Explore Art and Identity with ‘The Red Diary’

If you want value for money and an intriguing storyline, look no further than THE RED DIARY/THE RE[A]D DIARY, slated for release June 13 from Image Comics.

A collaboration by Steven T. Seagle (from MAN OF ACTION Studios) and Teddy Kristiansen, an Eisner Award-winning painter, THE RED DIARY/THE RE[A]D DIARY using a flip-book format with two front covers, to present two graphic novels in one book. The Red Diary is a story about a Vermeer painting of questionable origin and a diary that unlocks long-forgotten secrets.

In an innovative twist, Seagle re-envisioned The Red Diary for flip-side of the book, taking Kirstiansen’s art to tell the tale of a soldier’s war crimes and how a stolen identity ended up saving two lives in The Re[a]d Diary.

An original graphic novel by Kristiansen, The Red Diary was first published in Europe (in Danish and French) under the title Le Carnet Rouge.

“The images of war were arresting and the sequences set in the world of fine art contrasted them so starkly that I couldn’t get it out of my mind,” said Seagle. “I immediately wanted to bring the book to American readers as soon as I saw it.”

Although Seagle was fascinated by the moody interiors depicted in Kristiansen’s work, he faced one key obstacle — he doesn’t speak French or Danish.

“It started to dawn on me that even though I was taken with Teddy’s book, I had no idea what it was about! Just a story I’d started to make up in my head about what I assumed was happening in his pictures,” said Seagle. “Eventually, I got Teddy to let me write my version of what I thought was going on before working with him on the translation of what was actually going on.”

While waiting for Kristiansen’s translation of his original story, Seagle wrote a story based upon what he thought was happening, leading to this unique graphic novel experience. According to Seagle:

“It’s amazing that one set of images could support two totally different tales. Because despite my best forensic efforts, our two stories turned out nothing alike!”

Seagle and Kristiansen have collaborated on various other projects in the past, including it’s a bird… and House of Secrets.

THE RED DIARY/THE RE[A]D DIARY is presented as a 144-page hardcover, full-cover, graphic novel and will be available June 13.