The Latest from the Acclaimed Imprint Curated by Karen Berger
Berger Books and Dark Horse Comics are proud to present Salamandre: a uniquely evocative graphic novel about family, loss, and the freedom of art from award-winning writer and artist I.N.J. Culbard (Everything, Tales from the Umbrella Academy: You Look Like Death).
Kaspar Salamandre is a bereaved young artist who is sent to stay with his enigmatic grandfather who lives behind the Iron Veil—a land lorded over by an oppressive emperor. In this foreign place where flowers are contraband, music is illegal, and art is created in hiding, Kaspar seeks to heal his grief—discovering a world of art revolutionaries, espionage, and the Secret Police—who are not what they seem.
Ultimately his search for answers brings him face to face with the meaning of sacrifice. But will anything bring him closer to overcoming his loss?
“Writing what you know is really about writing what you think you know,” said I.N.J. Culbard. “Instead of what really happened, a confabulation grows with each retelling—a story, transforming a factual truth into a universal one. I took an event from one hot summer afternoon in my own life, made it the finale and then worked backwards through my story, using the jigsaw puzzle of my own memories growing up on both sides of the Iron Curtain during the Cold War as a foundation for this world—that is a little off-kilter to our own.”
“I was blown away when I first heard I.N.J.’s thrilling graphic novel idea inspired by his unusual travels as a child,” said Karen Berger. “It has a real European comics feel—kind of like an off-beat Tintin, panoramic vistas mired by underlying political danger, sparked with dashes of wonder and the fantastic. Ultimately, it’s about perseverance of love, and the power that memory and stories have over us. It’s I.N.J. Culbard’s immense storytelling talent as never seen before and I’m so excited to be sharing it with the world.”
“I.N.J. Culbard deftly tells a story of resilience, of secret joys and complex pains and in doing so, shows us that human beings are much bigger on the inside than you might think.” —Ram V (The Many Deaths of Laila Starr, Swamp Thing)
“Culbard is a master storyteller. I can’t think of a single comic creator so adept at immersing the reader into another world. An adventure worth getting lost in. ” – Christian Ward (Invisible Kingdom, Blood Stained Teeth)
“Tender and precisely observed, Salamandre is a Ghibli-esque celebration of the healing power of imagination, drawn in a stunning clear-line style that effortlessly blends the magic of childhood and a world just to the left of ours.” —Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls, Catwoman: Lonely City)
“I.N.J. has captured something in this story that resonates on a soul level. Using the heartbreakingly relatable concept of personal loss, I.N.J. guides our emotions through something much, much large…oh, and did I mention it’s bloody beautiful as well? –Emma Vieceli (Life is Strange, Breaks, Olivia Twist)
“By turns tense and terrifying… Salamandre is also a (gorgeous) deeply personal, possibly autobiographical, almost certainly political book about family, stories and why we make art. I was entranced by the art. Just at the point where books are banned again, we need a book like this.” —Alison Sampson (Sleeping Beauties, Winnebago Graveyard)
Salamandre deluxe softcover will be in comic shops November 9, 2022 and in bookstores December 20, 2022. It is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at your local comic shop and bookstore. Salamandre will retail for $24.99.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR
About Dark Horse Comics
Founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Comics is an excellent example of how integrity and innovation can help broaden a unique storytelling medium and transform a company with humble beginnings into an industry giant. Over the years, Dark Horse has published the work of creative legends such as Yoshitaka Amano, Margaret Atwood, Paul Chadwick, Geof Darrow, Will Eisner, Neil Gaiman, Dave Gibbons, Faith Erin Hicks, Kazuo Koike, Matt Kindt, Jeff Lemire, Mike Mignola, Frank Miller, Moebius, Chuck Palahniuk, Wendy Pini, Richard Pini, and Gerard Way. In addition, Dark Horse has a long tradition of establishing exciting new creative talent throughout all of its divisions. The company has also set the industry standard for quality licensed comics, graphic novels, collectibles, and art books, including Stranger Things, Avatar: The Last Airbender, The Legend of Korra, Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Dragon Age, James Cameron’s Avatar, Game of Thrones, Mass Effect, StarCraft, The Witcher, and Halo. Today, Dark Horse Comics is one of the world’s leading entertainment publishers.