Éditions Delcourt and Improper Books are delighted to announce PORCELAINE: 01 – GAMINE, the first French language volume of Benjamin Read and Chris Wildgoose’s Porcelain trilogy, is being released today, 17th September 2014.

Porcelain first came to the attention of Delcourt in 2012 at the Thought Bubble comic festival in Leeds, when Thierry Mornet, Delcourt’s Editor in Chief, discovered Benjamin and Chris’ work from a free preview published by Improper Books.

“When I discovered Porcelain, about two years ago in Leeds, I immediately fell in love with the book,” said Thierry Mornet. “Among all the projects I had the chance to see there, Porcelain stood out. The art was what I saw first; it was soft, delicate, and almost fragile – like real porcelain, actually – and lovely stuff. Then the story and atmosphere grabbed me, and it has never let go since then.”

“When you discover a project at such an early stage, you never know what the final book will look like. Sometimes, it might not deliver the same intensity and emotion as the first impression you had. In the case of Porcelain, it only gets better and better. When you open this book, you simply cannot let go. It grabs you.”

“And if the first reaction I’ve witnessed from people who’ve seen the book is any indication of the success to come, this will be huge. And the creators of this gem simply deserve it!”

As the leading independent comic publisher in France, and with a strong record of adapting US comics, Delcourt’s passion and expertise were a natural fit for the French language edition of Porcelain: A Gothic Fairy Tale and its sequels.

As part of the three-book deal, two sequels are currently in development; with release of the French editions scheduled for 2015 and 2016. Subtitled BONE CHINA and IVORY TOWER, the sequels will explore the aftermath of the first book and the consequences of Child’s choices.

Speaking about the deal, writer Benjamin Read said, “The look of Porcelain was very much inspired by the aesthetic of the European comics movement, so it’s an absolute joy for it to go full circle and be published in France, particularly by such an established and renowned company as Delcourt.”

“The intention with the next two books is to move beyond the normal fixed frame of the fairy tale and instead show a whole life. In the second book, BONE CHINA, she will be Lady. In the third book, IVORY TOWER, she will be Mother, but not perhaps how you think. We will follow Child as she grows into a woman; living out her grand, terrible, and, ultimately, legendary life.”

Written by Benjamin Read and illustrated by Chris Wildgoose, with colours by André May, and lettering by Jim Campbell, Porcelain is set within a world that’s a darkly magical echo of our own. It follows the urchin, Child, as she steals into the Porcelain Maker’s garden. Captured by his alchymical porcelain automata, she charms her way into his life and he becomes the father she never had. He has only one rule; she must never, ever, open the workshop door.