Illustrated Arsène Lupin original works Kickstarter now live!
Update: The Kickstarter campaign is now LIVE! Check it out by clicking the banner below.
The gentleman thief Arsène Lupin is back, and like you have never seen him before!
Magnetic Press, publisher of many stunning graphic novels, art books, and periodicals, is bringing the original Arsène Lupin 1907 crime novella by Maurice LeBlanc to the English-speaking market in illustrated form.
Celebrated artist Vincent Mallie will be handling said illustrations, which accompany the story in a beautiful, textured hard cover book (although a digital version is also available).
The Kickstarter campaign for the one-hundred-and-sixty page book, which is launching next Tuesday (January 25th 2022), will offer an exclusive Cipher edition not available anywhere else. There are also some exclusive pre-order goodies up for grabs, if buyers order their copy early, which we will detail later in this post.
Fans of both Arsène Lupin and Lupin III will be able to pre-purchase Gentleman Thief, Arsène Lupin and the upcoming 50 animated years of Lupin the 3rd books at the same time, with the option of including the latter as an add-on.
The two-hundred page Lupin III artwork and history book will no longer have a pre-sale campaign on Kickstarter, however, is planned to release during June 2022. More information on this is due to drop in the coming weeks, and you can register for updates on this by checking the pre-sale campaign page here.
You can view the pre-sale campaign page for the Gentleman Thief, Arsène Lupin book by clicking here.
People who pre-register for the book on the pre-sale campaigns’ website will receive a free bonus linen card stock print added to their Kickstarter pledge.
A second print will be available for early birds who make their pledge on day one—Tuesday, January 25th 2022 (so act fast, if you want both)!
The images below show what to expect from the gorgeous looking limited Cipher edition, which comes bundled with a pocket notebook, gold foil bookmark, metal cipher coin of fate, seven of hearts key card and a 3” window cling. The Cipher edition will retail at $35 initially, but will shift to $40 once all early bird copies sell out. The standard edition will remain at $30.
We also get a quick look at how the upcoming Lupin III art book is shaping up, which includes a price point of $40 and, as mentioned earlier, a release window of June 2022.
Check out the full press release below:
Magnetic Press to Release New Edition of Classic ARSENE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN THEIF with Kickstarter Campaign
Maurice Leblanc’s Classic Debonair Burglar is Reintroduced in a Lushly Illustrated New Edition
CHICAGO, IL (January 19, 2022) — Acclaimed publisher of award-winning graphic novels and art books Magnetic Press has announced the May release of ARSENE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN THIEF, a brand new, illustrated edition of the classic 1907 crime novella by Maurice Leblanc. Newly illustrated by celebrated artist Vincent Mallie, the book re-introduces readers to the charming master thief Arsene Lupin whose brilliant capers have inspired a century’s worth of film, television, comic books, and animation hits that continue to this very day, including the recent live-action LUPIN series on Netflix and the beloved anime series LUPIN THE 3rd (which itself celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year).
To herald this new release, Magnetic will be offering limited, campaign-exclusive bonus items for pre-ordering during a Kickstarter campaign scheduled to launch on Tuesday, January 25th at 10am CST. The campaign will offer not only the book itself, but a limited, campaign-exclusive “Cipher” Edition Bundle that includes a pocket notebook, gold foil bookmark, a metal Cipher Coin of Fate, a Seven of Hearts Key card, a 3” clear window cling, and a handful of hidden puzzles to solve. This special themed bundle will only be made available through this campaign, along with a number of exclusive, limited edition linen cardstock prints of some of the beautiful artwork featured within. Fans are encouraged to visit http://www.magnetic-press.com/early-access-arsene-lupin/ to pre-register to receive an exclusive print added to their pledge for free, with another free exclusive added if they pledge on Day 1.
“Arsene Lupin is the original charming scoundrel who has, directly or indirectly, influenced generations of popular characters since he first appeared over 100 years ago,” says Mike Kennedy, Magnetic Press’s Publisher. “We’ve been in love with him for decades -- his legacy holds a special part of our heart, and this new edition perfectly captures his brilliance. Vincent Mallie’s gorgeous watercolors evoke a Studio Ghibli-like quality that feels perfectly suited considering Hayao Miyazaki’s first directorial feature was LUPIN THE 3rd: THE CASTLE OF CAGLIOSTRO, filled with direct nods to Leblanc’s original tales.”
Debuting in 1905, Arsene Lupin was created at the request of Maurice Leblanc’s editor in response to the popular literary sensation of the time, Sherlock Holmes. By combining the same detective dynamic with a mysterious and engaging anti-hero, Lupin provided a counterpoint to the “stuffy and moody” Holmes, even matching his brilliance in a handful of cross-over capers (originally under the name “Herlock Sholmes” for early copyright reasons). Their first encounter is included in this new edition.
ARSENE LUPIN, GENTLEMAN THIEF will be only the first Lupin-themed product coming from Magnetic Press this year, with the release of 50 Animated Years of LUPIN THE 3rd, a coffee table art book celebrating the 50 years of the beloved anime series coming this summer in partnership with TMS Entertainment, the prolific Japanese animation studio behind the popular series. Backers of the ARSENE LUPIN Kickstarter will have first access to pre-order this 200-page Anniversary Art Book as an add-on to that campaign. A separate pre-orders website for the Anniversary Art Book will open shortly thereafter, with the book scheduled for release in June. In the meantime, fans are encouraged to register for Lupin the 3rd news and notification at www.lupin-3-rpg.com. (Note: The ARSENE LUPIN book is being independently produced and is not affiliated with TMS Entertainment or Monkey Punch Studios.)
Fans can bookmark the Kickstarter campaign to be notified of launch by visiting https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/neurobellum/arsene-lupin-gentleman-thief.
More info about Magnetic Press is available on Facebook, Twitter, and the official website, www.magnetic-press.com.
For TMS Entertainment’s latest announcements regarding LUPIN THE 3rd and other anime titles, be sure to like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.
