Scholastic brings graphic novel imprint Graphix to UK shores

Scholastic is bringing its graphic novel imprint Graphix to the UK following success in the US. Originally established in 2005 by the publisher’s US division, Graphix’s aim is to “champion the art of graphic storytelling by seeking out and empowering groundbreaking visual authors”. 

Scholastic will now bring all its graphic novels to Graphix. The imprint will house 2025 British Book Award shortlisted author Dav Pilkey, the creator of the graphic novel series, Dog Man, Cat Kid and Captain Underpants. Raina Telgemeier, Kazu Kibuishi, Molly Knox Ostertag will join Pilkey on the Graphix list alongside three “ground-breaking” children’s manga series. These include Unico by Osamu Tezuka, Samuel Sattin and Gurihuru; Mecha-Ude: Mechanical Arms by Yoshino Koyoka; and Hikaru in the Light! by Mai Matsuda.

British authors Sarah Bowie, Jim Smith, Rosie Talbot and Sarah Maxwell join their international counterparts. Recent acquisitions including Aoife Dooley’s Squid Squad, Denzell Dankwah’s The Power Keepers and Wilomina: The Land of Dreams and Nightmares by John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs will also be published under Graphix. The latter is a lead title for Scholastic at Bologna Children’s Book Fair. 

Fiction publisher Lauren Fortune said: “Scholastic has a very strong track record of publishing the books that children really want to read, never more so than in our market-leading list of graphic novels and manga publishing. We know that children love their accessibility and strong visual storytelling and the opportunities that they provide to learn about our world or journey to mind-blowing fantasy lands.”

“We are excited to bring all of these brilliant books under one umbrella so that we can continue to advocate for graphic novels and manga as legitimate reading formats that benefit children’s literacy and amplify their discoverability to inspire a future generation of readers and creators.”