An Introduction to The Tea Dragon Society
The Tea Dragon Society is a 2017 Graphic Novel by Kay O’Neill, with lettering by Saida Temofonte, published by Oni Press. It tells the comforting story of Greta, a blacksmith’s apprentice who becomes engrossed in the art of caring for tiny dragons…that also yield tea. #teadragonsociety 1/6
The story was well-received, earning two Eisner awards and one Harvey Award in 2018. Two sequels would follow – The Tea Dragon Festival (2019) and the Tea Dragon Tapestry (2021). The series also spawned an award-winning deck-building card game. 2/6
Representation is a big theme in all of O’Neill’s work, and TDS is no exception to this, having been recognized for its commitment to inclusivity across barriers of race, ableism, sexuality, and gender, all whilst committing to overall messages of kindness and compassion in general. 3/6
In their review of TDS, Mey Rude described it as “the cutest, most creative all-ages fantasy comic in years” noting that “Instead of just going for the simple European, Tolkien version of fantasy, she’s made something brand new.” 4/6
Aesthetically, O’Neill’s main influence is the iconic “Little Golden Books” series that has been published since 1942 and has become a mainstay of young readers’ libraries ever since. Thus, there’s a nostalgic aesthetic in play throughout TDS. 5/6
All toll, The Tea Dragon Society is a milestone work of youth-facing graphic narrative that brings a lot of innovation and imagination to the field. We’ll spend the next couple of weeks steeping in it. 6/6