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Ardbeg debuts sci-fi comic
Scotch whisky brand Ardbeg has partnered with three artists to create its first sci-fi graphic novel.
The Islay single malt brand has released Planet Ardbeg, a limited edition 40-page sci-fi anthology.
The novel is inspired by the flavours and ‘origin stories’ of three of the brand’s whiskies – Ardbeg 10 Years Old, Ardbeg An Oa, and Ardbeg Wee Beastie.
Planet Ardbeg was conceived by New York cartoonist Ronald Wimberly, alongside artists Emma Ríos and Sanford Greene.
Wimberly, creative director on Planet Ardbeg, said: “When we first started thinking about making this graphic novel, I thought about Planet Ardbeg as a time machine. Time is important with whisky, and with Ardbeg An Oa, Ardbeg Wee Beastie and Ardbeg 10 Years Old what you’re talking about is three different time experiences.”
Greene’s action-packed ‘Guardians of Oa’ is inspired by the ‘rounded balance and smoky power’ of the An Oa whisky, and depicts a copper city coming under attack from a monstrous creature.
Meanwhile, Wimberly’s ‘The Best Laid Schemes’ is based on the ‘feisty and formidable flavours’ of Wee Beastie. The tale is a neo-Western featuring giant botanicals and beasts.
Ríos captured the ‘peaty essence’ of the 10-year-old Ardbeg in ‘Take it with a Grain of Sand’, which recounts a mystical quest through a land lost to time.
Colin Gordon, distillery manager, said: “It’s amazing to see the different smoky characteristics of these whiskies brought to life in graphic novel form. Each story in Planet Ardbeg is brimming with imagination and creativity. It’s a must-read for Ardbeg fans everywhere.”
Planet Ardbeg will be available to buy from the distillery’s visitor centre, select comic book shops, and online at Ardbeg.com in certain markets.
A free digital version will also be available exclusively for members of the Ardbeg Committee.
The brand will also debut a Planet Ardbeg campaign in the UK in October 2022. More details on the campaign will be revealed in the coming weeks.
In July, Ardbeg sold a cask of whisky for £16 million (US$19.3m).