Customer Reviews

Christmas Classics: Graphic Classics Volume Nineteen (Graphic Classics (Eureka)) (Graphic Classics (Graphic Novels))

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"This is the ghost of Graphic Classics past,...."

"Present"

"And future"

In unison, they chanted. "You will love this volume."

And guess what, after I woke up from my dream, I did. Tom Pomplun has assembled a book that combines the classy Christmas Carol with the timeless "Visit From St Nicholas." In between, the holiday season is interrupted with

A Letter From Santa Claus

Christmas Carol

Visit From St Nicholas

Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle

Chapparal Christmas Gift

Strategy of the Werewolf Dog

Luckless Santa Claus

Wondersmith

One of the best things about this volume is the variety of authors. I did not know that O Henry wrote such a great story, or that F Scott Fitzgerald penned an insightful tale, and had forgotten that the Carbuncle was a yuletide adventure. Forget the fact that the Chapparal is a masterful adaptation and illustrated superbly, this is one gift to readers all over the market.

As with all Graphic Classics, there is no shortchanging of quality and this book is all color on high gloss paper. This series is one of the great undiscovered secrets of the industry. May it not be hidden much longer, Pompluns' work begs for kudos and intelligent readers of all ages need to have at least ONE of his books.

Tim Lasiuta

Reason for Reading: First, I love the Graphic Classics and want to read them all. Second, every December I drop whatever reading I'm supposed to be doing and read a Christmas book. This is my second and final choice this year.

Christmas Classics is another full colour edition and it just wouldn't be Christmas without lots of bright and bold colour. While a couple of the stories are dark ghost stories with colour palettes to match, the rest of the stories have been coloured in bright and festive colour, funny comic or simply outrageous style to offset the darkness and bring a festive atmosphere to the look of the book. What can I say, another job well done by editor Tom Pomplun!

Quite an eclectic assortment of selections are presented here starting off with a letter written by Mark Twain to his daughter in 1875 from Santa Claus. The feature of the book is, of course, Dickens' Christmas Carol which simply because it is such a famous story does seem a bit hurried in an adapted version. But all the good bits are there and the artwork by Micah Farritorn is wonderful. It is dark and dreary but there is also an ethereal quality to the squiggly lines in the background and some the faces which all comes together to represent the Victorian era, the poverty and ghostly darkness of the story. Next up is another expected treat, Clement C. Moore's famous poem which has been illustrated in a wildly humorous and bright style bringing us straight out of Dickens's gloom.

Then onto lesser known stories that one won't obviously be looking for. A Sherlock Holmes that takes place during Christmas, but really isn't about Christmas. Wonderful caricature depiction of Basil Rathbone as Sherlock. There was a really psychedelic story by Willa Cather entitled "The Strange Case of the Werewolf Dog" which starts off like a kiddy story but is way too weird and creepy and then the bright and weird art style by Evert Geradts matches it perfectly. The book also includes stories by O. Henry (no, not The Gift of the Magi), F. Scott Fitzgerald and Fitz-James O'Brien. Here is where I had a squeal of delight as a favourite of mine, Rick Geary, is back as an illustrator! We haven't seem him in the Graphic Classics series since the initial first few volumes, then he came back for vol. 11 and it's been a long wait for him to show himself again here in vol. 19. If Rick illustrates it, I know I'm going to like and O' Brien's story was no exception. It's a creepy, macabre short story that ends the book on a fine note. I do prefer Geary in his black & white work rather than the colour but that's not a complaint, just sayin'. While none of the stories are what I would call festive and gay, a few do have positive endings and the book is a great collection of Christmas-themed ghost, horror, western, mystery and weird stories based on classic authors. Another fine entry in the Graphic Classics series!

This is a graphic Christmas present- eye-catching to read and look at, even to read out loud...but not for the very young. As the stories progress they are darker, they are definitely not for little children, some not even for those who wish a sweet little Christmas story; but these indeed are interesting and different; starting with Mark Twain's letter to his daughter, then A Christmas Carol and A Visit from St Nicholas. Other Christmas stories are from Arthur Conan Doyle, O. Henry, Willa Cather, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Fitz-James O'Brien.

The book is done well - the illustrations are bright and pages smooth. Lovers of Christmas stories and graphic books would appreciate this Classic.

