Osprey Publishing will launch a new graphic novel series, Under Fire, in September, telling the stories of history’s most dramatic battles and campaigns through the eyes of the men who were there.
Offering authentic historical detail combined with vivid illustration and expert storytelling, the series stories aim to capture the heroism and despair, loss and comradeship of bold offensives and doomed assaults against the odds. Covering conflicts on land, at sea, and in the air, the series will explore combat history from ancient battlefields to modern trenches.
“Osprey is the world’s leading illustrated military history publisher, and we are thrilled to be working with Adam Fortier of Portmanteaux Press to bring history to life in this engaging visual format,” said Managing Director Richard Sullivan.
Adam has worked in the graphic novel industry for nearly 20 years, and has brought his expertise to bear on projects for clients from Disney to Games Workshop’s Warhammer. For Under Fire, he has drawn together a team of talented illustrators lead by Spanish artist Esteve Polls, the artistic force behind the El Zorro and The Lone Ranger graphic novels published by Dynamite, who will bring these incredible stories vividly to life.
“There are jobs and then there are passion projects, and each of the artists involved have turned these books into their passions. I can’t express how pleased and proud I am of how these books have turned out, and am so excited to pass these along to the readers for their enjoyment,” Adam commented.Under Fire will launch on 19th September 2019 with the publication of D-Day: Storming Fortress Europe. Written by Jack Chambers and Erik Hendrix, this vibrant title encapsulates the whole of that longest day, evoking the experience of both the Allied and German troops on land, at sea, and in the air.
This will be followed by The Battle of Britain by Dale Carothers on 31st October and The Battle for Guadalcanal by Georgia Ball on 28th November.
Editor Laura Callaghan commented that “the stories we’ve chosen to tell in our first Under Fire graphic novels are of some of the biggest, most critical campaigns of World War Two.
“It’s been fantastic seeing how the graphic novel format can really bring those stories alive as we get to follow the different characters through their experience of battle.”
Osprey Publishing is the leading publisher of illustrated military history. Now in its 50th year, Osprey has published more than 3000 titles on a wide range of military history subjects from ancient times to the present day, covering battles, campaigns, uniforms, weapons, equipment, tactics and organisation.
• For more about the range visit the Osprey web site
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D-Day: Storming Fortress Europe
by Jack Chambers and Erik Hendrix (Writers), Esteve Polls (Artist)
On Sale 19th September 2019
6th June, 1944: a vast armada approaches the coast of Normandy under cover of darkness. In the pre-dawn light, the beaches are quiet, but on board the ships the tension is palpable. Hours earlier, hundreds of airborne troops were dropped on targets inland and now naval gunfire begins to rain down on the fortified shore. Taken by surprise, the German defenders on the beaches race to man their positions. The first glimmers of dawn reveal thousands of ships packed tightly with tanks and men. The long-expected Allied invasion is here. The liberation of Europe is about to begin.
The D-Day landings are brought to life in this electric graphic novel which blends a historically authentic narrative with masterful illustration to tell the story of that Longest Day through the eyes of the men who were there.
The Battle of Britain
by Dale Carothers and Daniel DeVargas (Writers), Esteve Polls (Artist)
On Sale 31st October 2019
In the summer of 1940, the bombs began to fall over Britain. Seeking to pave the way for a full- scale invasion, Luftwaffe bombers flew over the Channel, dropping their deadly payload on key targets across the south of England. Scrambling to meet them were the pilots of the Royal Air Force. Men from Britain, the British Empire and Commonwealth, and even volunteers from occupied and neutral territories took to the skies against the might of the German forces. The Battle of Britain had begun.
Delving into the battle through the eyes of the pilots who lived through it, as well as the men and women in support roles on the ground and experiencing the battle as civilians, this vibrant graphic novel combines expert knowledge and master storytelling to bring the campaign to life, from the epic dogfights along the coast to the terror of the London Blitz.
The Battle for Guadalcanal
by Georgia Ball (Writer), Esteve Polls (Artist)
On sale 28th November 2019
A New World power facing off against an ancient empire. A desperate struggle to control a Pacific archipelago. A high-stakes campaign that would tip the balance in a fiercely contested theatre of war.
On 7 August, 1942, US forces invaded Japanese-held Guadalcanal, signalling the beginning of a campaign which would last over six months. The American troops who stormed the Solomon Islands forced the Imperial Japanese Navy to abandon Guadalcanal in a victory which marked the first step towards Japan’s eventual defeat.
This colourful graphic novel follows the stories of the troops on the ground, bringing the campaign vividly to life through the eyes of the soldiers, sailors, and pilots who fought on both sides. Combining an authentic historical story with striking visuals and expert storytelling, Guadalcanal reveals a campaign that changed the course of the War in the Pacific.
The Battle of Kursk
On Sale 19th May 2020
The Kursk campaign was the major German offensive of 1943 and saw some of the bitterest fighting on the Eastern Front in World War II. The Battle of Kursk is a dramatic retelling of the story of the battle in vibrant graphic novel form.
In 1943, the fate of the Eastern Front hung in the balance. After a crushing defeat at Stalingrad, the German Army, desperate to regain the initiative, planned a huge offensive near the city of Kursk, 280 miles south-west of Moscow. Armed with the new Panther and Tiger tanks, Hitler and Field Marshal Erich von Manstein hoped to cut off and destroy Soviet forces in the Kursk salient using a pincer attack. But the Soviets knew they were coming, and they were ready.
The elite SS Panzer divisions were flung headlong into a well-prepared Soviet defense, and a bitter battle ensued. This graphic novel brings that battle vividly to life through the eyes of the men who were there, combining historical authenticity with stunning illustrations to tell the full story of the last great German offensive on the Eastern Front.
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
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