J.G. Jones and Mark Waid Draw on History and Legend with 'Strange Fruit'

Strange Fruit #1 Main Cover by J.G. Jones

Award-winning publisher BOOM! Studios is pleased to announce the July debut of prolific creators’ J.G. Jones (52, Wanted, Y: The Last Man) and Mark Waid’s (Irredeemable, Superman: Birthright, Kingdom Come) deeply personal passion project, Strange Fruit. Beautifully hand-painted and set during the historic Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, Strange Fruit is a provocative examination of the heroic myth that confronts themes of racism, cultural legacy, and human nature through a literary lens, drawing from Southern folklore and tradition.

 

It’s 1927 in the fictional town of Chatterlee, Mississippi, and the rain is heavy. The Mississippi River is rising, threatening to break open not only the levees, but also the racial and social divisions of this former plantation town. A fiery message from the skies heralds the arrival of a visitor, one that will rip open the tensions in Chatterlee. Some will see him as a savior, others will see him as a threat. All the while, the waters are still rapidly rising…

 

“J.G. Jones and Mark Waid are two of the most beloved creators in our industry—working with them on a passion project of this magnitude is such an honor,” said BOOM! Studios Editor-in-Chief Matt Gagnon. “This is a complex, challenging narrative that’s pushed both creators to deliver their best work. Anytime creators this talented crank their craft in overdrive it’s truly something to behold.”

 

“I have always had a passion for history, as well as the tales told by the old folks when I was a kid growing up in Louisiana,” said J.G. Jones. “The River usually figured in there, somewhere. It was the lifeblood of the Delta, as well as the sleeping giant you hoped would never rouse. When I tossed out the idea for a historical drama to BOOM!, I was half expecting them to say, ‘Interesting... what else you got?’ Instead, they were really excited about the concept of Strange Fruit. Since I was batting pretty well at that point, I figured I’d buttonhole my old pal Mark Waid, a fellow Southerner, and bring in one of the finest writers in comics to help steer this little boat through the swamp with me. I couldn’t be happier with the results, and I’m thrilled to have such a great team to bring Strange Fruit out into the world.”

 

“I’ve been listening to J.G. tell me about his fascination with this chapter in Southern history practically since the day I met him, and I guess he finally got tired of me yelling at him to write it down. But he knew, quite rightly as a fellow Southerner, that I was just as spellbound by the true story of what was, at the time, the greatest natural disaster ever to hit North America,” said Mark Waid. “Together, J.G. and I have introduced a new element to this historical drama that turns it into what we hope becomes a timeless tale. It’s a very risky venture, creatively—and BOOM! has backed us right down the line.”​

 

Strange Fruit #1 arrives in comic shops on July 8th with a main cover by series artist J.G. Jones for the price of $3.99. Also available in a limited quantity are a Jackpot variant cover (1 in 100 intermix), a BOOM! 10 Years incentive cover, and a retailer incentive cover, all illustrated by J.G. Jones.