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13 14 15 <meta property="og:title" content="Jordan Mechner - Video games, graphic novels, and movies" /> 16 <meta property="og:description" content="Jordan Mechner is an author, graphic novelist, screenwriter and video game designer, best known as the creator of Prince of Persia. Follow his latest projects here." /> 17 <meta property="og:image" content="https://www.jordanmechner.com/images/social/thumbs/homepage.jpg" /> 18 19 <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary_large_image" /> 20 <meta name="twitter:site" content="@jmechner" /> 21 <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@jmechner" /> 22 <meta name="twitter:title" content="Jordan Mechner - Video games, graphic novels, and movies" /> 23 <meta name="twitter:description" content="Jordan Mechner is an author, graphic novelist, screenwriter and video game designer, best known as the creator of Prince of Persia. Follow his latest projects here." /> 24 <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://www.jordanmechner.com/images/social/thumbs/homepage.jpg" /> 25</head> 26<body> 27 <div id="underlay" data-content=""></div> 28 <header role="banner" aria-label="Navigation"> 29 <div class="headercontent"> 30 <a href="#content" id="skipnav" rel="bookmark">Skip to Main Content</a> 31 <div id="sitelogo"> 32 <a href="/en/" rel="home"><img src="/images/blank.gif" width="33" height="33" alt="Home Page" /></a> 33 </div> 34 <nav aria-label="Main Menu"> 35 <a href="/en/books/">Books</a> 36 <a href="/en/games-movies/">Games & Movies</a> 37 <a href="/en/artworks/">Artworks</a> 38 <a href="/en/about/">About</a> 39 <a href="/en/library/">Library</a> 40 <a href="https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?&c=cart&ejc=2&cl=187615&i=" onclick="return EJEJC_lc(this);" target="ej_ejc" title="Shopping Cart"><img src="/images/shoppingcart.svg" class="flag-icon" alt="Shopping Cart" /></a><!-- 🛒 --> 41 <span id="language-btn" role="button" aria-label="Language Switcher" onclick="changeLanguage('fr');"> 42 <img src="/images/languages/fr.svg" class="flag-icon" alt="Français" title="Français" /> 43 </span> 44 </nav> 45 </div> 46 </header> 47 48<!-- E-Junkie shopping cart start -->
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54 55<!-- E-Junkie shopping cart end --> 56 57<main id="content" role="main" aria-label="Page Main Content"> 58 59 <section> 60 <article> 61 <div class="heading"> 62 <h2>Biography</h2> 63 </div> 64 <div class="column col-50"> 65 <p>Jordan Mechner is an American author, graphic novelist, game designer, and screenwriter, best known for creating the video game <cite>Prince of Persia</cite>. He developed the original 1989 game on an Apple II computer, rebooted the series for modern consoles with Ubisoft in 2003, and wrote the first screenplay for the 2010 Disney film adaptation, <cite>Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time</cite>. Prince of Persia is considered an all-time classic, as well as the basis for a transmedia global franchise with over 25 million games sold to date.</p> 66 <p>Since 2017, Jordan has lived in France, where he made his debut as a graphic-novel writer/artist with the autobiographical <a href="/en/books/replay/" class="content">Replay</a> (recipient of the 2023 "Chateau de Cheverny" award). His graphic novels as writer include <a href="/en/books/monte-cristo/" class="content">Monte Cristo</a> (with Mario Alberti), <a href="/en/books/liberty/" class="content">Liberty</a> (with Ãtienne Le Roux & Loïc Chevallier), and the New York Times best-selling <a href="/en/books/templar/" class="content">Templar</a> (with LeUyen Pham & Alex Puvilland).</p> 67 <p>Jordan's video games, also including <cite>Karateka</cite> (1984) and <cite>The Last Express</cite> (1997), are known for their cinematic narrative quality and innovative use of rotoscoped animation. In 2017, he received the Pioneer Award from the International Game Developers Association.</p> 68 <p>Jordan wrote and directed the IDA award-winning PBS documentary film <cite>Chavez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story</cite>.</p> 69 </div> 70 <div class="column col-50"> 71 <figure class="closegap"> 72 <a href="/images/pages/about/large/portrait.jpg"><img src="/images/pages/about/portrait.jpg" class="illustration image-popup" alt="" title="Photo credit: Pavel Dubrovsky" /></a> 73 </figure> 74 <p>His other books include his 1980s game development journals, <cite>The Making of Karateka</cite> and <cite>The Making of Prince of Persia</cite>, and an adaptation of Persian tales, <cite>Samak the Ayyar</cite>.