September 10, 2025

Event date: September 4, 2025 –

The much-anticipated graphic novel THE WEIGHT by Melissa Mendes ‘10 releases in September by Drawn & Quarterly. Inspired by her late grandfather’s life, Melissa began creating and self-publishing the Ignatz-nominated comic installments in 2014. 

“THE WEIGHT is a gut-wrenching graphic novel with the power of a timeless ballad—plaintive and beautiful, shimmering with tenderness and humor.”—James Sturm, award-winning cartoonist and co-founder of The Center for Cartoon Studies.

“Melissa Mendes’ pastoral cartooning captures the openness of rural America—soft breezes, tall grass, whirring grasshoppers, rainstorms, skinned knees. But all the while, the cruelty, the disappointment of a man lurks behind the barn and in the trailer. Life can be stubbed out as easily as a cigarette tossed in the dirt. One moment all focus, next, gone without a thought. Will Edie find herself repeating a cycle or will she be free like she felt as a child?”—Drawn & Quarterly

“Black eyes and pancake breakfasts. Wide open fields and cramped trailers. In THE WEIGHT, Melissa Mendes doesn’t shy from depicting the quotidian brutalities of lives fenced in tightly by systems and cycles. But she’s equally generous in rendering the bright flashes of beauty and joy. We follow the desire paths carved by hungry hearts—mistaking oncoming headlights for lucky stars.”—Laura Park, cartoonist whose work has appeared in the Best American Comics, and illustrator of two middle-grade kids’ books written by James Patterson

Melissa Mendes grew up in rural Western Massachusetts, where she currently lives and works. She started making comics in 2002 at Hampshire College and got her MFA from The Center for Cartoon Studies in 2010. Melissa was the recipient of the 2010 Xeric comics self-publishing grant for her book Freddy Stories. In 2016, she was a visiting artist for The Center of Cartoon Studies.

Pick up a copy from Drawn & Quarterly or your favorite local bookshop! We ordered ours from Norwich Bookstore, Still North Books and Bar, and Yankee Bookshop.

Attend the book launch on September 4th at MASS MoCA:

Melissa Mendes will be in conversation with James Sturm at the MASS MoCA R&D Store on Thursday, September 4 at 5 pm. The MASS MoCA R&D Store is located at 1040 MASS MoCA WAY in North Adams, MA. For details and to register: https://drawnandquarterly.com/event/melissa-mendes-in-conversation-with-james-sturm-at-mass-moca-rd-store-in-north-adams-ma/

Congratulations, Melissa!