Unlikely Friendship Is The Ultimate Weapon In ‘Xanar & Mr. Tuxedo’ Coming This Summer
by Brendan M. Allen
A robot, a penguin, and a multiversal threat that only friendship can stop. When a villain threatens every universe, only two unlikely best friends can stop him with the power of courage, trust, and joy.
Mad Cave Studios’ YA imprint Papercutz has announced Xanar & Mr. Tuxedo. This middle-grade graphic novel will throw two wildly different heroes into a collapsing multiverse, where courage, trust, and joy may be the only things holding reality together.
Written by Sean Ryan, with art by Giulia Giacomino, colors by Valerio Alloro, and letters by Lucas Gattoni, Xanar & Mr. Tuxedo brings together a boyish, optimistic robot and a gruff, one-eyed penguin in a story that moves across worlds, tones, and genres without losing its heart.
Friendship is a powerful thing. Hailing from two different universes, Xanar and Mr. Tuxedo are brought together because of Roy Higgins, a powerful sorcerer, determined to eradicate his sworn enemy in every single reality. Roy’s singular focus on his foe has made him paranoid, angry, violent and mean. His corrupting influence threatens to destroy every universe in existence. The only two that can put a stop to Roy, through bravery, hope, trust and joy, are new best friends, Xanar and Mr. Tuxedo.
“It still doesn’t feel real that Xanar & Mr. Tuxedo is really a graphic novel that is going to be released,” shared Ryan. “I came up with these characters 26 years ago, and now to see them brought to life so exquisitely by Giulia is surreal. I hope readers love these characters and want to follow them in any future adventures they might have. And maybe, also, for them to find joy in Xanar’s persistent optimism in the face of aggressive anger, despair, and fear.”
Xanar & Mr. Tuxedo goes on sale July 7, 2026, in paperback (ISBN: 9781545827079 | $14.99) and hardcover (ISBN: 9781545827086 | $19.99) formats. Order from your favorite local bookstore, comic shop, or directly from papercutz.com.
