April 1: Marjane Satrapi in Baltimore; April 2 in McClean

She's well worth going to hear.

April 1, 20087 P.M. Iranian-born writer and artist Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis (her memoir of Iran's Islamic Revolution told in graphic novel form and the basis for an Oscar-nominated animated film), delivers the 2008 Baldwin Lecture in Humanities at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, 4701 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Md. A book signing follows. For details, call 410-532-5516 or visit http://www.ndm.edu.

She will also speak on Wednesday, April 2, at 7 p.m. at the McLean Community Center, Alden Theatre, 1234 Ingleside Ave., McLean, Va. Admission to this event, sponsored by the Fairfax County Public Library (part of its "Perspectives" series), is free. Tickets will be distributed (limit four per person) beginning at 7 p.m.; call 703-324-8428 for details.

OT: New Marvel book by buddy

Rob Weiner who I've corresponded with off and on for years has a specialized book for librarians coming out that may also appeal to the hardcore Marvel fan. Here's the details.

Marvel Graphic Novels and Related Publications
An Annotated Guide to Comics, Prose Novels, Children's Books,
Articles, Criticism and Reference Works, 1965–2005
Robert G. Weiner
Foreword by John Rhett Thomas

ISBN 978-0-7864-2500-6
appendices, bibliography, indexes
399pp. hardcover (7 x 10) 2008

$49.95
Available for immediate shipment

Description
This work provides an extensive guide for students, fans, and
collectors of Marvel Comics. Focusing on Marvel's mainstream comics,
the author provides a detailed description of each comic along with a
bibliographic citation listing the publication's title,
writers/artists, publisher, ISBN (if available), and a plot synopsis.
One appendix provides a comprehensive alphabetical index of Marvel and
Marvel–related publications to 2005, while two other appendices
provide selected lists of Marvel–related game books and unpublished
Marvel titles.

About the Author
Robert G. Weiner is a reference librarian at the Mahon Library in
Lubbock, Texas. His works have been published in the following
journals: Journal of Popular Culture, Public Library Quarterly,
Journal of American Culture and Popular Music and Society. He lives in
Lubbock.


Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix
Foreword by John Rhett Thomas 1
Preface 3

Section I. Background Highlights
1. Graphic Novels and Literature, Then and Now 5
2. Marvel Comics, Then and Now 11

Section II. Marvel's Superheroes
3. Major Characters, Teams, and Team-Ups
Avengers, Black Panther/Black Widow, Hawkeye, Hercules, Thunderbolts,
and Ultimates 19
Captain America, Fury, Human Torch, Namor, and Golden-Age Characters
27
Conan/Kull 34
Cosmic Heroes and Supernaturals/Blade, Captain Marvel, Dr. Strange,
Dracula, Ghost Rider, Silver Surfer, Thanos, et al. 37
Daredevil and Elektra 44
Fantastic Four/Dr. Doom and Inhumans 50
Hulk and She-Hulk 55
Iron Man and War Machine 60
Punisher, Shadowmasters, and The 'Nam 62
Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Spider-Girl, Venom, and Carnage 67
Thor 86
Transformers, G.I. Joe, and Death's Head 90
Wolverine, Deadpool, Sabretooth, and Weapon X 96
X-Men/Mutants and Related 104
4. Minor Characters and Minor Character Combos
Minor Characters 131
Minor Character Combos 143

Section III. Special Volumes and Series
5. Special Hardbacks and Marvel Masterworks
Special Hardbacks 151
Marvel Masterworks 168
6. Marvel's Essential Series
Avengers, Ant-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor 180
Daredevil 184
Fantastic Four, Dr. Doom, Human Torch, and Inhumans 185
Hulk 187
Spider-Man 187
Wolverine 189
X-Men 191
Essential Monsters 193
Other Essentials 194
7. Epic Comics Graphic Novels 197
8. Marvel and Marvel-Related Paperbacks 215

Section IV. Selected Marvel Publications
9. Marvel/DC Crossovers 227
10. Children's Books 232
11. Movies and Television 245
12. Classical, Esoteric, Historical, Music-Related, and Religious
Works 252

