Table Titans Club: This One’s for the Self-Proclaimed Nerds
Jun 20, 2024
Going to a new school is always a challenge—making new friends, figuring out where to fit in—especially in middle school. So when Valeria, a fantasy-obsessed nerd, finds the Table Titans, it seems as if by fate. Alan, Andrew, and Darius run the school’s tabletop gaming and Dungeons & Dragons club, and with them, Valeria has found her own adventuring party and place where she belongs.
This is the start of Table Titans Club, the new graphic novel for middle grade readers by Eisner and Harvey Award–winning artist Scott Kurtz. Scott had taken inspiration from his own personal experiences moving around a lot as a child. “My own middle grade experience inspired Table Titans Club. Much like Valeria, I was always the new kid at school. And when we finally started to set up roots in Iowa, after living in five different states by the time I was thirteen, I formed my Table Titans Club. This book draws heavily from that time.”
Scott’s childhood love of games eventually propelled him into a successful career as a comic creator. As one of the first professional webcomic creators, he helped pioneer webcomics with his daily feature PvP, which debuted in 1998. PvP focused on video gaming and the larger "nerd culture" including comics and role-playing games. In its twenty-four-year run, Scott won both Harvey and Eisner Awards for his work.
Set in the same universe as PvP, Table Titans Club digs into the origin stories of the familiar main characters and how they met when they were kids. It can be read as a prequel for adult fans of the popular webcomic, or can be read as a standalone for young readers who are looking for an entertaining graphic novel about found family, the growing pains of middle school, and playing D&D.
Scott is also an avid D&D player, who played the character Dwarven Fighter Binwin Bronzebottom in Acquisitions Incorporated, a D&D–related podcast and live show. And as someone who had made lifelong friends in his own Table Titans Club as a kid, he wanted to depict the joy of games and storytelling that can be found playing D&D in Table Titans Club. “I wanted to tell a story about the intersection of friendship and storytelling, two things I cherish so much in life,” said Scott. “I hope I pulled it off.”
Since the release of Table Titans Club, the book has received much praise from the children’s and comic book community, with reviews calling it “a must-read” (Booklist, starred review), “a passionate ode to tabletop RPGs” (Publishers Weekly), and “an unapologetic celebration of growing up and finding one’s passions” (The Horn Book). It’s the book to hand to both avid and emerging young D&D players alike, as well as graphic novel readers.
And with the second book in the series hitting shelves in 2025, readers will get just enough time to start their own Table Titans Clubs within their communities.
Table Titans Club is available for pre-order now at your local comic book shop. Start your own Table Titans Club by downloading a create-your-own D&D character sheet and check out the Book Club Guide. Follow creator Scott Kurtz on Instagram @toonhound.
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Valeria Winters has an easier time finding trouble than making friends. A fantasy-obsessed nerd with the legendary confidence-and temper-of a Valkyrie, Val promises her mom that things will be different at her new school. "No more fighting!"
As if by fate, she meets the Table Titans right away-Alan, Andrew, and Darius, who run the school's tabletop gaming club. Finally, Val has found her own adventuring party! And even better . . . a place where she belongs.
So when the future of the club is threatened, Val makes it her personal quest to save the Table Titans. She'll have to face the fire-breathing wrestling coach and popular girl Kate, who seems out for revenge. Revenge for what? Val has no clue.
As the quest grows more and more complicated, Val wishes she was like her peaceful druid Lulani from the Table Titans' campaign, whose calm voice always prevails. If she loses her cool in real life, Val might lose more than the Table Titans club. She'll have to roll a natural 20 in charisma to keep her new friends together.
Set in the same universe as the Eisner Award-winning webcomic PvP, Scott Kurtz's artwork blends zany, fantastical visuals with slice-of-life humor. For fans of fantasy and coming of age stories alike, Table Titans finds humor, heart, and adventure in a tale of friendship and finding your people.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
