Perhaps the shipwreck of the fine ship Persepolis looked somewhat less romantic than the above image, but Lon Armadale imagined it exactly like this when he discovered the remains of his father’s ship. Page 7 of my new work-in-progress graphic novel, Pirates of New York , shows the moment when four circus performer siblings discover their father was a notorious pirate who sailed on a ship called the Persepolis.

They instantly recognize their father’s features in the ship’s figurehead, as it so closely resembles his current stage persona of the Great Persian Mage. The moment they meet the Persepolis face-to-face changes their lives forever. The spirit of the beautiful ship pursues them wherever they go, demanding they solve her mystery.