The Backups: A Summer of Stardom

by Alex de Campi, Lara Kane (Illustrator), Dee Cunniffe (Contribution by), Ted Brandt (Contribution by)

Overview

Step into the spotlight with The Backups, a graphic novel from writer Alex de Campi and artist Lara Kane about crushes, confidence, and catchy choruses!

Spending an entire summer on tour as a backup singer for pop star Nika Nitro? What?! That’s the DREAM, right? Especially for Jenni, Lauren, and Maggie, three misfit performing arts students with hopes of making it in the music world.

But being twenty feet from fame isn’t easy. Between crushes, constant rehearsals, Nika’s sky-high expectations, and their own insecurities, this dream is starting to feel more like a nightmare. And that’s before they accidentally start a beef with a rival band threatening to reveal a secret that could end Nika’s career.

Can this trio of new friends come together to save the tour, or will the Backups be kept out of the spotlight forever?

An Imprint Book

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250834140
Publisher:	Imprint
Publication date:	04/13/2021
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	224
File size:	75 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Alex de Campi is a New York-based writer with an extensive backlist of critically-acclaimed graphic novels including Eisner-nominated heist noir Bad Girls (Simon&Schuster) and Twisted Romance (Image Comics) and her debut prose novel The Scottish Boy (Unbound). She lives with her daughter, their cat, and a Deafblind pit bull named Tango.

Lara Kane is a freelance artist for animation and comics. She has worked as a storyboard artist for animation studios such as Tandem Films, HIT Entertainment and Brown Bag Films. Her previous comics work includes Flash Gordon and Semiautomagic.

Ted Brandt has worked as an inker on Raven: The Pirate Princess, Mighty Captain Marvel, Steve Rogers: Captain America, and the Eisner- and GLAAD-nominated series CROWDED.

Dee Cunniffe has colored The Dregs, Eternal, The Paybacks, Interceptor, Her Infernal Descent, The Replacer, Stronghold, Redneck, Marvel's Runaways, and DC's Lucifer.

Alex de Campi is the Eisner-nominated writer of Archie vs. Predator, Kat&Mouse, No Mercy, Agent Boo, and Semiautomagic. She lives in Maine with her awesome daughter and two dogs. Find her online on her website and on Twitter!
Dee Cunniffe is an award-winning Irish designer who worked for over a decade in publishing and advertising. He gave it all up to pursue his love of comics. He has colored The Dregs and Eternal at Black Mask, The Paybacks and Interceptor at Heavy Metal, Her Infernal Descent, The Replacer and Stronghold at Aftershock, Marvel's Runaways, DC's Lucifer, and Redneck at Skybound.
Ted Brandt is a UK-based inker, though he works mostly in the American market. He has worked for Action Lab on the acclaimed Raven: the Pirate Princess, as well as Marvel’s Mighty Captain Marvel and Steve Rogers: Captain America. His most known work is the Eisner- and GLAAD-nominated series CROWDED, from Image Comics.

Editorial Reviews

"A fun tale of fierce friendship and daring musical feats elevated by fantastic artwork."—Kirkus

From the Publisher

02/01/2021

Gr 7 Up—Three Brooklyn Performing Arts High School juniors land the gig of a lifetime. Jenni, a fat white aspiring singer; Lauren, a Black cellist with a tendency toward perfectionism; and Maggie, an Asian drummer, accustomed to the sexism of the heavy metal scene, will be singing backup on pop star Nika Nitro's tour. However, lengthy rehearsals, constant criticism, and the lingering effects of pretour drama make this dream job more like a nightmare. Plus, Nika's no-dating policy hampers a burgeoning romance between Jenni and former boy-band star Tommy Vincent. On the first stop, in Miami, the girls agree to a musical grudge match with Maggie's favorite metal band right before their first official tour show. Will the Backups successfully harness their musical talents—and make it back in time for Nika's show? Readers will cheer on the Backups as they find their creative footing, stand up to poison-tongue haters, and forge a fierce friendship. Stylized, clean-lined art focuses on characters over backgrounds and conveys an upbeat tone that matches the pop music vibe. With the book focusing primarily on tour preparation and depicting only the first tour stop, some will wonder whether there is an intended sequel. Though the premise of a pop singer hiring inexperienced high school students strains credulity, readers likely won't mind. The cast is diverse in terms of ethnicity, body type, and LGBTQIA+ identities, and de Campi explores relevant issues, such as body-shaming and bullying. VERDICT Come for the wacky shenanigans; stay for the heartfelt friendships. Ideal for teen pop enthusiasts.—Pearl Derlaga, York County P.L., VA

School Library Journal

2021-02-05
Three high school juniors on summer break are chosen as backup singers for superstar Nika Nitro.

Pop enthusiast Jenni couldn’t be more excited to be on tour with one of her favorite singers. Serious cellist Lauren sees this job as a creative reset before she returns to her true love––classical music. And for die-hard heavy metal drummer Maggie, this gig is a means to bigger ends. However, the rehearsals prove more than they bargained for with Nika’s demands and critiques. On top of that, Jenni finds herself in danger of violating a tour rule: No romance on tour or you’re fired. When a night out at a rock concert turns sour, it sets off a chain of events that sees the girls engaging in a musical showdown that ends up putting Nika’s tour and career in danger. With a fast-paced plot and adorable and realistic characters, de Campi delivers an entertaining story that brings to life the wild and glamorous world of music while including positive messaging about honesty, self-acceptance, and friendship. The vibrant, colorful illustrations with a contemporary feel complement and skillfully enhance the storyline. This is particularly evident in panels depicting time jumps or concurrent events. Jenni is White, Lauren is Black, and Maggie is East Asian American in a cast filled with diverse characters.

A fun tale of fierce friendship and daring musical feats elevated by fantastic artwork. (Graphic fiction. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews