Join Alex de Campi—New York-based writer of critically-acclaimed graphic novels including Eisner-nominated heist noir Bad Girls and Twisted Romance —as she launches The Backups, a young adult graphic novel about crushes, confidence, and catchy choruses! Alex will be in-conversation with cartoonist Bianca Xunise.

Purchase your copy of The Backups through Escape Pod Comics.

Spending an entire summer on tour as a backup singer for pop star Nika Nitro? What?! That’s the DREAM, right? Especially for Jenni, Lauren, and Maggie, three misfit performing arts students with hopes of making it in the music world.

But being twenty feet from fame isn’t easy. Between crushes, constant rehearsals, Nika’s sky-high expectations, and their own insecurities, this dream is starting to feel more like a nightmare. And that’s before they accidentally start a beef with a rival band threatening to reveal a secret that could end Nika’s career.

Can this trio of new friends come together to save the tour, or will the Backups be kept out of the spotlight forever?

Alex de Campi is a New York-based writer with an extensive backlist of critically-acclaimed graphic novels including Eisner-nominated heist noir Bad Girls (Simon & Schuster) and Twisted Romance (Image Comics) and her debut prose novel The Scottish Boy (Unbound). She lives with her daughter, their cat, and a Deafblind pit bull named Tango.

Bianca Xunise is a cartoonist based out of Chicago, Illinois. Her work primarily focuses on the plight and daily struggles of a self-proclaimed young black weirdo. Her story-telling has the tender slice of life gaze, capable of complex and nuanced driven narratives. In 2017 Xunise earned herself an Ignatz for Promising New Talent for her comic Say Her Name. In 2020 she earned her second ignatz as a contributor for The Nib’s Be Gay Do Comics. Xunise has also collaborated with Vogue, The Washington Post, and Believer Magazine. Xunise continues to be highlighted as a special guest for organizations like Small Press Expo, CAKE Chicago, The Society of Illustrators, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and The Center of Cartoon Studies. As of 2020 Bianca became the second nationally syndicated black female cartoonist when she joined the comic strip Six Chix as their first black creator in their 20-year run. Her Tuesday strip continues to spark viral sensations all over the world. When she’s not doodling away Bianca is usually somewhere dreaming of the mothman.

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Launch Event: THE BACKUPS by Alex de Campi