Roots of Resilience: Fanbase Press Launches ‘Shrub,’ a Groundbreaking Middle-Grade Graphic Medicine Series

By [Your Name/Senior Correspondent]

In an era where the intersection of visual storytelling and mental health awareness is becoming increasingly vital, a new project is set to provide a much-needed resource for young readers navigating the complexities of loss. Brigid Alverson of School Library Journal recently broke the news that Shrub, a poignant new middle-grade graphic medicine series, is slated for a multi-platform debut this June. Published by the award-winning Fanbase Press, the series represents a significant step forward in the "Graphic Medicine" genre, utilizing the unique strengths of the comic book medium to explore the heavy, often non-linear journey of childhood grief.

Written by Emmy Award-nominated writer Shane Portman and illustrated by Andy Alves, Shrub is more than just a fictional narrative; it is a deeply personal exploration of how bereavement "takes root" in the human psyche. As the series prepares to hit digital library shelves and launch a comprehensive crowdfunding campaign for its physical edition, it stands as a testament to the power of independent publishing in addressing social and emotional needs that traditional media often overlooks.

The Main Facts: A Story of Growth Amidst Loss

Shrub is an eight-issue series designed specifically for middle-grade readers—a demographic typically spanning ages 8 to 12. This developmental stage is often when children first encounter the permanence of death and the abstract nature of grief, making the series an essential tool for both home and educational environments.

The creative team behind the project is a blend of veteran talent and rising stars. Leading the narrative is Shane Portman, whose background in television has earned him critical acclaim and an Emmy nomination. Portman is joined by artist Andy Alves, whose visual style is tasked with the delicate balance of depicting both the mundane reality of daily life and the surreal, metaphorical landscape of internal emotion. The production is rounded out by colorists Sophia Du and Celia Fitzgerald, with Oceano Ransford providing the lettering—a crucial element in graphic medicine where the "voice" of the text must often convey significant emotional subtext.

The distribution strategy for Shrub is notably modern, leveraging the growing "digital-first" library trend. Starting in June 2026, the first issue will be available via Hoopla and Comics Plus. These platforms are the primary digital pipelines for public and school libraries, ensuring that the book is accessible to children regardless of their economic status. Simultaneously, Fanbase Press has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund a high-quality "Collected Edition" in print, allowing collectors and bibliophiles to own a physical artifact of the story.

Chronology: From Personal Tragedy to Public Resource

The timeline of Shrub is rooted in the personal history of its creator. Shane Portman’s inspiration for the series began years ago, following the loss of his father. This lived experience serves as the emotional anchor for the eight-issue run, ensuring that the depiction of grief is authentic rather than clinical.

• Pre-Production (2024–2025): Portman collaborated with Fanbase Press to adapt his personal reflections into a narrative suitable for middle-grade readers. During this phase, Andy Alves was brought on board to develop a visual language that could represent grief not just as sadness, but as something organic—a "shrub" that grows, entangles, and eventually becomes part of one’s landscape.
• Creative Execution (Late 2025 – Early 2026): The team of Du, Fitzgerald, and Ransford finalized the aesthetic of the first issue. The decision was made to utilize Hoopla and Comics Plus to maximize the reach within the educational sector.
• May 2026: Official announcements were made via The Daily Cartoonist and School Library Journal, signaling the upcoming release.
• June 2026: The first digital issue is scheduled to debut on library platforms.
• Summer 2026: The Kickstarter campaign for the collected print edition will run, aiming to bridge the gap between digital accessibility and physical preservation.

Supporting Data: The Rise of Graphic Medicine and Digital Literacy

The release of Shrub coincides with two major trends in the literary world: the explosion of "Graphic Medicine" and the dominance of digital library services.

The Graphic Medicine Movement

Graphic Medicine—a term coined by physician and artist Ian Williams—refers to the use of comics in medical education and patient care. According to recent studies in the Journal of Health Communication, visual narratives significantly improve empathy and information retention compared to text-only resources. While the genre initially focused on adult memoirs (such as David B. Miller’s Stitches), there has been a 40% increase in graphic novels aimed at youth mental health over the last five years. Shrub enters this market as a specialized tool for "grief literacy."

The Library Digital Shift

The choice of Hoopla and Comics Plus as primary distribution channels is backed by compelling data. In 2025, library digital circulations saw a 15% year-over-year increase. Hoopla, in particular, has become a powerhouse for graphic novel consumption, as its "pay-per-use" model allows multiple students in a classroom to read the same book simultaneously without waiting for a physical copy to be returned. By placing Shrub on these platforms, Fanbase Press is targeting a network of over 6,000 library systems across North America.

Official Responses: Voices from the Creative Team

Fanbase Press has long been known for its motto, "Stories that Matter," and the company’s leadership has expressed a deep commitment to the Shrub project. In the official Kickstarter campaign description, the publisher emphasizes the metaphorical nature of the story, stating that the series "explores the various ways that we allow grief to take root."

Shane Portman has been vocal about the therapeutic nature of the project. While the story is a fictionalized account, its core is a tribute to his late father. Portman’s objective was to create a "safe space" for children to see their own confusing emotions mirrored on the page.

"Grief isn’t a straight line; it’s more like a garden that you have to learn to tend," a spokesperson for the project noted during a preliminary press junket. "With Shrub, we wanted to show that while you can’t always pull the roots of loss out of your life, you can learn how to grow alongside them."

Brigid Alverson, reporting for School Library Journal, highlighted the importance of the creative team’s pedigree. The inclusion of an Emmy-nominated writer like Portman suggests a level of narrative sophistication that elevates the project above standard "educational" comics, positioning it as a legitimate work of literary art.

Implications: Why ‘Shrub’ Matters for the Future of Comics

The debut of Shrub carries several long-term implications for the publishing industry, the educational system, and the field of mental health.

1. Normalizing Mental Health Conversations in Middle-Grade Literature

For a long time, children’s literature treated death with a "happily ever after" or a quick resolution. Shrub’s eight-issue format allows for a slow, methodical exploration of the grieving process. By targeting middle-grade readers, the series helps normalize the conversation around mental health at a critical age of emotional development. It provides parents and educators with a "third party" medium to initiate difficult discussions.

2. The Kickstarter Model as a Litmus Test

The use of Kickstarter for the print edition, following a digital library launch, serves as a modern business model for independent publishers. It allows Fanbase Press to gauge the "physical demand" for the book while already serving the public interest through digital channels. If successful, this could become the standard roadmap for niche graphic medicine projects—ensuring they are available to the public for free (via libraries) while remaining financially viable through crowdfunding.

3. Strengthening the "Graphic Medicine" Curriculum

As school districts increasingly incorporate graphic novels into their curricula to support neurodivergent learners and reluctant readers, Shrub provides a high-quality option for Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) programs. The involvement of professional colorists and letterers ensures that the book meets the high visual standards required to engage a generation raised on high-fidelity digital media.

4. Personal Narrative as Universal Truth

Finally, the success of Shrub will likely encourage more creators from film and television to bring their personal, "prestige" stories to the comic book medium. Shane Portman’s transition from Emmy-nominated television work to a middle-grade graphic novel demonstrates that the most impactful stories often require the intimacy and metaphorical flexibility that only comics can provide.

Conclusion

As Shrub prepares to launch this June, it stands as a beacon for the potential of the graphic novel to do more than entertain. Through the collaboration of Shane Portman, Andy Alves, and the team at Fanbase Press, a personal tragedy has been transformed into a universal resource. Whether read on a tablet through a local library app or held as a physical volume funded by a community of supporters, Shrub is poised to help a new generation of readers understand that while grief may take root, it does not have to be the only thing that grows.