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2024 was the year of Bruce Dickinson, as he rocked the world with the release of his seventh solo album, THE MANDRAKE PROJECT, and an accompanying tour across Europe and South America. Never content to simply do the expected, Dickinson also released a companion comic series by the same name as an integral part of The MANDRAKE PROJECT identity. The series, which had been brewing in Dickinson’s head for over a decade, was received to thunderous acclaim.
Now, Z2 is proud to announce the impending release on August 5th 2025 of THE MANDRAKE PROJECT: YEAR ONE, which collects the first four issues in the series, along with the prologue. (Previously only available in the vinyl release of the single for Afterglow of Ragnarok.) Additionally, the oversized 12”x12”, 184 page volume Deluxe Editions include an extensive series of interviews and essays recounting the road Dickinson and the creative team took in bringing the album, tour, and comic series to life. With an introduction by Sons of Anarchy creator Kurt Sutter, the book is housed in an exquisite slipcase with a rotating embossed Mandrake dial and is bound with a sealing ribbon and gilt paper edging. The case also contains four exclusive foil collectors’ cards and the cast metal MANDRAKE PROJECT medallion seen in the comic and music videos. This book is the must have item for all lovers of Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, and supernatural tales!
When asked about the book’s release, Bruce Dickinson said “Finally we are at the end of the beginning. I honestly have to pinch myself to believe that Volume 1 of The Mandrake Project is upon us. I sometimes get the feeling that I am not fully in control of the story, and that some other entity is squeezing the blood out of my subconscious and turning it into ink on the page before my very eyes. We are just getting going. We are all… formed… of the dead.”
In May of 2024 Bruce became a patron of the William Blake Cottage Trust, which owns and preserves William Blake’s only surviving house. In homage to the storyline and with total reverence for THE MANDRAKE PROJECT’s inspiration, the Z2 team collected soil from the grave of the legendary English artist and poet, which was mixed into the ink for the printing of THE MANDRAKE PROJECT: YEAR ONE Deluxe Editions.
Bruce Dickinson added "William Blake has given me so much over the years and I want to repay the debt by helping to restore the Cottage. Despite his impact on the world, there is no centre for Blake, nowhere people can visit to see where he actually lived and worked during a key part of his life. I want to change this."
The oversized 12”x12” Deluxe edition with spinning slipcase and the limited, signed platinum edition will only be available directly from Z2 at Z2Comics.com, while a 9”x9” smaller hardcover edition without slipcase will be available via Z2’s retail partners Amazon and Barnes and Noble in the United States, and at HMV UK (Exclusive HMV Cover + Trading Card), as well as many independent comic and music shops worldwide.
When asked about THE MANDRAKE PROJECT: YEAR ONE, Z2’s Editor-in-Chief, Rantz Hoseley shared “You pray for collaborators like Bruce Dickinson. While we’ve always taken pride in the presentation and production of our books, Bruce challenged us to exceed our previous best, and we happily took that challenge on. The end result is a design so ambitious and lush it’ll make your jaw drop, and we cannot wait to have you dive into this beautiful beast of a book!”
Preorder yours today at Z2comics.com/BruceDickinson
This summer Bruce Dickinson takes The Mandrake Project on the road for his first extensive North American solo tour in almost 30 years. For ticket info regarding The Mandrake Project Live 2025 North American Tour go, HERE.
