The Sanctuary

In Nate Neal’s first full length graphic novel, the author explores the primalmysteries and sordid inner workings of a Paleolithic cave-dwelling tribe, creatingan original “silent” reading experience by using symbols instead of words.

When a mysterious nomad girl is offered up as an item of trade, she seeksrefuge by forming a tenacious friendship with the local cave-painter turnedoutcast. Together they set out on a dangerous mission to bring truth to theircorrupt tribe with the help of their new discovery (via some psychotropicmushrooms): drawings that tell a story. Subsequently, they become enmeshedin the violent power struggles and sensual intrigues between the alpha malesand alpha females.

In Sanctuary, art, inspiration, and communication is in conflict with traditionand law, and the novel dramatizes the moral imperative of man facing thetruth even at the cost of his, and society’s, lives.

Featuring its own delicately crafted Paleolithic language, The Sanctuarybreaks new ground by bringing complex ideas to the page with primal immediacyand sophistication through Neal’s adroit use of pantomime storytellingthat provide many layers of symbolism and meaning. This is a darkly comicjourney through a prehistoric re-imagining of art and comics.