The home for everything Smash!
To celebrate our longtime love for our favorite holiday, we decided to set the prologue of Book One: Trial by Fire on Halloween night!
In this excerpt, Andrew (dressed in a homemade Defender costume he would later wear as Smash) discovers it isn’t easy being a hero.
We hope you all have a much more successful night of trick-or-treating than Smash!
Order SMASH Book One: Trial by Fire online:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Indie Bound
Powell’s
The Yakima Herald has a wonderful review of both SMASH books. Some highlights:
Brothers Chris and Kyle Bolton, author and illustrator, respectively, of the “Smash” series of graphic novels, have created a wonderfully funny and action-packed new addition to the realm of middle-grade comics.
I absolutely love the wonderful combination of story and art in the “Smash” books....I particularly enjoy Kyle’s artwork; it combines the goofiness of cult classics like the Tick with the youthful vigor of Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes. Every panel is filled with the energy of a 10-year-old boy, with characters ready to bounce right off the page.
The text is challenging enough to engage a competent middle-grade reader but still accessible, hitting the perfect balance of being appealing and chortle-inducing while not raising too many parental eyebrows. And the warmth of the story, with its focus on familial relationships and the struggles that all kids face, gives it a universal appeal.
It’s a good time to be a young reader, with so many franchises aimed at the under-18 crowd. The “Smash” series is an exciting, compelling addition to the once-overlooked field of comics for kids, sure to appeal to everyone from fans of Iron Man to Wimpy Kid devotees.
Click here to read the full review! And if you're in the neighborhood, we'll be reading at the celebrated Inklings Bookshop in Yakima, Washington, on Saturday, July7th, at 2pm. Drop in and say hello!
Have you saved YOUR dad from imminent danger lately?
(From Smash: Trial by Fire, written by Chris A. Bolton with art by Kyle Bolton.)
To make sure you get your copy of SMASH 2: FEARLESS, here's an easy way to do it. Just print out this flyer, bring it to your favorite local comic shop, and let them know which version you'd like to buy—paperback or hardcover.
The Diamond ordering codes are listed right on the flyer for easy ordering!
If you preorder now, you'll be sure to receive Book 2 when it's published on May 9th! And don't forget: Book One: Trial by Fire is coming out in trade paperback on the same date.
Have you heard? SMASH BOOK 2: FEARLESS is coming out in trade paperback and hardcover editions on May 9, 2018!
The long-awaited trade paperback edition of SMASH BOOK 1: TRIAL BY FIRE will go on sale then, too! To make sure you get your copy in time, preorder it right now!
Just ask your favorite local comic book store to order your copy using one of these ordering codes:
MAR181377 — Book 2 trade paperback
MAR181378 — Book 2 hardcover
MAR181379 — Book 1 trade paperback
They'll be happy to make sure your copy is waiting for you the day it comes out!
We just have to share a wonderful email that we received from a woman named Dianne, about a young reader's experience with our first book, SMASH: TRIAL BY FIRE.
Mason is nine, in my daughter's 4th grade class, and carpools with our family to school in the mornings. We practice spelling words and math flash cards in the kitchen before the carpool as a way to get the kids ready for their school day. Mason had no problems with flash cards, but struggled mightily with spelling words. We practice the week's assigned vocabulary every morning to prep for Friday spelling tests, but when he gets his tests back, his scores are often 10/20, 12/20, maybe 13/20. But Mason said that he wasn't bothered by his low spelling grades because he didn't really like to read anyway.
Well, I was on my way to the library to pick up some books I had on hold and I resolved to find something that Mason would like to read. In the graphic novels section I picked up some Marvel books, a retelling of Tom Sawyer, and Smash. Now here's what I like about Smash, for a boy like Mason, who says he doesn't care about reading, and struggles with 1st-grade vocabulary: The protagonist is his age, the premise of small kid as super hero is immediately sympathetic, the dialog text is easily legible, the vocabulary is easy to grasp through context but not dumbed down.
