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Mad Cave Studios imprint Papercutz has announced a new graphic novel slated for release next year, and The Beat has all the details. Tommy the Coward is written by Marco Sonseri, illustrated by Roberto Lauciello, colored by Andrea Piccardo, and translated from Italian to English for the first time by Elena Patarini Sławińska. The book makes its English-language debut in 2026.
Tommy the Coward follows the titular Thomas Anderson, who lives with his parents and two siblings named Andrew and Dorothy. Tommy is pretty average—except that absolutely everything scares him. When his parents go on a trip, his siblings take him into the woods to help him overcome some of his fears. Unfortunately, the attempt backfires when Andrew and Dorothy become trapped in a dark realm known as the Ravenous Woods, leaving Tommy behind. Now he not only has to overcome his terror, but save his siblings!
“This story is very close to me. The adventures of Tommy the Coward were born in my mind when my son was little. Luca was 6 years old and had some minor fears; this is a normal thing for children, but I wanted to help him be stronger and listening to Tommy’s exploits helped Luca overcome his fears. I hope this comic book entertains and inspires many readers as it did with Luca,” said writer Sonseri.
“Telling stories for children is a great joy for me. So if these stories also have an educational and formative value and can help young readers grow up, I am even happier,” added artist Lauciello. “Drawing Tommy was also an adventure of training and growth for me. I hope that my drawings, embellished by Andrea’s colors, have done justice to the story written by Marco and I really hope that everyone will like it a lot.”
Piccardo said, “When you have children, when they are small you believe that they will conquer the world. If you have children you know that you have to lower your expectations. If you have children you know that everything in their imagination is bigger and more dangerous if they have to face it alone. Tommy faces life like any other child, with ingenuity and imagination and I like to think with the right amount of fear.”
Tommy the Coward will be available everywhere books are sold on January 13, 2026. The book is available for pre-order now, in both paperback ($9.99) and hardcover ($14.99).
English (US) · 