (Batman), Dark Mists artist Lee Garbett (Batman), and Scatterbrain artist Szymon Kudranski (30 Days of Night).
Author/Artist Joshua Kemble Is Available for Interviews / Reviews / Features / Store Signings / Speaking Engagements.
Contact Info: • Joshkemble@gmail.com • 714-362-7877 • www.joshuakemble.com
Two Stories: Book One is available to order through Ingram and at comic book stores everywhere:
For more purchasing options: https://markosia.com/2020/11/19/two-stories-coming-soon/
Retailers: Through Ingram
Paperback : 122 pages
ISBN-10 : 1913802205
ISBN-13 : 978-1913802202
Dimensions : 8.5 x 0.26 x 11.02 inches
Publisher : Markosia Enterprises (December 14, 2020)
Language: : English