Classical Comics is a British

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

adaptations of the great works of literature, including

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

, Charlotte Brontë and Dickens.

Overview

All of the volumes will be published as graphic novels. Art is being provided by British artists, most of whom have a long history of working in British comics. Some of the releases, in particular the Shakespeare, will come in three different versions: the original text, plain text and quick text, designed to allow readers with different needs to pick the version that bests suits them. Classical Comics chairman, Clive Bryant has stated "We want to make Shakespeare as energetic and colourful as Spider-man" The aim is not just to aid in English literature classes but also in other areas: Karen Wenborn, the managing director, has said "We, and the teachers we’ve consulted, can visualize huge benefits within the education process using the books, not only for literacy and literature, but also drama, art and history." In April 2008 Classical Comics signed a distribution deal wit
book&volume
to cover Australia and New Zealand. In June 2008 they announced two further distributions deals. Publishers Group West will be releasing British English and American English versions of Classical Comics' titles in the US and Canada and Ittosha are going to be translating the books into Japanese. Classical Comics are also adapting their comics into other media and have turned their ''Macbeth'' graphic novel into an interactive motion comic with actors like Derek Jacobi and

Juliet Stevenson Juliet Anne Virginia Stevenson, (born 30 October 1956) is an English actor of stage and screen. She is known for her role in the film '' Truly, Madly, Deeply'' (1991), for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leadi ...

voicing the roles.

Jon Haward Jon Haward (b. 1965 in Norwich, UK) is a British comics artist. He has illustrated '' Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'', '' Judge Dredd'', '' Sinister Dexter'' and '' Biker Mice from Mars'', among others. Biography Haward was born in Norwich a ...

, the artist on ''Macbeth'' and ''The Tempest'', moved into the role of art direction for the ''Hamlet'' adaptation, providing character designs and rough page outlines for pencilled David Lorenzo to work with.

Reception

The National Association for the Teaching of English is supporting the project. "This is a fun way of getting into the stories", the director Ian McNeilly said. "Plays are not meant to be read, but to be seen. The illustrations in these books are an easy way of following what is going on". Wenborn has also reported that focus groups were "incredibly enthusiastic"Shakespeare gets comic treatment
BBC, May 11, 2007 and ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide ...

'', who examined the version of MacBeth, has suggested that "it will also, surely, suck some more young readers into the brilliant darkness of this play."

Titles

* '' Henry V'' (by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...

and adapted by John McDonald, with pencils by Neill Cameron and inks by Bambos, 144 pages, November 2007, Original Text, ) * ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

'' (by William Shakespeare and adapted by John McDonald with artwork by

, 144 pages, February 2008, Original Text, ) *''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'' (by William Shakespeare and adapted by John McDonald with artwork by Will Volley and Jim Devlin, 160 pages, September 2009, Original Text, ) *'' The Tempest'' (by William Shakespeare and adapted by John McDonald with artwork by Jon Haward, 144 pages, September 2009 Original Text, *''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict ...

'' (by William Shakespeare and adapted by John McDonald with artwork by Jason Cardy & Kat Nicholson, 144 pages, September 2010 Original Text, ) *''

Jane Eyre ''Jane Eyre'' ( ; originally published as ''Jane Eyre: An Autobiography'') is a novel by the English writer Charlotte Brontë. It was published under her pen name "Currer Bell" on 19 October 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. of London. The firs ...

'' (by Charlotte Brontë and adapted by Amy Corzine with artwork by

John Burns John Elliot Burns (20 October 1858 – 24 January 1943) was an English trade unionist and politician, particularly associated with London politics and Battersea. He was a socialist and then a Liberal Member of Parliament and Minister. He was ...

, 144 pages, Spring 2008, Original Text, ) *''

Frankenstein ''Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' is an 1818 novel written by English author Mary Shelley. ''Frankenstein'' tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who creates a sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific exp ...

'' (by

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also ...

and adapted by

Jason Cobley British small press comics, once known as stripzines, are comic books self-published by amateur cartoonists and comic book creators, usually in short print runs, in the UK. They're comparable to similar movements internationally, such as American m ...

with artwork by Declan Shalvey, 144 pages, September 2008 Original Text, ) *'' A Christmas Carol'' (by

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...

and adapted by Sean Michael Wilson, with pencils by Mike Collins and inks by David Roach, 160 pages, October 2008, Original Text, ) *'' Great Expectations'' (by Charles Dickens and adapted by Jen Green and artwork by John Stokes, 160 pages, March 2009, Original Text, ) *'' The Canterville Ghost'' (by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...

and adapted by Sean Michael Wilson, with art by Steve Bryant and Jason Millet, 136 pages, February 2010, Original Text, ) *'' Sweeney Todd'' (by

anonymous Anonymous may refer to: * Anonymity, the state of an individual's identity, or personally identifiable information, being publicly unknown ** Anonymous work, a work of art or literature that has an unnamed or unknown creator or author * Anonym ...

and adapted by Sean Michael Wilson, with art by Declan Shalvey, 168 pages, November 2010, Original Text, ) *'' Wuthering Heights'' (by Emily Brontë and adapted by Sean Michael Wilson, with art by

John M. Burns John M. Burns (born 1938) is an English comics artist, with a career stretching back to the mid-1960s. Biography His initial work was as an illustrator for ''Junior Express'' and ''School Friend''. During the 1960s, Burns worked on ''TV Ce ...

, 160 pages, August 2010, Original Text, ) *'' Dracula'' (by Bram Stoker and adapted by

with artwork by Staz Johnson, colours by James Offredi and lettering by Jim Campbell, 152 pages, Original Text, ) *'' An Inspector Calls'' (by J. B. Priestley and adapted by

with artwork by Will Volley, colours by Alejandro Sanchez and lettering by Jim Campbell, 144 pages, Original Text, ) *''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

'' (by

. Script adaptation, characters and artwork by John Stokes, 144 pages, Original Text, , Quick Text, )

Awards

* 2008: ** Won the Silver Medal "Graphic Novel/Drawn Book – Drama/Documentary" Independent Publisher Book Award, for ''Henry V''. * 2009: ** Won the Bronze Medal "Graphic Novel/Drawn Book – Drama/Documentary" Independent Publisher Book Award, for ''Macbeth''. ** Association of Educational Publishers 2009 Winner - Distinguished Achievement Award in grades 9-12 'Frankenstein' *2010 **Romeo & Juliet graphic novels win "Distinguished Achievement Award" for Curriculum, Reading and Language Arts, grades 9-12. * 2012: ** 'Wuthering Heights' by Scottish writer Sean Michael Wilson, and hand painted by comic book veteran artist John M Burns, received a nomination for the Stan Lee Excelsior Awards, 2012 voted for by pupils from 170 schools across the UK. ** Finalist in the Education Resources Awards 2012 for Best Secondary Resource or Equipment - involving ICT ''Macbeth Interactive Motion Comic''http://www.besa.org.uk/library/press-release-education-resources-awards-2012-shortlist

Notes

References

External links

*
book&volume
Australian distributor

UK distributor

UK distributor {{Authority control Comics based on fiction Comic book publishing companies of the United Kingdom British graphic novels 2007 establishments in England Publishing companies established in 2007