Ascend

by Arem, Keith; Sly, Christopher; Hedman, Kristian K.

• ISBN13: 9781935935988
• ISBN10: 1935935984
• Edition: Limited
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2012-11-06
• Publisher: ORO editions

Summary

Following its sold-out releases in 2005 and 2008, Ascend: Special Edition returns to stores. The leather bound hardback release of “Ascend: Special Edition” features 200 pages of stunning artwork in a post-apocalyptic Heaven, where Angels battle over “harvested souls” in the Purgatory Wars. Sebastian, plagued by nightmares of a battle in Heaven, awakens to find himself drafted into the brutal “Purgatory Wars” - where an eternal battle for human souls has destroyed both Heaven and Hell. Reunited with his long lost brother Gideon, Sebastian learns that Angels have begun to “harvest” human souls to reinforce their legions in the war. Gideon plans to lead a revolution to regain their family’s power, but their ill-fated rebellion casts them to Earth as fallen angels. Realizing he holds the key to ending the war, Sebastian must face his brother, before Gideon destroys the cycle of life on Earth. Set in a time of post-apocalyptic heaven, ASCEND is the dark and seductive story of an innocent hero pulled into a magical world. Akin to the visual styling of the “The Matrix”, “Underworld”, “300” and “Gladiator,” Ascend is the tragic love story of a young couple, Sebastian and Rebeka, caught in a struggle between brothers, and an epic battle between Heaven and Hell. The 9”x13” art book includes original story and research notes, full leather cover, silver foiled embossing, vellum lead sheet, and slip cover case.

Author Biography

Ascend creator, Keith Arem, is Creative Director of Los Angeles-based PCB Productions. Known for his music with Capitol recording artists “Contagion,” and LA Underground industrialists “Biohazard PCB,” Arem has been a leading creator and digital post-production supervisor for the interactive community, serving as Director of Audio for Virgin Interactive Entertainment and Electronic Arts Pacific. Arem holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Audio Engineering and Electronic Music Synthesis from California State University Dominguez Hills. Arem has produced and recorded over 500 commercial releases in the film, music, and interactive industries, including franchises for: Call of Duty series, Ghost Recon series, Spiderman series, X-Men series, Lord of the Rings, Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, Saint’s Row series, War/Fall of Cybertron, Prince of Persia series, Darksiders Series, Rainbow Six series, Hack//Sign, Ridge Racer series, Contagion’s Infectant, and Ascend. Arem’s clients include: Sony, Activision, Microsoft, UbiSoft, Universal, Disney, Nintendo, Boeing, THQ, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and Fox. Artist Christopher Shy is an illustrator, painter, and writer who has worked in comics, games, and film since 1993. President of Studio Ronin, Shy's recent work includes Dead Speed, X-Men, Black Panther (Marvel Comics), Resistance (DC Comics), and products for White Wolf, Arbor Sports, and Sims Snowboards. Christopher Shy is the creator of Man to Leaves, Seven Leaves, Syndicate Has No Face, Hateful Youth, AunJnu, and Apokolpse Ant. Voted artist of the year at Origins, and Spot Lighted as Artist of the Year for White Wolf Games, Shy was chosen for the prestigious 2003 cover of the Wisconsin Review by the University of Wisconsin. Ronin’s clients include, Microsoft, Marvel Comics, DC Comics, LucasArts, White Wolf Productions, Russell Productions, Ubi Soft, Red Storm, among many others. Art Director, Kristian K. Hedman oversees the visual aspects of PCB Production’s original content. Hedman created Ascend’s strong and consistent visual look and identity across multiple media. Hedman was responsible for the overall design, post-production, and finalizing of the panel artwork. He designed and created promotional assets, trailers, and the official website (preparetoascend.com). Kristian K. Hedman is a veteran of the video game and design industries with a list of credits that spans over 15 years of creative innovation. As Creative Director & Art Director at PCB Productions, Hedman oversees visual aspects of PCB’s original content production. Hedman also heads acclaimed Los Angeles-based motion graphics and design studio Metaphor. Hedman’s clients include: Sony, Activision, Mattel, Virgin, Disney, Electronic Arts, Marvel, and Insomniac Games.