Zombillenium: Gretchen (1)

Winner of:Young Adult Library Services Association's 2014 Great Graphic Novel for TeensFrancis von Bloodt, a vampire and good family man, operates the one-of-a-kind theme park Zombiellenium. But this unique amusement park doesn’t just hire anyone: mere mortals need not apply—only genuine werewolves, vampires, zombies, and other citizens from the undead community are employed. A stunningly beautiful, fully painted graphic novel, this work presents a wryly humorous and lighthearted take on the traditional horror genre.

From Publishers Weekly

A theme park staffed by the undead confronts the daily challenges of trying to stay competitive with the likes of Disneyland and Seaworld in this comedy, originally published in France. Whether they're dealing with a disaffected mummy employee who wants to run away to Cairo, or larger economic problems, the park's administrators have a lot on their hands. Enter Aurelian Zahner, a human who's bitten by both a vampire and a werewolf. What kind of monster will he be? De Pins does a wonderful job of creating a brand of humor that matches perfectly the cartoony world of monsters he presents. He's especially good in panel sequences where he uses minor changes in body language to show Aurelian's reaction to the strange characters of Zombillenium Park, whether Aurelian is with the beautiful witch Gretchen inside an audio-isolation bubble or in an elevator with Aton the mummy, who's just grateful he doesn't have to work the cotton-candy stand anymore. With its humor, clever pacing, and unique approach to the monster narrative, de Pins's tale throws zombie fans some fresh meat. (Aug.)

From Booklist

This newly, excellently translated series opens with a volume featuring a witch turned monster-theme-park intern, Gretchen. On immediate glance, the theme and patter seem more reminiscent of young adult fare, but the satirical take on a host of popular books, memes, and themes best targets the well-read, parody-appreciative culture maven. The titular theme park is staffed only by legions of the undead: ghosts; a mummy, who prefers a hoodie and jeans to the iconic linen wrappings; a werewolf and vampire who compete to “claim” any fresh mortal; and other demons and hellions. Zombillenium has some very strict rules, a board of directors, and a brand-new employee—newly deceased sad-sack Aurelian, who Gretchen meets when he tries (unsuccessfully) to hold up a bar. The gorgeously colored tiny panels across folio-sized pages offer sly asides of their own. This award-winning, laugh-aloud, smart comic should be of high interest to those who enjoy parodies of Tintin, Posy Simmonds’ reworking of nineteenth-century literature, and anything that pokes gentle fun at Harry Potter or the Twilight craze. --Francisca Goldsmith

MTV Geek

“A clever, horror-themed riot. A really fun graphic novel, and you realize that when you open to the first page and see a bored-looking goth girl riding a skateboard on top of a broom. Sold. The characters all have distinct personalities, and at least some of them are bound to grow on you by the end. Arthur de Pins has excellent comedic timing and creates great comedic expressions. A real find!”

William Kulesa, NJ.com

“Whatever dark dealings you think go on behind the doors and in the underground tunnels of Disneyworld, they’ve got nothing on the secrets of Zombillenium and its mysterious proprietor.”

Francisca Goldsmith, Booklist

"This award-winning, laugh-aloud, smart comic should be of high interest to those who enjoy parodies and anything that pokes gentle fun at Harry Potter or the Twilight craze."

Bill Sherman, Seattle Post Intelligencer

"Zombillenium does for cartoon monsters what Sfarand Trondheim's Dungeon albums do for funny animals."

Kaitlin Connors, VOYA

"This first in a new series is full of witty dialogue and tongue-in-cheek cultural references. The illustrations are bright, colorful, and fun [...]. The blossoming relationship between Aurelian and Gretchen creates an interesting dynamic and the end of the first volume leaves the reader eagerly anticipating what comes next for the pair."

About the Author

Arthur de Pins is the writer and artist of the Zombillenium series, which was given the prestigious Angouleme Fauve Award for best youth comic in France in 2012.

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