Fustuk GN (2026 Penguin Workshop) comic books

1st printing. Story and art by Robert Mgrdich Apelian. Inspired by Armenian and Persian mythology, this delectable YA graphic novel follows the youngest of three dysfunctional siblings who strike a magical deal to save their mother's life. "Beautifully realized and deftly told. Fustuk wonderfully balances the past and present, the magical and the mundane, lovingly presented in equal measure."—Trung Le Nguyen, creator of The Magic Fish. Seventeen-year-old Katah Fustukian has always felt like the odd one out in his family of chefs. Unlike his older siblings, he is useless in the kitchen, and too young to have known their late father—a legendary Hye chef whod made a name for himself in the Pars Empire. But with his moms illness worsening, Katah hopes that his vision-like dreams are a sign of magic stirring within him—especially after they lead him to Az, a powerful div with some mysterious connection to his family. In an attempt to save their moms life, he and his siblings strike a deal: Azs help in exchange for a dish that rivals their fathers. But after the siblings clash over what to cook, Katah will have to make sense of his magic and family history—and wager far more than a single meal to meet Azs demands... Creator Robert Mgrdich Apelian weaves together multiple timelines in an inventive, fantastical story of Armenian family and food, speaking to diasporic culture and how those within it relate to their different worlds. Softcover, 6-in. x 8 1/2-in., 304 pages, PC. Cover price $17.99.