Seeing the lack of good reading material, especially for children and young adults, the Symbolic World Press seeks to bridge the void filled traditionally by storytelling by the fireside or by long familiar and cultural traditions of tale-telling that have largely disappeared in the internet age. In particular, we are appalled at how literature for children in particular seems to be the vanguard for new, non-traditional, and damaging worldviews that traditional cultures have always rejected.

Mission Statement

The mission of Symbolic World Press is to re-awaken our culture to its deepest roots through stories and symbolic analysis. The vision for Symbolic World Press is to bring about a world where the truest stories connect us to our past, to each other and move us towards a future in service of the Good.

What We Publish

The Symbolic World Press is Jonathan Pageau’s new collaborative publishing venture specializing in high-quality–crafted books inspired by classic fairy tales, but re-told in surprising ways that are compelling to the modern reader but also resonant with ancient traditions of storytelling.  

Symbolic World Press publishes books, graphic novels, and the Symbolic World Journal. At the present time, all SWP publications are collaborations initiated by Jonathan Pageau and produced under his creative direction and delegation to executive editors.

If you wish to submit a book project, please link to this form and briefly introduce work in the body of the message. Please attach your curriculum vitae, resume, or artist statement, as well as your book proposal. You may attach a sample chapter if available, but please do not submit a complete manuscript unless invited.

History

With the momentous success of his graphic novel God's'Dog: Monster and illustrated storybook The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen, Pageau has launched the Symbolic World Press to publish not only these two collaborative series but also a pipeline of publications that seek to reclaim the storytelling landscape in both fiction and literary criticism. 

God's'Dog: Monster was the first volume in a graphic novel series. It begins the legendary retelling of the story of the dog-headed Saint Christopher woven into an epic legendary world, where angels, giants, dragons as well as warrior saints and mysterious monks deal with the consequences of the world's very first relic.  

The Pageau Brothers, Jonathan and Matthieu, created the epic story of God's'Dog ten years ago as a screenplay. Although it garnered some attention and was requested by some Hollywood studios, the story was far too surprising and strange for Hollywood. 

In 2022, they ran a successful Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign through which they involved artist Cord Nielson in adapting the God's'Dog screenplay into a series of graphic novels. God's'Dog: Monster, is now printed and distributed, its rich and moody colors inked by professional artist Felipe Cartin. The second volume, God’s’Dog: Warrior, is slated for publication in 2024.   

Tales for Once and Ever

Following the publication of God’s’Dog: Monster, Jonathan launched another crowdfunding campaign for a a series of fairy tales, and with the success of this campaign, Jonathan launched an independent publishing company, the Symbolic World Press, which has now published the first book of the fairy tale series, The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen.

This eight-volume project is entitled Tales for Once and Ever and is a retelling of classic fairy tales, interwoven to draw out the symbolism inherent to these beloved folk tales using the techniques and tropes of modern storytelling while representing the best of traditional narrative format. The project features some of the cleverest storytelling techniques of our time while honoring the storytelling tradition of our ancestors. 

Symbolic World Press seeks to build up and restore unity among talent of the highest caliber in the visual storytelling community. As Dr. Martin Shaw says, "The business of stories is not enchantment. The business of stories is not escape. The business of stories is waking up."