Give the Gift of SMASH!

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'Tis the season for hunting down the perfect gift for everyone you know and love. If someone on your shopping list craves adventure, humor, fantasy, and a fast-paced story with unforgettable characters, pick up a copy of SMASH: TRIAL BY FIRE! A Junior Library Guild Selection and 2014 Great Graphic Novels for Teens nominee, SMASH: TRIAL BY FIRE brings every child's superhero fantasy to life with action, humor, and eye-popping artwork.

Smash Cover

"Smash is an action-packed crowd-pleaser....Sure to be a draw for superhero fans and reluctant readers alike." — School Library Journal

"Filled with humor, action, and art that makes it a fun ride for everyone." — Good Comics for Kids

"SMASH: Trial by Fire sits squarely at the intersection of Spider-Man and Calvin and Hobbes." — The Sleeping Hedgehog

This holiday season, share the magic — and help Santa delight your loved ones with a gift they'll never forget!

Available at Barnes & Noble stores or your favorite independent bookseller, you can also find SMASH online at Amazon, Indie Bound, and Powells.com.

"The Intersection of Spider-Man and Calvin & Hobbes!"

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A great review from Richard Dansky at The Sleeping Hedgehog:

SMASH: Trial by Fire sits squarely at the intersection of Spider-Man and Calvin and Hobbes. And this is a good thing....Although specifically targeted at kids, SMASH: Trial By Fire isn’t condescending or simplified. There’s plenty here for adult comics fans...

Smash Flies

Day #4 of the SMASH Blog Tour — How to Make a Graphic Novel!

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The SMASH Blog Tour continues ever onward! Today we have a Guest Post on the Cynsations blog run by writer, graphic novelist, and all-around miracle worker Cynthia Leitich Smith. I wrote a piece about how we made Smash: Trial by Fire, covering the whole creative process from soup to nuts. Thanks to Cynthia for letting us take over her blog a bit!

There's much more to come! Click here to follow the whole Blog Tour.

Day #3 of the SMASH Blog Tour!

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First off, Kyle and I want to take a moment to thank everyone who came out for our reading last night at Powell's Books in Portland, OR. It was a truly amazing way to launch our book, and we're both incredibly grateful to have shared it with you. We'll post more pictures soon, but for now, just a taste...

Bolton Bros

Here's Kyle (on the left) and I during our PowerPoint reading from Smash: Trial by Fire. The Magus looks down — approvingly? Eh, probably not.

Smash Pop

What could possibly be better than a delicious Smash cake pop..?

Smash Mob

How about a whole mob of delicious Smash cake pops?!

It was a wonderful night with a fantastic turn-out. Kyle and I truly couldn't be happier!

Today in the Blog Tour, the Book Bitch blog has something special for you: an interview with none other than Smash himself! (And there may be a surprise guest... but we aren't spoiling the secret!)

The SMASH 2013 Blog Tour Begins!

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Today, we kick off the 2013 Blog Tour! I'll update you at least once a day on where each post will appear and what we'll be babbling about this time. First stop: a guest post on the Random Chalk Talk blog about "How A Webcomic Becomes A Book." Blogger extraordinaire Jennie Smith even starts off with some lovely words for Smash: Trial by Fire:

The art work, plot and pure fun of this novel will keep you turning the page to see what happens and will definitely leave you wanting for more at the end! I can't wait to see the next novel!

Believe me, Jennie — neither can we!

Click here to head on over and check out the post. And be sure to have a look around Random Chalk Talk — you'll find a lot of great blog posts to read!

Next stop: the Powell's Books blog, where I write a piece about the birth of Smash — how an idea for an all-ages comic took shape into the book you can hold on your hands tomorrow!

To check out the full tour, click here.

Presenting...the SMASH Blog Tour!

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Tuesday is the big day! Hard to believe it's almost here after so much time and anticipation. Not only are we celebrating Book Launch Week, but we're also kicking off...

The 2013 SMASH Blog Tour!!

Smash Cover Small

"What's a blog tour?" you ask. Well, it's a lot like a book tour, but instead of physically traveling to stores for in-person readings, we've written and drawn pieces for some of the best book blogs I've had the pleasure to lay eyes on.

Here's the schedule:

Monday, 9/9: Random Chalk Talk — Guest Post on the evolution of SMASH from webcomic to book.

Monday, 9/9: Powells.com Book Blog — Guest Post on the birth of Smash, featuring the scandalous true story how we designed and created the character.

Tuesday, 9/10: Who R U Blog — Q&A with Kyle and me talking about what it's like to work together as brothers and other titillating tales.

Wednesday, 9/11: Book Bitch — Exclusive interview with none other than Smash himself! (Plus a surprise guest.)

Thursday, 9/12: Cynsations — Guest Post, "Graphic Novel 101" — how we make the comic.

Friday, 9/13: Green Bean Teen Queen — Guest Post about the magic of libraries and how they helped create a certain pint-sized superhero.

Saturday, 9/14: Charlotte's Library — Guest Post featuring a comic titled "The True Origin of the Brothers Bolton." Yes, it's all true!

Monday, 9/16: Hooked On Books — Guest Post featuring the SMASH playlist, for the perfect soundtrack to accompany the book!

Tuesday, 9/17: Bildungsroman — Q&A with Kyle and me.

Whew! In case you lost count, that's an entire week of SMASH bloggy goodness! We can't wait to share them with you — and we'd love to hear what you think. It's going to be an amazing week...