A group of high schoolers get more than they bargained for when the drag show they’re attending is attacked by monsters in this funny YA graphic novel from acclaimed queeer comics creator Sina Grace
Marvin Matocho just wanted to have a simple night out with his friends at the local drag show. But when a mysterious pink snow starts to fall, Marvin finds himself the hero of his own story when Los Angeles suddenly becomes overrun by monsters. Now, he, along with his group of friends consisting of several queer teens, a drag queen, and a 50-something bar manager, are the only folks who can prevent the complete annihilation of the city—that is, if they can sort through their personal issues before they become dead meat.
As they fight for their lives through a thrilling night, the gang must work together to find out who’s behind the sinister pink snow. With the city of angels overrun with demons, these misfits will have to solve the mystery—or die trying.
Sina Grace’s parents had big plans for their son: Ivy League schooling, professional credentials, a 6-figure income as a doctor– the works! Fortunately for us, he found the wonderful world of comics instead. It was in this world of contradictions that he “matured,” one foot teetering on the edge of academia, the other drawn to the inescapable grasp of an ink-bound fantasy underworld.
At 14, Grace seemingly appeased his parents by interning at Top Cow Productions, under the guidance of Editor-in-Chief Renae Geerlings (his single mother figured at least he was collecting college credit). However the only thing he was collecting (other than comics), was the compulsive habit of drawing unrealistically proportioned, scantily clad women.
At 16, he got a perpetual summer-time job at the Santa Monica landmark: Hi De Ho Comics, where he would be inspired to create Books with Pictures. By 17 he wrote, drew, and self-published his first comic, The Roller-Derby Robo-Dykes versus the Cannibals. His knowledge of disproportionate harlots with weapons came in handy when depicting a story about Robo-Dykes bent on taking over the world. His mother was happy that he was taking interest in girls. The book went into a second printing, and received the praise of Lying in the Gutters critic, Rich Johnston.
Weeks after graduating high school, he was asked by Rilo Kiley front-woman Jenny Lewis to illustrate a limited edition comic book adaptation of their 2004 record, More Adventurous. In the spring of 2006 he was asked to apprentice under comics genius, Howard Chaykin (even though it may not be apparent in Books with Pictures, Grace did learn the function of a ruler and the meaning of a vanishing point).
Between the summers of 2005 and 06, Grace’s partially-biographical indie dramedy, Books with Pictures, went from hand-xeroxed zines to full-fledged, full-sized comic books. Shortly after its debut at San Diego Comic-Con, Diamond Distributors accepted the series into their ordering catalogue, Previews. Grace’s work on the series was met with admiration from bloggers and reviewers alike, and has since taken on several projects for multiple anthologies due in late 2008.
To his parents’ delight, he graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, receiving an undergraduate degree in Literature, with an emphasis on Creative Writing.
Sina Grace recently self-published an illustrated novel about a sorcerer sleuth in Orange County, aptly named Cedric Hollows in Dial M for Magic, his next project will be providing illustrations for Amber Benson’s novel, Among the Ghosts, through Aladdin Books.
This book made me seriously think about what I'd be wearing during an apocalypse, because outfits are important folks!!
West Hollywood Monster Squad was such a delightful read, I loved the art style, the humour, the cute pink monsters wreaking havoc, and the group of friends (old and new) working together to survive the night.
At first, Marvin was a bit hard to like because he whined a lot, but he managed to deal with his issues over the course of the novel and became likable somewhere around the halfway point. The rest of them I liked from the start.
I'd recommend this to teen and adult readers alike, I promise you'll have so much fun with this group of monster hunters.
This was fun! A queer YA graphic novel filled with complicated friendships, a drag queen, and monsters attacking West Hollywood.
