Single Issue Showcase: The Cardboard Kingdom - "The Sorceress Next Door"

The cover of "The Sorceress Next Door"

A common mistake in literary criticism is to conflate the concepts of artistry and maturity. Just because a work deals with adult situations or themes, doesn’t necessarily make it mature or artistic, as proven by most books or movies that feature serial killers. Conversely, a work meant for all ages doesn’t preclude its maturity nor does that keep it from being a work of art. A fine example is Chad Sell’s The Cardboard Kingdom, the first issue of which is the selection for this month’s Single Issue Showcase.

The Cardboard Kingdom is a unique series, adapted from stories sent in from an open call for collaborators from Mr. Sell’s website. They will be short comics set in a shared neighborhood about “kids creating colorful cardboard costumes and hideouts to both escape from and make sense of their everyday struggles.” Mr. Sell has so far received more than one hundred pitches that will eventually be whittled down to six to ten stories for which he will do the final art. In a Careers in Comics interview, Mr. Sell mentioned how he would get submissions “trying too hard to make the story ‘important’ by adding death and tragedy to the mix. But you can tell a really powerful story without those heavy-handed elements.”

“The Sorceress Next Door” may have child protagonists and be appropriate for all ages, but it deals with such weighty themes as gender roles, gender expression, self-identity, friendship, hypocrisy, and compassion. This is quite a lot to incorporate into sixteen wordless pages, and Mr. Sell’s bright and intricate artwork is the perfect style with which to convey nuance while still being enjoyable for children.

The story is by Mr. Sell and Jay Fuller, who is no stranger to this genre with his adorable webcomic The Boy in Pink Earmuffs. Adorable may seem dismissive or condescending at first, but is one of the first words that comes to mind and its aptness doesn’t make what it describes any less a work of art. “The Sorceress Next Door” is the same way. Descriptors such as delightful, cute, and kid-friendly do not detract from its realism, effectiveness, import, or craft.

Submissions for The Cardboard Kingdom end tomorrow and can be made at Mr. Sell’s website. “The Sorceress Next Door” is available for purchase through Mr. Sell’s Etsy page. Stay tuned for the release of future issues!