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Lion Forge to Translate and Expand Palle Schmidt's Crime Thriller, Stiletto
Palle Schmidt is a Danish comics creator who specialises in dark, crime-ridden noir stories and one of his best-known graphic novels, Stiletto, was nominated for the Danish prize Pingprisen, a rarity for crime comics.
Schmidt received international attention when he worked with Chris Miskiewicz on the Boom series Thomas Alsop as well as for the Ghostface Killah album and comic 36 Seasons.
And now comic publisher Lion Forge is to adapt Stiletto into English for 2019 as well as expanding the storyline as well.
Lion Forge is using Stiletto to launch a new comic book format for the publisher, serialising it into three 48-page issues, priced at $5.99 each. Given most comics are currently priced as 20 pages for $3.99, this is intended to provide a bit more of a heft with each issue bought as well as better value for money. Each issue of the series will also be returnable to retailers, allowing them greater leeway in finding a ceiling of demand for the series.
"Stiletto looks like a buddy cop movie at first glance, but you'll definitely be surprised to see where it goes," says Denmark-based writer and artist, Palle Schmidt. "This is a gritty neo-noir full of twists and turns, corruption, betrayal, and greed. I spent years working on the book, really pouring my heart and soul into the project."
A crime story with a twist. The brutal slaying of two police officers guarding a material witness pin detectives Alphonse and Maynard against their toughest adversary yet. But as they get further into their investigation, they uncover a leak inside the police department known only as "Stiletto."
What appears to be a gritty police drama takes unpredictable turns as our heroes race against the clock to solve this double homicide and flush out the mole that puts them all at risk to the criminal underworld.
Palle Schmidt is one of those visionary writer/artist combos you rarely see," says Lion Forge senior editor, Greg Tumbarello. "His artistry and storytelling pull you into an intricate underworld that engulfs the senses and blurs the line between reality and fiction, making you feel like you're there on a ride-along with our detectives as they desperately search for the killer who has claimed the lives of two fellow officers. Stiletto weaves a thrilling mystery that flips the entire crime genre on its head and keeps you guessing until the pulse-pounding conclusion."
I'm thrilled we're able to present Stiletto in this longer format which has given me room to fully realize my original vision by expanding the story with new content," continues Schmidt. "Creatively, it's been a fascinating balance—being able to delve further into the darkest aspects of the story's themes, while maintaining a profound love for these tragic characters drowning in moral ambiguity."
Stiletto will be solicited for March 2019.