Here is a unique and interesting concept that I have not yet seen in the world of cyberpunk media. Battlemages Don’t Clean Their Teeth is an upcoming project by Matt Adcock, author of the 2019 novel Complete Darkness. It’s essentially a graphic novel that doubles as a coloring-book for all ages featuring an original story that takes place in the Complete Darkness universe.
Battlemages Don’t Clean Their Teeth is a collaboration between Adcock and Mother/Daughter art duo Liz and India Noble. It features a new story written by Adcock with art created by the Nobles based on characters from Complete Darkness. The characters are intentionally left black and white to give readers the opportunity to color them. The project is being funded via Kickstarter right now.
Published by Burton Mayers Books, this is a tale of futuristic daring-do featuring characters from Matt Adcock’s novel and comic Complete Darkness. It is a book designed to encourage interactive thought and play and be neurodivergent-friendly. The main characters are left black and white so readers can colour their outfits – colouring has been shown to help mental well-being… Which was important to India as she wanted it to be enjoyable and fun for all – and for autism not to be a barrier to having an element of ownership of the story.
Artist mother and daughter team Liz and India Noble created the visuals to go with Matt’s words. India is just 16 and autistic – she’s very excited to have the chance to show her art to the world.
Press Release
If the title Battlemages Don’t Clean Their Teeth sounds familiar to you, you’re not going crazy. It’s a play on the popular kids book Pirates Don’t Clean Their Teeth. Battlemages isn’t just for kids though. Numerous studies have shown over the years that coloring can be beneficial for mental health for adults as well as children. And with an original cyberpunk story taking place in an established literary universe, Battlemages Don’t Clean Their Teeth will no doubt offer a compelling experience.
The Kickstarter for the project, at the time of this writing, is currently sitting at $441, just $172 shy of the humble $613 goal set by the team to bring the project to life. The launch date for the book is currently set for February 10th, 2023. Kickstarter backers will get theirs prior to that date. There are plenty of physical and digital rewards for backers as well. Readers will also have the opportunity to submit images of the pages they color for an online gallery.
The world of Complete Darkness is no stranger to the graphic novel treatment. Battlemages Don’t Clean Their Teeth looks poised to add another unique entry into this universe, albeit a little more lighthearted perhaps than other entries. But there is no reason that the grit and grime of cyberpunk can’t be enjoyed by all ages!
