NOTES ON A CHILD IS BORN THE GRAPHIC NOVEL
The greatest story ever told has a beginning…
Billy Tucci’s A Child is Born tells the famous story of nativity, the birth of Jesus. The nativity story comes from the Bible. The Bible is a compilation of texts or scriptures of a variety of forms that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. These texts include instructions, stories, poetry, and prophecies, among different genres. One of these stories is the nativity story, the story of the events surrounding Jesus’ birth. These events are described in the gospel of Matthew and the gospel of Luke. Each book was written at different times and in different locations.
A Child is Born was adapted from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, and meticulously researched with Nativity scholars including the clothes of the time, locations, and even the scientific explanation for the Star of Bethlehem to recreate the Middle Eastern world at the time of Jesus’ birth.
THE CREATIVE TEAM
The events surrounding Jesus Christ’s birth are illustrated by Billy Tucci who created a stunning rendition through his beautiful artwork. Billy is an award-winning illustrator, writer, and filmmaker. A graduate of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology, Tucci has sold more than three million comic books worldwide including the modern samurai graphic novel Shi, Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion and Miss Fury
The book was colored by Paul Mounts and lettered by Bill Tortolini. Barry Orkin worked on the design and Mike Renzine on the production. The book was edited by J.C Vaugh with cover art by Billy Tucci and Mark Sparacio. Rick Larson, Evan Archilla, and Jason Peet also collaborated in making this project a reality. The book was published in 2012 by Apostille Arts LLC.
ABOUT THE BOOK
The hardcover edition of this 32-page graphic novel is made with the highest quality paper, cover stock, and production detail. On the cover, the title and baby Jesus’s wrapping cloth have a gloss-over effect. As you open the book you will see beautiful uncolored art on the interior side of the hardcover. Next to it is a space to add the name of the lucky person you will gift this book to in case you decide to do so.
The story starts with a one-page passage from Isaiah 9:2:7. The main story is illustrated on 23 pages. By the end of the story, Billy shares with us through the 2-page “The Road to Bethlehem” his experience with the project and how much it means to him. Tucci found inspiration in his faith through his wife’s year-long battle with breast cancer and committed to putting the nativity story in a graphic novel.
Next, we will find 2 pages with original character artwork and a 2-page anecdotal story from Rick Larson, one of the project’s contributors. The book ends with one ad for the book and another for wordvision.org World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to building up communities from the injustices of extreme poverty.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The art is beautiful, and the story is told faithfully. Billy Tucci’s A Child is Born is a book for the whole family. I bought this book last year and fell in love with it. The hardcover edition is a beautiful gift to be shared with family and friends, especially for Christmas and Three Kings’ Day. There seems to be a paperback edition available as well.
The paperback edition of A Child is born can be found on Amazon. For the hardcover edition visit Billy Tucci’s online store. At this moment there is a special deal where you can get the hardcover book and 2 prints. Check it out!
All images in this publication belong to the original creators and are used as references under fair use.
Update December 2024: the hardcover edition is no longer available on Billy Tucci’s online store but the 2 prints are still available. They are 11” x 17” printed on Linen Paper, signed by Billy Tucci. The paperback edition is still available on Amazon.
My notes are all set. Let me know what you think.
See you on the next page!
This looks beautiful. A great gift indeed. Wishing you happy holidays and the best wishes for the new year. Keep up the great work!
Hi Jane,
Thank you for your support this year. You have no idea how much it means, it has been very encouraging.
I wish you and your family all the best for the holidays. Keep on rocking!