PAWS: Gabby Gets It Together

Nathan Fairbairn is a New York Times bestselling and Eisner-nominated creator, who has worked as a colorist for such iconic characters as Spider-Man, Batman, Wonder Woman, and Scott Pilgrim. He’s also co-creator, writer, and colorist of the graphic novel Lake of Fire. He started writing PAWS, his middie grade debut, as a way to share his passion for comics and storytelling with his daughter. Nathan lives with his family in Vancouver. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram (@NathanFairbairn) and see more of his work at nathanfairbairn.com.Michele Assarasakorn (also known as MSASSYK) is colorist who worked on comic series such as Eisner-nominated Isola, Gotham Academy, and The Magnificent Ms. Marvel. Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, Michele now calls Vancouver home but also likes to travel the world working remotely as an artist. PAWS marks her debut as an illustrator. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@Msassyk) and see more of her work at msassyk.com.

Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Kayla Miller, and Victoria Jamieson, this funny and heartwarming graphic novel series is the Baby-Sitter's Club for pets! PAWS follows a group of girls with a love of animals but an inability to have any of their own pets who start a dog-walking service.Meet best friends Gabby Jordan, Priya Gupta, and Mindy Kim. They're different in just about every way-personalities, hobbies, family, and more-but they have a few important things in common: they're all in the same class, they absolutely love animals, and for reasons that are as varied as the trio themselves none of them can actually have any pets.Unable to resist the adorable temptation any longer, the girls decide to come up with a way to finally get their hands on some furry friends. And, as luck would have it, it seems like their neighborhood is in need of some afterschool dog-walkers. So, just like that, PAWS is born!But it turns out that running a business is harder than it looks, especially with three co-owners who are such different people. The girls soon argue about everything, from how to prioritize their commitments to the best way to keep their doggy clients happy. And when their fighting ultimately leads to a doggo crisis, will it tear their business and friendship apart or will they be able to get it together to save the day?

BLOCKBUSTER POTENTIAL!: Girl-driven contemporary graphic novels are HUGE, and virtually none of those in the market are animal-related stories. With a diverse cast, authentic friendship story, and plenty of adorable pups, this is the perfect next read for fans of The Baby-Sitters Club series, Smile, Roller Girl, Invisible Emmie, Real Friends, Camp, and the list goes on.UNIQUE COLLABORATION: This isn't your average author-illustrator team. Nathan is writing the script with Michelle's input, and she's drawing while he colors and letters. (And Nathan's coloring work has been nominated for an Eisner award!)WELL-CONNECTED CREATORS: While this is Nathan and Michele's debut children's book, they're renowned comic book creators who've worked with every major US comic publisher, including Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, Oni, and Boom. We can utilize their numerous relationships in that industry to extend our reach even further.DOG-LOVERS UNITE: Any kid who's ever begged for a dog-or any pet at all-will instantly empathize with the girls of PAWS! And they won't be able to get enough of the book's doggos-Pickles, Carl, Corporal Wags, Roxy, and Scraps-who each have their own unique personalities that make them oh-so-lovable.DIVERSE CAST: Gabby, Priya, and Mindy each come from different backgrounds and cultures, live in different circumstances, and have different family structures, ensuring a broad range of readers can see themselves in this story.FOR YOUNG ENTREPENEURS: This story will inspire young entrepreneurs, showing them that with a little hard work they can turn their passions into a thriving business.ACCELERATED SCHEDULE: We currently have three books signed up. We want to keep readers constantly engaged with the series, so we're publishing them on a nine-month schedule.