Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson

A panel from one of Pearson's early comics, 'Dull Ache.' It took way longer than it should have, mainly due to my own incompetence and inertia, so I'd like to take this moment to thank him for both his time and patience.

I talked to Pearson over the Internet about his career and the new book. While fully ensconced in the 'plucky child gets to the bottom of things' genre that's so prevalent in children's literature, Pearson's ability to carefully blend the fantastic with the every day, along with his freewheeling imagination, nimble line and rich use of colors, that make these volumes pop out. The latest book in the series, Hilda and the Black Hound, arrived in stories earlier this year and finds the spirited young heroine attempting to aid a homeless gnome of sorts, while investigating the whereabouts of a mysterious and potentially deadly dog and attempting to try her hand at scouting. Here is a collection of comics that reward your attention, regardless of your age bracket. Though he hasn't been professionally making comics for very long (since 2010 if I'm reading his website correctly), he's already amassed an impressive body of work, and has something of a runaway hit on his hands with the genuinely charming, smartly realized, and lovingly delineated Hilda series, published by Nobrow. That's a very wide gap to cross however, and few comics that proclaim to be for 'all ages' are actually able to actively engage and delight both young and old discerning minds.Įnter Luke Pearson.

Open these days, with a multitude of publishers and cartoonists expressing a desire to produce comics that appeal to both children and adults alike. The term 'all ages' gets thrown around like tennis balls at the U.S. Features “I Wanted a Character Who Was Very Positive”: An Interview with Luke Pearson

Hilda and the Midnight Giant by Luke Pearson