Book Club Kit: Exploring Adaptation and IP with 'Traveling to Mars' and Other Graphic Novels

Hook: Turn your graphic novel club into a transmedia conversation

Running a graphic novel club is rewarding but many facilitators struggle with sustaining lively debate, connecting books to wider industry conversations, and offering members concrete activities beyond surface-level reactions. If your group wants to explore how stories move from page to screen, merchandise, and games — and why some adaptations succeed where others falter — this facilitator kit will give you a complete, practical roadmap. We use recent 2025–2026 developments, including the signing of The Orangery with WME, as a live case study to teach adaptation, rights, and creative strategy through titles like Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika.

Why this matters in 2026

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw a surge in European transmedia studios packaging graphic novels as multi-platform IP. High-profile agency signings like the William Morris Endeavor deal with The Orangery have pushed adaptation strategy into mainstream conversation. Streaming platforms, boutique studios, and publishers are actively scouting graphic novel IP for serialized TV, animation, interactive video games, and branded experiential projects. That means your club can teach members not just how to read, but how stories travel.

In January 2026 Variety reported that the newly formed transmedia studio The Orangery, which controls titles such as Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika, signed with WME, highlighting the acceleration of graphic novel IP into global adaptation pipelines.

How to use this kit

This facilitator kit is built for a four-week club cycle, a single workshop, or a one-off adaptation-themed meeting. Sections include background on transmedia rights, a meeting agenda, focused discussion questions for Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika, active learning exercises, a rights checklist for discussion, and resources for inviting guests or pitching adaptation ideas.

Quick setup checklist

• Choose format: in-person, virtual, or hybrid.
• Share reading schedule at least two weeks in advance.
• Send members a 1-page primer on transmedia terms (see below).
• Arrange visuals: key panels, cover art, and adaptation mood boards.
• Plan one hands-on activity and one guest speaker (optional).

Background primer: Transmedia and IP basics for clubs

Before diving into discussion, give members a clear, short primer. Here are the essentials to include in a 1-page handout.

Essential concepts

• IP Ownership — Who owns the story and characters: the writer, artist, publisher, or a studio? Ownership determines what can be adapted.
• Adaptation Rights — Typically licensed or optioned. An option gives a producer exclusive time to develop a project; a license grants permissions for specific uses.
• Rights Stack — Multiple rights exist: film, TV, merchandising, stage, games, audio, translations, and more.
• Transmedia Strategy — How creators and rights holders plan a story across platforms to retain creative integrity and monetization. Many successful packages now include animatics and pitch decks alongside the book to show cross-platform potential (see examples of how creative teams use short-form assets to drive discovery and packaging).
• Agency Partnerships — Talent and IP agencies, like WME, help package rights and attach buyers or talent.

2026 trend notes

• European transmedia houses are packaging graphic novels with adaptation-ready materials such as animatics and pitch decks.
• Studios increasingly expect IP to include cross-platform hooks (e.g., clear series arcs, original music potential, merch-friendly visuals).
• AI tools are assisting early-stage adaptation scripts and visual concepting, though human creative oversight remains key.

Meeting agenda templates

Below are three formats: a 60-minute session, a 90-minute workshop, and a four-week deep dive.

60-minute session

1. 0–10 min: Welcome and warm-up prompt. Share a panel and ask, What moment caught your eye?
2. 10–30 min: Guided discussion using core questions below.
3. 30–45 min: Adaptation exercise: map one scene to a 90-second screenplay beat.
4. 45–60 min: Closing: members vote on their preferred adaptation format and note one take-away.

90-minute workshop

1. 0–15 min: Icebreaker and transmedia primer.
2. 15–40 min: Deep discussion on themes, structure, and visual language.
3. 40–70 min: Group activity: pitch lab. Teams craft a one-paragraph pitch aimed at TV, animation, or game markets.
4. 70–90 min: Share pitches and feedback. Assign follow-up reading or a mini research task on rights.

Four-week deep dive schedule

1. Week 1: Read and discuss story, themes, and visuals.
2. Week 2: Focus on character arcs and worldbuilding; prepare an adaptation target (TV, film, game).
3. Week 3: Rights session with checklist; role-play negotiation and pitch to a mock agent.
4. Week 4: Final presentations: mood boards, logline, and 1-page adaptation plan.

Discussion questions: Traveling to Mars

Use these to prompt focused conversation about adaptation potential and narrative structure.

1. How does the graphic medium shape the story's tone, and which visual motifs are essential to preserve in an adaptation?
2. Which character arc would best anchor a serialized TV adaptation and why?
3. Where does the graphic novel use silence or visual pacing to convey emotion? How would you translate that into sound and score?
4. Identify one sequence that relies on art for worldbuilding. How could that be staged on screen economically?
5. Discuss fidelity versus transformation: name one change you would make for a mainstream audience and justify it from a storytelling and rights perspective.

Discussion questions: Sweet Paprika

Sweet Paprika blends sensuality and character study. These prompts frame adaptation responsibly and creatively.

1. What elements of voice and intimacy are non-negotiable when adapting erotica or romantic graphic novels?
2. How can casting and direction preserve consent-forward representation while expanding audience reach?
3. Which visual metaphors in the book could be translated into a director's visual signature for a limited series?
4. Is the book best suited to a single-season arc or episodic storytelling? Propose a season outline.
5. What merchandising or experiential opportunities might arise from this IP, and how should rights be structured to protect creators' intent?

General adaptation questions for any graphic novel

• What is the core emotional through-line and can it be sustained across episodes or a feature runtime?
• Which secondary characters might become lead material in an adaptation and why?
• How does the visual language inform world rules that an adaptation must honor?
• What pacing changes are needed to translate sequential art into scenes and acts?

Active learning exercises

These activities are designed for hands-on engagement and adaptable to class size and time.

1. Adaptation mapping (30 minutes)

1. Choose a 4–8 page sequence from the graphic novel.
2. Break panels into beats and assign a medium: TV scene, podcast script, or interactive game level.
3. Sketch or write the transition: what sound, actor beat, or interaction replaces a visual panel?

2. Rights role-play (45 minutes)

1. Form teams: Creator, Publisher, Producer, and Agent.
2. Give the Producer an option proposal and ask teams to negotiate terms: duration, exclusivity, revenue split, and creative approval.
3. Debrief with a checklist and real-world lessons about what points are negotiable.

3. Pitch lab (60 minutes)

1. Teams craft a logline, one-paragraph series premise, and a visual mood board using three reference images.
2. Time each pitch to 3 minutes and use a 2-minute Q&A focusing on market fit and demographic targeting.

Rights checklist for facilitator-led discussion

Use this non-legal checklist to guide conversation about what adaptation buyers and creators consider essential.

• Does an option or assignment already exist?
• Who controls character and sequel rights?
• Is there an existing merchandising or localization agreement?
• Who has final cut or script approval in a hypothetical deal?
• Are there moral rights or creator credits that must be honored under publisher agreements?
• What geographies are included or excluded in any existing deals?

Case study: The Orangery and the WME signing

The Orangery, a European transmedia studio founded by Davide G.G. Caci and others, has been packaging graphic novels such as Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika for adaptation. Their January 2026 signing with WME is an important teaching moment for clubs because it reveals live strategy: craft adaptation-ready packages, attach talent, and present IP with multiple monetization options. Use the signing as a prompt:

• Ask members: What made these titles attractive to an agency in 2026? Consider themes, visual distinctiveness, and transmedia hooks.
• Discuss practical steps creators and small publishers took to prepare such IP: complete arcs, high-quality art assets, and adaptation bibles.

Practical advice for facilitators who want to bring experts

Guest speakers elevate a session. Here are quick tactics to secure and brief them.

• Target guests: comics scholars, local creators, rights managers, or agency development execs.
• Pitch with context: explain your club size, format, and the angle you want them to discuss.
• Provide a 10-minute window for Q&A and a short list of questions in advance.
• Compensate experts when possible — honorariums or book purchases go a long way.

Printable takeaways and member deliverables

At the end of the meeting, circulate three ready-made files (copy-paste into your email):

1. One-page transmedia primer for newcomers.
2. Two-week reading schedule template to pace a four-week cycle.
3. Pitch template: logline, format, episode guide, tone, and visual references.

Measuring success and keeping momentum

Use these metrics to evaluate your adaptation-themed meeting or cycle.

• Engagement: percentage of members who complete the adaptation exercise.
• Output: number of pitches or mood boards produced.
• Follow-up actions: signups for the next meeting, guest requests, or members who pursue adaptation research.
• Community growth: new members acquired via a public adaptation showcase.

Advanced strategies for long-running clubs

Turn adaptation nights into flagship events with these long-term ideas.

• Host an annual adaptation pitch festival judged by local creators and librarians.
• Build an archival series of recorded creator interviews focused on rights and craft.
• Partner with university media programs to co-host workshops where student producers develop short pilots from club-selected graphic novels.
• Create a members-only repository of adaptation resources, templates, and contacts.

Resources and further reading

To ground conversations in current reporting and best practice, share a short reading list with members:

• Variety coverage of The Orangery signing with WME (January 2026) for industry context.
• Recent case studies of successful comic-to-screen adaptations from streaming platforms (2024–2025 analyses).
• Introductory primers on options and licensing from reputable publishing organizations.

Final actionable checklist for your next meeting

1. Pick the title and announce the adaptation angle one month ahead.
2. Distribute the transmedia primer and one-paragraph context about recent industry moves (e.g., WME–Orangery).
3. Prepare visuals and one hands-on activity from this kit.
4. Invite at least one external expert or schedule a recorded interview snippet.
5. Collect outputs: save pitches, mood boards, and notes to show progress at future meetings.

Closing: Make adaptation literacy part of your club's identity

Adaptation and IP literacy are increasingly essential skills for readers, creators, and students interested in storytelling careers. By framing graphic novels like Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika as living IP — objects that can be transformed thoughtfully and commercially — your club becomes a training ground for critical reading, creative development, and practical negotiation skills. Use this kit to run a focused meeting, a semester-long series, or a public pitch event that connects readers with the wider world of transmedia.

Ready to try it? Download the printable primer, pitch templates, and a 4-week reading schedule from our free facilitator pack and share your group's adaptation pitches in our online forum to get feedback from creators and rights professionals.

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Join thebooks.club to access the free facilitator pack, submit your group's pitch to industry mentors, and register for our next live adaptation workshop. Turn your graphic novel club into a hub for discovery, debate, and real-world creative practice.

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