Marvin wanted the perfect day reconnecting with his best friend while she's back from college. But then she surprises him by bringing her new girlfriend along, the drag queen they couldn't wait to see gives a lackluster performance, and then pink snow starts turning people into monsters! What a way to ruin his perfect day. But Marvin needs to grow up a bit and work with new and old friends to save the day. Really enjoyed this and would recommend! I received a copy for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
Okay for a graphic novel, this took me too long to read... It's either I was distracted (I discovered Fortnite recently 😅) or because I wasn't really clicking with the storytelling or the MC 🥲
Don't get me wrong, this was still enjoyable. But I feel like the last 30% is what really hooked me. MC was a little immature most of the story, and that's acceptable—he's a teenager and he's messy and annoying. However, I didn't find him compelling enough as the MC.
Ending felt a little too fast and incomplete for me? I liked the plot twist, yes, but minor characters were missing, some of the subplots weren't exactly resolved. And it's like the MC jumped into character development, but it felt too sudden and out of place.
What's clear in this story though, is that there is love and there is homage to LGBTQ+ history and West Hollywood. I'm not American, I'm not from America, so I've only heard of little things about West Hollywood. But this clearly felt like a love letter to the place, to the community, and to drag culture.
Thank you, Abrams ComicArts and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. What a read! So many unexpected twists kept the story exciting, and it just kept getting better. The character development? Amazing. The storyline? So much fun! As a fan of monsters, I practically screamed when they appeared. Plus, the art style was an absolute pleasure to look at.
This is a fun graphic novel YA+. The actual night out from hell… it starts out well (who wouldn’t wanna go see a drag queen?), but then monsters attack, and it spirals from there! Likeable characters, brilliant friendship vibes and it’ll look GORGEOUS fully coloured!
Thank you Abram ComicArts and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. A fun graphic novel with plenary of queer spirit!! Marvin comes from a small town where there isn’t much of a queer community. But this weekend he’s going to L.A. to meet up with his best friend who’s in her first year of college. They’re going to see their favorite drag queen preform and Marvin can’t wait. That is until that they arrive and Annie surprises him with her girlfriend, also named Annie. He just wanted to spend some time with his best friend and Annie’s girlfriend was not invited. Then Miss Duboiz bombs and is rude to him. Plus his ex-best friend Roland happens to be at show. Before Marvin can demand they leave a literal monster shows up at the club. Turns out there are monsters everywhere. Marvin is determined to get home to check on his mother and sister, he’s joined by both Annie’s, Roland, Miss Duboiz, and the club’s manager. They make there way through West Hollywood in order to help get him back to his family. But along the way they’ll find out the secret to the monsters and face some of their unresolved issues with one another. Can Marvin figure out what is going on? Can he make it back to his family? Will he be able to fix his friendships? A super cute story full of queer badassery! And fun adventure with lots of heart! Highly recommend!
A really fun read! I loved that all the action happened over the course of one night, with a resolution, but you still get to know the characters without feeling like rushed. Marvin gets to explore his issues while also trying to save the city at the same time. He's dealing with his friends' lives moving forward while his own seems to be unmoving, all on top of fighting monsters. The pacing was very humor horror movie and I found myself laughing throughout. While the intended audience is young adults, I think the book has a lot of crossover appeal for adults, especially with queer people. Also, the art is going to be extra gorgeous in full color if the sneak peek at the end was any indication.
My only very minor issue was that the font was very small...but then again, I'm almost 40 and it's for teen readers with potentially better eyesight, so admittedly that's more of a me issue than anything else.
For so many queer people our deepest connections and our truest loves are our friends and West Hollywood Monster Squad gets that. With fun, fast paced dialogue and narration by Sina Grace and fantastic artpop by Bradley Clayton, this book will make you want to go out with your friends! As soon as I finished the book, I was ready to get up and go out even after a long day of work. But West Hollywood Monster Squad is not just a fun romp, it is also full of recognizable character moments, which I’ll avoid spoiling, but will say that they make you pause and reflect in the midst of a monster invasion, almost like getting pulled aside at the club for a serious chat. If you have friends, you’ll enjoy this book. You may even find yourself wanting to get everyone together again for a fun night out because you are reminded of how much you love them. And personally, I can’t think of anything better than a book that makes you love your friends more. Read this today.
