The Last Kids on Earth gets a fantasy twist in Dungeoneer Adventures, the exciting first book in a new, highly illustrated middle grade series about the adventures of a boy who’s the only human student at an academy for future explorers.
Dungeoneer Adventures
Dungeoneer Adventures is the story of Coop, the only human kid at an Dungeoneer Academy (a school for adventurers in the Land of Eem). Coop lives in the Land of Eem, a fantastical realm where many different species live together and there is always more magic to be discovered by those up to the task. The Dungeoneer Academy trains future explorers with classes like Dungeons and Mazes, Creatures and Critters, and Swords and Sorcery.
Coop believes in the academy’s mission and the Dungeoneer’s Code, but being the only human student can make it difficult to fit in—sometimes he wonders if he really belongs. Lucky for Coop, his best friend Oggie the bugbear has his back, as do the two other members of their exploring team, Daz the boggart and Mindy the imp. They have to rely on each other more than ever as the test for their Junior Dungeoneer Badges looms closer.
If Coop and his friends fail to run the final gauntlet in the fungal jungle, they will have to leave the academy. As future dungeoneers, they know to expect the unexpected, but nothing could prepare them for the adventure in store.
Land of Eem
Land of Eem RPG is designed and written by Ben Costa and James Parks, based on the setting of their fantasy graphic novel series Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo.
It’s a game about adventurers exploring and discovering the remnants of a forgotten, better age. Players take on the roles of lore-seeking travelers, fortune-seeking pioneers, and adventure-seeking heroes in a time devoid of them.
The game emphasizes player creativity and collaborative storytelling, with character abilities that allow players to invent and shape the world around them. Land of Eem is more about roleplaying, teamwork, exploration, and finding lost treasures, than it is about always fighting monsters--though that's still a part of the game.
Land of Eem:
Core Rulebook
Land of Eem:
The Mucklands Sandbox
Land of Eem:
Bestiary Vol. 1
Critical Acclaim
"Oh, this book is so good!" - Saving Throw Show
- SAVING THROW SHOW
"The [game system] is really easy, rules-light, and you can have a lot of fun with it." - Perception Studio
Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo
Written by Ben Costa and James Parks. Art by Ben Costa. Rickety Stitch is a young adult, fantasy graphic novel series published by Knopf Books for Young Readers / Random House Graphic.
The story follows the adventures of a skeleton bard named Rickety Stitch and his trusty sidekick Goo. When a mysterious song from his past begins haunting his dreams, Rickety decides to embark on an epic quest to discover his forgotten origins.
Rickety Stitch and the Gelatinous Goo is a middle grade/YA graphic novel published by Knopf Books for Young Readers. The series is a Junior Library Guild selection and received four starred reviews from trade publications.
Critical Acclaim
Input your text "You'd expect a skeleton like Rickety Stitch to have a funny bone, but you'll be surprised at how much heart he has, too." - Jeffrey Brown, Eisner Award winning author of Jedi Academy and Lucy & Andy Neanderthal
"Rickety Stitch is full of wonderful characters and pacing…and what surprises! Storytelling stripped down to the bare bones." - Stan Sakai, Eisner Award winning author of Usagi Yojimbo
“Dazzling, inventive and fun. Ben Costa and James Parks manage to both spoof and pay homage to the fantasy tradition, while creating characters we care about. A tour de force." - Jason Shiga, Eisner Award winning author of Demon and Meanwhile
“Don't be fooled by the cheery illustrations; this is irreverent, bawdy, and lots of fun.” - Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“There is lots of intertextual cleverness going on that results in this book being both an homage to and spoof of the traditional fantasy hero’s quest, both in the illustrations and in the narration.” - Bulletin, Starred Review
“Parks and Costa impressively evolve their tale into a compelling epic quest with deeper themes than the initial chapters hint.” - Publishers Weekly, Starred Review