Before The Hobbit, The Lord of The Rings and Game of Thrones there was the epic that inspired it all!
Portland, OR – Comics and graphic novel publisher ABLAZE proudly announces the release of Kalevala: The GRAPHIC NOVEL, a stunning adaptation by creator Sami Makkonen of the Finnish epic that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to write The Lord of the Rings. The foundational epic of the fantasy genre.
“…my attempt to write legends of my own to fit my private languages was the tragic tale of the hapless Kullerva in the Finnish Kalevala. It remains a major matter in the legends of the First age…” –J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 257, 1964
KALEVALA: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL debuts in-print and digitally on September 24th.
“You come one fine day upon the Kalevala, the land of heroes. Then you are indeed in a quite new world and can revel in an amazing new excitement…” –J.R.R. Tolkien
Creator Sami Makkonen brings the Kalevala adaptation to a whole new level, emphasizing the elements of horror in the story, which are often left in the background when the main events of the Kalevala are discussed.
“The colours, the deeds, the marvels, the figures of the heroes are all splashed onto a clean bare canvas by sudden hand; even the legends concerning the origin of the most ancient things in the world seem to come fresh from the singer’s hot imagination of the moment.” –J.R.R. Tolkien
KALEVALA: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL, Story and Art by Sami Makkonen • SRP: $29.99 • 312 Pages • ISBN: 978-1-68497-228-9 •
Suitable for Mature Readers • Available Sept 24, 2024
A stunning comic adaptation of the epic The Kalevala, which inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to write The Lord of the Rings. It’s the foundational epic of the fantasy genre.
The story tells of the adventures and fates of wizard Väinämöinen, warrior Lemminkäinen, blacksmith Ilmarinen and other larger-than- life characters seeking love, riches, and magic in the faraway lands of the ancient North.
This is a bold approach to The Kalevala by an established talent — visually powerful and accessible.
Sami Makkonen is internationally renowned and is a recipient of the Sarjas Award for Best Fantasy Fiction. He also has been nominated for the Ghastly Awards for his horror work. His other awards include:
- Sarjakuvantekijät RY award 2007 (Sarjas Award for Best Fantasy Comic)
- Independent Publisher Book Awards Graphic Novel/Drawn Book – Drama/Documentary 2010
- Independent Publisher Book Awards Graphic Novel/Drawn Book – Drama/Documentary 2011
- USA Best Book Award Comics: Graphic Novels 2013
Makkonen is best known for his four volumes of the Eisner Award nominated Hatter M series, which has made the NY Times best-selling list. More details at: https://samimakkonen.com/
ABLAZE titles are distributed in-print worldwide by Diamond Comic and Diamond Book Distributors. Digital versions of ABLAZE titles are available via most major digital platforms.
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ABOUT ABLAZE:
Eisner nominated publisher of comics, graphic novels & more. The mantra of ABLAZE is quality first, with the goals of giving creators a platform, bringing new voices into the conversation, serving as diverse an audience as possible and bringing some of the best content from all corners of the globe to readers.