Section V. Selected Marvel-Related Publications
13. Prose Novels
Avengers 257
Blade 257
Captain America 258
Daredevil and Elektra 258
Fantastic Four 259
Hulk 260
Iron Man 262
Spider-Man 262
X-Men/Wolverine and Related 268
Team-Ups 276
Other Characters and Novels 279
14. Articles, Books, Guides, and Indexes
Articles and Books 282
Guides and Indexes 298
15. Children's Books 305
16. Scholarly Publications 311

Appendix 1. Marvel and Marvel-Related Publications, 2005 325
Appendix 2. Selected Marvel-Related Game Books 332
Appendix 3. Unpublished Books 335
Title Index 337
Artist and Author Index 354
Subject Index 364

Zadzooks on Justice League

See "Justice series is packed with star-filled action," By Joseph Szadkowski, Washington Times March 29, 2008

In Saturday's Post ... Toles criticism, Superhero Movie, Candorville

Ok, I can't find it online just like last week as the Free For All section doesn't appear in searches or on the opinion webpage, but there's a letter to the editor criticizing Tom Toles for this cartoon. Surprise, surprise.

Also, Superhero Movie got a lousy review in "Spoofs Like 'Superhero' Make Anyone Climb the Walls," By John Anderson, Washington Post Saturday, March 29, 2008; C01.

Finally, Darrin Bell in Candorville is definitely criticizing the Post in Friday and Saturday's strips for not running his strips about Obama's security.

Mark Chiarello interview

I saw the Mark Chiarello "Heroes of the Negro Leagues" exhibit today at ArtInSights Gallery and enjoyed it, as well as meeting the artist. I'll post a review of the exhibit (and the whole store actually) here soon as IJOCA's deadline isn't remotely close, but you can read an interview done by the gallery owner starting here and continuing here.

There's a book that the artwork came from too so I picked up a copy of it as well.

Here's a picture of the gallery owner co-owner Leslie Combemale (red hair) and Chiarello (center with beard).

More on Wertham by Beaty and Jeet Heer

My friend Bart's got a response to Jeet Heer's review of Hajdu's new book on Wertham and 50s comics censorship and Jeet responds to Bart as well. See "SYMPOSIUM: CULTURE WARS: Comic books were criticized not because they possessed the 'unruly spirit of youth' but because they were emblematic of the worst aspects of a widely disparaged mass culture," Bart Beaty writes," by BART BEATY AND JEET HEER, Globe and Mail March 29, 2008. I'm of two minds about Bart's argument, but I will accept that Wertham was acting as a concerned psychiatrist. Unfortunately the most-well meaning people can do the most damage.

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-02-08

QUICK REVIEWS FOR COMICS DUE 04-02-08
By John Judy

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #555 by Zeb Wells and Chris Bachalo. Gorgeous art, ninjas, Wolverine, and an official Marvel No-Prize challenge for all you kids who think you're smarter than a Marvel Editor. Start slamming your head into a brick wall to make it fair...

AMERICAN SPLENDOR SEASON TWO #1 of 4 by Harvey Pekar and Assorted Talents. The J. Alfred Prufrock of comics returns with his autobiographical shorts illustrated by Chris Weston, David Lapham, and other gifted collaborators. Recommended for teens and up.

ANGEL: AFTER THE FALL #6 by Joss Whedon, Brian Lynch, and a bunch of artists. A two-parter finally giving with the scoop about what exactly happened after the final scene of the TV series. Way cool. Recommended.

ANNA MERCURY #1 of 5 by Warren Ellis and Facundo Percio. Warren’s new superwoman who makes Jet Li and the Shadow look like Laurel and Hardy! Recommended!

BOYS #17 by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson. Wee Hughie starts to live again. Sadly so does his old foe, The Blarney Cock! Vicious, soul-to-hell-condemning fun from Belfast’s Favorite Son. Not for kids.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #13 by Drew Goddard and Georges Jeanty. Buffy and the Scoobs fight uber-vamps in Tokyo. From the writer of “Cloverfield.”

CABLE #2 by Duane Swierczynski and Ariel Olivetti. Mutant cyborg time-travelin' action with a baby. This is what Sweeps Week looks like in Hell.

ESSENTIAL IRON MAN VOL.3. SC by Archie Goodwin, Gene Colan, and Many Others. Collecting issues #12-38 and DAREDEVIL #73. Time to get psyched for next month’s movie and bargain-priced reprints are the best place to start. Enjoy!

