bea-wolf
Explanation
This is not a typical SMBC comic strip but rather a long-form promotional comic in which Zach Weinersmith announces his children's book "Bea Wolf," a collaboration with illustrator Boulet.
The comic is drawn in Zach's usual style and tells the behind-the-scenes story of how the book came to be. Zach describes how the project started: he wanted to create a version of the Old English epic Beowulf reimagined for children, written in verse and illustrated by Boulet (one of the greatest cartoonists, in Zach's estimation).
The narrative explains that the book is about a kid named Bea who leads a group of children against a monster that turns kids into boring adults. Zach recounts how he adapted the original Beowulf poem into rhyming children's verse while trying to maintain the spirit of the source material. He describes Boulet's incredible illustrations and how the project evolved over time.
The comic also includes practical details: the book is designed for kids ages 5-12, it's meant to be read aloud, and it has received positive early reception. It includes a quote from Mary Roach and mentions the book is published by First Second.
This is essentially Zach using his SMBC platform as a personal blog post to promote a passion project, which he occasionally does for book launches. The comic serves as both advertisement and genuine storytelling about the creative process behind making a children's book adaptation of a medieval epic poem.