FUSTUK: A Graphic Novel by Robert Mgrdich Apelian
Armenian culture and cuisine come together for a delectable, fantastical YA graphic novel debut perfect for fans of Delicious in Dungeon and Howl’s Moving Castle.
On January 20, 2026, Penguin Workshop will publish FUSTUK: A Graphic Novel (Trade Paperback Original; $17.99; Ages 12 and up), the debut graphic novel from Armenian American author-illustrator Robert Mgrdich Apelian. Weaving together multiple timelines in an inventive, fantastical story of Armenian family and food, FUSTUK follows the youngest of three dysfunctional siblings—descendants of an acclaimed chef – who strikes a deal with an adorable, sinister spirit named Az to save their mother’s life in exchange for the perfect meal.
With a time-jumping narrative speaking to diasporic culture and how those within it relate to their different worlds, FUSTUK has something to savor for every reader. The book will release simultaneously in paperback and jacketed hardcover editions.
Speaking to the culinary and cultural inspirations behind FUSTUK, Apelian said: “I spent most of my childhood looking forward to the time we’d visit my grandparents’ house. As a second-generation Armenian American, those moments playing with my cousins, hearing stories from my grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and eating the amazing food of my family were my main ties to my heritage. But any movies or books about Armenians that I could find growing up were about a grim past of persecution and genocide — important stores to tell, but they didn’t reflect the Armenian experience I knew. So after a lifetime of obsessing over manga and comics, I resolved to get my own art and writing skills ready — to make the story I always craved going up. FUSTUK is that story, an emotional tale filled with the intricate details, sights, and smells of my family, of Middle Eastern joy and magic that speaks to the diasporic culture and how those of us within it relate to our two worlds.”
Author Robert Mgrdich Apelian is an Armenian American author-illustrator based in Everett, Massachusetts. He’s an avid reader of seinen manga and is especially passionate about making the most of comics as a storytelling medium. A primary goal of his work is to celebrate the diversity and cultural excellence of the Middle East and to portray it as something other than tragic and war-torn.
Visit him online at robertapelian.com or on Instagram @robertapelian.
