Hit actual play podcast The Adventure Zone began bringing its particular brand of chaos and storytelling to graphic novel format back in 2018. The illustrated version of the podcast's first arc "Here There Be Gerblins" grabbed fans' attention and climbed the New York Times bestseller charts. Now, the McElroy family and Carey Pietsch are back with the fourth installment of the series, The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom, along with a a virtual event to celebrate its release.
The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom takes main characters Merle, Magnus and Taako deep within the floating labyrinthine workshop of the Miller family, famous both for their elevators and for messing with artifacts best left alone. As the Miller's arcane labs are slowly taken over by pink tourmaline, threatening to crash it into the earth from the sheer weight of the crystal, the heroes don protective suits to enter the lab and find out what evil force has been pulling the strings of the transmutation stone and causing the spread of this pink crystal.
To celebrate the impending pink adventure, Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy and Carey Pietsch will host a virtual event chock full of live readings, special guests and answers to all your burning questions. Free to stream on both YouTube and Facebook, "The Adventure Zone Graphic Novel Live & Virtual" will give the graphic novel's creators a chance to talk about the creative process and goof with their friends. Previous year's guests have included Erika Ishii, voice actor for Apex Legend's Valkyrie, Janet Varney of The Legend of Korra fame, Supernatural, The Guild's Felicia Day and Legends of Tomorrow alum Brandon Routh.
This isn't the first graphic novel release the crew has had to celebrate virtually -- last year's The Adventure Zone: Petals to the Metal launch moved online due to the pandemic, and earlier events were hit with delayed flights and Skype-ins as well. But the McElroys have cultivated their virtual-show skills, culminating in their two-hour Candlenights extravaganza at the tail-end of 2020, and "The Adventure Zone Graphic Novel Live & Virtual" promises to deliver on the fun.
But fans have more to look forward to from the upcoming The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom than just the well-honed virtual hosting skills and much-beloved McElroy banter of its release event. This arc of the podcast first introduced Kravitz, a bounty hunter who immediately became a favorite character, especially as his relationship with the main characters grew deeper. This arc also takes the characters further into the overarching story, showcasing not only another powerful relic but giving readers a glimpse into the different planes -- and the "entire cosmology of all existence" -- that will become integral to later books.
The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom release event "The Adventure Zone Graphic Novel Live & Virtual" will be streamed live on Tuesday, July 13th at 9:00 PM EST on both Facebook and YouTube. Fans can join the conversation on social media with #TAZGNLive, but they can also get a signed bookplate and an event exclusive pack of The Adventure Zone trading cards by purchasing a copy of The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom from Bookbug, Left Bank Books, Solid State Books, Brookline Booksmith or Tubby & Coo's Mid-City Book Shop.
The Adventure Zone: The Crystal Kingdom is written by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy and Travis McElroy and illustrated by co-adaptor Carey Pietsch. Published by First Second, the graphic novel goes on sale July 13.
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