June 1, 2026
THE WEIGHT by Melissa Mendes ’10 is about a rural family’s cycle of love, loss, and renewal, set against the beauty and adversity of mid-century America. A work of fiction inspired by her grandfather’s writing and childhood, 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 man lurks behind the barn and in the trailer.
“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
The Harvey Awards are named for the visionary writer/artist/editor Harvey Kurtzman (MAD!). Debuting in 1988, the annual Harvey Awards have helped guide readers, retailers, librarians, and educators to hundreds of essential comics and graphic novels for almost four decades.
To read more and see the complete lineup of nominations, visit Forbes.com
Purchase a copy from the Drawn & Quarterly or your favorite bookshop!
