Mike Eakins
New York-based writer and artist John Stanisci (Batman Beyond) and buzzworthy artist Emma Kubert (Inkblot, Image Comics) have teamed together to create Foundlings, a brand new dystopian young adult comic book series in the vein of Stranger Things and The Goonies, tackling issues of abandonment and ableism amongst a diverse cast of children. The series follows a group of children cast aside by their families and society…until they were possibly the only ones capable of saving it. Funding exclusively on Kickstarter, and if successful, planned for a full graphic novel, Foundlings is a timely story tackling themes of global politics and ableism in a story that will keep readers on immersed for 28 pages.
“When I first learned of the Foundling Hospital in NYC and the kids that were left there by their families, I immediately felt a connection to their stories” says John Stanisci. “I am an adoptee and I grew up not knowing who my birth parents were, what ethnicity I was, or where in the world I come from. For most of my life, I lived with a deep sense of ‘not belonging’ anywhere and to anyone, except for the families that I made on my own. In that sense, even though I am a temporarily abled body person, I always felt that, in many ways, I was a Foundling myself. This is my chance to tell my own personal journey through the lens of these amazing characters.”
Years in the future, a virus has been weaponized by a Russian government hell-bent on destroying America from within. This deadly new strain has been perfected to kill within 24 hours of contact, and only small groups of children carry immunity to the effects. They are the Foundlings; a diverse group of children under the age of 16, who alone carry the hope for a possible cure, and a solution to extinction.
“John came to me with a young adult story idea. It was a couple of sentences, and I didn’t even know John well at that time. I was immediately hooked. Foundlings is the story of outcasts becoming the last hope and the ultimate heroes. It’s intense, suspenseful, humorous, and heart-warming” says Emma Kubert. “When I was younger, I didn’t see a lot of comic stories that intrigued me. I loved fantasy and sci-fi and genres that weren’t as popular in comics as they were in other forms of entertainment. As I grow in the comics industry and see which directions my career takes, all I know is I want to create sequential stories that my younger self would have fallen in love with, and I believe Foundlings is one of them.”
John continues “Emma Kubert has been a godsend on this project! Emma is not only a terrific artist and visual storyteller but she truly understands the emotions of all the kids. She is able to convey the kids’ own sense of pain over being abandoned by their own families, which is such an important part of the story. Of course, her action scenes have just absolutely blown me away! She totally captures the edge of your seat action that FOUNDLINGS is! It’s like watching a movie when I see the pages come in! And, to be honest, I think she is just getting warmed up!”
Emma concludes “Working with John has been complete excitement! He is passionate about the stories he creates and cares about the depth and emotion that each character brings. John drives us in an adventurous direction, allowing me to have the freedom to take his words into the visual. It’s pure joy to talk about our project because not only is the story great, but our process for creating is thrilling since we both absolutely love what we do. His tenacity and devotion is really the driving force of Foundlings, and there wouldn’t be a story without it. I admire him as a person and as a creator, and I’m excited about what Foundlings bring!
Foundlings centers around one very special group of kids, all who still dreams of the families that long ago abandoned them, and instead find family in each other in order to survive and find a way to save the Earth from destruction. The story is inspired by The Foundlings Hospital in New York City, which is a real-life home to children, many of whom are challenged with physical and emotional issues. The story is rich with themes of empowerment and inspiration for teenagers and adults alike, in a fun adventure story that recalls some of the most beloved films and television series.
Funding exclusively through this Kickstarter campaign is a self-contained comic book story, published in a 28 page, full-color comic format, written by John Stanisci, and drawn by Emma Kubert, with two covers available. For more information on perks offered, visit the campaign page: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/punkhouse/foundlings-a-new-comic-from-john-stanisci-and-emma-kubert