From the press release:

In the most ambitious book Oni Press has ever published, cartoonist Ray Fawkes tells the stories of eighteen individuals throughout history whose entire lives unfold simultaneously on the pages of his new graphic novel, ONE SOUL. Comprised entirely of double page spreads split into eighteen panels with each panel featuring one character’s life, Ray Fawkes has artfully crafted eighteen linear stories into one non-linear masterpiece. ONE SOUL reaches comic shops and book stores July 2011.

“Part of what’s so amazing about ONE SOUL is that it can really only be done in comics,” said editor in chief James Lucas Jones. “Initially you’ll read the book as you would any other comic, panel to panel, page to page, to get one story. But you’re also reading eighteen separate stories. Reading ONE SOUL is an indescribable experience.”

“They’re all very different,” Fawkes said of the characters in ONE SOUL, who cover a spectrum of classes, religions, and careers. “You could read them separately, read their lives one panel at a time, but when you put them together and see their differences and their common points, you catch a glimpse of a greater scope. The characters, through their frustrations and triumphs, are asking and answering big questions and, in a way, in cartooning ONE SOUL, I’m trying to do the same for myself.”

ONE SOUL is slated for a July 2011 release. Written and illustrated by Ray Fawkes, ONE SOUL features 176 pages in an oversized hardcover format with book design by famed comic artist Matt Kindt (SUPER SPY).

Ray Fawkes is a prominent comic writer and artist best know for his light-hearted kids comic series about a cuddly pit-demon, POSSESSIONS, as well as his collaborations with other comic creators including APOCALIPSTIX, MNEMOVORE, and SPOOKSHOW. www.rayfawkes.com

Oni Press Inc. is a leading publisher of independent, creator owned comic books. Founded in 1997 on the belief that comics can be used to tell any story, Oni Press has published hundreds of different comics and graphic novels. Their creator-owned comics have won numerous book, library, and comic awards. With a strong focus on character, genre, and story driver creator-owned work, Oni Press has become one of the most well respected publishers in the comic industry. www.onipress.com

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