Rian Sygh – illustratör

All the world's a stage . . . but what happens behind the curtain is pure magic—literally!

Jory and the rest of the Backstagers have one goal this semester: to put on the best show their town’s ever seen. But best laid plans aren’t easy to achieve when there’s an entire magical world that lives beyond the curtain! When one of the actors suddenly goes missing, the Backstagers must band together to save their comrade and maintain the natural balance of . . . theater.  James Tynion IV (Detective Comics, The Woods) and artist Rian Sygh (Munchkin, Stolen Forest) explore what it means to be an outcast looking to find one’s place in an earnest story of friendship and self-expression.

The Backstagers are back in (stage) blacks, for a festive collection of Valentine’s Day and Halloween stories! Join Jory and the rest of the Backstagers as they wrestle with anti-Valentine crusades, totally creepy phantoms (NOT of the opera), and the everpresent magic of the backstage world in this romantically spooky third volume of the hit series.  Reuniting the Prism Award-winning team of writer James Tynion IV (Detective Comics, Justice League) and artist Rian Sygh, along with a variety of fan-favorite artists including Brittney Williams (Goldie Vance), Caitlin Rose Boyle (Jonesy), Katy Farina (Steven Universe), and more, these holiday tales will fill your heart with love, spooky spectres, and chocolate. Lots...and lots...of chocolate.

20 For 20! Celebrate 20 years of BOOM! Studios with the full Backstagers story, collected in its entirety for the very first time.

There's magic in the theatre—when the crowd hushes, the lights go up, the curtain opens—but for Jordy and the Backstagers, the real magic’s behind-the-scenes...literally! Monsters, spirits, and an entire magical world are waiting just off-stage and the Backstagers are the only ones who know!

Join the stage crew on fantastic adventures as they deal with troublesome tool mice, fierce phantoms, and finding love and friendship despite feeling like outcasts at their all-boys school!

From GLADD, Prism, and Eisner award-winning writer James Tynion IV (WYND, Batman) and artist Rian Sygh (Adventure Time, Munchkin), plus shorts by James Tynion IV and Sam Johns with artists Brittney Williams (Goldie Vance), Caitlin Rose Boyle (Jonesy), Katy Farina (the Baby-Sitters Little Sister series), and more!

Collects The Backstagers #1-8, The Backstagers: 2018 Valentine’s Intermission, The Backstagers: Halloween Intermission, and the Backstagers story from The BOOM! Box 2016 Mix Tape.

The stage crew at St. Genesius Prep—or Backstagers, as they like to call themselves—are ready for whatever the theater world can throw their way: the madness of tech week, inevitable prop malfunctions, and all the paranormal activity that goes on behind the scenes. Luckily Jory, Hunter, Sasha, Beckett, and Aziz are up for the job!  But lately, someone—or something—seems set on ruining their production of Phantasm. It all started when an actor brought a Spirit Board to the cast party, and the ghost light blew out. Every good theater kid knows that a ghost light must be left on to keep ghosts from moving in the shadows of an empty theater. To figure out what’s haunting the theater and save the show, the Backstagers will have to use their smarts, bravery, and a little bit of magic!

After saving the day and stopping the ghost from taking over their theater, things are quiet for the Backstagers of the St. Genesius School Drama Club. Too quiet. But when that quiet is filled by a mysterious voice that haunts the Backstagers day and night, they set off on a globetrotting adventure to discover the ancient secrets of the legendary artifacts of the theater. Can they solve the mystery in time to open their production of the rock musical Tammy? Each Backstager brings unique skills to the team: Mischievous Sasha is impossibly positive; no-nonsense Aziz makes sure everything runs smoothly; whiz-kid Beckett is a perfectionist through and through; flirtatious Hunter knows the backstage better than anyone; and sweet Jory can think his way through any problem. Effortlessly inclusive and full of adventure, The Backstagers and the Theater of the Ancients is sure to have readers calling, “Encore!”

Jory didn’t know what to expect when he transferred to St. Genesius Prep, an allboys school known for their incredible theater department. He ends up on the stage crew—or “backstagers” as they like to call themselves—and discovers the magic that happens behind the scenes of each production. When some of the cast members decide to play with a Spirit board, the ghost light goes out. Ghost lights are supposed to protect the theater from ghosts sneaking in the shadows. The kids don't think too much of it. However, when they decide to put on the musical Phantasm, strange things start happening right away: a fallen light, a missing prop, a star with something to hide. Could there be evil spirits in the theater?