Bram Stoker's Dracula - The Graphic Novel Adaptation!

It seems a long time since I posted about some of my favourite reads, which is a shame as I'm probably reading more graphic novels and comics than I've done for a long time - thanks to my favourite local comic shop, Scott's Pops & Comics!

This doesn't necessary mean I'm up to date with things, although again I am reading and aware of contemporary releases far more than before, but at least I am catching up with things as they come to me or I re-discover them from a previous reading pile or forgotten shelf! So, without committing to doing a full 'best of', I will as time allows in the weeks ahead, try and highlight a few of my recent standout reads, such as;

Mike Mignola's adaption of Bram Stoker's Dracula (IDW)

A feature on the ever excellent Cartoonist Kayfabe's YouTube series (essential viewing for any comics creator and enthusiast!) led Scott to tracking down for me this excellent 2018 hardback reprinting of Mike Mignola's adaptation of this now classic version of the Dracula legend in the 1990's by legendary director Francis Ford Coppola.

I'd not paid a lot of attention to the movie at the time so passed on the original Topp's Comics adaptation which itself became a bit of a collector's item, with many claiming it was a 'turning point' for Mignola, discovering his distinctive art style from a tight Roy Thomas script. Certainly Mignola's trademark blacks and gothic styling are evident on every page, (although the inking is actually done by John Nyberg) and the original comics pre-dated Hellboy by at least a year.
 

In any case, IDW's excellent hardback is in oversize format about 1.5 times the comics and maybe half the size of the original art, reprinted here in stark black n white which best shows off the art and sets the story perfectly. There's also a delightful bonus section with about a dozen pages of Mignola's original pencils and covers which round off a great package.

An odd read for January perhaps but I think I originally read this around Halloween, which obviously is better timing?. It certainly made an impression and, not normally being a fan of horror, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this, given the familiarity of the story and my indifference to the movie, (which I will now endeavour to rewatch!) but maybe it was just one of those occasions when the whole creative team complemented each other perfectly to execute a dramatic story in such a compelling way, comics at their very best!

Recommended

Richard Sala R.I.P

I wanted to mark the recent sad news that artist Richard Sala had died. He was a unique comics talent who had ploughed his own furrow in a series of regular and entertaining graphic novels which I greatly enjoyed. His imagination was fuelled by many things, resulting in a unique combination of macabre characters and settings with a strong horror vibe, not explicit, but suggestive and playfully grotesque, reminding you of some old forgotten b-movie.

I think it was his Delphine books where I first encountered his distinctive work. The story was serialised in four large oversize volumes by Fantagraphics just over 10 years ago and I had fun tracking them down as quickly as I could and devouring the story. My curiosity into the artist and his work luckily led me to his website from where he was selling off some of his art and I was privileged to purchase a couple of sequences from the Delphine books I'd been reading and have a few short communications with the man himself.

My interest piqued, I bought as many of his graphic novels as I could find - using the finding of his work in comic shops (alongside other distinct voices of Jason, Rick Geary & Tim Truman), as a kind of 'quirky quality benchmark' whether it would be worth me delving further into that store's stock in the, sadly too often superhero dominated comic marketplace. I was therefore able to build up a decent but still incomplete collection of his work, often with recurring characters and themes, some more succesful reads than others but all a delight to experience and enjoy his artistic talent.

It seems that my appreciation was not alone as there have been several moving tributes made to the man which, even if you are familar with his work are worth a read, even moreso, if you are not, in which case I encourage you to explore the fine legacy he has left.

 https://www.comicsbeat.com/rip-richard-sala/

 http://www.tcj.com/richard-sala-1955-2020/

 http://www.tcj.com/richard/

lhttps://spyvibe.blogspot.com/2020/05/remembering-richard-sala.html