Are You Listening? by The Center for Cartoon Studies graduate Tillie Walden ′16 releases on September 10 through First Second. In this magical realism story, Bea is on the run when she runs into Lou. As they journey through West Texas where strange things follow them, the landscape morphs into an unsettling world. A mysterious cat joins them, and they are haunted by a group of threatening men. To stay safe, Bea and Lou must trust each other as they are driven to confront buried truths. The two women share their stories of loss and heartbreak—and a startling revelation about sexual assault—culminating in an exquisite example of human connection.

Praise for Are You Listening?:

• “Complex panel layouts in dark tones and moody reds often bleed together, and stretches of silent art fit the heaviness of the tone.” —Kirkus Review
• “The volume is most successful as a nuanced portrayal of the connection between Bea and Lou, nearly a decade apart in age but young and gay and navigating trauma and loss in rural Texas.” —Publisher’s Weekly
• “Walden is up to her usual visual tricks in her latest, with intriguingly layered, intricately detailed images in rich, warm, sunset colors that lack concrete realism but cultivate powerful atmosphere.”—Michael Ruzicka at Booklist Reader
• “Her line is incredibly changeable: Sometimes it feels edgy, other times loose and windswept, other times prosaically down-to-earth.”—Etelka Lehoczky at NPR

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