Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson has just announced a graphic novel collection The Mandrake Project: Year One and even managed to put his hero’s grave dirt into it!That hero, of course, is legendary English poet William Blake. Dickinson’s work has been closely linked with Blake’s over the years, dating back to his 1998 solo album The Chemical Wedding. More currently, the music video for The Mandrake Project single “Rain on the Graves” was filmed at the poet’s grave site.So, what better way to commemorate the first four issues of The Mandrake Project comic series than bundling it into one graphic novel using ink that was mixed with that aforementioned dirt from Blake’s burial site?It is quintessentially Bruce Dickinson to do something like this. And it’s probably a bit easier to pull off when you’re a patron of the William Black Cottage Trust. The team at publisher Z2 collected the dirt, mixed it with the ink and now you can even own a bit of Blake’s legacy.“Finally we are at the end of the beginning. I honestly have to pinch myself to believe that Volume 1 of The Mandrake Project is upon us. I sometimes get the feeling that I am not fully in control of the story, and that some other entity is squeezing the blood out of my subconscious and turning it into ink on the page before my very eyes. We are just getting going. We are all… formed… of the dead,” Dickinson enthuses.”William Blake has given me so much over the years and I want to repay the debt by helping to restore the Cottage,” he adds. “Despite his impact on the world, there is no center for Blake, nowhere people can visit to see where he actually lived and worked during a key part of his life. I want to change this.”READ MORE: Iron Maiden Announce 50th Anniversary Documentary + BookThis deluxe edition features the first four issues of the comic series, as well as the prologue, spanning 184 pages with extensive interviews and essays recounting the creative process. Kurt Sutter, creator of Sons of Anarchy, provides the intro and it’s all housed in a slipcase with a rotating embossed Mandrake dial. Foil collector cards and a cast metal version of the medallion that has graced the comics and music videos come with it, too.bruce dickinson mandrake project deluxe editionZ2 Comicsloading…Z2’s Editor-in-Chief, Rantz Hoseley exclaims, “You pray for collaborators like Bruce Dickinson. While we’ve always taken pride in the presentation and production of our books, Bruce challenged us to exceed our previous best, and we happily took that challenge on. The end result is a design so ambitious and lush it’ll make your jaw drop, and we cannot wait to have you dive into this beautiful beast of a book!”Pre-orders can be placed now at the Z2 webstore.Bruce Dickinson 2025 TourThis summer, Dickinson will embark on his first North American solo tour since 1997. In continued support of The Mandrake Project, the run will stretch from Aug. 22 through Oct. 5, bookended with California dates.Previewing at least one change in the setlist, Dickinson confirms, “This time we will add ‘Shadow of The Gods’ to the setlist for this incredible band to perform plus a few other gems so we are really looking forward to seeing our fans again all over the country and for a couple of shows up in Canada.”How Many Songs Each Iron Maiden Member Has WrittenHere’s a breakdown of Iron Maiden’s song-writing credits.Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita