To the Max!
featuring the work of Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooklyn Allen, Carolyn Nowak, Kat Leyh, Carey Pietsch, Ayme Sotuyo, and Maarta Laiho
It’s hard to say much about Lumberjanes that won’t be either (1) so obvious it goes without saying to anyone familiar with the series or (2) a big spoiler for anyone who hasn’t read it. And I would hate to spoil this for anybody.
So, in short, Lumberjanes is a long-running comic-book series about a group of cabinmates (Roanoke cabin) at a weird summer camp where strange things happen and they get through it using intelligence, hard work, book knowledge, craft skills, guesswork, determination, the piecing together of seemingly unrelated facts, the power of friendship, and a raccoon.
There may or may not be Greek statues that talk and play games, yetis, punk mermaids, rule-breaking,* lanyards, pirate ships, glitter,** moose travel, fox mischief, mysteries being slowly revealed, outhouse portals, bird romance, human romance, someone’s abuela, and supernatural kittens.
Along the way the girls get to know each other and themselves better and maybe even learn better ways to communicate who they are to other people. The series is fun and intelligent and clever and thoughtful and well-stocked with things you didn’t expect.
Occasionally girls from other cabins witness the strange things (I’m not even talking about the dinosaurs) and typically don’t freak out, and I love the idea that the lady types in these other cabins may also be out there having bizarre adventures, so they’re not really fazed when whatever the Roanokes are involved in breaks into their shared community experience.
My favorite Roanakes are Ripley for her quirkiness and Molly for her quiet angst.
I’ve read the first five volumes of the To the Max hardcover editions (collecting issues 1-40). Once upon a time I had an order placed for volume 6, but that fell through and I haven’t gotten my hands on it yet. Sadly, volume six only goes through issue 48 (out of 75) and it doesn’t look like there are any plans to go further with this line of hardbacks. I assume the other issues are collected in trade paperbacks, though.
And, I mean, there’s also the library.
*Okay, yes, there’s definitely rule-breaking.
**Thankfully, no actual glitter that falls out of the books and stays on your clothes and in your carpet for five years.