Pablo Leon’s Graphic Novels, From Miles Morales To Tiny Mayan Prince

Posted in: Comics | Tagged: graphic novel, HarperAlley., miles morales, Pablo Leon, Tiny Mayan Prince

Miles Morales artist Pablo Leon sells the publishing rights to his new graphic novel series, Tiny Mayan Prince to HarperAlley

Tiny Mayan Prince is a new graphic novel series by Pablo Leon, of Spider-Man: Miles Morales: Shock Waves and Stranger Tides graphic novels, as well as the award-winning YA graphic novel Silenced Voices. It tells the story of a young Mayan prince who must journey through the perilous jungle to retrieve a mythical flower that can save his missing mother and heal a wounded demigod. In 2020, he posted “A tiny Mayan Prince finds himself in the middle of a conflict between Kings/Queens and the Gods. It’s a massive, lonely world, and EVERYTHING can kill this boy. No colonizers allowed tho. Mesoamerican myths represent!”

And now Andrew Arnold at HarperAlley has acquired world English rights to Tiny Mayan Prince. The two-book deal was negotiated by literary agent Britt Siess of Britt Siess Creative Management. Publication is scheduled for 2028. Pablo Leon says, “It finally got announced! If you know me, you’ve seen me draw this little guy throughout the years. Happy to see him finally get his spotlight. If you liked the OG Dragon Ball, then this book is for you.”

Pablo Leon’s Silenced Voices: Reclaiming Memories from the Guatemalan Genocide is a Pura Belpré Honor Book and Eisner-nominated work that draws on historical research and his own experiences as a Guatemalan immigrant. That dual-timeline YA graphic novel explores themes of family, sacrifice, survival, and the lingering impact of the Guatemalan Civil War on Ixil Mayan communities. Spider-Man: Miles Morales: Shock Waves and Stranger Tides were best-selling graphic novels licensed from Marvel Comics by Scholastic, with print runs reaching seven figures.

Born in Guatemala, Leon draws deeply from his immigrant background and Central American roots. He has contributed as a background artist, designer, and illustrator for major studios including Disney, Warner Bros., and Nickelodeon, and was nominated for an Eisner in 2018 for The Journey, created for Rewire.News that told the story of an unaccompanied child migrating from Central America to the United States, highlighting the human realities of migration. He also directed Remember Us, an animated short film, which he is developing as a movie.

HarperAlley is a graphic novel imprint launched from HarperCollins Children’s Books under the direction of former art director and acquiring editor at First Second, Andrew Arnold, who describes it as a “collaborative, creator-focused publisher” that will specialise in graphic novels for “readers of all ages.” The new line is “looking to publish books that readers of all ages can enjoy, from the youngest readers to teens and adults. We believe that a good story is a story that any reader can relate to. That’s what we mean when we say “readers of all ages.” HarperAlley is looking to publish about ten books a season, or about thirty books a year and is one of a number of mainstream book publishers that have been rapidly increasing the number of graphic novels for younger readers.

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