Every good writer has at least one Christmas story in them. I am sure that when Tom Pomplun was assembling stories for the latest entry in his excellent "Graphic Classics," it was not a dearth of material that was his biggest problem. He somehow narrowed the entries down to eight stories, but I have no doubt he could have done another three volumes or so on this same theme.

Like his other anthology books Fantasy Classics, Gothic Classics, Horror Classics and Adventure Classics, "Christmas Classics" does not focus on the work of a single author but instead gathers together gems from a variety of authors in a span of styles. Some are familiar and heartwarming, some are unknown and sad. Some are diabolical. Some are enchanting.

This mix of the famous and the obscure is one of my favorite parts of the Graphic Classics series. I always discover something new, even surprising, be it a single story by an author I have known all my life to someone I have never heard of, but am encouraged to learn more about. "Christmas Classics" was no exception.

The stories in this collection are:

"A Letter from Santa Claus" - Mark Twain - A comical little letter written by Mark Twain to his daughter Susy in 1875 takes up the first page with an illustration by Anton Emdin.. In typical Twain style, it is a cynical note telling his daughter Santa has run out of stock on some important items, and lists the exact things she needs to do to be a "good" girl and get what she wants. Included are telling Susy she must make her little brother George clean out the fireplace with a rag, and not a broom; or he will die someday.

"A Christmas Carol" - Charles Dickens - Adapted by Alex Burrows and illustrated by Micah Farritor, you would be hard-pressed to find a living soul not somewhat familiar with this classic ghost story. Burrows and Farritor focused on the dark parts of the story, keeping in mind that the story of Scrooge, while redemptive, is in fact a scary ghost story and has been treated appropriately. I loved Farritor's ghost of Jacob Marley.

"A Visit from St. Nicholas" - Clement C. Moore - Another famous tale, one that I could almost recite by heart, is illustrated by Florence Cestrac. A humorous and cartoony approach is taken to this story, all big noses and fat fingers in the characterization. I have to admit, I much prefer the serious approach taken by Tasha Tudor for this poem, and the funny approach fell flat with me.

"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - The classic Sherlock Holmes Christmas tale has always been a favorite, and I have seen several adaptations of it. This one, adapted by Rich Rainey and illustrated by Hunt Emerson, was also a bit too cartoony for my tastes. Emerson gave Holmes exagerated features, a massive pointy chin and nose, and I prefer the more Victorian look found in other Graphic Classics Holmes adaptations.

"A Chaparral Christmas Gift" - O. Henry - This, on the other hand, was perfect. Adapted by Tom Pomplun and illustrated by Cynthia Martin, this is one of O. Henry's cowboy tales, a legend of the Frio Kid. Two men love the same woman. She chooses one, and the rejected man vows revenge. Come Christmastime, a man in a Santa Claus suit crashes the party promising a special present for the groom. Martin illustrated this one in a straight-forward and period style, which perfectly suits O.Henry's lean story. I could read a whole book of stories like this.

"The Strategy of the Werewolf Dog" - Willa Cather - I am betting you have never heard of this one. I certainly hadn't. First published in 1896, Cather says that she invented this tale to amuse younger siblings at a family party. If so, then her family must have a bleak sensibility. The darkness of the tale is masked by the festive and colorful illustrations of Evert Geradts, Adaptation by Tom Pomplun.

"A Luckless Santa Claus" - F. Scott Fitzgerald - A short non-morality tale from the master of the Jazz Age, adapted by Tom Pomplun and illustrated by Simon Gane. In a fit of gaiety, a young woman dares her tight-fisted fiancé to give away twenty-five dollars on Christmas. He accepts the challenge, but finds that tough-minded city folk are more than a bit leery of someone handing out free money.

"The Wondersmith" - Fitz-James O-Brien - The story with the least Christmas connection and the most fantastic, adapted by Tom Pomplun and illustrated by Rick Geary. A group of sorcerers gather together to plot murder by stealing the souls of demon-born children and placing them in dolls who will assassinate their luckless owner on Christmas morning. It is up to a hunchback bookseller and a beautiful organ-grinder to foil their plot. Geary's unique illustration style was perfect for this grim little tale.