Image Comics' Blue in Green OGN dwells in haunting jazz an artistic struggle

(Image credit: Anand Rk (Image Comics))

Grafity's Wall creators Ram V and Anand Rk have reunited for a new original graphic novel about creativity, titled Blue in Green.

"Ever since Anand and I finished our previous project, we'd been talking about creating a book that made use of his more painted style," V tells Newsarama. "I had a story in mind that combined my love of haunting jazz and anecdotes of artistic struggle, using them as a window to look into a character's downward spiral. Much like my other projects the ideas just all seemed to fit."

Blue in Green centers on Erik Dieter, a musician dealing with a creative downturn in his life while also wrestling with the death of his mother.

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"The dark and haunting portrayal of a young musician's pursuit of creative genius—the monstrous nature of which threatens to consume him as it did his predecessor half a century ago," reads Image Comics' synopsis of the OGN.

Ram V and Anand Rk first worked together in 2018's Grafity's Wall, a crowdfunded OGN which was republished in an expanded form by Dark Horse Comics in 2020.

"It took us a couple of months just to figure out the aesthetic tone we wanted [Blue in Green] to have," the writer continues. "But I look at it now and feel an immense satisfaction at having created this piece of art. I hope people who read it will see that too!"

The Blue in Green OGN goes on sale October 28 in comic book stores and digital platforms, then November 3 in bookstores.

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Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)