Clarence, awakening in the bathroom where he died, wanders strange landscape as he follows the directions cryptic message written in the steam that has settle on the bathroom mirror: "FIND ME." This is no dream. This is death. A suicide, Clarence must find his way through the afterlife, meeting strange creatures and characters, in order to find the meaning of the life he chose to end. The Clarence Principle, a new original graphic novel to be released by SLG Publishing in May 2007, follows Clarence on his journey of discovery as he delves into his own motivations, disappointments, and fatal flaws.

The Clarence Principle's two young creators, British writer Fehed Said and Thai artist Shari Chankhamma, are unafraid of tackling difficult topics, and though the story is peppered with whimsy, the book's tone remains dark.

"I have trouble categorizing it into one genre," said Said. "I hesitate to call it gothic or a fairy tale. That may be something readers have to decide for themselves, depending on what they get most form the book. One thing is for sure though--it's definitely noir."

For artist Chankhamma, Said's visually challenging script gave her the chance to push her talent to its limits. She comes through with the characterization of Clarence himself, who is in turns melancholy, curious, and angry, as well as with rich, overgrown landscapes, desolate cities and even a stark stage set. Though her art is manga-influenced, Chankhamma said the visuals in The Clarence Principle also owes a debt to artists Ashley Wood and Ben Templesmith. "Fehed's story allowed me to play around with plenty of quirky visuals and designs, forcing me to pay a lot of time and attention to backgrounds and settings," she said. "It was difficult and tiresome at times, but I'm glad I've taken up the challenge."

"Fehed and Shari's hard work, dedication and creative vision have gone to into creating a beautiful work," said Jennifer de Guzman, SLG's editor-in-chief. "The Clarence Principle has a compelling story that tackles tough themes, and it's visually stunning."

The Clarence Principle, a 224-page graphic novel, is the first OGN that SLG has published since Nil: A Land Beyond Belief by James Turner, in 2005. It will be published in May 2007 and retail for $12.95. It is available now for preorder from Diamond Comics, and will soon will also be available at SLG Publishing's website www.slgcomic.com, where there is also a preview of the graphic novel available for viewing.