HOLMES GN written and illustrated by Omaha Perez. Author Perez explains it best: “What if Sherlock Holmes is constantly out of his head and Watson’s not much better off, the Dr. Gonzo to Holmes’s Raoul Duke?” This week’s “Gotta-look!”

KICK ASS #2 by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. Okay, the first issue saw our hero essentially beaten to death, sans mutant healing factor, which is good enough for me to want to read issue two! Definitely too rough for younger kids. Twisted fun for all others.

LOGAN #2 of 3 by Brian K. Vaughan and Eduardo Risso. Wolverine’s back in Japan which is always good for few sword and barbed arrowhead induced laughs. Beautiful art by Risso and a comforting fix of Vaughan for those of us who still miss Y THE LAST MAN. Recommended.

PROJECT SUPERPOWERS #2 of 6 by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Carlos Paul. The most interesting thing about this series is the fact that its cast of heroes is in play due to copyright expiration. At least one of them (Dynamic Man) is also appearing in THE TWELVE over at Marvel. And it’s tough to overcome the fact that one of the main protagonists in this “serious” adventure story is repeatedly addressed as “Yank.” Just sayin’…

SCALPED #16 by Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera. Dash and Red Crow butt heads with a Nebraska sheriff. This is the title Garth Ennis calls “like a comic book written just for me!” The hardest of hard stuff for fans of westerns and noir. Highly recommended. Not for kids.

SECRET INVASION #1 of 8 by Brian Bendis and Leinil Francis Yu. SKRULLS!!!! Shapeshifting, concentric circle-eyed, ridgey-chinned !@$^@#$!!!! Time to start collecting on those bets you made with your friends. Geeky fun!

SHAZAM: GREATEST STORIES EVER TLD SC by Bill Parker, C.C. Beck, Dennis O’Neil, Gil Kane, Jack Kirby and many more. The best of the past 60+ years of the Big Red Cheese! Highly recommended for all ages!

THE TWELVE #4 of 12 by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston. More murders and back-biting among our time-lost Golden Age heroes! Plus, the origin of Rockman! Appointment reading, highly recommended!

WALKING DEAD #48 by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard. The bloody aftermath of the Governor’s raid. As Kirkman has proven: “No one is safe.” Not for kids. Recommended for older teens on up.

YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS #3 of 6 by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Alina Urusov. Wiccan and Speed search for their lost mama, the Scarlet Witch!

YOUNG X-MEN #1 by Marc Guggenheim and Yanick Paquette. Cyclops is gettin' the band back together. If you liked "Young Justice", "Young All-Stars", "Youngblood", "Young Guns", "Young and the Restless", and Young MC.... well, you have OCD and you're not going to feel right if you don't buy this comic. PS - The kitchen floor is covered with germs.

ZORRO #2 by Matt Wagner and Francesco Francavilla. “The Fox” versus the brutal Gonzales in the new adventures of the original Man in Black!

www.johnjudy.net

Another Plastic Farm article

"Jefferson man pens full-length graphic novel," by Connor Adams Sheets, Gazette newspapers Thursday, March 27, 2008

Manga Shakespeare at Folger covered by Times

See "Manga revamp for the Bard," By Jenny Mayo, Washington Times March 28, 2008.

I'll be there - anybody else?

Ullman back in City Paper

Rob's illustrated the Eats food column for 3/28/08 - no cute girl though!

Hellblazer writer Denise Mina at Borders

Actually she was there to talk about her new mystery book. I happened to notice this article by Arion Berger, "Plaid, the New Black: Crime fiction writer Denise Mina on the gritty side of Glasgow," Express (March 27): E10 and had a vague idea that it would be interesting so I drove on over. I was the only comics fan in the audience so I didn't ask too many questions especially since I hadn't read her Hellblazer run. DC came to her to write it, and she said that she was surprised because Ian Rankin, Scotland's most famous crimewriter said to her, "How the f-ck did you get that? I want to write comics." Comics are still apparently declasse in Glasgow, and she said, "I also write comics and usually when I say that, one person in the audience kind of goes like that (lifts chin knowingly) because that's what they're interested in. If I was trying to be fancy I'd say graphic novels or something like that, but it's comics I write. I think we should just be out and proud - I write comics."

She was thrilled to be asked she says. She's a Grant Morrison fan and also recommended Sebastian O (that's going back a few years). She gets a comp box from DC and is now reading Love & Rockets as well. Meanwhile Rankin's writing a stand-alone Constantine story (which should be good).

