The Youth Are Fired Up In CAB’s UTown – A New Graphic Novel From Oni Press

Oni Press announced release of the original graphic novel UTown from celebrated Canadian creator CAB (Nuclear Winter) – coming to comic shops and bookstore shelves everywhere on July 5, 2023. 

Presenting the definitive edition of the acclaimed webcomic, the 216-page new adult graphic novel is a poignant and piercing look inside pre-gentrification Montreal, where directionless twentysomething Sam, is torn between battling the inequality of the city he loves and the apathy of the 90s generation that defines his existence. 

UTown is the story of a seedy neighborhood that a cast of misfits call home. Samuel is a 24-year-old, self-described aspiring artist (but mostly a video store clerk) who’s doing his best to avoid adulthood. When gentrification shows up at his doorstep, he must face the fact that the town he grew up in is no longer his safe haven–and that he’s not ready to leave just yet. With no money and few options, it’s time for him to step up and prove his worth as a serious artist or keep on repeating old, toxic behaviors.

“Back in the early 2000s and the dawn of art communities, the characters of UTown already had a few devoted fans. Twenty years and a bilingual webcomic later, I’m really excited to release their story as a proper graphic novel, to English readers everywhere,” says creator CAB. “Scott Pilgrim was a huge influence to me so it’s wonderful to have the book be published by Oni Press.”

“CAB is an excellent cartoonist, insightful writer, and a star of the Montreal comics scene,” says Editor Zack Soto. “I’m absolutely thrilled to be bringing her magnum opus of gentrification, wasted nights, and self-delusion to print in English!”

UTown will be available in softcover for a list price of $19.99 (ISBN: 978-1-63715-220-1) at digital and physical retailers everywhere on July 5, 2023.