The Ojja-Wojja
A Graphic Novel
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
The first in a new graphic novel series from indie comic stars Magdalene Visaggio and Jenn St-Onge is a coming-of-age story about the transformative power of friendship. And an immortal demon with the power to take over the world. But mostly the friendship thing.
Welcome to Bolingbroke. It's a small town just like any other . . . or so eighth graders Val and Lanie think. They’re the best of best friends—they love the same comics, they watch the same shows, and they’re always there for each other. Which is important when you’re queer, like Lanie, or on the spectrum, like Val, and just don’t seem to fit in anywhere.
When a school project about their hometown’s supernatural history leads to a for-real ghost sighting, Val and Lanie realize Bolingbroke might not be as boring as they’d always thought. But after a run-in with the resident middle school queen bee (who also happens to be Lanie’s former friend), they decide to take things to the next level . . . and accidentally summon the Ojja-Wojja, a demonic presence connected to a slew of mysterious tragedies throughout Bolingbroke’s sordid history.
Now all heck has broken loose. With the whole town acting weird and nowhere left to turn, it’s going to be up to Val, Lanie, and their small group of friends to return things to normal—if “normal” is even something they want to return to.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Two middle schoolers accidentally unleash an ancient evil upon their town in this otherworldly series-launching graphic novel exploit. Best friends Val, an occult fanatic who is autistic, and Lanie, who is transgender and obsessed with witchcraft, endure constant bullying from popular classmate Andrea, causing them to feel like misfits in their small town. When a supportive teacher learns of Val's interest in aliens and ghosts, he suggests that she complete an independent study on paranormal phenomena, hoping the assignment will boost her morale. Inviting Lanie along, Val researches local ghost stories, leading the girls to uncover a forgotten pact between a town founder and a terrifying spirit called the Ojja-Wojja, for which the town must renounce witches and those who "stand apart from this community" in return for prosperity. Upon mistakenly summoning the Ojja-Wojja, the specter possesses Andrea and begins terrorizing the neighborhood. Val uses abundant narrative styles—including MMORPG, magical girl anime, and space operas—to frame the world in ways she can understand. Visaggio (Cold Bodies, for adults) fittingly leans into these imaginative digressions, imbuing the tale with myriad genre flavors that St-Onge (the Jem and the Holograms series) supports via dynamically paneled, skillfully colored art teeming with ethereal ambiance and peopled by a large cast depicted with varying body types and skin tones. Ages 10–up.
