About

We must tell the story. And we must tell it ourselves.

The Appalachia Comics Project pairs people who lived through Hurricane Helene with professional comics creators, so the history of Southern Appalachia is written by the people who live here.

What we do

“No one thought we would lose the ability to communicate.”

On the morning of September 27, 2024, Helene cut Western North Carolina off from the world. Roads were gone, cell service collapsed, and people were on their own, with only as much help as they could walk to or shout for. When the phones came back, many found that what the world had seen of them was distorted. The Appalachia Comics Project exists to set the record straight, in the words of the people who lived it.

  • Document what happened before, during and after the storm, from the perspective of survivors.
  • Rebuild by paying affected creators, supplying books to local stores to sell, and restocking school and public libraries.
  • Connect Appalachia with a national audience through comics, the most accessible medium there is.
Islands in the Sky Extended National Edition cover by Jarrett Rutland: neighbors hand out supplies beside a fallen tree, a washed-out road and a utility truck.

What people are saying

“This is the best of the best of what comics can be and the power of graphic storytelling.”

“The stories are meant to affirm common humanity across cultural gaps, not sharpen the contradictions in our current broken discourse, making the book possibly even more politically subversive.”

“On occasion, a creative project might feature a winner of the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award or the Eisner Award. But safe to say, it’s extremely rare to find a work that includes contributions from all of the above.”

Get involved

A grassroots effort

We rely on the power of community to get the job done.

Tell your story

Lived through Helene? If selected, you’ll be paired with a professional comics creator who will help you write your story, and you’ll be paid as a professional comic book writer.

Submit a story idea

Volunteer

We’re looking for help with outreach, events, fundraising, creative and digital/web work.

Volunteer form

Donate

Support recovery across the region through the Appalachian Community Fund.

Give now

Bulk & wholesale

Bookstores, libraries and schools: wholesale pricing on orders of 8 or more, with one-step bulk ordering.

Wholesale ordering

Buy local

Find the book near you

Independent bookstores and comic shops that have ordered Islands in the Sky. Call ahead to check stock.

Or order online

In the mountains and the Southeast

Across the country

Arizona

  • Ash Ave Comics Tempe

Arkansas

  • Green Door Collectibles Knoxville

California

Connecticut

Florida

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Louisiana

  • Crescent City Comics New Orleans

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Missouri

Nevada

  • Alternate Reality Comics Las Vegas

New Jersey

  • Fortress of Solitude Newark

New Mexico

  • Scum Pit Comics Albuquerque

New York

North Dakota

Ohio

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Puerto Rico

  • Metro Comics Guaynabo

Texas

Utah

Washington

Washington, DC

Around the world

Australia

  • Alternate Worlds Melbourne

Canada

Germany

Ireland

Netherlands

United Kingdom

Run a shop or library and want to carry the book? Email info@appalachiacomics.org.

Fact sheet

Frequently asked questions

What is the Appalachia Comics Project?

A grassroots nonfiction comics publisher and an imprint of Good Trouble Comics. We pair people who lived through events in Southern Appalachia, beginning with Hurricane Helene, with professional comics creators to tell those stories in their own words.

What is Islands in the Sky?

Islands in the Sky: A People’s History of Hurricane Helene is our first book: a full-color work of graphic nonfiction with 11 true survivor stories (144 pages in the Extended National Edition), with contributors including Brian Michael Bendis, Matt Fraction, Steve Orlando, Gene Luen Yang, Nate Powell, Valentine De Landro, June Kim and Josh Adams.

Who reads it?

Readers across the country, and classrooms too: Berea College chose it as the 2026 first-year reading book for every incoming student.

Who founded the project?

Andrew Aydin, co-author with Congressman John Lewis of the National Book Award–winning March trilogy.

Where does the money go?

Sales pay Appalachian creators and help supply copies to local bookstores, schools and public libraries. Donations go to the Appalachian Community Fund.

Why comics?

Comics are the blue-collar medium. They don’t require an expensive education or a subscription. A kid can read them, a grandmother can read them, and they slow a reader down, panel by panel, to stand where the survivor stood.

How do I contact the project?

Email info@appalachiacomics.org, or find us on Instagram, YouTube and Bluesky.