West Hollywood Monster Squad is a fast-paced Graphic Novel that follows a group of friends that have to survive an onslaught of monsters during a night out at a drag show. This concept and the stunning cover were enough to sell me on picking this up for a read. Over the course of the night the characters must face tough truths about the world they are living in and band together to stand up for their community. While this is a quick read, Sina Grace gives the story room to breathe by having the characters, especially the protagonist Marvin, grow from the trials they face. The story is supported with illustrations by Bradley Clayton, who provides distinctive character and creature designs that bring the world of this graphic novel to life. This is an excellent YA story about self-discovery and the importance of protecting the family you choose.
Thank you Abrams ComicArts for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
It was really nice to see a graphic novel featuring an entirely diverse group of LGBTQ+ characters fighting back against their city being run roughshod by monsters. You don't see that very often especially in this current political climate in the United States, so this is very much appreciated. I just wish I liked the story more. There were a couple of times I was confused and it took me a page or two to figure out what was happening with certain characters because it is not readily apparent at first. Also, the main character seems to go all aggressive out of nowhere and it stopped the story right in its tracks. Yes, he is scared about what is happening with the monsters and with the changes in all of his friends' lives, but his outburst felt a little out of place. I also wish the horror aspects were a little bit more. The truth about the monsters was just okay and was not what I was expecting. Glad this exists, but I wanted just more.
West Hollywood Monster Squad is the sort of graphic novel that leaves you wondering several questions: "What is the meaning of true friendship?," "What does forgiveness look like?," And, oddly enough, "What would my apocalypse outfit be?"
The story follows a group of friends who go into West Hollywood, looking to have a memorable night. They get exactly what they were looking for, but far from the way they were expecting when people start turning into monsters and attacking others. It turns into a night of survival as these group of friends and new found friends try to save the world.
Sina Grace has created a truly memorable story with this graphic novel. It's pact with action and humor, making it hard to put down. The LGBTQIA+ representation in the story was wonderful to see, and I can see a wide variety of readers enjoying this story. Between the storyline and amazing illustrations, it's definitely worth a read.
This is one of the few books that I have read where I did not like the protagonist, Marvin. I usually like to side with protagonist as it is their story, but in this instance, Marvin was bit too bratty for me. They were in the midst of a possible apocalypse and he was not prioritizing the problems at hand. But, he eventually snapped out of it, which was nice. One of the main takeaways from this graphic novel is that everything is not what it seems. Idolizing people and whatever they have done to make your life easier does not mean you should worship the ground they work on cause if they turn out to be everything you hoped they were not, it’ll just break your heart. Lastly, this is a graphic version of ‘The Blonde Dies First’ by Joelle Wellington if you want to read a novel like this one.
Incredibly fun, incredibly queer graphic novel about a group of friends (and a bartender, ex-best-friend and drag queen) fighting mysterious monsters in WeHo as pink snow falls from the sky …
The character development throughout this book was fantastic, and I really loved all the characters. Beautiful expressive art too, I’m really excited to see it in full colour when it’s published!
Would recommend to any YA and up graphic novel fans, anyone that likes stories about drag and mysterious scooby doo-esque adventures and cool monster fights :)
Thank you to Abrams ComicArts and NetGalley for the ARC!
A group of teens goes out to a drag show for a night of fun. However, they find themselves fighting monsters.
I really liked the premise here. Drag queens? Monster fighting? Two things I enjoy a lot! there were lots of fun parts, but Marvin (the main character) was sooooo whiny. The advanced copy had no color, which I think really was a detriment from my reading experience. It was also significantly less monster fighting than I thought based on the description. Overall, a decent read but not what I was expecting from the synopsis.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Queers going to a drag show get more than what they bargain for in a monster apocalypse, sign me the fuck up! I love Sina Grace’s nerdiness that shines through his books. This was an absolute joy to breeze through. The main character a bit annoying at first, but he does grow on you. This group of people a hilarious witty bunch. The art vibrant and fun, love the different diverse body proportions. Also the geeky video game references sprinkled in a pleasure to encounter. Actually related to some lines, nice to know that some of us have shared experiences of wanting to die as a Final Fantasy character in an epic boss battle. Literally laughed out loud!
