Oni and Magnetic Press Bring Legendary BLACKSAD Artist Juanjo Guarnido and World-Renowned Writer Alain Ayroles’ A SCOUNDREL IN THE NEW WORLD to Kickstarter
An Ambitious and Action-Filled Graphic Novel About the Legend of the Treasure of El Dorado
PORTLAND, OR (October 6, 2026) – Oni Press and Magnetic Press – the Eisner Award-winning publisher celebrating prestige graphic novels from around the globe since 2013 – are proud to announce the Kickstarter campaign for A SCOUNDREL IN THE NEW WORLD by legendary Blacksad artist Juanjo Guarnido and world-renowned writer Alain Ayroles (Garulfo). This sprawling and immersive journey through the heart of the 17th-century Spanish Empire and newly discovered America follows the charming yet shady life of a lovable rogue and his search for the legend of the treasure of El Dorado. Fans can support A SCOUNDREL IN THE NEW WORLD on Kickstarter now.
“A SCOUNDREL IN THE NEW WORLD may be Juanjo Guarnido’s most ambitious work to date, even compared to his work as the co-creator and artist of the world-famous Blacksad series,” says Magnetic Press’ Director of Publishing, Mike Kennedy. “Every panel is a painting, filled with immaculate historical detail, expressive characters, and cinematic lighting that really brings the period to life with vibrant intensity. Alain Ayroles’ script is a brilliant homage to the Golden Age of Spanish literature, a witty and somewhat cynical tale employing a shifting ‘Rashomon-style’ perspective that keeps the reader questioning the protagonist’s credibility until the final page. This book combines the cynical historical wit of Blackadder with the sprawling adventure of El Dorado.”
Inspired by Francisco de Quevedo classic 1626 satirical novel Historia de la vida del Buscón, llamado don Pablos (The Life of the Swindler named Don Pablos), A SCOUNDREL IN THE NEW WORLD follows Don Pablos of Segovia, a charming conman and inveterate liar who leaves behind the treacherous streets of Spain in search of fortune in the New World. After a life of misadventure, Don Pablos finds himself in prison, recounting his experiences to greedy inquisitors as the ultimate unreliable narrator. From the opulent, gilded halls of the colonial elite to the untamed jungles of the young Americas, Pablos weaves a web of complex schemes to climb the social ladder. However, as the lines between his tall tales and reality begin to blur, Pablos discovers that in the colonies, the most dangerous predator isn’t the wilderness: it’s human ambition.
In addition to the deluxe hardcover edition of A SCOUNDREL IN THE NEW WORLD, Magnetic Press is also producing a Limited Collectors Slipcase edition, with a textured spine and Smyth-sewn binding, a bound-in satin ribbon bookmark, gold foil gilding on the page edges, and a numbered bookplate
“A SCOUNDREL IN THE NEW WORLD is the result of a decade of thinking, cogitation and rumination around an extremely compelling storyline.” say Alain Ayroles and Juanjo Guarnido. “It is deeply important to us since it is a tribute and a sequel to one of the most important pieces of the golden century of Spanish literature, as well as the unarguable summit of the picaresque genre: Quevedo’s El Buscón. After a decade concluded by three and a half years of storyboarding, adjusting, drawing, adjusting again, watercoloring, adjusting more (oh yes, after watercoloring!) and fine-tuning, this intricate production which is likely, even if we both cherish our other and dear professional achievements, our finest work.”
Fans can support A SCOUNDREL IN THE NEW WORLD on Kickstarter. For more updates on Magnetic Press, visit them on X, Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.
About the Creators
Alain Ayroles is a highly acclaimed French comics writer celebrated for his meticulous research, sharp wit, and mastery of complex narrative structures. Rising to prominence in the mid-1990s with the fairy-tale subversion Garulfo, Ayroles has built a career defined by his ability to deconstruct classic genres and employ unreliable narrators, challenging readers to distinguish truth from deception. His work is characterized by a deep respect for historical and literary traditions, most notably seen in his partnership with artist Juanjo Guarnido on the celebrated masterpiece A Scoundrel in the New World. By blending sophisticated, period-authentic dialogue with high-stakes, layered storytelling, Ayroles has firmly established himself as a visionary who bridges the gap between classical literature and modern graphic fiction.
Juanjo Guarnido is a world-renowned illustrator whose career is defined by a masterful transition from high-level animation to the pinnacle of graphic storytelling. After honing his craft as a lead animator for Walt Disney Studios on iconic films like Tarzan and Hercules, he achieved international stardom with the critically acclaimed and award-winning anthropomorphic noir series Blacksad, where his signature watercolor-inspired style and expressive character design redefined the medium. Celebrated for his obsessive attention to detail, cinematic lighting, and expressive characters, Guarnido’s work stands as a testament to his versatility and his rare ability to elevate comic art into the realm of fine art.
About Magnetic Press
Magnetic Press is a subsidiary of Polarity that publishes graphic novels, art books, and periodicals curated with a focus on internationally recognized content and talent, presented with premium quality design and production value. The Magnetic brand was founded by writer and video game veteran Mike Kennedy in 2013 as the independent publishing company Magnetic Press, Inc, featuring creators both new and established from around the world, sharing their stories with an English-language audience often for the first time. Their award-winning library includes such celebrated titles as the Love series of wordless wildlife graphic novels, as well as Eisner-nominated books Mister Invincible, The Monkey King, Aster of Pan, Pistouvi, Irena, Stay, A Sea of Love, Watersnakes, Herakles, Doomboy, A Glance Backward, Little Tails, The Ghost of Gaudi, and Dave Dorman’s Wasted Lands Omnibus. Magnetic has earned a total of 31 Eisner Award nominations in their first ten years of eligibility, winning its first trophy in 2024 for Best Production Design of Dracula/Frankenstein Boxed Set. Magnetic also won the Gold Medal of Excellence in the graphic novel category of the 2015 Independent Publisher Awards for Love: The Fox.
In 2021, Magnetic launched Magnetic Press Play, an imprint dedicated to gaming and new media endeavors. Their releases to date include CARBON GREY, based on the Image Comics series by Hoang Nguyen, and THE OFFICIAL PLANET OF THE APES RPG developed in cooperation with Disney and 20th Century Studios. Other as-yet-announced licenses and projects are forthcoming.
About Oni Press
Founded in 1997, Oni Press has a 25-year history as one of the industry’s most respected and acclaimed publishers of award-winning comic books and graphic novels with titles including Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim, Cullen Bunn & Brian Hurtt’s The Sixth Gun, Maia Kobabe’s Gender Queer, Ezra Clayton Daniels’ Upgrade Soul, Brenna Thummler’s Sheets trilogy, and many hundreds more. In 2019, Oni Press merged with Lion Forge Comics – the Eisner Award-winning independent comic book publisher founded by Academy Award-winning producer and entrepreneur David Steward II – to create one of the largest, independent libraries of comics content anywhere in media. The Oni-Lion Forge Publishing Group now exists as a publishing subsidiary of Steward’s diversified global media company, Polarity.
