A year of writing, drawing and designing has paid off for 12-year-old Everett Roy, who has officially published his first graphic novel
The Weyburn creator spent nearly a year developing Everett and Friends – Book One: The Quest for Mom, a 60-page story that he wrote, illustrated and designed himself
A passion for storytelling
For Roy, the project combined several of his favourite things, including storytelling, drawing and creating new characters
He said he was inspired to create his own graphic novel after reading the work of author and illustrator Dave Pilkey
“I had some inspiration from some books from Dave Pilkey,” Roy said. “He’s an amazing author, so I had a thought of doing graphic novels like him.”
Using digital technology, Roy brought his ideas to life, creating each page and building a story around characters he developed himself
The graphic novel follows Everett and his friends, Koki, Devi and Dova, as they set out on a mission to rescue Everett’s mom after she is captured by Evil Everett, the story’s antagonist
Throughout their journey, the group faces challenges including purple aliens, a blizzard, an obstacle course, a hedge maze and a final confrontation with Evil Everett
Roy said creating the characters was one of his favourite parts of the process because each one has their own personality
“They all have different personalities,” he said. “That’s what makes them all special.”
Bringing the project together
Roy started working on the graphic novel in early 2025 and completed it in May or June of 2026, spending nearly a year bringing the story to life
He said finishing the project was a proud moment, especially after seeing all of his ideas come together
His dad also played an important role in helping him stay motivated throughout the process
“My dad helped me get this streak going of getting this book done,” he said. “He gave me lots of motivation.”
While there were challenges along the way, Roy said the experience helped him continue improving his skills and grow as a creator
Encouraging other young creators
Now that his first book is complete, Roy hopes it inspires other kids to explore their own interests and create something of their own
He believes practice is one of the most important parts of improving any skill
“The best thing to do to get all your talent up is practice, and you’ll get better at it,” he said
The graphic novel isn’t his only creative outlet. The 12-year-old also runs a YouTube channel where he creates animated videos, many featuring the same main character from the book as his mascot
Using mobile editing programs, he creates and edits the animations himself, giving him another way to tell stories and continue building the world of his characters
Looking ahead
The young author said he’d like to continue the story with a second book. The first instalment ends with a cliffhanger involving Evil Everett, leaving the door open for another adventure
For now, he’s focused on sharing his work with readers and hopes they enjoy the story as much as he enjoyed creating it
“I just hope many people can get to read it,” he said. “I just hope they can have a good time reading it because I put a lot of work into it.”
The graphic novel is available through Amazon worldwide for $14.99 CAD. Copies are also available locally at Velour Hair Shop in Weyburn