She was very nice and very funny and is doing a new graphic novel for DC on ... high real estate prices. I think we'll have to wait and check it out before seeing how much we can relate to it around here.

Now a pet peeve - these chain stores never get any of the writer's comic book collections nor publicize to the comics community. Borders had one of her two collections and somebody had to hunt for it for me. As I said, I was the only comics fan in the audience (which wasn't large unfortunately0. They had plenty of signed copies of Jodi Picoult's new book for sale from last month, but none of her new Wonder Woman collection at all on the shelves, let alone signed. Is there any wonder that Borders is in financial trouble? But it's not just them - Gene Yang's two earlier books are still available from Slave Labor - why not slap golden stickers on like First Second did and market them as "National Book nominee Gene Yang's..."

4 new interviews on cIndy Center UPDATED

Local podcaster Chris Shields has 4 interviews up this spring at cIndy Center - DC Comics writer Mike Carey, Mike Gallagher talks about his co-created comic "Ruin" at Alterna Comics, Chad Lambert talks about his upcoming projects at Ape Entertainment and Digital Webbing, and Hardway Studio's Chris Carpenter.

Here's an email Chris sent in last night:

We have had several comic interviews lately including, they listed below. Upcoming guests include Xeric winning artist Sonny Liew (My Faith in Frankie & SLG/Disney's Wonderland), legendary artist Joe Staton and writer Christopher Mills. They work together on Ape Entertainment's Femme Noir http://www.thrillingdetective.com/eyes/femme_noir.html.

The interview with Mike Carey is available in two parts:
http://www.cindycenter.com/MikeCareyFinalP1.mp3
http://www.cindycenter.com/MikeCareyFinalP2.mp3

Interview with writer of kill the revisionist, CHAD LAMBERT. More information available at: http://www.killtherevisionist.com/
http://www.cindycenter.com/ChadFinal.mp3

Mike Gallagher talks about his co-created comic "Ruin" at Alterna Comics. Check-out Alterna's website for more information about "Ruin".
For more information about Mike, please visit http://www.alternacomics.com/ruin.htm. Listen to the interview with Mike @ http://www.cindycenter.com/MikeGalFinal.mp3

New Keith Knight book out

Keith, who's been to DC many times for the Small Press Expo, has an excellent new book out - "I Left My Arse in San Francisco". I started it the day I got it and finished it at one go. He's got some of his hardest hitting political work in here too - just what one needs when one gets the Washington Post delivered. You can only buy this on his website; probably to avoid competing with the Omnibus that's coming from Dark Horse via Diamond this summer. I'm going to buy that too, of course.

Gene Yang interview

Our buddy Scott Rosenberg interviewed him for "A.B.C.: Gene Yang's 'American Born Chinese'," at ReadExpress.com on March 26, 2008.

March 29: Mark Chiarello exhibit in Reston

For Immediate Release
Contact: Leslie Combemale
703-478-0778
artnsights@aol.com
www.artinsights.com

ARTINSIGHTS EXHIBITS ART BY MARK CHIARELLO
USED FOR THE BOOK "HEROES OF THE NEGRO LEAGUES", AND FOR THE FIRST COLOR BASEBALL CARDS OF THE NEGRO LEAGUES

Reston, VA- ArtInsights Gallery in Reston Town Center has secured exclusive rights to exhibit and sell the original watercolor art used for the bestselling book "Heroes of the Negro Leagues" by illustrator and DC Comics Art Editor Mark Chiarello. Many of these illustrations were used for the first color baseball cards for the Negro Leagues. The exhibit will include images of famed Negro Leaguers Satchel Paige, Rube Foster, Josh Gibson, Buck O'Neil, and many others. Mr. Chiarello will be appearing in person in the gallery opening weekend of Major League Baseball, opening day of the new exhibit, Saturday, March 29th, from 2 to 5 pm. The show will run through May 30th, or as sales allow.

The publication of the original baseball cards that inspired the "Heroes of the Negro Leagues" book marked the first time most of the players ever appeared on a baseball card. Mark Chiarello says he and writer Jack Morelli were inspired to create the cards when they visited the National Baseball Museum in Cooperstown, New York where they saw a plaque for a player they'd never heard of, Judy Johnson. After some research, they resolved to correct the fact that they and other hardcore baseball fans knew so little of these great athletes. The cards were expanded into a book that was rated 2nd of all sports books on Amazon.com in 2007, with watercolors the New York Times called "evocative". Los Angeles magazine said of the book, "Mark Chiarello's dreamy watercolor portraits transport us back to a league that time (and most everyone else) has conveniently forgotten".