</p> 75 <p>He keeps a sketchbook journal.</p> 76 </div> 77 </article> 78 </section> 79 <section> 80 <article class="note noimage"> 81 <div class="column col-100" style="text-align: center;"> 82 <p>Read the <a href="/en/biography/" class="content">long biography</a>.</p> 83 </div> 84 </article> 85 </section> 86 87 <section> 88 <article id="contactinfo" class="jmspeaking"> 89 <div class="heading"> 90 <h2>How to Contact Me</h2> 91 </div> 92 <div class="column col-50"> 93 <div class="jmquote-start"> 94 <p>Thanks for visiting. If you have questions or feedback about my work, you can find me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jmechner" class="external">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jmechner" class="external">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jmechner" class="external">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/jmechner.bsky.social" class="external">Bluesky</a>, and <a href="https://mastodon.art/@jmechner" class="external">Mastodon</a>. I appreciate your comments and try to read as many as possible, even if I don't reply to every one (see FAQ below).</p> 95 <figure> 96 <img src="/images/pages/about/jordan-atelier.gif" class="illustration" alt="" /> 97 </figure> 98 </div> 99 </div> 100 <div class="column col-50"> 101 <div class="jmquote-blank"> 102 <p class="closegap">The <a href="/en/latest-news/" class="content">Latest News</a> section contains my current blog about new and upcoming projects. You can subscribe to this site's RSS feed to receive updates the moment I post them.</p> 103 <p>The tabs at top unlock a wealth of information and behind-the-scenes content about my past games, books, and movies. I hope you'll take a moment to explore the site and discover all it has to offer.</p> 104 <p>For press inquiries, speaking invitations, and website-related issues, please use the email form below.</p> 105 </div> 106 </div> 107 <hr class="divider" /> 108 <div class="heading" id="faq"> 109 <h2>FAQ</h2> 110 </div> 111 <div class="column col-50"> 112 <p class="question">Q: How can I get a book signed?</p> 113 <p>A: I'll be delighted if you come (or send a friend) to an event where I can sign your book in person. Many bookstores where I do in-person signings will accept online orders in advance of an event, and can have me add a personalized signature to your book before they ship it. You can stay informed about upcoming events in all cities/countries via my social media channels.</p> 114 <p>
114Please don't ask me to receive or mail packages; I'm not good at that.</p> 115 <p class="question">Q: I have an idea for...</p> 116 <p>A: For legal and logistical reasons, I can't receive or read unpublished work, whether it's POP-related or not.</p> 117 </div> 118 <div class="column col-50"> 119 <p class="question closegap">Q: When will you/Ubisoft/Disney release a new POP game/movie/TV series?</p> 120 <p>A: I promise as soon as I have POP news to share, I'll post about it. I may even shout it from the rooftops. In the meantime, please understand that it's not for me to announce unannounced projects, or share news that isn't mine to share. Just know that you're not alone. And that when it comes to POP, I'm only a small part of a bigger picture.</p> 121 <p>The Games & Movies tab at top has up-to-date information about POP and my other games, so there's a chance the answer you're looking for may already be posted there.</p> 122 <p>You can stay informed about upcoming events in all cities/countries via <a href="/en/feed/">my RSS feed</a> and social media channels. </p> 123 </div> 124 </article> 125 </section> 126 127 <section> 128 <article id="contact"> 129 <div class="heading"> 130 <h2>Contact Form</h2> 131 </div> 132 <div class="column col-50"> 133 <label for="type">Message Type:</label> 134 <select id="type" aria-label="Message Type" style="margin-bottom: 1em;"> 135 <option>- Choose One -</option> 136 <option>Press/Speaking Inquiries</option> 137 <option>Website Related</option> 138 </select> 139 <input id="name" type="text" aria-label="Contact Name" placeholder="Contact Name" maxlength="40" /> 140 <input id="email" type="text" aria-label="Email Address" placeholder="Email Address" maxlength="40" style="margin-bottom: 1em;" /> 141 </div> 142 <div class="column col-50"> 143 <textarea id="message" aria-label="Message" placeholder="Message" maxlength="4000"></textarea> 144 <input id="spam" type="radio" value="Yes" style="display: none;" /> 145 <div style="text-align: right;"> 