An animator and storyteller originally from Summerland will be showing off their work at Comic-Con in San Diego later this month.
Jenna Woldenga and her partner Felix Irnich's story Fool's Gold: Death by Karaoke is being released in paperback this month and signing copies at the pop culture convention.
More than 130,000 people are expected to attend the comic book and pop culture convention of Comic-Con over July 24 to 27.
Woldenga and Irnich will be part of a panel on July 25 at the convention, with the book signing event on the same day.
Woldenga said this project is a team effort. She is the creator of Fool’s Gold and the creative director, Irnich is game master and producer, Avery Howett is illustrator and director, Princess Abella is colorist and Christopher Hastings is adapter and writer.
“We’re all very excited about San Diego,” Woldenga said. “It’s a place where we can meet people and explore possibilities.”
She added that movie and television producers will be present at the convention, allowing them a chance to show their work to those in that industry.
Woldenga and Irnich’s novel is inspired by the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game. It is the first in a series of seven or eight books and is based on an original animated series Woldnga has on the YouTube platform. The channel has more than 807,000 subscribers and has 156 videos.
The story in the graphic novel involves a stoic masked druid, a cursed monkey sorcerer and a bubbly magical girl, in a quest for powerful crystals left behind by an ancient dead civilization, according to the publisher.
The plans for the quest are derailed after an afternoon of drunken karaoke.
“I think it’s relatable — if you like a crazy monkey as a main character,” Woldenga said about the story. “Everything goes wrong with a single dice roll.”
Irnich said the story shows the people playing the game, as well as the fantasy adventure within the game.
Woldenga said showing the game players as well as the story is an important part of the novel and the books that will follow.
“You feel like you’re at the table with them,” she said.
She added that she wanted the story to be accessible for those who are not familiar with the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game.
The book is scheduled to be released on July 22 through foolsgold.fun/comic. It will also be available on Amazon, Simon and Schuster and Indigo.
Woldenga and Irnich will have a book signing at the Indigo store in Kelowna on Aug. 2, beginning at 2 p.m. and continuing for three hours.
A miniature from the Fool’s Gold project has also won an award. At the Origins Awards 2025, from the Game Manufacturers Association and the Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design, held earlier this year, Fool’s Gold Miniature – Tarrasque (Gray) from Hit Point Press won in the miniatures category.
The awards included some well-known names as well, with recipients in other categories including Marvel United, Magic: The Gathering, Star Trek and Call of Cthulhu.
While Woldenga is looking forward to promoting the book in San Diego, she would also like to get it into the B.C. library market.
