The Illuminati Ball

Description

Acclaimed author and visual artist Cynthia von Buhler (Minky Woodcock: The Girl Who Handcuffed Houdini) brings her hit immersive theatre production The Illuminati Ball to the page in an all-new graphic novel which merges the myth and mystery surrounding the secret organisation of the rich and powerful who supposedly control the world with a story about human-animal hybrids who have escaped an experimental lab. Inspired by the legendary 1972 surrealist masquerade party that influenced Stanley Kubrick's film Eyes Wide Shut - hosted by the Baron and Baroness de Rothschild at their mansion in Paris - The Illuminati Ball combines elements of the fantastical with reality to tell an unforgettable story about power, cruelty, deceit, betrayal, and the insatiable hunger for freedom.

Cynthia Von Buhler aka Countess von Buhler is an American artist, performer, playwright and children's book author. Hailed by the press as "multitalented and eccentric" (Boston Globe), a "rising star," (NY Arts), and "one of the top contemporary surrealists" (Art & Antiques), Cynthia von Buhler has made a name for herself as an award-winning and critically acclaimed fine artist, author, and illustrator. Von Buhler's work has been likened to a trip down an ornate rabbit hole -- her stunning, three-dimensional paintings have been displayed in galleries and museums around the world, and have been reproduced and featured in books, magazines, and newspapers from TIME to The New Yorker. Her sculptures have also appeared on NBC's Law & Order and Kidnapped, she and her artwork were profiled in "Mary Magdalen: An Intimate Portrait" on the Lifetime Network. Von Buhler's artwork has appeared in animations on Nickelodeon. Her comic work includes Evelyn Evelyn: A Terrible Tale in Two Tomes with Amanda Palmer and Speakeasy Dollhouse: The Bloody Beginning.

Praise for The Illuminati Ball: "This elegantly drawn book will attract fans of burlesque and dystopian visions alike" - Publishers Weekly "Sinister and provocative ... the sexy stuff of nightmares" - Inverse "an inherently fascinating and thought-provoking graphic novel-- one that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after it has been finished." - Midwest Book Review "von Buhler's writing and illustrations are wonderful and entirely engrossing, inspiring and illuminating" - Roachies Reviews "[Von Buhler's] highly imaginative images match the strangeness of the story and will remain with you long after you close the book ... A story that will appeal to readers of fantasy fiction but has a wider significance" - NB Magazine "Plunges readers into a hypnotic and disturbing world that, when the ostentatious layers are peeled away, reflects our own" - Women Write About Comics "Combining wonderfully inventive fantasy with historical and scientific fact, Von Buhler's story reads like a twenty first century, psychedelic version of The Island of Doctor Moreau ... [this] gorgeously illustrated tale is both a stark warning of our own failures and a fascinating examination of what we, that is humanity, could become if we wanted to" - Mass Movement "Brims over with horror largess and images of nightmares" - Geekorama "Brings together mystery, conspiracy and the human condition in one magical story ... no doubt, The Illuminati Ball is one of the best books of the year" - The Daily Fandom "will appeal to the fans of SciFi fiction" - Mystery Tribune "The Illuminati Ball has a magnificent concept . . ."--New York Journal of Books "Dramatic, engrossing, and satisfyingly unpredictable" - Donovan's Literary Review "This isn't a one-read tale, this is a bath you must luxuriate in." -Seattle Book Review Praise for Cynthia von Buhler: I was seduced by Cynthia Von Buhler's artwork. She is a wonder." - Neil Gaiman "I've never read a comic like this...The art is stunning. 10 out of 10" - Geeks Worldwide "Something special" - Bleeding Cool "A lovely slice of 1920 s mystery, and a book that has cult hit written all over it. 4.5/5" - Nerdly "Hauntingly beautiful" - SnapPow "Sexy and spunky...I don't think that I can speak highly enough of this book." - Dorkland "Loved it. The art was stunning!" - Comic News Insider "OK, this may be the best title I've ever seen." - Eye on Comics "In a kinky world of spiritual mediums...[Minky] is its uncontested star." - Comicon "I love this art!" - Major Spoilers "9 out of 10" - Paradox Comics "Quite remarkable...you really can't say that anyone out on the market today is putting out as visually stunning and exceptionally colored comics as Von Buhler." --Outright Geekery