Mark Chiarello is an award winning artist and the art editor of DC Comics, and has done illustration for LucasFilm, Disney, Universal Pictures, Topps, and Universal Pictures, to name a few. He has won the comic book industry's Eisner, Harvey, and Reuben awards. He is also creating art for instillation in the new Gaylord National Resort in Maryland's "National Pastime."

Says ArtInsights co-owner Michael Barry, "We've carried illustration art for quite some time, but never anything sports related. Mark's Negro League watercolors are so beautifully executed, it was a perfect fit. He is more than just a skilled watercolorist, with these pieces he's captured so much more". A great deal of research was required for these portraits, and artist Chiarello says he often looked at more than 200 pictures of a player to find the perfect reference to use. Barry's partner, Leslie Combemale, adds, "Of course they are historically important, but they definitely stand alone as great art. Many know the more famous Negro Leaguers, but these illustrations allow collectors to connect with some of the many unsung heroes who deserve more recognition. These watercolors offer an opportunity for baseball fans, art collectors, and history buffs to expand how they see the world, as the best art always does, and Mark has an encyclopedic knowledge of the subject. We're proud to have his art in the gallery."

ABOUT ARTINSIGHTS

ArtInsights, established in 1994, is a privately owned business located in Reston Town Center, Virginia. In addition to specializing in creating and developing collections of animation art from Disney, Warner Brothers, Hanna Barbera, and all other major studios, The gallery is constantly looking for new and important artist of illustrative, animation, and film art to add to those they currently represent. Their roster includes Chuck Jones, John Alvin, Toby Bluth, Tim Rogerson, Mary GrandPre, and Jim Salvati. They recently had the international exclusive first release of limited editions of the Harry Potter book covers by Mary GrandPre.

With more than 30 combined years of experience in these art genres, owners Michael Barry and Leslie Combemale work closely with individuals and corporations to ensure the integrity of their clients' collections. ArtInsights is the only art gallery in the Washington Metropolitan area authorized to represent Warner Bros., Hanna Barbera, and Disney interpretive art to the public.

Gene Yang at Big Planet Comics and beyond

Gene Yang says he's in town to speak to schoolchildren at the Kennedy Center tomorrow which will apparently also go out over a webcast. Details desired.

Quick notes - he used the Monkey King because the character was in lots of childrens books his parents had. He read superhero comics, not manga (Dragonball is based on the Monkey King, so I asked). He's working on a new book with Derek Kirk Kim which First Second will publish. His Slave Labor books - Loyola Chin and the San Peligran Order and Gordon Yamamoto And The King Of The Geeks are still available from that publisher.

Here's some pics.

Gene Yang and Joel Pollack at Big Planet Comics in Bethesda, Maryland.

Randy T getting a sketch from Gene Yang.

You can see the sketches here and here.

Gene Yang signing his book American Born Chinese at Big Planet Comics in Bethesda, Maryland.

Gene Yang doing a sketch at Big Planet Comics in Bethesda, Maryland.

More, similar pictures on flickr.

April 21: Stan Lee at National Press Club POSTPONED

In spite of these flyers, Stan Lee will NOT be appearing at the National Press Club on Monday April 21st. Hopefully he'll be able to reschedule.

Folger Shakespeare Library presents Shakespeare + Manga

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 7, 2007

Press Contact:
Tim Swoape, 202.675.0344 / tswoape @folger.edu
Teri Cross Davis, 202.675.0374 / tdavis @folger.edu


Folger Shakespeare Library presents Shakespeare + Manga as part of the Words on Will lecture series

Shakespeare’s plays adapted into Japanese-style illustrated books

(WASHINGTON, DC) The plays of William Shakespeare meet the highly stylized Japanese illustration form known as manga (Japanese for “whimsical pictures”) in The Manga Editions. Writer/adaptor Adam Sexton and illustrator Yali Lin discuss their work on The Manga Editions during Shakespeare + Manga at Folger Shakespeare Library on Monday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. They will be joined by moderator Marc Singer, a comics scholar and assistant professor of English at Howard University. Their discussion is the final installment of this season’s Words on Will, a lecture series in which luminaries from across the world of arts, letters, and other fields discuss the role Shakespeare has played in their lives and work.

