Kalevala

By Sami Makkonen

A stunning comic adaptation of the Finnish national epic Kalevala, which inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to write Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings. This graphic novel tells the adventures and fates of wizard Väinämöinen, warrior Lemminkäinen, black-smith Ilmarinen and and several other larger-than-life characters looking for love, riches and magic in the far-away lands of the ancient North. The world of Kalevala is lyrical, harsh and perfectly unique.  

Publishing information

Rights sold

About the author

Sami Makkonen (b. 1975) is an accomplished comic book artist who has also worked with American publishers for well over a decade.Makkonen is best known for his four volumes of the Eisner Award nominated Hatter M. series, which has made to The New York Times Best Seller list. Other illustration work includes Ryse: Sword of Damocles, and the artist’s impressive cover art for Clive Barker’s Hellraiser series. Makkonen has also received the Sarjis Award for Best Fantasy Comic, and has been nominated for multiple other prizes, including the Ghastly Award for his work on the Deadworld graphic novel series.In 2019, the artist brought out his first comic novel, Kalevala, which was Makkonen’s first book published in Finnish. This was followed by the epic sequel, Kalevala – Sampo, in 2020. This two-part story is a stunning and gripping comic rendition of the Finnish national epic Kalevala, in which Makkonen mixes horror and fantasy to depict the tales of classic characters from Finnish mythology.