Ghost Hog

by Joey Weiser

Overview

A new graphic novel from the Eisner Award-nominated creator of MERMIN that deftly navigates loss, vengeance, and acceptance!

Truff is the ghost of a young boar, fueled by fury towards the hunter who shot her down. She has a lot to learn about her new afterlife, and thankfully the forest spirits Claude and Stanley are there to guide her!

However, they soon find that her parents, along with their fellow animal villagers, have been kidnapped by the malicious mountain demon Mava! Truff wants to help, but... the hunter is finally within her grasp, and if she lets him go, she may never get her revenge!

Is vengeance all that being a ghost is good for? Or is there something stronger keeping this little pig tethered to the living world?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620105979
Publisher:	Oni Press
Publication date:	05/07/2019
Pages:	168
Sales rank:	673,642
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Joey Weiser is the author of the Eisner Award-nominated MERMIN graphic novel series from Oni Press. His comics work ranges from writing and drawing for SPONGEBOB COMICS to coloring the JEDI ACADEMY: A NEW CLASS series. His first graphic novel, THE RIDE HOME, was published in 2007 by AdHouse Books. He is a graduate of the Savannah College of Art & Design and currently lives in Athens, Georgia.

Editorial Reviews

03/04/2019

Truffles the boar (“Truff”) just wanted to harvest some delicious plums for her parents, but after a hunter turns her into dinner, she haunts a plum tree waiting to exact revenge. Forest spirits Claude and Stanley are wandering through the trees when they see Truff terrify a couple of humans out for a nighttime ramble, and the spirits offer to help her keep her anger from turning toxic (“Vengeance does not calm a wounded spirit”). They persuade the porcine spirit to take them to her village to find her parents and, hopefully, closure. But her parents have been kidnapped by the imprisoned demon emperor Mava, who has been forcing locals to dig a path out of the undermount in order to “conquer the outer world.” On the cusp of entering the cave, Truff spots the hunter heading for home and is torn between avenging her own life and saving those of her parents. Weiser’s standalone tale infuses simply drawn animal and spirit characters with emotional deliberation about navigating anger and deep inner turmoil. Ages 8–up. (May)

Publishers Weekly

05/01/2019

Gr 3–5—With the help of forest spirits Claude and Stanley, Truffles (an anthropomorphic pig) discovers she has become a vengeful ghost after being shot by a hunter. Aware that hauntings are typically caused by unfinished business, Claude and Stanley try to guide Truff on a journey to release her anger toward humans and embrace her new existence. Along the way, the trio learn that Truff's parents and other forest inhabitants have been captured by the malicious demon emperor Mava, who is using them to escape his imprisonment inside a mountain. Soft hues portray the world around the mountains, while life inside is depicted in subdued earth tones punctuated by fiery reds and oranges. Speech bubbles and characters are drawn with bold black outlines that suggest a certainty and strength that the writing lacks. The story explores revenge, forgiveness, and love through ineffective characters whose motivations and growth don't always make sense. Dry humor is attempted but often falls flat and feels out of place against the macabre backdrop of death and vengeance. Some details are never explained, such as why the demon Mava needs others to help him escape his open-door prison. Except for a comment about "piles of dead animals," language is largely inoffensive, and most violence is kept slapstick and impermanent in nature, if not off the page altogether. VERDICT This uneven quest tale about the power of love struggles to find its tone. An additional purchase.—Alea Perez, Westmont Public Library, IL

School Library Journal

"A powerful, high-adventure tale!"

Nate Powell (March trilogy)

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