Artichoke Knight Available Now: A Grounded Story of Ambition and Friendship
Reading time: 2 minutes
Artichoke Knight is the new graphic novel from South London-based indie creator and self-taught comics artist Alex Newton, is now available to buy. The story follows two childhood friends as they navigate the emotional highs and lows of chasing a dream. The stories' themes are drawn directly from the creator's own experiences in the comics world.
Part coming-of-age adventure, part honest reflection on ambition and sacrifice, Artichoke Knight is a grounded take on a question most of us wrestle with. What do we give up, and what do we gain, in pursuit of something we love?
About the Story
Artichoke Knight follows Charlie and Cherry, two childhood friends whose ambitions put them in direct competition when they face off against each other in their town's "cookery combat" - a strange combination of duelling and cooking. The result, which leaves both unhappy, inspires them to head off into the world in search of bigger dreams.
This is an uplifting story about chasing a big dream. It explores the challenges, doubts, and mishaps that arise when your ambitions are bigger than your wallet. When you've thrown yourself into the deep end with nothing to cling to.
With this story, Alex wanted to go beyond the usual "follow your dreams" message, though. The real focus is the emotional cost of chasing those dreams. Alex is completely self-taught when it comes to comics. Breaking into comics hasn't been easy, as most people know. There have been times when they wanted to give up entirely and often thought they might be happier if they did. Artichoke Knight explores that honest tension between what we want and what the world demands of us. It's a more grounded take than the typical "winning-at-all-costs" story. Helped by their own feelings and experiences.
About Alex Newton
Artichoke Knight is Alex Newton's seventh independently-released graphic novel. They have been building steadily — starting with small, wordless stories and working up to more complex narratives. This is their largest project to date at almost 250 pages, with a second part due later this year. Alex has run two successful Kickstarter campaigns and sold their comics worldwide. Their work is stocked in over 20 shops across England and Scotland. In 2026, they aim to reach more stockists and expand their presence on the convention circuit. Alex is based in Camberwell, South London.
You can buy Artichoke Knight at Alex's online store, both physically and digitally. And we'll be writing a review too, so keep an eye on our reviews page for that.
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