Nick Abadzis – illustratör

Nick Abadzis masterfully blends fiction and fact in the intertwined stories of three compelling lives. Along with Laika, there is Korolev, once a political prisoner, now a driven engineer at the top of the Soviet space program, and Yelena, the lab technician responsible for Laika's health and life. This intense triangle is rendered with the pitch-perfect emotionality of classics like Because of Winn-Dixie, Shiloh, and Old Yeller. Abadzis gives life to a pivotal moment in modern history, casting light on the hidden moments of deep humanity behind history. Laika's story will speak straight to your heart.

On the eve of the release of his latest movie, The Lady From Shanghai, Orson Welles receives a gift: an admirer has sent him a box of cigars. Rich and full-bodied, they are the finest he’s ever tasted. But then, these are no ordinary cigars: they’ve been assembled by the most famous cigar roller in Cuba, Conchita Marquez. It is an exquisite gift, though one not appreciated by Orson’s wife, Rita Hayworth. As Welles smokes these most coveted of cigars, he daydreams about the plump genius Conchita Marquez, whose story of triumph, despair and love unfolds within the pages of this stunning and imaginative graphic novel.