Ronda Rousey launches kickstarter campaign for graphic novel debut

Ronda Rousey has stepped out of the ring and into the world of comics. Artists Writers and Artisans (AWA), the independent developer of bold, original stories announced today the upcoming Kickstarter campaign for Rousey’s graphic novel debut, ‘Expecting the Unexpected.’

“I felt like I had to tell this story, because Expecting the Unexpected pulls from the most important parts of my life: motherhood, my career as a fighter, and fun action movies,” said Ronda Rousey in a statement. “I knew I needed an artist who understood how to translate my fighting from real life to graphic novel artwork, so it’s been truly gratifying watching Mike Deodato bring this story to life. I’m so excited to work with AWA and share my very first graphic novel with the world and I hope comic fans will enjoy this adventure.”  

“Ronda has brought the same level of ferocity, discipline, and craft to her original script that made her a champion in Judo, UFC, and WWE. A potent blend of dark comedy, romance, and over-the-top action, ‘Expecting the Unexpected’ delivers a knockout punch on every level. You’ll laugh, you’ll wince, you’ll cry, and you’ll thrill at the action scenes — meticulously choreographed by Ronda and executed with precision by comic book maestro and martial arts black belt Mike Deodato, Jr. — that literally leap off the page,” Chief Creative Officer of AWA Axel Alonso said.  

Through Kickstarter, AWA allows fans to support its most ambitious limited-edition projects. This new graphic novel will feature Kickstarter exclusives and include premium, tiered rewards for the biggest Ronda Rousey fans. The ‘Expecting the Unexpected’ Kickstarter will launch on July 25.  Throughout her career as a global superstar, Rousey has built a huge fan base around the world and Kickstarter allows fans to support this debut in more than 200 countries worldwide.

This marks AWA’s third Kickstarter project, following the successful campaigns for Frank Cho’s ‘Fight Girls – Deluxe Director’s Cut Edition, and Garth Ennis’ ‘Marjorie Finnegan, Temporal Criminal’, both surpassed their initial funding goals within hours. 

Along with a press release, Rousey posted about the project on social media.  “Finally I can announce the martial art romantic comedy graphic novel I’ve been working on the last 5 years! “Expecting the Unexpected” written by myself, illustrated by Eisner winning artist @mikedeodato and edited by marvel alumni and @awastudiosofficial editor and chief Axel Alonso is a labor of love I can’t wait to share with the world. Get it before anyone else and special editions not available anywhere else via @kickstarter once we launch our campaign,” Rousey wrote.  

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