146 <button id="sendbutton" type="button" onclick="sendRequest()" aria-live="polite">Send</button> 147 </div> 148 </div> 149 </article> 150 </section> 151 152 <section> 153 <article id="interviews"> 154 <div class="heading"> 155 <h2>Profiles and interviews</h2> 156 </div> 157 <div class="column col-50"> 158 <ul> 159 <li><span class="bold">AFP France</span> - <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250307-prince-of-persia-creator-never-imagined-game-would-be-his-magic-carpet" class="external">Profile</a>. "Prince of Persia creator never imagined game would be his magic carpet" (March 2025)</li> 160 161 <li><span class="bold">The Washington Post</span> - <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/video-games/2024/04/01/jordan-mechner-prince-persia-karateka/" class="external">Profile</a> by Gene Park. "Jordan Mechner vs. the sands of time" (April 2024)</li> 162 163 <li><span class="bold">NPR "Here and Now"</span> - <a href="https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2024/04/19/jordan-mechner-replay" class="external">Radio interview</a> by Scott Tong. "In 'Replay,' video game pioneer Jordan Mechner explores his Jewish family's story of survival" (April 2024)</li> 164 165 <li><span class="bold">The Comics Journal</span> - <a href="https://www.tcj.com/ive-rediscovered-a-mode-of-expression-that-was-important-to-me-as-a-kid-a-talk-with-jordan-mechner/" class="external">Interview</a> by Jason Bergman. "'I've rediscovered a mode of expression that was important to me as a kid': A talk with Jordan Mechner" (March 2024)</li> 166 167 <li><span class="bold">GamesBeat</span> - <a href="https://gamesbeat.com/replay-is-the-family-memoir-of-the-prince-of-game-development-jordan-mechner-interview/" class="external">Interview</a> by Dean Takahashi. "Replay is the family memoir of the prince of game development" (March 2024)</li> 168 169 <li><span class="bold">Digital Trends</span> - <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/rpince-of-persia-jordan-mecher-interview/" class="external">Interview</a> by Giovanni Colantonio. "Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner spills details on the series' two lost games" (March 2024)</li> 170 </ul> 171 </div> 172 <div class="column col-50"> 173 <ul class="closegap"> 174 <li><span class="bold">Game Developer</span> - <a href="https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-father-and-son-of-karateka-how-family-anchored-a-classic-game-s-innovations" class="external">Interview</a> by Sam Machkovech. "The father-and-son of Karateka: how family anchored a classic game's innovations" (August 2023)</li> 175 176 <li><span class="bold">ArsTechnica</span> - <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/04/war-stories-how-prince-of-persia-slew-the-apple-iis-memory-limitations/" class="external">Video episode</a>. "War Stories: How Prince of Persia slew the Apple II's memory limitations" (April 2020)</li> 177 178 <li><span class="bold">The Digital Antiquarian</span> - <a href="https://www.filfre.net/2016/10/how-jordan-mechner-made-a-different-sort-of-interactive-movie-or-the-virtues-of-restraint/" class="external">Article</a> by Jimmy Maher. "How Jordan Mechner Made a Different Sort of Interactive Movie" (October 2016)</li> 179 180 <li><span class="bold">Wired</span> - <a href="https://www.wired.com/2012/04/prince-of-persia-source-code/" class="external">Article</a> by Gus Mastrapa. "The Geeks Who Saved Prince of Persia's Source Code From Digital Death" (April 2012)</li> 181 182 <li><span class="bold">The New York Times</span>
182 - <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/23/movies/23persia.html" class="external">Profile</a> by Charles McGrath. "A Gamer's World, but a Dramatist's Sensibility" (May 2010)</li> 183 </ul> 184 </div> 185 </article> 186 <article id="podcasts"> 187 <div class="heading"> 188 <h2>Podcasts and Panels</h2> 189 </div> 190 <div class="column col-50"> 191 <ul> 192 <li><span class="bold">Scriptnotes</span> - <a href="https://scriptnotes.libsyn.com/670-writing-across-mediums" class="external">Podcast</a> with John August at Austin Film Festival. Round table moderated by Evan Narcisse. "Writing Across Mediums" (December 2024)</li> 193 </ul> 194 </div> 195 <div class="column col-50"> 196 <ul class="closegap"> 197 <li><span class="bold">Time Extension/Minnmax</span> - <a href="https://www.timeextension.com/news/2024/09/industry-legends-jordan-mechner-and-john-romero-get-together-to-discuss-game-preservation" class="external">Podcast</a>. "Industry Legends Jordan