Alice, a young writer of children's storybooks, is hurtled out of her fairytale-like life when she discovers her girlfriend has been cheating on her! Charmingly defiant, she leaves her small forest town and leaps into a new adventure to seek love (and find herself) in the fast life of San Francisco. There, her concept of pure, magical love will be completely overturned. Her biggest challenge won't be reckoning with other people's sexual drive, it'll be getting a grip on her own! From your new favorite writer and artist team of Iolanda Zanfardino and Elisa Romboli, Alice In Leatherland is a comedy about sex and so, inevitably, about every other aspect of life, too. As Iolanda and Elisa describe the book: "Sex is recounted as a way to investigate our relationship with ourselves and others, with our bodies and our place in the world; sexual pleasure as self-affirmation and growth. There is room for Love, too, and bravery. And for many good laughs, that never hurts....

 Alice is making friends and starting a new job. The only uncertain thing is her love life. Between an old love and a potential new one are some bad dates. 'Alice in Leatherland' is a great palette cleanser for a bad day.  ALICE IN LEATHERLAND #3 Writer: Iolanda Zanfardino Artist: Elisa Romboli Publisher: Black Mask Studios Release Date: June 9, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 Valentine's Day can be a rough time of year if your fairytale fantasy doesn't hold up to reality. What are the chances of mending a broken heart on a dating app? Probably not too far off from the chances of mending your broken heart in a sex-positive shop... but, at least at the shop fun is guaranteed! Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5) 'Alice in Leatherland' continues to be a charming, wholesome, funny, LGBTQ version of 'Sex in the City.' The romantic trials and tribulations of Alice, new to San Francisco, mending a broken heart, navigating a whole new set of friends, awkwardly looking for love while ...

 After her fairytale fantasy life is destroyed by her girlfriend’s infidelity, sheltered Alice heads to raucous San Francisco on a journey of sexual awakening, community building, and self-discovery.   A Bawdy Sex Comedy & Queer Romance Comic Book Series from Real-Life Couple Iolanda Zanfardino & Elisa Romboli Created by real-life couple Iolanda Zanfardino (writer) and Elisa Romboli (artist) while they were in pandemic lockdown together, ALICE IN LEATHERLAND is a new comic book mini-series launching April 21, 2021 from Black Mask Studios, the Los Angeles based indie publisher of acclaimed titles including CALEXIT, BLACK, 4 KIDS WALK INTO A BANK, LOUD, and DESTINY, NY. Together, Iolanda and Elisa have created a diverse sex comedy and a very modern romantic comedy all in one, celebrating its diverse ensemble’s joys, kinks, and loves. Elisa Romboli & Iolanda Zanfardino As Iolanda and Elisa describe the book: "Sex is recounted as a way to investigate our relati...

Alice's adventures in love come to an end in this final issue but it'll be one you'll want to cherish.  ALICE IN LEATHERLAND #5 Writer: Iolanda Zanfardino Artist: Elisa Romboli Publisher: Black Mask Studios Release Date: September 1, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 It may sound like a cliché, but every fairytale needs a happy ending. Even the messy, spicy, and, very often, tragicomic ones. Will Alice and Robin be able to put aside their fears and pride to build their happy ending? Score:   ★★★★★ (5/5) 'Alice in Leatherland' #5 marks the end of this delightful miniseries. Iolanda Zanfardino and Elisa Romboli have created a sweet and sexy comic that's helped make 2021 one of the best years in the industry. The amount of quality indie comics this year so far has been both astounding and alleviating. In a sea of superhero comics, 'Alice' was a refreshing romantic comedy that was both wholesome and a little risque but with a huge heart. The romantic trials and tri...

