Blackward

“Four Black and queer friends, struggling with anxiety and facing discrimination, organize a zine festival and tap into a larger community in Lindell’s vibrant and dynamic panels.” —New York Times

“A testament to publishing without permission [Blackward] celebrates the self-publishing of comics and zines as an underrated outlet for creativity, education and community.” —Zack Ruskin, San Francisco Chronicle

“Charming… a group of queer, creative BFFs who carve out a vibrant artistic space of their own and cultivate kinship despite the haters they encounter along the way.” —Hannah Bae, San Francisco Chronicle

“This reads like a love letter to all the lovely weirdos looking for their people, and the islands of joy, pain, and zines that we build with each other. Blackward will find you right on time.” —Ben Passmore, author of Your Black Friend and Other Strangers

“This book doesn’t shy away from the negative sides of existing and creating as a minority in public, but it is also a celebration of friendship and community and the power of comics!” —Maia Kobabe, Gender Queer

“Blackward is filled with vibrant art and bold friendships. Lindell has created a tender but hilarious love letter to community, belonging, and the beauty of finding your people.” —Liz Montague, New Yorker cartoonist and author of Maybe an Artist

“For the Freaks and Geeks! This book is filled to the brim with Black joy and strangeness. It’s hard not to fall in love with Lawrence’s characters, their effortless friendship and the hard work they put in to create community.” —Robyn Smith, co-creator of Wash Day Diaries

“Funny, truthful, sometimes uncomfortable—Lindell is a comics creator to watch!” —Gilbert Hernandez

“Thoughtful, charming, and funny. Lindell’s genuine love for zines and the community they have brought together is sure to inspire.” —Miranda Tacchia, author of Unimpressed

“For many readers, this is the Blackest, queerest, and sweetest thing they’ll see since looking in the mirror. [It’s] a paean to the radical joy of being every part of yourself.” —Kirkus, Starred Review

“Lindell’s loose, expressionistic drawings burst with energy, humor, and bright colors. His fast-talking, fun-loving protagonists make for good company, and their guileless yearning for connection and community is appealing and poignant.” —Publishers Weekly

“Blackward is a call for community-building and keeping one’s friends and collaborators close in a society that throws everything it has to thwart an individual’s dreams.” —Howard Waldstein, Comic Book Resources

“This truly adorable, colourful book is a rich compendium of the kind of friendships that activism begets.” —S. Bear Bergman, Xtra Magazine

“[Lindell’s] storytelling introduces us to a world of well-developed characters and relatable experiences, asking us to contemplate the significance of community, creativity, and resilience.” —Esinam Beckley, Montreal Review of Books

“A narrative that is brutally real in all its facets: the empowering support of friends, the pain of bigotry at any intensity, and the energizing hope that can well up from our passions.” —blogcritics

“Smart, funny, radical, and incredibly warm, Blackward is a book worth reading more than once.” —The Mary Sue