BOOM! Studios’ latest original graphic novel invites readers to journey into the Underworld. Persephone, written by Loïc Locatelli-Kournwsky, is a modern day fantasy adventure featuring an emotionally nuanced story and lush art. Inspired by the Greek myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone, this graphic novel launches May 2018.

“For a long time I wanted to write a story that speaks to the bond between a mother and daughter, as well as this timeless theme we call ‘the quest for identity.’ This is something really important to me ‒ it was already the main subject of my previous book about Pocahontas, and something I experience in my everyday life as an expatriate. I’ve read Greek mythology stories many times and grew fond of Persephone and Demeter, so I decided to make a book about it,” said Locatelli-Kournwsky.

She may be the adopted daughter of the famous magician Demeter, but Persephone struggles to find her place alongside the force of nature that is her mother. Driven by recurring nightmares, she decides to explore the secrets of her birth, which everyone around her seems rather intent on keeping from her. With or without their help, Persephone will embark on an epic adventure deep into the Underworld where she’ll discover who ‒ or what ‒ she is.

For this OGN, Locatelli-Kournwsky drew much of his art inspiration from the works of the famed Hayao Miyazaki.

“I am absolutely crazy about Whisper of the Heart and Only Yesterday. The main characters from these movies were my main inspirations for Persephone. And Demeter is supposed to look like Kate Winslet from her film The Dressmaker, mixed with the Witch of the Waste from Howl's Moving Castle,” Locatelli-Kournwsky said. 

“Loïc caught our attention with his previous graphic novel, Pocahontas: Princess of the New World, so we were immediately drawn to Persephone and thought it would be a great fit for the Archaia imprint. With a beautiful mother-daughter story, plus themes of finding your identity and having the courage to persist, and combined with Loïc’s anime-inspired art style, I look forward to readers picking up Persephone and loving it as much as I do,” said Sierra Hahn, Senior Editor, BOOM! Studios. 

Print copies of the English-language debut of Persephone will be available for sale May 2018 at local comic book shops; booksellers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million; or through the BOOM! Studios webstore. Digital copies can be purchased from comiXology, iBooks, and Google Play, and on the BOOM! Studios app.