Publisher First Second announced the release date and revealed the cover for “The Dam Keeper” series’s final graphic novel, titled “The Dam Keeper: Return from the Shadows.” The book will release on July 2, 2019.
Written and drawn by “The Dam Keeper” co-creators Robert Kondo and Dice Tsutsumi, “The Dam Keeper” graphic novels expand on the world of Kondo and Tsutsumi’s original animated short, which released in 2014 through the duo’s production company, Tonko House. In the short, Pig tires of holding back the dark fog that threatens his village, populated with other animals who bully him. However, by movie’s end, Pig finds a friend in Fox, and recommits himself to protecting his village.
In the graphic novel series, Pig and Fox’s friendship grows and develops, as the pals move from youth into young adulthood.
“When we’re eight or ten, the kind of friends we have is different than when we grow up and start to learn about the world and who we are in the world,” said Kondo, in a statement describing the impetus for the graphic novel series, published at Tonko House’s website. “Friendship can change. We think that’s a big part of the progression of our characters – how does friendship evolve?”
The graphic novels may not feature the final form of Pig and Fox’s friendship, as there’s also a The Dam Keeper feature film in the works. However, you can close the book on this chapter of Pig’s adventures by picking up “The Dam Keeper: Return from the Shadows” on July 2.
