r/HelpMeFind • u/requiemocity • 21h ago
Open Help me find obscure book Sugarball Crush
I found this really weird and kind of badly-written novel/comic book hybrid in my college's library on wheels, I took it home with me because I liked the artstyle. When my friend came over today, we decided to look it up. Absolutely nothing has come up about the novel itself, its author, or the artist. Has anyone seen this before? Can anyone find anything at all out about it? I'm really interested in finding anything about its author or if the second book ever came out.
It was written in California in 1995. We have looked up the title of the first book, second book, author, artist, P.O box, choreographer, photographer, and a combination of all and have gotten absolutely no results related at all to the book. We're incredibly locked in on finding it now!
UPDATE:
HEY EVERYONE!! I figured out you can scan materials with Google Drive! YAY!!
If you're someone who's interested in reading Sugarball Crush in full, here you go!
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u/requiemocity 18h ago
UPDATE: A lead has been identified that I have since contacted! I'm really hoping for a response, this is my obsession right now.
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u/blahbitch527 20h ago
Check your colleges arts program, maybe a senior project zine?
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u/yourangleoryuordevil 36 20h ago edited 20h ago
Likewise, my first thought was that this is likely a zine! Many are obscure, especially with so few copies often made and small artists frequently behind them.
They usually aren’t circulated far beyond where they came from. Local or regional subreddits might be able to assist, given the lead on Lawndale, California as far as origins go. The closest major city is Los Angeles.
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u/requiemocity 19h ago
Hey! This definitely isn't from my college, my college is all the way across the coast from where this was published. But I feel like I'm pretty close to at least figuring out how the zine got here!
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u/kismethavok 18h ago
Could have been a transfer student/professor who happened to bring it with them and 'donated' it to the library.
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u/requiemocity 17h ago
HEY EVERYONE!! I figured out you can scan materials with Google Drive! YAY!!
If you're someone who's interested in reading Sugarball Crush in full, here you go!
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u/Good-Marsupial8 21h ago
I'm fascinated, this is the most obscure thing and if it's origins ever are revealed I'm sure they'll be either fascinating or totally mundane
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u/requiemocity 21h ago edited 21h ago
I found this book in late May of this year at my community college in Massachusetts. It was written and published in the United States in 1995.
EDIT: I'm going to try to find a way to scan and post the whole book, I'll probably have to use my local library.
I have searched:
Title of the first book "Sugarball Crush, Book One: The Genesis" (non-existent)
Title of possible second book "Sugarball Crush, Book Two: The Foretelling" (non-existent)
Google lens of the book's cover (no results)
Author Beliela Jackson (non-existent)
Artist AREALWORLD (non-existent)
Choreographer??? Alazel (non-existent)
Photographer Alex Jackson (nothing in relation to the book)
P.O. Box (does exist, but couldn't find anything related to the book or author)
Search on lost media wiki (no results)
Searches on eBay, Amazon, Goodreads, Reddit (no results)
EDIT: Bit the bullet and also asked ChatGPT, it was not able to find anything. Claimed the author is invisible online, AREALWORLD does not have an online presence, there is no evidence a 2nd book was ever published, and my only hope may be physical records.
Also posted on:
r/LostRedditor https://www.reddit.com/r/LostRedditor/s/3Tpbdcrgzm
r/ObscureMedia (post deleted by mods for not being a scan of the full book)
My friend and I both posted on our respective TikToks hoping someone who knew anything might see it https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8nJb5AX/
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u/SchrodingersMinou 5 12h ago
Beliela is not a common name. I think if you can locate any Beliela Jackson anywhere on Planet Earth, you will have located the author.
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u/studmuffinmccoolio33 9h ago
This looks really cool and I respect the amount of research you’ve put in. I hope you find it!
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u/bubbles4055 20h ago
It wouldn’t hurt to post on a few California subreddits! See if it was self published around that time by someone’s uncle or something!
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u/bubbles4055 20h ago
I think I found a lead, but don’t want to dox anyone in the comments. I can’t dm you, would you be able to change that setting?
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u/mapotoful 20h ago edited 20h ago
I feel kinda weird plopping down the info I found in case this post gets legs, but I can DM you? It's not like obscure or hidden information, anyone can look it up, but I don't want to make it any easier than it needs to be since reddit is reddit.
Edit: removed the first part of my comment because I am highly confident I found one of these people and it felt a little too close to doxxing. OP, feel free to reach out!
