The legendary rock icon Freddie Mercury is to be honored in an all-new book inspired by his music, life, and words.

The press release follows:

Media Release -- Z2 Comics is proud to partner with Universal Music Group and Mercury Songs Ltd for Freddie Mercury: Lover of Life, Singer of Songs, the first-ever graphic novel paying tribute to one of the greatest figures the music world has ever known.

A first in the comics format, Freddie Mercury: Lover of Life, Singer of Songs will be a journey through Freddie's life; from his childhood in Zanzibar and India', through his formative years in England, to becoming the rock star, known and loved by millions around the globe. The story is told in his own words, with each chapter giving a glimpse into the many facets of his life.

Written by Tres Dean (All Time Low Presents: Young Renegades), the graphic novel will give true insight into the many experiences that helped shape the young Farrokh Bulsara and his compelling existence, both on and off stage—that was the life of Freddie Mercury, Lover of Life, Singer of Songs.

Following up on the tremendous success of the Oscar-winning 2018 film Bohemian Rhapsody, and inspired by the book Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words, compiled by Greg Brooks and Simon Lupton, this upcoming graphic novel will be another essential addition to the bookshelf or coffee table of fans new and old, sumptuously illustrated by Kyla Smith, Robin Richardson, Safiya Zerrougui, Tammy Wang, and Amy Liu, with accompanying cover painting by David Mack.

Freddie Mercury: Lover of Life, Singer of Songs is available for preorder in standard 136 page softcover ($19.99) and hardcover ($29.99) editions, released in finer comic shops, book and record stores in November. Available exclusively through Z2 in a special hardcover deluxe edition for $99.99 complete with an exclusive vinyl LP, as well as limited edition prints by Sarah Jones, Kyla Smith, and Sanya Anwar. Reserve your copy today!

Freddie Mercury, universally recognised as one of the greatest performers in the history of rock music, lived up to his promise that he was going to become "a legend". His action-packed life took in being an art student, triumphs as the lead vocalist and creative voice behind Queen and a spell as successful solo singer and songwriter in the 80s.

It was while studying at London's Ealing Art School with a view to becoming a freelance artist that Freddie's musical ambitions were realised. "The music thing just grew and grew. I realised it was the biggest thing in my life and I decided to try and make my living from it." Meeting Brian May and Roger Taylor while performing with his band Wreckage, the three eventually decided to form a band together. John Deacon was enrolled into the band in early 1971 marking the beginnings of Queen as we have known them for close on 50 historic years.

Mercury persuaded fellow band members Roger Taylor and Brian May to change their name from Smile to Queen and remake the band as something 'completely fresh'. "My concept of Queen was to be regal and majestic - no half measures."

Queen's 1973 debut album 'Queen' was hailed as one of the most exciting new developments in rock music of the time. While Queen rose rapidly through two albums and early hits, it was Freddie's "Bohemian Rhapsody" that propelled the band into the super league. The immortal operatically styled single released in 1975 topped the UK charts for 9 weeks. A song that was nearly never released due to its length and unusual style remains one of the most recognised and lasting songs of the last half century.

Freddie's unique talents soon became clear, a voice with a remarkable range and a stage presence that gave Queen its colourful, unpredictable and flamboyant personality and through Freddie's ability to project himself and the band's music to the four corners of vast arenas they became known as the leaders of stadium rock.

While publicly recognised as the front man to one of the most progressive rock bands of the era, Freddie defied the stereotype. Driven by an inherent excitement for venturing into new territories led Freddie to explore his interests in a wide spectrum of the arts, particularly in the areas of ballet, opera and theatre, even leading to a successful recording partnership with Spanish opera diva Montserrat Caballé.

Queen continued to release best-selling albums and make history but perhaps it was their Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium, on 13 July 1985 that cemented the legendary status of Freddie and the band, not only going down in history as the day's show-stopping event, but one of the greatest live performances of all time. Faithfully recreated for the Queen biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" it helped elevate the film to become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time, a powerful testament to Freddie's spirit being every bit as central to the fabric of popular music today as it was during his unforgettable lifetime

About Z2 Comics:
Z2 Comics is the premier destination for official music-related graphic novels, created in partnership with top-tier artists, musicians, directors and pop-culture icons. Distributed globally via Simon & Schuster, Z2 has collaborated with such diverse artists as Elvis Presley, The Gorillaz, Machine Gun Kelly, Sublime, Yungblud, Cypress Hill, Babymetal, Major Lazer, Rico Nasty and Paul Oakenfold as well as debut comic works by Grammy-nominated artists Sturgill Simpson, Poppy and Anthrax. Additionally, the company has tapped top talent for the official graphic biographies of such pop-culture legends as The Grateful Dead, Beethoven and Charlie "Bird" Parker. In 2021, Z2 will publish graphic novel tie-ins to essential albums by The Doors, Ronnie James Dio, All Time Low with many more to be announced in the coming months.

About Universal Music Group 
Universal Music Group (UMG) is the world leader in music-based entertainment, with a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries. Featuring the most comprehensive catalog of recordings and songs across every musical genre, UMG identifies and develops artists and produces and distributes the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music in the world. Committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship, UMG fosters the development of services, platforms and business models in order to broaden artistic and commercial opportunities for our artists and create new experiences for fans. Universal Music Group is a Vivendi company. https://www.universalmusic.com/