Adult coloring books are all the rage right now, but Chuck Palahniuk is an unexpected name to join the trend. Sure, his writing conjures evocative imagery in the minds of his readers, but coloring books are an artist’s medium. Palahniuk is also a big name, though, and after the success of Fight Club 2, Dark Horse Comics has found a way to continue its relationship with Palahniuk while tapping into popularity of adult coloring books with Bait: Off-Color For You To Color, a hardcover collection of new Palahniuk short stories illustrated by a fantastic line-up of artists from various fields.
Those evocative images of Palahniuk’s prose are brought to the page with crisp black-and-white linework, inviting readers to contribute their own creative vision through coloring. The A.V. Club has an exclusive preview of an entire Bait short story, “Salvation,” and Joëlle Jones’s illustrations enrich the story with art nouveau-inspired visuals that are as beautiful as they are haunting. Like most adult coloring books, there’s an intricacy to the linework that demands a certain degree of focus, and Jones goes overboard with detail to make the coloring process even more involved. Readers can join the fun with the release of Bait this Wednesday, and the impressive hardcover package makes Bait a great gift idea for any Palahniuk fans during the holiday season.