Comixology Originals Announces The Girl Who Draws on Whales, the First YA Original Graphic Novel Written and Drawn by Ariela Kristantina, the Eisner Award-Nominated Artist of Adora and the Distance
Available digitally from Comixology Originals October 2024
Coming to Print from Dark Horse Spring 2025
July 22, 2024—New York, NY—Timed to Comic-Con International San Diego, Comixology Originals announces a riveting new original graphic novel, The Girl Who Draws on Whales, by Ariela Kristantina, the artist of the Eisner award-nominated original graphic novel Adora and the Distance. This epic YA adventure about a sister and brother struggling for survival who must use their art to save their world, marks the first-ever graphic novel that Kristantina has both written and illustrated.
In The Girl Who Draws on Whales, Kristantina takes readers on a powerful and atmospheric journey through a lush island environment inspired by her homeland of Indonesia. With soft and inspiring colors by Sarah Stern, letters by Bernardo Brice, and edits by Will Dennis, The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a captivating and visually stunning story of exploration and discovery. The Girl Who Draws on Whales will be available digitally on October 8, 2024, from Amazon’s exclusive digital content line and arrives in print from Dark Horse Books in bookstores on March 25, 2025, and in comic shops on March 26, 2025.
“Creating The Girl Who Draws on Whales has been a deeply personal and exhilarating experience. Living in the island nation of Indonesia, surrounded by the beauty and mystery of the sea, I drew inspiration from the rich landscapes and diverse cultures of our islands. Through Wangi and Banyu’s story, I wanted to capture the bravery it takes to defy expectations and the strength found in siblinghood. This journey of art, courage, and discovery reflects the resilience of our spirit and the magic that storytelling brings to life. I hope readers feel the same sense of wonder and connection that I felt while crafting this tale.”
The Girl Who Draws on Whales is set in a post-apocalyptic world, several centuries after “The Great Flood.” Siblings Wangi and her younger brother Banyu live in a sea-village. Wangi has a special bond with the Great Whales that visit the sea-village and they allow her to draw on their backs. Sometimes they return with new drawings on them. Wangi believes that there are other sea-villages or island settlements scattered around their oceanic world and that they are sending her messages but none of the elders listen to her.
One day, a new whale arrives in the village alone, wounded, and dying—this whale has a drawing on her back that doesn’t look like the previous drawings. Motivated by this mystery, Wangi vows to investigate. Although forbidden by her parents and the village elders, Wangi—along with a stowaway, who happens to be her younger brother Banyu—embarks on a wondrous sea journey to investigate where the drawings are coming from—only to find much more than they were expecting.
The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a testimony to the power of stories—their uncanny ability to entertain, educate and, ultimately, unite us.
“The Girl Who Draws on Whales is a captivating and inspirational story,” says Jeff DiBartolomeo, Comixology’s GM and CTO. “Finding an incredible artist that’s also a brilliant storyteller is rare, and this book showcases Ariela’s amazing talents at both. We’re very excited that Ariela is making her writing debut with Comixology Originals, and we can’t wait for readers to experience this outstanding work.”
About the Creator:
Ariela Kristantina is an artist from Jakarta, Indonesia. Since her debut in 2014, she’s best known for her work on InSeXts, Mata Hari, Deep State, and The Logan Legacy. She has contributed covers and illustrations to a range of companies including Image, DC Comics, Top Cow, Vault and more. Kristantina is the artist of the 2022 Eisner award-nominated original graphic novel Adora and the Distance which she co-created with Marc Bernardin. The Girl Who Draws on Whales is the first YA graphic novel she has written and drawn.
About Comixology Originals:
Amazon’s Comixology Originals exclusive digital content line is available at no additional cost for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and Comixology Unlimited, and for purchase at amazon.com/comixology. Prime Reading offers all Amazon Prime members a rotating selection of more than 3,000 digital books, magazines, comics, and more – all at no additional cost to their Prime membership. Kindle Unlimited gives customers access to more than 4 million digital titles, including thousands of audio books and comics, plus current magazines for just $11.99 a month with a free trial period at amazon.com/kindleunlimited. Comixology Unlimited offers over 45,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month with a free trial at amazon.com/comixologyunlimited.
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of AmberUnmasked.com and Vodka O'Clock Podcast. Author of The Farrah Wethers Mysteries, comic book short stories, prose, and non-fiction. Cosplayer and figure model.