Chad Burdette
This past April, the debut middle-grade graphic novel, The Endless Game, from comedy television writer, showrunner, and producer J.D. Amato illustrated by debut illustrator Sophie Morse, hit comic and book stores.
Inspired by J.D.’s childhood growing up in the northern suburbs of Chicago, The Endless Game follows new kid Fred as he gets recruited into an intense, decades-long game of capture the flag in the fictional town of Lakeside, Illinois. Featuring action, adventure, teamwork, and humor, The Endless Game is a non-stop fun-filled homage to new friendships and childhood summers.
J.D. Amato and Sophie Morse sat down with Comic Watch to discuss this OGN, their experiences and journey making the book.
–
–
Shorts:
–
The Endless Game — Premise & Themes
–
–
The Endless Game: How Childhood Games Inspired the Book
–
The Endless Game: Character Design: Our Collaborative Process
–
The Endless Game: My Comic and Film Inspirations
\
The Endless Game: Artists Who Inspire The Book
–
The Endless Game: Sophie’s Hybrid Art Process & Tools
–
The Endless Game: Open-Canvas Writing — Lessons For TV
— — —
J.D. Amato is a comedy writer, showrunner, and producer best known for his work on comedy television shows like After Midnight with Taylor Tomlinson; Desus & Mero; My Brother, My Brother and Me and The Chris Gethard Show.
He is currently an executive producer on The Undercovers, hosted by Eli Manning. Beyond television and film,
J.D. has been a house performer at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater, consulted for various magicians, performed as a mime, and once hosted a podcast where every episode was twelve hours long.
Sophie Morse is an illustrator based in Boston, MA. She received her BFA in Illustration from RISD in 2020. She has experience in editorial, publishing, and art direction, and her past clients include Simon & Schuster, NPR, and more.
She loves making work that her tinier self would think is cool, and would definitely print out and tape to her childhood bedroom wall. When she is not drawing, she is exploring New England, haunting local graveyards, and running around at her day job as a letterpress printer.
THE ENDLESS GAME
When Fred Townsend and his family move to Lakeside, Illinois, Fred is inducted into a game of capture the flag that has split the entire town in two. But this isn’t a normal game. It’s been going on for decades and has been passed down from generation to generation. It has its own history, laws, and institutions, with elaborate castle-like bases, dreary prisons, kid-run saloons, and even a council of home-schooled kids that preside over the rules of the game.
But for Fred, and all of Lakeside’s kids, this unending war is not just about winning—it’s also about learning how you want to fit into the world, the power of friendship, and making sure this summer is one they will never forget.
- Written by J.D. Amato
- Art by Sophie Morse
- Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Hardcover $24.99 | Paperback $14.99
The Endless Game a middle-ages OGN from Simon & Schuster now available for purchase at comic or book stores
