Mister Magic: The Graphic Novel by Kiersten White

adapted for the format by Scott Peterson, and illustrated by wife and husband duo Veronica and Andy Fish.

Y’all, when I tell you that I ugly cried my way through the end of this graphic novel, I super mean it. I had to sit back on the couch and take several deep breaths in order to fully recover from that ending. And I’ll be the first to tell you that it isn’t a perfect book — I still have lots of Questions! — but it is an astonishingly moving graphic novel adaptation that talks about some really important subjects, including what we owe not only to our children but to all children.

The premise is this: thirty-ish years ago, there was a kid’s TV show called Mister Magic. Countless kids would tune in to watch the magical adventures of six youngsters, none older than ten, who were known as the Circle Of Friends. The child actors enjoyed colorful, imaginative adventures under the benevolent eye of the title character, who taught them how to be good children.

But an on-set accident abruptly shut down production of the show. With seemingly no footage surviving, the show became almost an urban legend, even as numerous fans swore that they’d watched it religiously. A new podcast, however, claims not only to have brought the cast members back together for interviews but that a new iteration of the show is finally on the horizon.

This is all news to Val, who’s grown up on a remote horse farm ever since her father brought her there when she was eight years-old. He never wanted to talk about the past, and was downright paranoid in his desire to keep her both safe and isolated from the rest of the world. His death, however, leaves her with more questions than answers. A familiar face at his funeral brings old feelings — if not actual memories — roaring back. Val instinctively trusts the now-grown Isaac, who has finally tracked her down after seeing the funerary notice. He’s also brought two more of their former Mister Magic co-stars, Marcus and Javi, as they have a heartfelt if somewhat confused reunion.

Val soon learns that she might have a shot at uncovering her past if she heads with the guys to Bliss, Utah, the town nearest where their show was filmed. But answers aren’t the only thing lying in wait for her, as an ancient evil readies itself to reclaim the girl who got away.

This book is absolutely about the perils of nostalgia and the dangers of revisiting, much less recreating, childhood idylls. Perhaps more importantly, it’s also an exceptional examination of how children view the world, and the responsibility that adults subsequently have to nurture their kids into becoming the best versions of themselves instead of molding them to conform to a rigid society’s most stifling expectations. It is very much an ex-Mormon story but is also a repudiation of all shitty cultures and mindsets that enforce roles due to accidents of birth instead of actual character or interests. This resonated deeply with my own parenting style, which is likely why I was bawling by the end.

But this graphic novel is also scary and funny, in addition to being wise. I loled at points, and was incredibly creeped out at others. The epistolary interstitials were brilliantly done. Mr Peterson has adapted Kiersten White’s original (which I have yet to read, so cannot yet compare,) into an astonishing standalone creative work, turning the novel into a script which the Fishes have brought to life with their terrific art. The end effect brought to mind a Vertigo title in its heyday tho, as an older reader, I did very much wish that the book had been in a larger comic book format so that I didn’t have to work so hard to read the text sometimes. I know, I know, printing is expensive nowadays, but the art and story both really would have shone in the standard comic book size (I wanted to say “trade paperback” but that means different things across genres!)

Size aside, this was a phenomenal graphic novel. I’m so tempted to find the original prose novel to read now so that I can compare and perhaps fill in some of the blanks, but I don’t have the tiiiiime. I’m definitely pleased I can put the original Mister Magic on the list of books to look forward to, however, based on this terrific adaptation.

Mister Magic: The Graphic Novel by Kiersten White, Scott Peterson, Veronica and Andy Fish was published June 9 2026 by Ten Speed Graphic and is available from all good booksellers, including