In November, Street Noise Books will publish the speculative graphic novel Hybred, written and art directed by Jamie Mustard and painted by Francesca Filomena. Today, The Beat can reveal an exclusive preview from the book ahead of its debut.
Hybred takes place in a version of Los Angeles that’s at once familiar and not, providing sharp commentary on who gets ignored under capitalism.
Here’s the full synopsis:
Set in a future-adjacent, alternative Los Angeles, this is a story of staggering poverty, drugs, and violence and of an artistic child who finds beauty in the ugly and sublime hope in our conflicts.
Hybred shows us how in our most marginalized communities lies an astonishing amount of genius which goes unnoticed and is so often tragically wasted.
Nine-year-old Johnny James lives in The Casque, the poorest neighborhood in Greater Angeles, where he shares a one-room apartment with his mother, stepfather, two brothers, and an army of cockroaches. He spends his days in the sweltering heat of the neighborhood, at the movie theaters, playing tackleball, or drawing—but there’s no money for him to go to school.
As death, addiction, and violence swirl through the neighborhood, Johnny grows up with friends, adventures, and magic around him. And he discovers how to use art, beauty, and personal strength to transcend the forces destined to hold him back.
Below, see four interior spreads and the book’s cover art.
Hybred will be available everywhere books are sold on November 18.
English (US) · 