Arizona Opera to Release CARMEN: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, Arizona Opera announced that it will release CARMEN: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL this holiday season. 

The spring campaign had an initial goal of raising $20,000, which was funded within three days of going live. The goal was more than doubled over the course of the campaign. 

“It is a thrill for Arizona Opera to share the work of this remarkable team of artists through the graphic novel format and the timeless story of Carmen,” said Joseph Specter, Arizona Opera’s president and general director. “Throughout the pandemic, our company constantly pursued novel approaches to connecting people through opera, when people need art and meaning the most. CARMEN: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL represents an amazing opportunity to extend that focus on innovation, impact and community.”

The project was made in collaboration with operatic tenor, director and writer Alek Shrader, with layout and page design by P. Craig Russell, illustrations by Aneke Murillenem and lettering by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou. Clover Press, a San Diego-based comic and art book publishing” company, will publish CARMEN: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL. 

“This project first came to our attention on Kickstarter,” said Clover Press publisher Hank Kanalz. “I’m a big fan of P. Craig Russell’s work and have his previous opera adaptations. So, what started as a purchase for my private collection became a publishing partnership with Arizona Opera for the book itself.”

The development of the graphic novel originated through Arizona Opera’s OnPitch Business Challenge, a competition for individuals to propose new earned revenue sources to Arizona Opera. This challenge was in association with Arizona State University’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts and W.P. Carey School of Business. 

CARMEN: THE GRAPHIC NOVEL will be available nationwide in early December at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, independent bookstores and comic shops.