The Prince of Persia Collector's Edition: The Graphic Novel - Hardcover

Mechner, Jordan; Sina, A. B.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1596433655 ISBN 13: 9781596433656

Publisher: First Second, 2008

Synopsis

BEYOND THE LEGENDARY GAME – THE LEGEND ITSELF

Long ago in Persia, there lived a Prince -- a man of honor, of valor, and full of strength -- a man for his people, who lived with them and took on their trials and hardships.  And he was loved.

His name is no longer remembered.  When people speak of him, they call him merely, 'The Prince of Persia,' as if there have been no others, and his descendants are enjoined to live like him, to be like him, to the ends of their days.

Long ago in Persia, there were many princes, one following another, sometimes quick, sometimes slow, sometimes fat, clever, joyous, and all more or less honorable.  And in some of those princes there shone the spirit of The Prince of Persia, for in Persia time spins like a wheel, and what is to come has already happened, and then happens again, year in and year out. 

This is the story of two of those princes, and of the destiny that threads their lives together. 

Created by Jordan Mechner, the Prince of Persia graphic novel is beautifully written by poet A.B. Sina and opulently illustrated by LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland. 

About this title

Review:

Arists LeUyen Pham and Alex Puvilland create vivid scenes against a stunning background of ruins, lush gardens, and desert landscapes in Prince of Persia. Inspired by the popular video game as well as The Arabian Nights, the graphic novel follows two princes living centuries apart whose lives nonetheless intersect: they live in exile, fight epic battles, and, of course, rescue a princess. In their transformations from the video game to the graphic novel, each character was revised multiple times. Some were discarded, like Farah, the female warrior, and others were refined, like Prince Guiv.

Take a look at how the authors transformed the Prince of Persia characters from their early sketches (click each image below to see the final sketch).

Farah is a young warrior who is the model for the 9th century princess, Guilan.	Originally an Arabian Nights character, this dancer became the 13th century princess, Shirin.	This sketch of Guiv combines the prince of the video game with the prince of the graphic novel.

About the Author:

The universe of Prince of Persia began in 1989, with the creation of the first Prince of Persia game.  In this platform game, a Persian prince must rescue his throne from the evil vizier who has usurped it.  The game was a hit, and spawned eight sequels (plus a cell phone game entitled 'Prince of Persia Harem Adventures') over the next nineteen years, including the award-winning, best-selling 'Sands of Time' series.  'Sands of Time' is now being adapted into a major motion picture by Disney/Bruckheimer: it will be out in theaters in June 2009. 

JORDAN MECHNER is the creator of the Prince of Persia games, the Prince of Persia graphic novel, and the author of the script for the Prince of Persia movie.  After forsaking his early obsession with comics at age 12 for a new love – computers – Jordan started learning how to program, taking the first steps down the path to writing video games.  But his love of comics and reading stayed with him – when he began creating games, he created narrative, story-driven games that had their roots in the comics and the books he loved. 

He sold his first game while he was still an undergraduate at Yale, and then moved directly on to creating Prince of Persia.  The games took off, and he's been involved in the programming, story development, and world-building for the Prince of Persia ever since. 

Jordan now lives in southern California, where he’s working on the next Prince of Persia game and writing and directing award-winning documentaries, as well as working on his next commercial property – Solomon’s Thieves, which will be published by First Second. 

 

Under various other misspellings, mistranslations, and misrepresentations of his name, A.B.SINA has written for film, magazines, and journals in North America and around the world.  Born in Iran, he now works between Montreal and wherever else he can manage.  He has no heirs, though he hopes this project will at least give him some followers. 

 

LEUYEN PHAM and ALEX PUVILLAND are happily married in art.  They found time in their highly successful careers (one as a children's book illustrator, the other one as her husband) to give us Prince of Persia.  LeUyen has produced several acclaimed picture books for children, including her self-authored Big Sister, Little Sister.  Alex has worked as an animator for Dreamworks Feature Animation and on numerous films.  They live in San Francisco with their son Leo. 

About this edition

• Publisher: First Second
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1596433655
• ISBN 13: 9781596433656
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 208
• Illustrator: Pham LeUyen, Puvilland Alex