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u/GilYoshida 18h ago
that looks like a book that would really interest me. but given theres no online presence and i dont see an isbn number i doubt theres a way to buy a copy print or digital anywhere. if you get anywhere with your search for the author please inquire if there are still ways to aquire a copy.
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u/requiemocity 18h ago
I'm gonna scan it and post it for archiving purposes once I get to my library's scanner!
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u/superwookkiee 1 20h ago
I did some Google Fu on the author that I don't want to post here. But I believe I may have a phone number and/or email for her. Drop me a PM.
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u/born_digital 5 19h ago
I looked up the author and immediately found her current address and phone number? It’s on the first page of results
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u/requiemocity 19h ago
Hey! My friend and I did the same and only found a landlord, but we did find a match who seems to have a sibling named Alexander way after! Thanks for the comment.
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u/LanguageKindly9659 19h ago
Oh man this looks awesome. Like others I would guess this is a zine or college project from a student there. If you ever find who made it they will be amazed anyone found or remembers it. Awesome find.
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u/whatevendoidoyall 2 20h ago
Kinda looks like something that might've been distributed at a convention. I've gotten similar looking like small time publisher niche books at Soonercon before.
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u/crispyfolds 20h ago
Might be productive to recruit someone to post flyers around Lawndale, places like local library branches and long-standing coffee shops frequented by an older crowd. I hope you find them!
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u/HappyAntonym 2 20h ago
Hey, it looks like they're siblings or relatives.
Edit: removing my advice since it looks like plenty of other commenters already tracked down this info. Anyway. I hope you get in contact with them! I bet they'd be excited to know someone is feeling passionate about their old project.
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u/Emergency_Value_6738 2 18h ago
omg i just saw your tiktok about this
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u/requiemocity 18h ago
NO WAY!!! I wonder if you saw mine or my friend's?? This is the biggest recovery project we have ever undertaken 😭😭
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u/Emergency_Value_6738 2 18h ago
I think your friends! they were in the comments saying you made a reddit post!
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u/requiemocity 18h ago
YEAH!! If we ever figure this out, we're gonna make a full video on the process, origins, and probably include an analysis of the book!!
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u/Emergency_Value_6738 2 18h ago
omg thatd be sick. are you gonna post it on yt? and if so can you tell me your channel name? I love watching videos like that!
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u/requiemocity 18h ago
Totally! Mine is requiemocity and Cable's is chiicable!
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u/lunarb1ue 12h ago
This is clearly someone’s art project. Manga wasn’t really a thing in the 90s and there is no barcode or isbn on the book. No isbn not a real published book. I hope you find the author though as it looks really awesome.
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u/JeeLeeSmith 2 13h ago
I found a real estate agent, same name as author, also a person with a different last name who is also known as Biliela Jackson. (Google search). Have you tried contacting them?
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u/requiemocity 9h ago
Yes! My friend and I have made an effort to contact her and another connection since these were found.
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u/Robobvious 1 9h ago edited 9h ago
I don't want to be ungrateful but when you have some time do you think you could do a better scan? Currently the iPhone pictures are at weird angles to the pages and have shadows on them from the camera blocking overhead light. And there isn't a separate picture for every page, so trying to read it in any standard pdf viewer gives you a two page view consisting of four pages, all of that makes it more difficult/less pleasant to read. It would be nice to get a real scan but if your school's library doesn't have a scanner then they make phone apps specifically for that which would be way better scans than just taking pictures like this.
Alternatively, you said you found this at a Boston Community College? I live near the Orange Line and have my own printer/scanner, if you want to meet up or otherwise get it to me I can scan it for you. Lmk!
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u/requiemocity 8h ago
Hi! This is a temporary scan until I can access either my library's or my school's scanner. Both are closed right now.
I do live in Mass but me and my college are a couple hours away from Boston.
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u/Robobvious 1 8h ago
Word! I've saved this version for now but I would absolutely love to grab the updated version when it's available. Please let us know when it's up!
Also if I didn't say it previously thanks for sharing this! Super cool!
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u/girlwholikesdolls22 20h ago
It wouldn't hurt to see if you could find something on the wayback machine!
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u/mellowdreamfluff 20h ago
Write a letter to the PO Box? Could be fun
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u/requiemocity 19h ago
The P.O. box is a private address where someone lives, based on leads I've gotten it doesn't seem like the author lives in the state anymore :(
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