Zondervan to Present Messiah: Origin at New York Comic Con

Zondervan, one of the largest Christian publishing firms in the U.S., announced plans this week to publish a graphic novel based on the early life of Jesus. Translated by Mark Arey with script adaptation by Matt Dorff and published by Zondervan, a division of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Origin adds a visual perspective to scripture and is the first part of their anticipated Messiah series of graphic novels. Messiah: Origin will be available in retail stores and online on October 9, 2013, with a heavy presence at New York Comic Con the following weekend. Translated by Mark Arey exclusively from ancient Greek manuscripts, Origin weaves the four gospels into one story. Paired with the illustrations of Lucasfilm Prize Winning artist Kai Carpenter, Zondervan hope to create a memorable and indispensable vision of the life of Jesus--something that's been attempted before, with mixed results. "Our early market success in paring the scriptures with illustrations in a graphic novel format is encouraging and we are grateful to be working with such gifted creative talent," explains Chip Brown, Sr. Vice President and Group Publisher for Zondervan. "Messiah: Origin is high-quality, hand painted fine art, worthy of gallery presentation, and there are over 288 rich illustrations throughout the book."