British baker Kim-Joy first came to prominence on the 2018 season of The Great British Bake-Off, where she was one of the two runner-ups for the season. While she's written several cookbooks since then — even teamed up with Skybound for a cooperative baking-themed card game — her newest project takes a much more interesting turn.
Turtle Bread is a new graphic novel written by Kim-Joy with art by Alti Firmansyah (who's previously worked on Marvel comics such as the delectable X-Men '92). Unlike Kim-Joy's other work, Turtle Bread is fiction. At the same time, it's a much more personal story, as it tackles an important topic to the baker: mental health. Here's the official synopsis:
Yan is looking for a place to belong. She struggles with social anxiety and low self-esteem, making it hard to maintain a job or relationships. When the chance comes along to step out of her comfort zone, Yan joins Baking Club, hoping to share her passion with people who love pastries and cakes as much as she does.
At first, Yan is intimidated by the other members, but as she gets to know them better, she comes to love Baking Club. In fact, Yan realizes that she's not alone in trying to hide her mental health struggles from her friends. The members of the Club come together to support each other and to bake their way through any problem!
From celebrity baker, cookbook author, mental health advocate, and Great British Baking Show star Kim-Joy, and fan-favorite artist Alti Firmansyah (Star-Lord and Kitty Pryde), TURTLE BREAD is a touching story about community, healing, finding yourself, and–of course–baking!
It's an utterly charming story that fits perfectly into the oeuvre of slice-of-life manga. But don't take my word for it — you can see for yourself below.
Turtle Bread is out now from ComiXology Originals. You can pick it up via Amazon or Bookshop.org or wherever else you procure your delightful black-and-white graphic novels about food and mental health.
