The Tea Dragon Society
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| Author | Kay O'Neill |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Kay O'Neill |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Comics |
| Publisher | Oni Press (hardcover) |
Publication date |
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| Publication place | New Zealand |
| Pages | 72 |
| Awards | |
| ISBN | 978-1-62010-441-5 |
| Website | Official site |
The Tea Dragon Society is a webcomic and graphic novel written and illustrated by Kay O'Neill which debuted late 2016. The story focuses on Greta, an apprentice blacksmith who becomes fascinated by "tea dragons" after rescuing one.
Published as a webcomic, it was later published in physical format by Oni Press. It was well received by critics, who praised O'Neill's art and the comic's story, as well as the diverse cast of characters. The Tea Dragon Society received two Eisner Awards and a Harvey Award in 2018, and was turned into a series after two more books were released.
The webcomic begins with Greta's mother showing her how to forge a sword in their blacksmith's shop, a skill slowly being abandoned, as those kinds of weapons are no longer needed. While returning from some errands, Greta finds a small creature cornered by hungry animals. She feeds them and rescues the creature, which her father explains is called a tea dragon, and says he knows its owner, Hesekiel. Greta then goes to the tea shop where Hesekiel thanks her for returning the dragon and explains what they are.
A month later, Greta accepts Hesekiel's invitation to help tend to tea dragons and begins visiting the shop, where she becomes acquainted with Minette, a girl with memory loss issues who has been living there for a couple of months, and Erik, Hesekiel's significant other. Greta and Minette become fast friends, with the latter talking about her past as a prophetess. After some time helping around the shop, Hesekiel and Erik talk about the origin of the Tea Dragon Society, with the two as their last remaining members. They also explain that drinking the tea made from the leaves of these creatures allows one to see their memories, and Greta learns about the couple's past as adventurers before an injury forces Erik to retire.
In the last chapter and the epilogue, Minette shares her memory with Greta, of the year she spent living with Hesekiel and Erik. Greta then creates an iron teapot in her blacksmithy as a gift. Afterward, she is given the opportunity to take care of a tea dragon whose owner had died, which she accepts. Hesekiel and Erik then decide to invite her and Minette to be a part of the Tea Dragon Society.
Background
According to an interview for The Mary Sue, the concept for the webcomic first began with the creation of the tea dragons,[1] which was done by mixing two things the author loved.[2] The dragons, which must be tended to produce tea, allowed the author to introduce the importance of keeping "traditions and crafts" alive into the plot.[1] O'Neill also mentioned the Little Golden Books as influences when creating The Tea Dragon Society.[3]
Publication history
Kay O'Neill was first approached by Oni Press' editor Ari Yarwood, who was looking for comics with LGBT stories and themes, and picked up O'Neill's webcomic Princess Princess to publish.[4] In September 2016, they announced their next webcomic, The Tea Dragon Society, which would also be published in book format in late 2017 by Oni Press.[1]
While it was initially conceived as a standalone story, O'Neill later created new characters and plots for the comic while working on Aquicorn Cove.[5] The second book in the "Tea Dragon" series, The Tea Dragon Festival, was released in september 2019,[6] and the third, The Tea Dragon Tapestry, in June 2021.[7]