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“Thar’s Gold in ‘dem ‘dere Caves!”
That’s the premise behind the new graphic novel from award-winning creators Dave Justus (Vertigo, 1First Comics), Lilah Sturges (Vertigo, DC), and Joe Eisma (Image, IDW, DC) as it follows the interim student government at fictitious historic college Halcyon Burke University. The logline states:
At America’s second-oldest university, four earnest, clever, and desperate teens on the interim student government exploit a charter loophole in an effort to save their school from being demolished, facing down pressures on campus and escalating hostility from the Board of Regents in a story both hilarious and heartfelt.
After opening a time capsule buried by the first class of Halcyon Burke University, the interim student government and the Board of Regents are shocked to discover that the caves beneath the school’s foundation are brimming with unmined gold. Eager to claim it as quickly as possible for themselves, the Board calls for the immediate demolition of the school to pave the way for excavation. The plucky members of the interim student government, however, discover a loophole in the school’s charter that calls for their immediate status as the rightful governing body before an election can be called to elect a more permanent one, giving them a thrity-day-window in which to save the school from imminent destruction.
The characters of the interim student government are the backbone of the book, led by interim president Parker Myles, a freshman whose own mother was a member of the school’s inaugural female student body. Her vice president is Hutch Hamlin, a laid-back security guard with a soft spot for strays. Hutch’s roommate and walking encyclopedia Malakai Lux is her secretary, and Jean Genie is their treasurer, who thought they were signing up for Krav Maga classes. This clever group of misfits must do their best to compete with old money and archaic tradition to prove their efficacy and save their school in this “hilarious and heartfelt” story.
And hilarious, it is. Honestly this sort of book isn’t normally my bag, and I agreed to read it out of want for content, but I’m so very glad that I did. I laughed out loud reading this novel more than I have at practically anything this year. The book is overflowing with colorful characters, fiendish foils, and clever cognomens. The boys’ dormitory is Derrell Hall, the girls’ is Maunte Hall, and some classes take place at R. Senio Hall. Professor Pagemaker is an old punk rocker with an axe to grind with authority, and the interim student government is up against the elected student government, packed with priveleged analogs of our protagonists. Even the partriarchs make funny references to Jack Kerouac. The jokes are smart and frequent, and once I started in on this book, I couldn’t put it down until I’d devoured it in one sitting.
I won’t spoil the ending but it looks like our interim STUDENT GOVERNMENT is just getting started in their adventures, so I hope we can see more from these industrious kids in the near future.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT is available now from Maverick Press, with distribution by Mad Cave Comics. As co-creator Dave Justus elaborates, “When Lilah and I first began envisioning Student Government, it included several hallmarks of our previous collaborations — dark comedy, social commentary, parent/child schisms, churros — and it was truly a unique experience to all be in the same room, everyone throwing in ideas as Joe expertly brought the world and characters to life. We pitched it as a ‘mature readers’ title, full of casually profane gallows humor and political cynicism… but to the credit of Mike Marts and the editorial crew at Mad Cave, they saw in our proposal all the elements of a compelling Young Adult graphic novel. Which meant we, and a hand-picked creative team, got to craft it under the Maverick imprint, shepherded by editor supreme Lauren Hitzhusen. (Ask her about the very serious ‘business chili’ that kicked off our working relationship, deep in the heartburn of Texas.) As we developed the book with her, we realized that we didn’t have to sacrifice any of the comedy or the politics… but we gained story threads of courage, compassion, optimism, and all the different things that the word ‘family’ can mean.”
STUDENT GOVERNMENT is written by Dave Justus and Lilah Sturges, illustrated by Joe Eisma with colors by Michael E. Wiggam, lettered by Simon Bowland & Charles Pritchett, edited by Lauren Hitzhusen, with a logo by Tim Daniel and book design by Jack Levesque.
