In April 2020, St. Louis–based illustrator Steenz took over the daily comic strip Heart of the City, making them just the second Black nonbinary cartoonist on the mainstream funny pages. Originally launched in 1998 by Mark Tatulli, Heart of the City follows precocious Philadelphia tween Heart Lamarr and her family and friends as they navigate life’s daily high jinks.
Upon taking the reins of the long-running comic, Steenz, who also teaches cartooning at Webster University, gave the strip a new look and moved Heart and her friends along to middle school, where they experience such trials as a teachers’ strike, Heart’s first school play, and a Halloween party mystery. Heart Takes the Stage, out this month, is the first compilation of their work for Heart of the City. It’s a sweet collection of stories that all ages can enjoy, the highlight of which may be the introduction of Steenz’s first new character, Charlotte.
Stay up-to-date with the local arts scene
Subscribe to the weekly St. Louis Arts+Culture newsletter to discover must-attend art exhibits, performances, festivals, and more.
Charlotte, a theater tech and proud geek, quickly earns best-friend status alongside original characters Kat and Dean, and she’s delightful in her role as “resident weird girl at school,” hunting ghosts and arriving to a Halloween costume party as the Lydia Deetz to her sister’s Beetlejuice.
Kids and kids at heart can pick up this charming comic collection locally starting May 3 at The Wizard’s Wagon, Betty’s Books, and Fantasy Books & Games.
