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Shoto Press announces groundbreaking graphic novel of alternate history
Alexander the Great conquers old and new worlds in The Golden Vine

NEW YORK -- August 30, 2002 -- Shoto Press announced today that it has finalized plans to publish its second international collaboration, The Golden Vine. The 304-page graphic novel, which is due for full public release in January 2003, is innovatively printed in full color with gold ink, and the first in its medium to answer the perennial question in Alexander the Great scholarship: What if Alexander had lived and conquered the entire world?

Shoto Press is an award-winning small press imprint specializing in speculative fiction and graphic novels, and recipient of a 2002 Xeric Foundation grant for its critically acclaimed graphic novel Garlands of Moonlight.

"There were times when the project seemed almost as far-reaching as one of Alexander's campaigns," said author Jai Sen. "The book represents the work of a creative team of 21 people in four different countries, and to our knowledge, this is the first major alternate history on this subject attempted in any medium."

The Golden Vine takes its title from a legendary treasure owned by the royal house of the Persian Empire, the most powerful monarchy of its time, which the historical Alexander overthrew in 333 BCE at the age of 23. Alexander's discovery of the vine also represents the point at which Sen branches off from recorded history and explores the legacy Alexander might have left had he followed a different path.

The historical Alexander died at the age of 33, and his extensive empire crumbled in the succession wars that followed his death. In order to trace a different trajectory for the conqueror in The Golden Vine, Sen immersed himself in an intricate five-year development process that began with exhaustive research and included a two-year relocation to Japan, where he could work closely with his chosen artists through translators and interpreters.

The lead artists chosen to work on the project, Tokyo-based illustrators Umeka Asayuki, Seijuro Mizu, and Shino Yotsumoto, were picked after a five-month search that involved more than 300 portfolio reviews. Each artist is responsible for one of the three distinctive visual narratives that comprise the story.

Commenting on the upcoming spate of Alexander-related film projects, including productions directed by Mel Gibson, Baz Luhrmann, Martin Scorsese, and Oliver Stone, Sen said, "I hope that The Golden Vine will be of even greater interest to those who see the films, because the essential question suggested by the story of Alexander's life is, 'what if?' There's a doubly tragic aspect to Alexander's early death, because everyone wonders what he might have accomplished if he'd lived longer. It's a natural conclusion after considering the implications of his life and ambitions--and that's the soul of our project, its most significant distinguishing feature."

The Golden Vine is available now for pre-order at the Shoto Press web site (URL: www.shotopress.com). Pre-orders at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble Online start in November 2002.

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