From the moment I showed Mason your book and he began to understand the characters and story, he was hooked. Even though a single page spread could take him 15 minutes to read, he was committed to learning every word. We used his enthusiasm to encourage his vocabulary list practice: if he would spell five words from his list correctly, he could read Smash until the carpool left for school. He did this for the entire month, and I'm proud to say that this morning he finished the entire book. He was so proud of his accomplishment. My husband made a list of the new words he learned as he encountered them in Smash and read them on his own.
In addition to finding that he really does like to read, Mason has also dramatically improved his spelling performance. Last Friday was the second Friday in a row that he achieved a spelling test score of 20/20. It's amazing to see the transformation in his results, but more importantly in his recognition of what he can accomplish.
Thank you for writing such an amazing book and for providing the catalyst that is changing this kid's educational direction.
Thank YOU, Dianne! In our eyes, Mason is a champion and what he achieved is on a par with anything Smash can do. Your email made our day, our week, maybe even our year. It's always gratifying to know the hard work we put into a passion project like Smash pays off in dividends with young readers.
If you want to send us your story or ask us a question (we'll answer 'em!), email us at smashcomic@gmail.com. Replies guaranteed!
Back in print... and it feels so good!
After selling out the first print run of our all-ages graphic novel, SMASH: Trial by Fire, we're pleased to announce that the second printing is available now! You can buy it at your favorite independent bookstore or order it online here:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Indie Bound
Powell’s
And iust a reminder of how critics feel about the book:
[A]n action-packed crowd-pleaser….The full-color artwork is full of kinetic energy....Smash pays homage to the genre while adding tweaks that make it all feel fresh. This is sure to be a draw for superhero fans and reluctant readers alike.
Mixing humor with action makes for a winning combination; a vivid palette and classic comic book-style greatly enhance the graphic novel package.
2014 Children’s Choice Book Awards:
The comic book art and fast-paced story hooks readers in the first of a new series.
Kids and adults can enjoy this superhero title that’s filled with humor, action, and art that makes it a fun ride for everyone.
There’s no shortage of superhero graphic novels, but Smash: Trial by Fire is more well done than most….[I]t’s full of drama, humor, and seriously thrilling action sequences. To summarize: kids are going to love it.
The sad news: you won't be able to order a copy of our graphic novel, SMASH: TRIAL BY FIRE, for a little while. That's because of the good news: our first printing is completely sold out!!!
Thanks for helping us sell out!
Have no fear, a 2nd printing is on the way, hopefully in August. In the meantime, you can keep reading the free weekly adventures of Smash at our webcomic: smashcomic.tumblr.com
Kyle and I wish to extend our grateful thanks to everyone who has supported SMASH and helped make it such a huge. We couldn't have sold out without your help!
Kyle prepares to give a reading for these lucky kids.
The Isaac Stevens School in Seattle.
Kyle gave another reading of our graphic novel, SMASH: Trial by Fire, for the excited kids at the Isaac Stevens School in Seattle. More than 100 elementary schoolers delighted in the adventures of our 10-year-old superhero.
To find out how to book Chris or Kyle for a reading at your school or library, click here.
We are thrilled to announce that we've just finalized a contract with Candlewick Press to publish SMASH BOOK TWO! And, as you can see, we're flying in circles over it.
For now, the title and plot of the book are sealed inside an underground vault in the Magus's secret lair and guarded round-the-clock by his Minions. While we don't have a publication date yet, rest assured we're working as fast as we can to bring new adventures of SMASH to all our fans.
Candlewick Press also published SMASH: TRIAL BY FIRE, our first all-ages graphic novel featuring 10-year-old superhero Smash, and we couldn't be more excited to work with them again.
In addition to creating a gorgeous book that's a pleasure to read, Candlewick has worked tirelessly to promote SMASH, leading to glowing reviews, literary prizes like the Oregon Spirit Book Award and Children's Choice Book Award, and a legion of young readers who have let us know they can't wait for more SMASH.
We're especially excited to collaborate again with our fearless editor, Mary Lee Donovan, whose guidance and enthusiasm helped us develop our webcomic into a finished book we can be proud of. And we want to thank our agent, Bernadette Baker-Baughman at the Victoria Sanders Agency, for her patience, support, and all-around awesomeness.
We'll keep you updated as Book Two progresses. For more information, sign up for the mailing list in the margin at the right to get all the latest news while it's hot!