News
Cancer Victory Leads Top Comic Author to Put Christ In Christmas
AUSTIN, Texas – Nov. 23, in the year of our Lord 2011
– Sales launch today on world-renowned, award-winning graphic
novelist Billy Tucci’s biblically accurate, meticulously
researched, beautifully drawn telling of the birth of
Jesus—Billy Tucci’s A Child Is Born. Tucci, called a “rock star”
of the comic world, was best known for the global success of the
modern samurai graphic novel, Shi, and for his groundbreaking
mainstream comic series, Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion. But it
was his wife’s one-year, victorious battle with cancer and its
effect on his family’s faith that led Tucci to A Child Is Born.
“Watching my wife’s winning battle against breast cancer made me
realize how wonderful life, love and family truly are,” Tucci
said, “and that at this point in our lives, no work is more
worthwhile to our family than illustrating this story of Mary
and Joseph.”
Tucci partnered with Evan Archilla and Dr. Jason Peet and
created Apostle Arts, producing their first graphic novel, A
Child Is Born, which features more than 80 panels drawn by Tucci
and colored by his frequent collaborator, Paul Mounts. Working
with nativity scholars and basing his text on the Gospels of
Matthew and Luke, Tucci painstakingly researched the clothes,
locales—even the scientific explanation for the Star of
Bethlehem—to recreate the Middle Eastern world at the time of
Jesus’ birth.
First and foremost, Tucci sees the nativity as a great story,
one perfectly suited to the graphic novel format. As Tucci told
his son, who asked about his father’s venturing away from “cape
and cowl” comics such as Batman, “Jesus is the greatest
superhero to ever walk the earth.”
When talk turns to superhero comics, Tucci knows a thing or two
about it. Shi, his graphic novel, modern samurai fable has sold
more than three million copies, been translated into five
languages and generated $25 million in sales. With that success,
Tucci moved into the world of mainstream comics with Sgt. Rock:
The Lost Battalion, a series that placed the iconic DC Comics
character in a historically accurate retelling of a famous World
War II battle. And Tucci saw that same potential for a gripping,
historically accurate story in the Gospels.
“What a story it is!” he said. “It’s filled with heartbreak,
joy, danger, fear, awe, love and hope all compacted into just a
few short New Testament verses.”
A Child Is Born sells through comic stores, bookstores and
online, published by Apostle Arts. Through bulk sale discounts
of 30 or more copies, churches and organizations can use A Child
Is Born as a fund-raiser or giveaway.
For more information or to order copies visit:
ApostleArts.com
Follow A Child Is Born on Facebook at:
Facebook.com/AChildIsBorn