Tickets, which include the discussion and a reception, are $12 for adults and $6 for students. Tickets may be purchased at the Folger box office, 202.544.7077, or online at www.folger.edu/wordsonwill.

Published by Wiley, The Manga Editions present four newly adapted and fully-illustrated editions of Shakespeare’s plays: Macbeth, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, and Romeo and Juliet. The Manga Editions are the latest in a 400-year tradition of translating and adapting Shakespeare’s plays into different languages and multiple media.

In order to fit their adaptations into books of less than 200 pages, the writers and editors of The Manga Editions have cut words, lines, speeches, and even entire scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, a practice almost universal among stage and film directors. However, they never paraphrased Shakespeare’s language or summarize the action. Every word in The Manga Editions was written by William Shakespeare himself.

According to the publisher, manga is potentially more visual than a theatrical production of Shakespeare’s plays. Unbound by the physical realities of the theater, the graphic novel can depict any situation, no matter how fantastical or violent, that its creators are able to pencil, ink, and shade.

Writer/adaptor Adam Sexton is author of Master Class in Fiction Writing and editor of the anthologies Love Stories, Rap on Rap, and Desperately Seeking Madonna. He has written on art and entertainment for The New York Times and The Village Voice, and he teaches fiction writing and literature at New York University and critical reading and writing at Parsons The New School for Design. He is a graduate of Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania.

Manga illustrator Yali Lin was born in southern China and moved to New York with her family in 1995. She earned a BFA in Cartooning from the School of Visual Arts in 2006. Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, The Manga Edition is her first published work. She currently teaches cartooning and manga courses to young teens in Manhattan.

Moderator Marc Singer is an assistant professor of English at Howard University. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park. Dr. Singer regularly reviews new works of comics scholarship for the International Journal of Comic Art, and he is the former chair of the International Comic Arts Forum, an academic conference on comics. His own research on comics has twice won the M. Thomas Inge Award for Comics Scholarship.


DATE & TIME: Monday, March 31, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.
LOCATION: Folger Theatre at Folger Shakespeare Library, 201 East Capitol Street, SE, Washington, DC
TICKETS: $12 adults / $6 students; Purchase at Folger box office, 202.544.7077, or online at www.folger.edu/wordsonwill.
METRO: Capitol South (blue/orange lines)
PARKING: Street parking in neighborhood. Please read and obey all posted signs.

Cartoonists at Politics and Prose bookstore pictures

Politics and Prose has started a flickr site. So far they have pictures of

- Scott McCloud

- Myla Goldberg, the novelist who's married to cartoonist Jason Little

- Neil Gaiman

and their main page.

Shakespeare, comics and Star Trek

After yesterday's post on Shakespeare manga at the Folger, I was emailed a press release about a British Shakespeare comic series which was blurbed by Patrick Stewart. Stewart's on Broadway now in Macbeth, but I saw him two decades ago in DC talking about Shakespeare. Here's a letter that I sent the NY Times that they didn't run:

I was very glad to see the long Arts article, "To boldly go where Shakespeare calls" (January 27, 2008) on Patrick Stewart's return to Shakespeare. As an undergrad at George Washington University in Washington DC, I saw Mr. Stewart give a lecture on Shakespeare around 1985. The event was sponsored most likely by the English department and was in a small room in the student union. It was probably underpublicized and Mr. Stewart had not yet become famous as Capt. Picard, but his talk, "Iago and Other Strangers" was one of the best lectures on Shakespeare I've seen. It ranked favorably with Ian McKellan's one-man Shakespeare show which I saw a year or so later. I rode the elevator down with Mr. Stewart and told him how much I enjoyed it, but it still strikes me as a shame that so few saw his talk. I have often wished that he'd put out a cd of that talk.

Shakespeare adapted in comics has appeared off and on for a few decades now - mostly with uninteresting adaptations - but I've got high hopes of some of these new ones, and will try to review a series of them in the International Journal of Comic Art. I've got a bibliography of earlier attempts around somewhere too that I can post if there's any interest.

