About the Graphic Novella
The Next Day is a groundbreaking graphic novella constructed from intimate interviews with survivors of near-fatal suicide attempts. In this poetic and profound philosophical exploration, four seemingly ordinary people each offer haunting personal insight into life, the decision to end it, and what comes after…
The Next Day graphic novella is an exciting hybrid of documentary film and comic book, co-written by former social worker Paul Peterson and filmmaker Jason Gilmore, and illustrated by acclaimed cartoonist John Porcellino (“Porcellino creates some of the most thoughtful, intelligent and beautiful comix in America” – TIME). It is produced and published by Pop Sandbox, the award-winning company behind KENK: A Graphic Portrait.
The initial idea for The Next Day originated with Paul Peterson over ten years ago, after witnessing first hand the devastating impact of suicide on a family. According to the World Health Organization, suicide rates have increased by sixty percent worldwide in the last forty-five years; an estimated one million people die from suicide every year, and more than twenty times that number try. Acclaimed cartoonist, John Porcellino was attracted to the project based on his own lifelong struggles with depression.
The Next Day graphic novella will be available in Canadian bookstores and comic shops across North America in early May. It is distributed by Raincoast Books.
About the Interactive Experience
The Next Day was developed simultaneously as a separate interactive animated documentary online, allowing audiences the opportunity to create their own path through the original audio interviews combined with stunning animations based on John Porcellino’s illustration. The Next Day interactive experience is a co-production with the National Film Board of Canada in association with TVO as part of the NFB-TVO Calling Card Program.
The interactive experience will launch in late May at nfb.ca/thenextday and tvo.org/thenextday.
The Next Day 