Fri, Aug 22 Anaheim, CA House of Blues
Sat, Aug 23 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
Mon, Aug 25 Phoenix, AZ Marquee Theatre
Tues, Aug 26 Albuquerque, NM Revel
Thurs, Aug 28 Houston, TX House of Blues
Fri, Aug 29 Dallas, TX House of Blues
Sun, Aug 31 Pryor, OK Rocklahoma*
Tues, Sept 2 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Thurs, Sept 4 Fort Lauderdale, FL Revolution
Sun, Sept 7 Sao Paulo, Brazil The Town*
Wed, Sept 10 Brooklyn, NY Brooklyn Paramount
Thurs, Sept 11 Boston, MA House of Blues
Sat, Sept 13 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
Sun, Sept. 14 Silver Spring, MD Fillmore Silver Spring
Tues, Sept 16 Toronto, ON HISTORY
Thurs, Sept 18 Montreal, QC MTELUS
Sun, Sept 21 Louisville, KY Louder Than Life*
Tues, Sept 23 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore
Thurs, Sept 25 Detroit, MI The Fillmore
Sat, Sept 27 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre
Sun, Sept 28 Minneapolis, MN Uptown
Tues, Sept 30 Denver, CO Summit Music Hall
Fri, Oct 3 Sacramento, CA Aftershock*
Sun, Oct 5 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern
*Festival date
ABOUT THE MANDRAKE PROJECT: YEAR ONE CREATORS:
BRUCE DICKINSON – a Polymath best known as the vocalist of Iron Maiden, and for his solo albums, Bruce has never been one to take the easy, expected, or pre-defined path in his life. Trained in aviation, Bruce had an additional career as a commercial pilot - eventually flying three versions of Iron Maiden’s Ed Force One culminating in a 747 that traversed the world with the band, crew, and all their stage gear on board. He’s hosted his own radio show on the BBC, has a podcast, starred in television documentaries & and produced films, created a multi-million-selling beer with Robinsons Brewery, and competed internationally in the art of fencing. Were that not enough, he’s written novels, non-fiction memoirs, film scripts, and comics. He’s developed the mythology & and story of The Mandrake Project for over a decade.
TONY LEE is a 1# New York Times bestselling author. Tony has written comics for international publishers including DC, Marvel, Hachette, IDW, Del Rey, and Z2. In 2008, he became the writer for the ongoing IDW Doctor Who comic, as well as the 2012 Doctor Who / StarTrek crossover series. He’s also known for his work in audio drama, notably the Confessions of Dorian Grey, Robin of Sherwood, Doctor Who, and Dodge & Twist, adapted from his own bestselling novel, and has written for both BBC One and ITV Studios. In 2021, Tony revealed he was the writer behind the bestselling series of Jack Gatland procedural crime novels.
STAZ JOHNSON is an English comic book artist best known for his work of DC Comics’ Robin and Catwoman series. He got his start in the mid-1980’s illustrating fantasy roleplaying games, before working for Marvel UK on weekly comics including Transformers and Action Force. In the 1990’s he began working for the legendary British publication 2000 AD, rendering stories for Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper. His comic work includes runs on comics for Marvel and DC and a graphic novel adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula.
PIOTR KOWALKSI Started his professional career in Europe working on series such as Gail, La Branche Lincoln, Urban Vampires and Badlands. He published his first comic series in the American market in 2010 and since then has produced almost 150 issues, including Marvel Knights: Hulk, The Dark Tower, The Witcher and Wolfenstein. A big fan of horror, you can also find him playing death metal on his five-string bass guitar.
BILL SIENKIEWICZ is a multi-Eisner Award-winning artist known for revamping the style of comic and graphic novel illustration—a feat earning him an international reputation across media industries, as well as entrée into the Eisner Hall of Fame. He is most noted for Marvel’s Elektra: Assassin, Moon Knight, and New Mutants—inspiring FX’s Legion and Disney’s Moon Knight series—and his acclaimed graphic novel Stray Toasters. He has garnered two Emmy nominations and contributed artwork for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Batman, Dune, Logan, The Grinch, The Green Mile, and Unforgiven. His work within the field of music includes album covers for Dio, EPMD, RZA, Kid Cudi, T.I., and Seth MacFarlane.
Z2:
Recently dubbed the "hottest brand in music" by Forbes, Z2 has quickly become the premier destination for authentic graphic novels and collectibles, created in partnership with top-tier artists, musicians, and pop-culture icons. Distributed globally via Simon & Schuster, which handles book trade distribution, Z2 has produced 50+ unique graphic novel properties, collaborating with Gorillaz, Blondie, Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, Balmain, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Jason Derulo, The Grateful Dead, Tori Amos, Pantera, Machine Gun Kelly, Sublime, Beethoven, Spiritbox, RZA, Mötley Crüe, Vince Staples, Cheech & Chong, The Doors, Emily Hampshire, Anthrax, Public Enemy, Ronnie James Dio, King Diamond, All Time Low, Judas Priest, Ivan Moody, Yungblud, Cypress Hill, Babymetal, Major Lazer, RZA, Alter Bridge, Sturgill Simpson, Poppy, John Lee Hooker, and Charlie “Bird” Parker. Additionally, RSK handles distribution to the record trade in the UK, while Bertus oversees distribution to the record trade in mainland Europe. Learn more at Z2comics.com, and follow us on Instagram (@z2comics) and Twitter (@z2comics).
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