The Rosen Publishing Group has announced the January 2005 debut of Rosen Graphic Nonfiction, a series of twelve (so far) full color graphic novel biographies of key historical figures including: Alexander the Great, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Christopher Columbus, Sitting Bull and Spartacus.  One of the first books to be released is a biography of Alexander the Great, who is the subject of a major feature film helmed by Oliver Stone, which will be released this November. The books, which feature all new material, will include short informational essays plus maps as well as 48-pages of full color comic-style biography.  The perfect bound editions will retail for $9.95 and are targeted at young readers, aged 10 and up.

The Rosen Publishing Group is a 50-year-old independent, family-owned publishing house that publishes 700 new books each year, primarily for the educational market.  Diamond will list the new graphic novel biographies in its October and November Previews catalogs.  At this time Rosen does not have a distributor for these books in the bookstore channel.