The home for everything Smash!
Today's the day when SMASH 2: FEARLESS comes crashing into the world—along with the paperback edition of our first book, SMASH: TRIAL BY FIRE!
We're so excited to share the second long-awaited adventure with the world and we hope you all enjoy it.
If you've read FEARLESS, drop us a line and let us know what you think or leave a review on GoodReads. We love to hear from readers!
You can buy FEARLESS online here:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Indie Bound
Powells.com
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're so excited that SMASH BOOK 2: FEARLESS is dropping May 8, 2018!
As we approach the publication date, we'll have lots of previews, behind-the-scenes peeks, giveaways, and other goodies to whet your appetite. Check back often and let us know what you think!
Click on the image for a larger view.
We're thrilled to announce that SMASH Book 2: FEARLESS will be published on May 8, 2018!
Here's your first look at the cover. And the publisher blurb:
Superhero. Super young. Super freaked out! In his second adventure, Smash has his hands full with old enemies and a few new ones — not to mention homework.
Thanks to a strange twist of fate — and a massive explosion — Andrew’s dream of having the strength and abilities of his superhero idol came true, and Smash was born. Great, right? Wrong! As superhero Smash, Andrew finds himself in a losing battle with the one emotion no hero should ever feel: fear. And he definitely didn’t count on becoming the prime target of Magus, the vilest supervillain of all time, who will stop at nothing to steal Smash’s powers. It’s going to take Andrew everything he’s got to conquer his fears, safeguard the city, keep his identity a secret . . . and pass the fifth grade.
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!
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!
Today marks one year since the publication of Smash: Trial by Fire! And Smash brought some cake to share with all of you...
Uh, hmm, sorry about that. We'll get that mess cleaned right up. Anyhoo...
Our graphic novel has had a remarkable first year, earning rave reviews and prizes like the 2013 Oregon Spirit Book Award and a Children's Choice Book Award.
Kyle and I have made appearances at classrooms, bookstores, and comic conventions, where we've gotten to meet enthusiastic Smash fans and introduce our 10-year-old superhero to some eager new readers, as well.
From the bottoms of our hearts, we want to thank all of our readers and fans for making this first year so fantastic. Thanks for reading! And huge thanks to everyone who's helped us get the word out about Smash — we couldn't have done it without your support.
We're excited to see what the future brings!
To celebrate our first anniversary, here's the blog tour we took to kick Smash off:
Random Chalk Talk — Guest Post on the evolution of SMASH from webcomic to book.
Powells.com Book Blog — Guest Post on the birth of Smash, featuring the scandalous true story how we designed and created the character.
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.
Book Bitch — Exclusive interview with none other than Smash himself! (Plus a surprise guest.)
Cynsations — Guest Post, "Graphic Novel 101" — how we make the comic.
Green Bean Teen Queen — Guest Post about the magic of libraries and how they helped create a certain pint-sized superhero.
Charlotte's Library — Guest Post featuring a comic titled "The True Origin of the Brothers Bolton." Yes, it's all true!
Hooked On Books — Guest Post featuring the SMASH playlist, for the perfect soundtrack to accompany the book!
Bildungsroman — Q&A with Kyle and me.
— Chris A. Bolton
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...
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.
What could possibly be better than a delicious Smash cake pop..?
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!)