And, since they made me think about this again, here's the full PR on the British Shakespeare books:

Patrick Stewart applauds Classical Comics’ pioneering three-tier dialogue graphic novel adaptation of Macbeth

I’m fascinated by your approach... I find them gripping, dramatic and, although for me the original Shakespeare is always my reason for turning to these plays, I think that what you are doing in illuminating and making perhaps more lucid, especially for young people, is clever and meaningful - Patrick Stewart

The internationally respected actor, known for successfully bridging the gap between the theatrical world of the Shakespearean stage and contemporary film and television, has given his seal of approval to Classical Comics’ pioneering three-tier dialogue approach, in particular its forthcoming graphic novel adaptation of Macbeth. Patrick Stewart’s recent stint in Macbeth at the Gielgud Theatre in London garnered him several awards - including Best Actor at the Evening Standard Awards, and the prize for Best Shakespearean Performance at the 19th annual Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards (which he shares with Chiwetel Ejiofor for Othello) - and the production transferred to New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music on 12 February.

With its revolutionary three-tier dialogue approach, Classical Comics presents a brand new and inclusive view of the sheer genius of Shakespeare’s storytelling. Macbeth, arguably Shakespeare’s most dramatic tragedy, certainly one of his greatest works, features stunning artwork from Marvel/Spider-man illustrator Jon Haward and comic strip illustrator Nigel Dobbyn, and script adaptation by author John McDonald.

Each of Classical Comics’ graphic novel adaptations of literary classics is published in three versions: Original Text – the full, unabridged script; Plain Text – a modern English version of the original script; and Quick Text – with reduced, simplified dialogue for easier and faster reading. Classical Comics’ Clive Bryant explains the thinking behind this: ‘We wanted to spread a joy and appreciation of literacy, and particularly to target readers in key stages 2 and 3. Often children of that age are forced to read Shakespeare, but they struggle to get past the language. The comic book format and three text versions will undoubtedly help with their understanding. By providing these three text versions, which are all on the same artwork, we allow a reader to absorb the story at Quick Text level, proceed onto Plain English, and then onto the Original script. That way, they understand the play and can appreciate the beautiful language that Shakespeare used. We believe that we’ve created a way for readers to enjoy these fantastic stories regardless of their age or their reading ability’.

Having been told by young readers that they were bored by the Bard, Classical Comics set out to make Shakespeare as energetic and colourful as Spider-man. With its new series of graphic novel adaptations of literary classics, Classical Comics has succeeded in bringing Shakespeare to life, with striking full-colour artwork depicting the drama, emotion and action scenes in an exciting, captivating way.

Macbeth was published on Monday 25 February 2008

Macbeth and Henry V are Classical Comics’ first books in its range of graphic novel adaptations. Other great literary novels receiving the Classical Comic treatment include: Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre (Spring 2008), Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations (Summer 2008), and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Summer 2008),

The books retail at £9.99 each, and are available from Amazon, and all good bookshops nationwide.

www.classicalcomics.com

press enquiries to: Helen Maleed
tel/fax: 020 7732 4624 mobile: 07986 235 855
email: helen@greendesk.demon.co.uk

Review copies available

Artwork samples available

www.classicalcomics.com

Following the success of its pioneering three-tier dialogue treatment of Henry V, Classical Comics publishes Macbeth, its graphic novel adaptation of, arguably, Shakespeare’s most dramatic tragedy, certainly one of his greatest works. With stunning artwork from Marvel/Spider-man illustrator Jon Haward and comic strip illustrator Nigel Dobbyn, and script adaptation by author John McDonald, Classical Comics’ presents a brand new and totally fulfilling view of the sheer genius of Shakespeare’s storytelling.

Classical Comics has devised a revolutionary three-tier dialogue approach; each book is published in three versions: Original Text – the full, unabridged script; Plain Text – a modern English version of the original script; and Quick Text – with reduced, simplified dialogue for easier and faster reading. Clive Bryant, of Classical Comics, explains the thinking behind this: ‘We wanted to spread a joy and appreciation of literacy, and particularly to target readers in key stages 2 and 3. Often children of that age are forced to read Shakespeare, but they struggle to get past the language. The comic book format and three text versions will undoubtedly help with their understanding. By providing these three text versions, which are all on the same artwork, we allow a reader to absorb the story at Quick Text level, proceed onto Plain English, and then onto the Original script. That way, they understand the play and can appreciate the beautiful language that Shakespeare used. We believe that we’ve created a way for readers to enjoy these fantastic stories regardless of their age or their reading ability’.