Hot Off ALICE IN LEATHERLAND, Iolanda Zanfardino Returns with HECATE'S WILL About a Street-Art Heroine

HECATE'S WILL Brings An Outsider-Art Adventure To Comic Shops This November

Cover A by IOLANDA ZANFARDINO

Hecate devoted her life to changing the world through art, but she despairs that it’s all for nothing. When she commits to one last try with her most ambitious and heartfelt street-art experiment yet, its impact may change everything.

Written and illustrated by ALICE IN LEATHERLAND’s Iolanda Zanfardino, HECATE’S WILL is a new comic book mini-series launching in November 2021 from Black Mask Studios, the Los Angeles based indie publisher of acclaimed titles including CALEXIT, 4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK, SPACE RIDERS, GODKILLER, and BLACK.

Following her breakout success with Black Mask’s ALICE IN LEATHERLAND, Iolanda sets her sights on a street-smart adventure that celebrates outsider-art, diverse found family, and never giving up on your dreams.

“I wrote HECATE’S WILL before ALICE IN LEATHERLAND, during a rough time of personal transformation and big decisions,” said Zanfardino. “It’s about the fight against the little voice in your head that reminds you ‘if you can’t take it anymore, you can always give up,’ but you have to keep fighting it because the only way you can live your life is to be true to yourself.”

Cover B by Elisa Romboli

In HECATE’S WILL, we meet legendary NYC graffiti artist Hecate, who has decided to retire and abandon her mission of changing the world through art--but, before she quits, she’s going to create one final street-art experience: a graffiti scavenger hunt through the streets of Manhattan that will lead her fans to a final message and artistic testament.

As her street-art experiment catches fire with young NYC artists and activists, Hecate's best friend ropes her into working on a revival of the musical ‘RENT’ by a joyous ensemble of LGBTQIA+ artists who remind her how art brings people together, challenging all of Hecate’s expectations and assumptions. But will it be enough to inspire Hecate to renew her convictions and remain true to her artistic self?

As Iolanda describes the book: “HECATE’S WILL is a story for anyone who knows you can’t escape being who you are and that making Art means proudly showing your scars to the world.”

“Iolanda’s infectious exuberance really blew us all away on ALICE IN LEATHERLAND. We were thrilled to see how the comics community came together in support of that special book. With HECATE’S WILL, Iolanda is digging deep into universal emotions every creative person can relate to, imbuing it with the joyful positivity that makes her voice so fresh and impactful,” said Matt Pizzolo, co-founder and publisher of Black Mask. “At Black Mask, we’re always excited to partner with ambitious new creators who marry emotional depth with inspiring characters struggling to change the world—whether their heroism is to rise against a racist establishment (WHITE) or to rebel against the corrupt, misogynist administration of a magical high school (JADE STREET PROTECTION SERVICES).

“With HECATE’S WILL, Iolanda Zanfardino has created a character struggling against creative burnout, isolation, and heartache. Hecate’s true nemesis is despair itself--she just might be the very hero we need in 2021,” said Pizzolo.

HECATE’S WILL #1 will launch in November 2021.