I think the first Bloom art was Ari and Hector sitting on a slice of pie, haha. Kevin Panetta: And baking was there from the start. Kevin suggested them being in a band and it was a no brainer. Savanna Ganucheau: Drawing musical instruments is one of my favorite things to do. Kevin Panetta: We are both musicians (two bass players!) and we both bake so it just came naturally. Puc: How did the idea to explore music and baking come into play? It’s a big personal accomplishment for me. Also, I’ve always wanted to work on a slice of life romance with a very defined sense of place. Ari is also very close to my heart he kinda represents overcoming bad choices to me. Savanna Ganucheau: I think it’s something everyone struggles with. It’s something I struggled with as a jerky teenager and I’m much happier being on the other side of it!

Beyond being a cute romance, I wanted to write a story about rejecting cynicism and learning to be earnest and loving. Kevin Panetta: And Bloom is a very personal story. I drew some very rough character designs and from there Kevin wrote some bios that ended up being Ari and Hector. Savanna Ganucheau: It was kinda like the first thing we talked about, too. We both love romance and slice of life stories so we chatted about what we wanted to do and eventually got to the baking love story in Bloom. Kevin Panetta: Savanna and I knew we wanted to work on a project together. Samantha Puc: Where does the concept of Bloom originate? Does it have any personal meaning or resonance for either of you? 29, Panetta and Ganucheau answered questions via e-mail for The Beat.

As they become closer over batches of bread, love is ready to bloom… that is, if Ari doesn’t ruin everything.”Īhead of Bloom‘s release on Jan. But while interviewing candidates for his replacement, Ari meets Hector, an easygoing guy who loves baking as much as Ari wants to escape it.

Though he loved working there as a kid, Ari cannot fathom a life wasting away over rising dough and hot ovens. The full plot synopsis reads, “Now that high school is over, Ari is dying to move to the big city with his ultra-hip band―if he can just persuade his dad to let him quit his job at their struggling family bakery. In addition to falling hard for each other, they also learn some hard truths about the world and get to know themselves better, all while bonding over Ari’s family baking recipes. Published by First Second Books, Bloom is this team’s first graphic novel, and it demonstrates a beautiful partnership between these two creators.īloom is a YA romance comic that follows Ari and Hector, two boys with vastly different dreams, as they navigate a very surprising summer together. Readers who want a fun-loving romance with some serious themes should look no further than Bloom, written by Kevin Panetta and illustrated by Savanna Ganucheau.

Bloom part 2 kevin panetta