Discover the Secret History of Spies, Smugglers, and Playwrights in the American Revolution by Mechner and Internationally Acclaimed artists Étienne Le Roux and Loïc Chevallier – On Kickstarter Now!
Oni Press and Magnetic Press – the Eisner Award-winning publisher celebrating prestige graphic novels from around the globe since 2013 – are proud to announce the Kickstarter campaign for LIBERTY, a sweeping historical graphic novel written by renowned writer and video game designer Jordan Mechner, the creator of the groundbreaking Prince of Persia franchise, with art by Étienne Le Roux (The Cimmerian: The Scarlet Citadel) and Loïc Chevallier (The Brothers Rubenstein). This lushly illustrated and meticulously researched epic dramatizes the true story of the secret arms smugglers who helped win the American Revolution. Fans can support LIBERTY on Kickstarter now.
While Jordan Mechner is best known as the creator of the pioneering Prince of Persia video games as well as beloved games like KARATEKA and THE LAST EXPRESS, he has spent recent years writing breathtaking graphic novels including Monte Cristo, a thrilling modernization of Alexandre Dumas’s classic novel drawn by Mario Alberti (The Wall) and the graphic memoir Replay which was awarded the 2023 Chateau de Cheverny graphic novel prize. With LIBERTY, the renowned creator is joining forces with one of France’s most dynamic art duos Étienne Le Roux and Loïc Chevallier, whose intricately detailed and profoundly expressive artwork has earned them legions of fans around the world.
“As an American living in France, I’m doubly thrilled that my graphic novel LIBERTY is being published in English by Magnetic Press. From the moment I learned about this incredible real-life ‘black op’ to save the American revolution in 1776 by shipping illicit arms from France across the ocean to a desperately outgunned rebel army, I knew I had to write it.” explains Jordan Mechner. “The odd-couple partnership of two men who changed history, yet have few statues in their honor — Parisian playwright Pierre Caron de Beaumarchais (The Marriage of Figaro) and Connecticut secret agent Silas Deane — grabbed my imagination. Without their courage, ingenuity, and the huge personal risks they took for a good cause, it’s unlikely we’d be celebrating July 4th as a holiday today.”
Set in 1776, LIBERTY follows the daring exploits of Silas Deane, a Connecticut merchant, and Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais, a flamboyant French playwright. While Beaumarchais is most famous for writing The Barber of Seville, his most important work was done in secret. While an outnumbered American rebel army struggles to defend New York against British forces, Beaumarchais orchestrates a clandestine mission from Europe to funnel weapons and support to the colonists. His efforts — fraught with political intrigue, betrayal, and high-stakes diplomacy — reveal a hidden chapter of history where art, ambition, and revolution collide.
“This is the American Revolution in stark relief — no mythmaking heroics, just a global chess match of empires, merchants, smugglers, and idealists.” says Magnetic Press’ Director of Publishing, Mike Kennedy. “It’s a story of the struggle for freedom and political subterfuge, told with sweeping historical scope and intimate human drama. The 250th anniversary of American Independence is the perfect moment to bring this acclaimed graphic novel home to America. The Revolution wasn’t just about the birth of our nation; it was an international uprising with global implications, and LIBERTY captures that truth with nuance and cinematic flair.”
In addition to the deluxe hardcover edition of LIBERTY, Magnetic Press is also producing a Limited Collectors 250th Anniversary edition, which will feature a foil-stamped slipcase with Fleur‑de‑Lis & Liberty Iconography, a ribbon bookmark, foil-gilded pages, and a bookplate signed and numbered by Jordan Mechner. Fans can support LIBERTY on Kickstarter. For more updates on Magnetic Press, visit them on X, Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram.
About the Creators
Jordan Mechner is an American video game designer, graphic novelist and screenwriter, best known as the creator of PRINCE OF PERSIA, and as a pioneer of cinematic storytelling in the video game industry. His other games include KARATEKA, THE LAST EXPRESS, and PRINCE OF PERSIA: THE SANDS OF TIME. He became the first game creator to adapt his own work as a feature film screenwriter with Disney’s PRINCE OF PERSIA (2010). He has written graphic novels in collaboration with various illustrators, including TEMPLAR, MONTE CRISTO, and LIBERTY. His latest work, REPLAY, a graphic novel memoir that interweaves his life as a game developer with his family history in Europe during WW2, was awarded the 2023 Chateau de Cheverny graphic novel prize.
Étienne Le Roux is an acclaimed French comics artist known for his expressive linework, cinematic storytelling, and meticulous historical detail. A veteran of the bandes dessinées world, some of his most noted and critically acclaimed titles include 14-18, a historical series that documents the experiences of soldiers during the First World War, and The Cimmerian: The Scarlet Citadel, based on the Conan novel by Robert E. Howard. He has earned a reputation for dynamic composition and emotional clarity. In Jordan Mechner’s LIBERTY, Le Roux brings that same precision and narrative power to the sweeping intrigue of the American Revolution, giving the story its vivid atmosphere and immersive visual authenticity.
Loïc Chevallier is a French comics artist and colorist known for his atmospheric compositions, expressive character work, and strong command of historical and dramatic storytelling. In Jordan Mechner’s LIBERTY, Chevallier brings depth and tonal richness to the series, enhancing its political intrigue and 18th‑century settings with layered textures and cinematic lighting. Beyond LIBERTY, he has contributed to acclaimed projects such as The Brothers Rubinstein and 14-18. Beyond illustration, Chevallier is highly regarded as a colorist , establishing himself as a versatile illustrator whose work blends precision, mood, and narrative clarity.