LRNZ's Post-Apocalyptic Graphic Novel Geist Maschine Vol. 1 Released

Italian artist LRNZ (Lorenzo Ceccotti, born 1978 in Rome) has published Geist Maschine Vol. 1, the first chapter of a planned trilogy, through Bao Publishing in Milan in November 2021. The 240-page graphic novel, priced at €21, is set in a post-apocalyptic Rome where nature has reclaimed civilization, following siblings Sol and Len as they journey to the legendary city of Otan. They encounter Aiden, a hermit seeking to overcome loneliness, amid mysterious characters and giant habitable robots. The work synthesizes Ceccotti's career-long interests in esoteric symbolism, dystopian science fiction, manga, and Japanese animation, drawing influences from Métal Hurlant artists like Moebius, as well as Hayao Miyazaki's Conan the Boy in Future and Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and Katsuhiro Ōtomo's Akira. The narrative employs a cinematic, dynamic style that evokes anime. The project was developed over two years, entirely streamed on Twitch.tv, and involved collaboration with the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa, reflecting Ceccotti's engagement with new technology, previously seen in his work Golem.