Mechner & John Romero Discuss Game Preservation with Ben Hanson and Kelsey Lewin" (September 2024)</li> 198 </ul> 199 </div> 200 </article> 201 <article id="aboutworks"> 202 <div class="heading"> 203 <h2>About Jordan's books and games</h2> 204 </div> 205 <div class="column col-50"> 206 <ul> 207 <li><span class="bold">EuroGamer</span> - <a href="https://www.eurogamer.net/the-making-of-the-last-express-how-prince-of-persias-jordan-mechner-created-one-of-the-last-great-classic-adventure-games" class="external">Retrospective</a> by Jonny Malks. "The making of The Last Express: How Prince of Persia's Jordan Mechner created one of the last great classic adventure games" (February 2025)</li> 208 209 <li><span class="bold">Tablet</span> - <a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/replaying-survival-game" class="external">Review</a> of Replay and The Last Express by Raz Greenberg. "Replaying the Survival Game" (May 2024)</li> 210 211 <li><span class="bold">PopMatters</span> - <a href="https://www.popmatters.com/jordan-mechner-replay-memoir-review" class="external">Review</a> of Replay by Luis Aguasvivas. (April 2024)</li> 212 213 <li><span class="bold">Remap</span> - <a href="https://remapradio.com/articles/jordan-mechner-replay-review/" class="external">Review</a> of Replay by Duncan Fyfe. "The Long Way Home: Jordan Mechner's Odyssey to the Past" (March 2024)</li> 214 </ul> 215 </div> 216 <div class="column col-50"> 217 <ul class="closegap"> 218 <li><span class="bold">Press Play</span> - <a href="https://pressplaynews.net/2024/04/24/replay-memoir-of-an-uprooted-family-review/" class="external">Review</a> of Replay. (April 2024)</li> 219 220 <li><span class="bold">The Guardian</span> - <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/jan/11/prince-of-persia-the-lost-crown-review-a-new-gaming-kingdom-awaits" class="external">Review</a> of Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown by Julian Benson. "A new gaming kingdom awaits" (January 2024)</li> 221 222 <li><span class="bold">PC Games</span> - <a href="https://www.pcgamesn.com/last-express-jordan-mechner-remembers-different-sort-wargame-centenary-its-departure" class="external">Retrospective</a> by Jeremy Peel. "The Last Express: Jordan Mechner remembers a different sort of war game on the centenary of its departure" (July 2014)</li> 223 </ul> 224 </div> 225 </article> 226 <article class="note noimage"> 227 <div class="column col-100" style="text-align: center;"> 228 <p>Additional articles and podcasts in French can be found on Jordan's <a href="/fr/about/#interviews" rel="nofollow" class="content">French site</a>.</p> 229 </div> 230 </article> 231 </section> 232 233 <div id="gototop" aria-hidden="true" title="Back to Top" onclick="goToMenu();"> 234 ⇡ 235 </div> 236 237</main> 238 <footer> 239 <div class="footercontent"> 240 <div id="footerlogo"> 241 <a href="/en/" rel="home"><img src="/images/footerlogo.svg" width="38" alt="Home Page" /></a> 242 </div> 243 <p class="copyrightnote">© 2026 Jordan Mechner</p> 244 <aside id="social" aria-label="Social Media Links"> 245 <!-- <a href="https://www.threads.net/@jmechner"><img src="/images/social/threads.png" width="22" height="22" alt="Threads" title="Threads" /></a> --> 246 <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/jmechner.bsky.social"><img src="/images/social/bluesky.png" width="22" height="22" alt="Bluesky" title="Bluesky" /></a> 247 <a href="https://mastodon.art/@jmechner"><img src="/images/social/mastodon.png" width="22" height="22" alt="Mastodon" title="Mastodon" /></a> 248 <a href="https://www.facebook.com/jmechner"><img src="/images/social/facebook.png" width="22" height="22" alt="Facebook" title="Facebook" /></a> 249 <a href="https://twitter.com/jmechner"><img src="/images/social/twitter.png" width="22" height="22" alt="Twitter" title="Twitter" /></a> 250 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jmechner"><img src="/images/social/instagram.png" width="22" height="22" alt="Instagram" title="Instagram" /></a> 251 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/JordanMechner"><img src="/images/social/youtube.png" width="22" height="22" alt="YouTube" title="YouTube" /></a> 252 <a href="https://www.jordanmechner.com/en/feed/"><img src="/images/social/rss.png" width="22" height="22" alt="RSS Feed" title="RSS Feed" /></a> 253 </aside> 254 </div> 255 </footer> 256 257 <div id="overlay"><div id="closebutton" aria-hidden="true" title="Close Preview">×</div></div> 258</body> 259</html>
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