Penguin Random House Brand Pantheon announces the next graphic novel of the Ignaz Medal winner Mattie Lubchansky. Simple: Novel Arrive at the place where books and comics are sold on July 29, 2025!
She is known for her work in political comics and is the deputy editor of the Ignaz Award-winning magazine nib (thenib.com) and well-received graphic novels Boys weekendLubchansky’s comics often solve social and political problems with a sharp wit and unique style. Simple This is no exception, happening in “In a near-bright future, the United States has fallen into semi-fascist, highly surveillance, walled city-states, with a lot of ubiquitous wilderness in the middle.”
Beat Catch up with Lubchansky via email to discuss what readers can expect from her latest long-term work Simpleinvolves the research process of making this book, and why trans cultures created by trans people are important.
Ollie Kaplan: How do you describe it Simple To someone?
Mattie Lubchansky: It takes place in a near-bright future, with the United States trapped in semi-fascist, highly surveillance city-states with many unparalleled wilderness in the middle. Since the 1970s, it was a timid and cautious scholar entering the Catskill Mountains to study a settled cult called “simple.” Things got weird.
Kaplan: What you learned from creation Boys weekend? How did you apply this knowledge to your creation Simple?
Lubchansky: I don’t remember who said it, but I remember hearing a prose novelist talking about each of their books and they had to relearn how to write the book because they were learning how to write it. Boys weekend The longest job I’ve ever done – I have a lot of microenzymes and novellas (Antifa Super Soldier Recipe) Under my belt, but it was a real learning experience and I think the biggest thing about me is that I have a huge and spacious space and I really try to stretch my legs more Simplenot only from the perspective of the story and character, but also visually.
Kaplan: Why did you choose to tell this story as a comic?
Lubchansky: I mean the short answer is, it’s the best medium for my money! But more specifically, “This is a comic” is something I ended up asking myself when I have an idea nib Give me this meaning, because not everything is a comic! but Simpleto me, the story is so visual. I have this really vivid feeling about the look of the world. When I first started the project, all I had was Lucius and his vision in the book, and almost everything else came from portraiture.
Kaplan: Where did you get the world’s inspiration Simple?
Lubchansky: I rely heavily on the research of this book. I had this idea, the way the mainstream society in the book world is just a speculative novel machine that I always whizzed through my brain, trying to draw a straight line from where we are now. But I have no idea of what kind of life should or may be in a nominal settlement. A friend told me to get a copy Paradise nowThis is a nonfiction book about the “communist” settlements before Marxism in the 19th century, and it really fascinates me, and I redirected many “cults” (“cults”) in the book, the way in which they work.
Kaplan: What attracted you to make stories about cults?
Lubchansky: I don’t think I’m very interested in “cult” and learn more about how the community works (or doesn’t) and how thoughts and ideas take root at certain times and places. Cult Boys weekend and Simple It’s a big difference, and honestly, I’m trying not to consider the fact that SAP in this book is a cult must be…their well-thought-out concept of the world and purpose and motivation. Gray hands Boys weekend It is (intentionally) very vague and impenetrable, and based on a very out-of-the-box “Eldritch” belief system, I hope readers feel Sammie is outside the door. Lucius is SimpleOn the other hand, he’s like oh, these guys have some benefits.
Kaplan: You told it before Publisher weekly “Capitalism presents a vision for an ideal person that manifests itself in a more turbulent, violent, depressed masculinity, white, intuition or who you are.” What you say reminds me of gender Simple (Once, Lucius pointed out the money his body costs compared to the SAP member). How do you think capitalism affects queer institutions?
Lubchansky: Yes, I think I still agree with myself! It’s also easy to start wondering if your needs have been sold to you…but I think our desires will still be valued. However, I would say that the biggest impact is substantial. The transition is very expensive – even if you manage to get a lot of care with insurance, there are still a variety of surgical recovery rates to consider, such as time that many of us can’t afford. Preparation without insurance is very expensive. Capitalism needs its lower classes, and queer people are just one of them. Poverty is terrible to your body.
Kaplan: What impact do you hope to have as this administration tries to eliminate trans people from public life Simple Will it?
Lubchansky: I have no fantasy about some Republicans or TERF Maniac picking up this book and blowing their thoughts or anything else. That said, I still think it’s very important for trans people to build culture. We should be in the library, the house in the bookstore. I’m honored to live there and I take it seriously. I obviously want cis people to read it, but I want to do cross-cultural for trans people. Another important thing for me is that this book has a lot in gender and sexual desire. Trans sex has been demonized. But I don’t think we need to do anything to make ourselves delicious. They will call us perverts, no matter how small we make ourselves. There is no reason to play the game again.
Kaplan: You previously said that your work will always be political. What role does comics play in political resistance?
Lubchansky: I know there are a lot of people who are doing real political work and think they are changing their hearts there, but I’m exhausted in that. I don’t think anyone will change their minds because of a book. But I’m a little optimistic that people do change their minds and they just do it according to their opinions. This is how organizations work. You could be a pebble rolling down the hillside and suddenly someone hears your avalanche.
Kaplan: You are known for your work nib and other short form comics. How does the artistic process of creating short form comics compare to long form comics?
Lubchansky: This is a completely different skill I had to learn in the past few projects. What I have to teach myself is patience. I work very quickly, but I still only complete 4 or 5 pages per week. So you have to really, really devote yourself to seeing it, not the immediate dopamine hit rate for the public to work – I completed simplicity over a year ago, and I held it in my hand for the first time today (!). So you did catch me, though it felt worth it.
Kaplan: Do you want to add anything else?
Lubchansky: I really hope this weird, horny, tricky book will attract audiences. I am very proud of this. People should know that it is horny.
(Featured picture: Pantheon/Sylvie Rosokoff))
Book Mattie Lubchansky’s latest graphic novel Simple, today!
