Those Brits* and their Shakespeare manga:
UK independent publisher SelfMadeHero will launch its line of contemporary manga next month with manga adaptations of Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet, using the Bard’s original language in abridged versions of his classic plays. Amulet Books, an imprint of art book publisher Harry N. Abrams, will publish the Manga Shakespeare titles in the U.S. in April… Manga Shakespeare is not Self Made Hero’s only initiative — a second line of books, Classical Eye, will launch later in the year and will include graphic novel adaptations of Kafka’s The Trial, Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment.
* – Okay, I’m one of them, I admit it.
January 11th, 2007 at 11:07 am
I have a sample copy of the Hamlet. There have been other graphic novel adaptations of Shakespeare originally published in the UK and then in the US by Workman Press, most were beautifully done. The text for this edition is from the play itself, the art by Emma Vieceli is interesting, manga-style, and kind of futuristic. Die-hard otaku who don’t like neo-manga won’t like it, but teens who struggle with the Bard just might. This will do well in libraries.
January 12th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
Hi there ^_^
I just stumbled upon this post. It’s great to see the projects being mentioned…
Kat Kan, I hope you’re right about the libraries!
I’ll be interested to see the reactions indeed….I think you could be right about die hard otaku not being keen on the idea…though as both an otaku and a shakespeare fanatic myself – i really hope that it can appeal to both in some way.
If we can help younger audiences to appreciate Shakespeare (and manga storytelling in the process) then I’ll be very happy. ^_^
Ems ^_^