Ancient purgatory gets a YA twist in this new Roman mythos comic
SEATTLE, Washington - 8/1/24
Updated - 11/21/24
In the twilight of the Era of Gods in Ancient Rome, Juppiter reigned supreme over the Pantheon... until Janus slew him. It was an accident, of course, but the gods faded away soon after, leaving bits of their powers to pass down through humans over time. Now, in the Digital Age, receiving the burden of an old god’s power isn’t considered a pleasant gift, especially Janus' powers, and their tendency to split the owner's personality into a million pieces. Marjam has just taken on Janus' powers with no trouble at all. At least that's the lie she's been telling. But when she gets trapped in Tartarus – The Prison of Wicked Souls, on an admittedly sketchy rescue mission, her broken powers are not enough to get her back out.She does have one trick left up her sleeve, but it would require confronting the truth about herself... She'd rather stay trapped in the Infernal Pit.
Written by visual storyteller and cartographer, Abrian Curington, JANUS is a full-color YA comic, slated to be approximately 350 pages. A Modern Fantasy tale, that is both literary and comedic, fusing ancient history with the modern lives of multifaceted characters (some more literally multifaceted than others), presented with a clean, clear look; something between Tintin and Revolutionary Girl Utena.
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It is a tale of letting go of who you were, in order to accept the person that you have become, and will grow to be.
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Readers can find its web release currently running at BlueCatCo.com/Janus, updated once monthly, and Patreon members have been enjoying early chapters and weekly updates on the project's progress for quite some time at Patreon.com/AbrianC.
Readers are saying:
"Abrian Curington's coming-of-age story Janus is populated by fascinating characters, not the least of which is Mari, whose foibles are charmingly human but whose powers are decidedly not. A beautifully drawn, dryly funny and mysterious take on Roman deities who walk among us." - Sophie Yanow​, award-winning creator of The Contradictions
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"I really enjoy the way [Abrian] blends ancient lore and contemporary styles." - Nic Rodriguez​
"Abrian has done her research, then spiced it up with a creative re-imagining of the classical world and mythology. This is populated with such engaging characters and action that one might not even notice the worldbuilding, but it weaves a richly entertaining tapestry that should captivate anyone from Rome nerds to anime fans." - Sarah Airriess, creator of the graphic novel adaptation of The Worst Journey in the World
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“It's SO good. I absolutely love seeing magic in modern day settings, and the characters have such clear personalities. The worldbuilding is chef's kiss.” - Tori Sharp, creator of Just Pretend and Stand Up
The Creator
Abrian Curington creates wonder in the form of maps, comics and illustrations that explore the intersection of the mundane and the fantastical. She’s a major nerd and serious tea drinker. Contact her at Abrian.Curington@gmail.com for further information.
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