John Lewis' Run gets new fall 2021 release date, but Afua Richardson exits project

The sequel to the late John Lewis' celebrated graphic novel series March is back on the release schedule, but Afua Richardson is no longer the lead artist on the book.

Abrams ComicsArts has announced that Run: Book One will go on sale August 3. The book follows Lewis' trials and tribulations in the late '60s and '70s as he fights for equality alongside Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. and others.

"Picking up after the signing of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, Run: Book One opens with John Lewis and his colleagues facing another arrest as the Ku Klux Klan prepares their largest hooded march in years," reads Abrams' description of the new OGN.

"Meticulously researched and brought to life in stunning visual detail, Lewis recounts the highs and lows of a movement fighting to harness their hard-won legal protections to become an electoral force as the Vietnam War consumes the American political landscape—all while the forces of white supremacy gather to mount a decades-long campaign to destroy the dream of the 'Beloved Community' that John Lewis, Dr. King, and so many others worked to build."

Lewis's policy advisor Andrew Aydin, who co-wrote March with the late politician, co-wrote Run. Afua Richardson was announced as the primary artist of Run, with March's Nate Powell drawing small portions of the book. Run was originally scheduled for an August 2018 release date, but was postponed several times - and at one point removed from Abrams' schedule completely.

However, in the announcement of the new release date for Run: Book One, Abrams confirmed that Richardson has been replaced with L. Fury. Fury is best known for her webcomic series Bastard Comics; Run will be her graphic novel debut.

After his significant contributions to American life (including a 33-year run as the U.S. Representative for Georgia's fifth congressional district), Lewis passed away on July 17, 2020.

John Lewis spoke with Newsarama in 2015 about his seminal book March.

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)