While I did think the general story was fun - it was also supremely unoriginal. Seriously, I knew the beats and the big reveals before they happened because I have seen this done so many times before - and usually better.
I do appreciate the fact that there is some diversity - but it also kind of feels like maybe...not the best examples of diversity?
Finally I hate Marvin. Truly, genuinely HATE him. He supposedly gets 'character development' by the end, but it was too little, way too late. Or, rather, way too early, because he supposedly turns over a new leaf in three hours. He is literally quoted as saying 'three hours ago'. So, yeah. This was just a train wreck for me.
West Hollywood Monster Squad is a super fun monster romp! Marvin goes to a drag show with his friends only to encounter giant monsters. I thought this one was great. The queer representation was fantastic, and it was a very funny book. The e-arc I received was in black and white, but I think it will look gorgeous in full color.
Thanks to Abrams ComicArts, Sina Grace, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review. My opinions are my own.
I won a giveaway copy of this on New Years before it released but never recieved it. I had recieved an update of shipping only to show that it's been in another state since January 13th, yet when I emailed to ask for clarification, my question was left unanswered.
Now it's been out for two months, and I could just borrow it from my library app😭 but I was so excited because this was the first giveaway I had ever won through here.
I wanted to love this, but the characters were insufferable and barely redeemable. The story was a little all over the place and ended with so many plot holes, which when there are one or two, it doesn’t bother me, but this was a lot.
Overall, it wasn’t the worst and I definitely love supporting queer stories, but had this been another 30 pages with info on WTH was the reasoning and how and what happened with Giselle, the families, and why did he so quickly forgive Roland…. I dunno…
Overall the plot felt clunky, the characters were enjoyable but things between them resolved too easily/the conflicts felt superficial, and the font was TINY. I'm young with good vision but still went "oh no" when I opened the first page. Obviously it wasn't so bad that I couldn't read the comic, but it would have been easier/ more accessible to others if it was bigger.
The concept was really neat from the blurb and the colouring/ drawing was great! The plot just didn't grab me.
Thank you, Abrams ComicArts & and Netgalley, for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
This was a wild ride!
Filled with drama, pettiness, growth, conspiracies, and monsters. There were moments that might feel frustrating "when someone let's their feelings get hurt, especially when the world is ending." But let's be for real. That is super realistic for us as humans.
I hate to be that guy, but unfortunately, I just didn't like this one. - The plot (zombie outbreak x Pokemon) was clumsy. - Marvin was too unlikeable to root for during his redemption arc. - The interpersonal group conflicts were both too superficial and too conveniently resolved.
I'll give this review a bonus star for inclusive characters and extra expressive illustrations though.
Cool premise, but too many of these characters were too whiny about things that weren’t the fact that MONSTERS had just appeared to KILL them. I know the character growth is the point, but some of these people just weren’t that fun to follow, and I wanted a book about monsters crashing a drag performance in West Hollywood to be more fun than this.
Representation: gay Latino protagonist, fat lesbian Japanese secondary character, non-binary white secondary character, Latina secondary character, trans Black secondary character, fat gay white secondary character, fat gay secondary character of colour, queer tertiary characters.
More of a 3.5✨ I read the eARC which unfortunately didn’t have any color so I missed out on a lot of the visuals with that. I thought this was a cute and quirky story though and I did have a good time reading this one😂
i won this graphic novel in a goodreads give away. not normally something i would pick up for myself but it was a fun, short read! i loved the art style & all the colors. i know this is a young adult graphic novel but some of the dialogue was a little too cheesy or childish for me personally.
Super cute and so fun! In vivid and bright comic book-style animation, characters with big personalities build and strengthen the bonds of friendship while fighting their way through the apocalypse. This book was funny, it was the perfect length, and it made a fantastic one-sitting read.
solid! fun and exciting, loved the art, if a little undone with the story couldve used a touch more world building and motive beyond billionaire corp is evil (bc... duh. yeah. they all are) but it was still visually stunning and made me giggle a few times, so overall, slay