Chinese Crime Comic ‘Hard Melody’ Debuting in the U.S.

After almost a decade apart, three old friends reunite in Beijing, and struggle to come to terms with how mundane their lives have become since they parted — lighting the fuse for the explosive Chinese drama Hard Melody, due for its debut English language release from Magnetic Press this spring.

Written and illustrated by Lu Ming — the first Chinese illustrator to win a Gold Lion at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity — Hard Melody follows the three friends as they attempt to reform the band they belonged to in their twenties, and find themselves involved in an uprising against the authorities when an entire neighborhood faces eviction.

“Lu Ming’s work struck me like a lightning bolt when I first saw Hard Melody,” Magnetic Press publisher Mike Kennedy told The Hollywood Reporter. “Not only was his versatility and photo-like rendering unlike anything else out there, but — as a lifelong fan of HK noir cinema and directors like Johnny To and Wong Kar-Wai — I was hooked by the tone of this tale of brotherhood and broken dreams. It really is a remarkable work that sits perfectly alongside other artists in our library, including Sergio Toppi, to whom this book was originally dedicated.”

Hard Melody will be published in an 8.5 x 11” hardcover format in April. Look below for the trailer to the project, as well as some artwork from the book, showcasing Ming’s exquisite rendering.