Through trial and error, both Alice and Robin continue dating people unable to find what they're looking for. It makes for some funny fodder but Alice keeps growing and shining in issue four.  ALICE IN LEATHERLAND #4 Writer: Iolanda Zanfardino Artist: Elisa Romboli Publisher: Black Mask Studios Release Date: July 21, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 With all the different and unpredictable kinds of people in the world, finding someone who makes our hearts beat faster should be easy, but to Alice, it seems extremely complicated! And if falling in love with someone else is difficult, falling in love with herself is even more so. Score ★★★★☆ (4/5) QUICK REVIEW: Reading the dating escapades of Alice and Robin in 'Alice in Leatherland' #4 while funny and awkward remind me how grateful I am that I'm not single. It's hit or miss out there and when it misses it misses badly for both of these characters who seem to be circling each other before finally revealing their true feeling...

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 what could be the best year in independent comics in sales and quality, here are some examples of what made 2021 in comics so entertaining, funny, exciting, thrilling, and thought-provoking.  Rumors of the death of the comic industry have been wildly exaggerated. Despite what some angry internet trolls may have posted, the comic book industry is alive and well, thriving in 2021. In fact, since 2012 , book sales have steadily climbed every year becoming a billionaire dollar industry with no sign of stopping. Bolstered by manga, middle-grade publications, and graphic novels, comics are as healthy as ever.  I've been lucky to read and review so many wonderful independent comics thanks to the generosity of comic book publishers, public relations agencies, and creators themselves that reach out and/or agree to provide copies. The truth is, there are too many great comics to not only read but to review in a timely manner. It can be overwhelming, especially for a one-man operat...

  HECATE'S WILL #1 Writer: Iolanda Zanfardino Artist: Iolanda Zanfardino Publisher: Black Mask Studios Release Date: December 15, 2021 Cover Price: $3.99 Written and illustrated by breakout new creator Iolanda Zanfardino (Alice In Leatherland), HECATE'S WILL is the story of a legendary NYC graffiti artist 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, and while she simultaneously gets roped into working on a rock musical, all of Hecate's expectations and assumptions will be challenged.     But will it be enough to renew the strength of her conviction to remain true to her artistic self?     HECATE'S WILL is a story...

 What if there was a magical prophecy that you were destined to save the world, and you fulfilled it so young you don’t know what to do with the rest of your life?    That’s the problem facing Logan McBride in DESTINY, NY, the ongoing comic book series launching in March 2021. Together, writer Pat Shand (Black Mask’s SNAP FLASH HUSTLE), artist Manuel Preitano (DC Comics’ THE ORACLE CODE), and cover artists Elisa Romboli (upcoming ALICE IN LEATHERLAND), Terry Moore (STRANGERS IN PARADISE), and Rosi Kämpe (SPIDER-GWEN) have created a grounded story about the magic of young adulthood, star-crossed modern romance, delayed coming of age, and finding your place in a world too busy to notice you. “Destiny, NY is a story about what happens next. Fantasy stories always end when the prophecy is complete, when the villain is defeated. I wanted to find out what happens next. How does the subject of a prophecy go on to live a normal, fulfilling life when everyone around them tells ...

A CHAOTIC ROAD TRIP & DIABOLICAL PLOT COLLIDE IN NEW SERIES 'A THING CALLED TRUTH' Fan-favorite Alice in Leatherland creative team—writer Iolanda Zanfardino and artist Elisa Romboli—reunite for a high-energy road trip adventure in the forthcoming comic, A Thing Called Truth . This five-issue miniseries will launch from Image/Shadowline in November. The debut issue will feature 1:10 and 1:25 incentive copy variant covers showcasing the talent of bestselling artist Mirka Andolfo ( Sweet Paprika, Mercy ). In A Thing Called Truth , a workaholic scientist who wants to save the world and a woman who fears nothing but discovering her own destiny find themselves mixed up in a chaotic, on-the-road adventure through Europe. Will they manage to find a middle ground between their opposing ways of life—at least for long enough to complete their mission? And could this trip lead to an unexpected romance? “ A Thing Called Truth is a story full of love—love of cinema, the wind in your...