1 week Ago By Liz Wyatt
Image courtesy of Boom! StudiosLumberjanes is a beloved and cherished comic series that ran from 2014 to 2020. It gave us over 75 issues during that time, plus a few specials and a crossover with Gotham Academy. It tells the story of a unique summer camp, which, at a glance, looks like a scout training camp.
However, the closer you look, the more you’ll realize something is off—unless all summer camps have magical kittens, mermaids, and demigods running around. We may have missed the memo. There’s no denying that the fanbase for Lumberjanes is rabid, and yet we’ve been waiting very patiently for an adaptation.
Shannon Watters, Grace Ellis, Gus Allen, and ND Stevenson created Lumberjanes, which is published by Boom Box! The story is magical and charming in equal measure, so it’s earned such a loyal fan base. It’s also unlike any other series out there, and that’s a good thing. Lumberjanes worked hard to break the mold created by the comic book industry, playing with different characters, worlds, and plots to create something new.
The story is part action, part comedy-drama, and part coming-of-age, complete with characters exploring their histories and identities. Lumberjanes tells the story of a cabin of campers living in a strange summer camp. Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley are included in the group, though they make many (many) friends along the way.
[RELATED: Lumberjanes: End of Summer #1 Review: A Fitting Farewell to the Roanoke Legacy]The Success of LumberjanesWhen Lumberjanes first came to Boom, it was originally only intended to last eight issues, completing a singular story arc. Those expectations were blown out of the water as the series continued for another 60+ comics. Likewise, the Lumberjanes got to play in a different universe, thanks to a six-issue crossover event with DC Comics’ Gotham Academy.
To put it simply, people love Lumberjanes. The diverse cast ensured that there was a role model for everyone, making the story relatable, endearing, and unique. At the same time, the storytelling style is fun, light, and enjoyable, making it approachable for even younger audiences.
Essentially, it takes the magic of summer camp, gives it literal magic, and then ensures that every character gets the love and attention they deserve.Fans and critics alike love the series. Lumberjanes won two Eisner Awards (Best New Series and Best Publication for Teens) in 2015 and has been nominated for several other awards.
Naturally, die-hard fans of the series believe that it should have won all the nominations, but that’s really a whole different can of worms.RELATED: Lumberjanes Animated Series in the Works at HBO Max]Waiting Patiently for an AdaptationThe Lumberjanes comic series has been met with great success, as it only ended when it was time, not because it was canceled. After all, even the best summer experiences eventually lead to Fall; there’s not much we can do about it.
Unfortunately, progress toward adaptation has not gone as smoothly. In 2015, 20th Century Fox bought the rights to create a live-action adaptation. Please don’t get your hopes up, though, as it stalled out in 2019 when Disney purchased Fox.
So, that attempt at an adaptation is formally dead.There’s still hope! Years later, in 2020, Max got into a bidding war against Apple and Peacock for the rights to Lumberjanes, ultimately winning out against the others. This time, the goal is to create an animated series.
Honestly, it feels more in keeping with things, as it’ll be easy to create animated mermaids and giant cats. Here’s some more good news to fuel your hope as MAX announced they’d be making an animated special to introduce the characters, letting ND Stevenson take a critical role in the process (executive producer & producer) with the intention of it becoming a longer series after. More details were added to later press releases, announcing more executive producers.
The Current StatusSadly, that news all dropped in 2020. ND Stevenson announced (again in 2020) that the show was in “development, not production,” which probably means there’s still a lot up in the air, but the project isn’t dead. There hasn’t been a whole lot of news since then, which could be concerning.
Adding to the concern is HBO’s partnership with Discovery+. The last time this happened, Lumberjanes got scrapped. Please don’t let it happen a second time!Fans have to remember that these things don’t happen overnight.
There is a very good chance that ND Stevenson is still working on adapting the script, which can take time, even in the best of situations. Let us instead focus on how well Nimona and She-Ra adaptations did, of which Stevenson was also at the helm. And hey, in the worst-case scenario, if MAX does scrap the plan, maybe Netflix will swoop in, given their track record.
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