Adding Princeless simply makes sense for a distributor of great kids’ books and comics. Scholastic had already sought out the company to add Vamplets to its list of books available for distribution to schools and libraries. That was the result of poking from the publisher, Action Lab, and several months of discussion. Teaming up with Scholastic will hopefully solve this availability problem. Although, Whitley admits, the introduction of Princeless to Scholastic’s roster wasn’t his undertaking. This includes his own mother who is a middle school teacher who constantly pushes the importance of Princeless in her school such that the book frequently sells out at book fairs. “One of the largest problems I’ve heard from librarians and teachers when it comes to getting Princeless is availability,” says Whitley.

Princeless volume 1 is now available through the Scholastic Book Club with a new cover and altered format to suit Scholastic’s unique graphic novel sizing Action Lab Comics and Scholastic are making it happen by bringing Princess Adrienne to a school and library book fair near you. A story that teachers young readers that princesses don’t need to sit in their towers waiting for a handsome prince to rescue them? A story that counters the sexist portrayal of women in comics? A story that features a person of colour as the lead protagonist? Oh yes, we need a whole lot more of that and now. I did not pay that much for my copy, but not because I don’t think the comic is worth it. I eventually scored a copy of the original manga-sized first print, which, Whitley says, he’d seen on eBay for $500 at one point. When I first went hunting for Princeless, it was indeed a hunt. Why? Because my daughters wanted to read Princeless volume 1: Save Yourself again. I was almost late for my chat with Princeless author Jeremy Whitley the other night.

Princeless jeremy whitley