Music And Magic Meet In ‘Malcolm Kid And The Perfect Song’

Oni Press is striking a chord with YA audiences this August in MALCOLM KID AND THE PERFECT SONG, a humorous and heartfelt story about love, loss, legacy, and the music that ties them altogether from debut writer Austin Paramore and Girls Have a Blog illustrator Sarah Bollinger. Releasing August 2, 2023, readers will chuckle at Malcolm’s misadventures and tear up as he finds his way with the help of a little wisdom from a cursed jazz musician. 

What does the perfect song sound like?

Normally, Malcolm Kid wouldn’t give this type of question the time of day. As a straight-B student with a heart of copper, he is far more concerned with overcoming mediocrity than he is with achieving perfection. But that all changes when he stumbles across the LK-2000—a strange keyboard cursed with the soul of an old jazz musician.

Malcolm soon learns that the only way to free this musician’s soul is by performing the perfect song. With much hesitation and the help of his lifelong friend January Young, Malcolm embarks on a musical journey across the city of New Bronzeville in the hopes of discovering the perfect song and finding himself as a musician along the way.

“At this point, Malcolm Kid feels more like a friend than a character. For the last few years, I’ve gotten to learn everything about him—his hopes, his fears, his sense of humor, his net worth . . . everything,” says writer Austin Paramore. “And as we approach the release of this graphic novel, I’m honestly just excited for the rest of the world to get to know him, too. I hope you laugh at him, I hope you laugh with him, I hope you learn something new, and I sincerely hope you love him and his story as much as the team behind this book does.”

“From the get-go, I fell in love with Malcolm Kid, Ary, and this book’s entire cast of characters. I love how Austin told their story of communication and connection through memories, music, art, tech, gestures, and generations, and it was an honor to illustrate,” says Sarah Bollinger. “To see this book come together was amazing, and I’m so proud to be one of the many who helped bring it to life. I can’t wait to share it with everyone.”

“Working with Austin and Sarah on this book has been a dream. They both had such a clear, unique vision for these characters and this story,” says Senior Editor Grace Scheipeter. “Their passion for Malcolm’s journey and misadventures comes through on every page. It’s truly unlike any book I’ve read, and I can’t wait for readers to connect with it the same way I did.”

Malcolm Kid and the Perfect Song will be available in softcover for a list price of $24.99 (ISBN: 978-1-63715-223-2) at digital and physical retailers everywhere on August 2, 2023.