Graphic Classics

Western Classics and Tales of Mystery

Eureka Publications (2011)

Here’s a question for you – does rewriting a classic book in comic book format cheapen the story, or simply make it more available to a wider range of readers? The “Graphic Classics” series is a good way to find out. The style may not suit everybody but they are far more readable.

A good example here is Volume 21, Tales of Mystery, an updated set of Edgar Allen Poe stories. I have never been fond of Poe’s work. I found his writing ponderous and stilted, even pompous, but I cannot deny the man’s ability to write a powerful supernatural or horror story. By reducing the story to its bare minimum and using graphics to fill in much of the detail I think this volume is now much more suited to new readers of his work. There is enough text to give an idea of his style without detracting from his story. His original text is used rather than some trendy modernised version and this also builds up the atmosphere of each story.

Not all the books are from the early days. Volume 20, Western Classics, is a compilation of the old pulp Westerns, including notable authors like Zane Grey. From him we get the classic Riders of the Purple Sage. These were cheap, popular entertainment just after World War II. My father was a keen reader of the westerns and to some extent I learned to read on these cheap books. I still like a good western, but I have become a bit more discerning in my old age. The characters in these books are stamped out from a cliché mould. There is the tall handsome Hero, a crack shot with a gun and a revenger of wrongs. He will probably have A Secret. He will get The Girl, a tough but honest and attractive young lady whose Pa was killed by the baddies. The baddies, of course, will be led by the Evil Saloon Owner / property owner who will want the water or the girl or both. There is usually an Amusing Sidekick hanging around somewhere. Great literature? No. Great entertainment? Yes.

The books are not dumbed down for the reading-challenged. As modern English tends towards phonetics rather than correctly spelled, grammatically correct language, showing young readers how it should be written will be a problem. Series like Graphic Classics can only help.

The quality of the artwork varies from beautifully drawn scenery to crudely daubed work that would be more at home on a pop art poster. The illustrators come from a range of backgrounds and their origins show in their work. We even get a brief bio on each artist.

Will the format encourage more readers to explore the classic books? Time will tell.

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