Graphic Classics: Mark Twain (Graphic Classics (Eureka)) [Paperback]

Mark Twain (Author), Rick Geary (Author), Evert Geradts (Author), Skip Williamson (Author), Dan O'Neill (Author), Shary Flenniken (Author), Nick Miller (Author), Simon Gane (Author), Kirsten Ulve (Author), Toni Pawlowsky (Author), Lance Tooks (Author), Milton Knight (Author), Dan Burr (Author), Jackie Smith (Author), Lisa K. Weber (Author), Annie Owens (Author), Mary Fleener (Author), Lesley Reppeteaux (Author), William L. Brown (Author), Florence Cestac (Author)

Book Description

Series: Graphic Classics (Eureka) | Publication Date: January 6, 2004

Graphic Classics: Mark Twain features a comics adaptation of "The Mysterious Stranger" by Rick Geary, "A Ghost Story" by Anton Emdin, "A Dog's Tale" by Lance Tooks and nine more great stories. Plus Twain's "Advice To Little Girls," with art by seven women illustrators including Shary Flenniken, Mary Fleener, and Kirsten Ulve.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With a terrific lineup of artists and unbeatable material, Pomplun has assembled a collection of Mark Twain's work that should delight graphic novel fans and anyone seeking to boost their general cultural knowledge. The stories collected here are, of necessity, taken from Twain's short works, and if not every single word has made it into these comics adaptations, there is still an abundance of the great man's rhetoric, which should satisfy all but the most exacting readers. The book begins with Twain's 70th birthday oration, delivered in 1905, and continues with one of Twain's later works, "The Mysterious Stranger," a dark morality tale set in 16th-century Austria. The mood lightens with "How I Was Sold in Newark" and "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." Other yarns include "A Ghost Story" and "A Dog's Tale." Interspersed are shorter pieces: "Ode to Stephen Dowling Bots, Dec'd" (excerpted from Huckleberry Finn), a short discussion of a 19th-century fraud entitled "P.T. Barnum and the Cardiff Giant" and a superbly tongue-in-cheek advertisement for "A Curious Pleasure Excursion," in which the public learns Twain has leased a comet and is ready to take patrons on a deluxe ride through outer space. With over 20 different artists interpreting Twain's work, illustrations range from discreet drawings accompanying a page full of text to boffo spreads where characters cavort through the tale. Particularly charming is the collection of images accompanying Twain's practical "Advice to Little Girls," recommendations as timely now as when they were written.
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From School Library Journal

Adult/High School--From the troublemaking, steel-trap mind of Twain comes this collection of illustrated short stories, anecdotes, and epigrams. Interpreted in black and white by various artists, these adaptations vary greatly in artistic style, yet through it all Twain's unmistakable insight never waivers. Some of the pieces, such as the consistently enjoyable tragicomedies "The Mysterious Stranger" and "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," receive a traditional comic-book treatment. Other pieces have a more modern, even expressionistic feel. Twain's language can be florid, and many readers will have to refer to the dictionary for clarification. In addition, his work is complex (many of the pieces involve him having a discussion with some incarnation of himself) and can be challenging. The heartbreaking "A Dog's Tale," a story of animal innocence in the face of casual, human evil, is accompanied by sociopolitical iconography that requires a sophisticated audience. While illustrated adaptations of Twain's lesser-known works are not for every reader's taste, teens looking for an unusual introduction to the writer will certainly find this book engaging.--Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Libraries, Ontario, Canada
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Eureka Productions (January 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971246483
• ISBN-13: 978-0971246485
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,171,708 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "There was a feller here once, by the name of...", September 9, 2005

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Zack Davisson "japanreviewed" (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Graphic Classics: Mark Twain (Graphic Classics (Eureka)) (Paperback)

Mark Twain is undoubtedly America's "Great Man of Letters." A complicated author, he flowed easily through humor, satire, psychological horror, politics, religion, and pretty much any other subject imaginable. He was able to hold up a dark mirror to society, and stare unflinchingly at the organizations, traditions, and political and moral decay that always threaten to drown a civilization. And he spun a great yarn.

He is a great candidate for the Graphics Classics series, offering a wealth of short stories and witticisms to inspire illustrators to create, adapt and partner with the great author to produce some original works. Even his shortest story packs a solid wallop, and the one page gems are as good as the more lengthy pieces.

This updated edition brings back some of the great yarns from the first edition, with several of the smaller pieces cleared away to make way for a grand adventure staring the irrepressible Tom Sawyer and friends.

Included in this collection are:

Tom Sawyer Abroad - By far Twain's most famous and enduring character, most of us only know him from "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" and "Huck Finn", but he actually made quite a few appearances. This is a Jules Verne inspired tale of Tom, Huck and Jim commandeering a flying machine and heading off for Africa. Illustrated by George Sellas, this adaptation captures the raucous spirit and deeper wisdom inherent in the character.

The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County - Possibly the most famous tale in the collection, it is given a straight-forward comic book style adaptation. I vaguely remembered reading this story in Elementary school, and it was a nice way to be re-introduced to it.

A Dog's Tale - Without a doubt the stand-out piece in the book, and possibly the best achievement in the entire Graphic Classics series. A stunning adaptation by Lance Tooks adds an additional element to this sad story of a devoted dog and the family with which it lives. The true power of words and pictures is put on display in this adaptation.

Advice to Little Girls - An anthology of witticisms each with a different illustrator, revealing the dual-nature of little girls. Sugar and Spice, Naughty and Nice.

The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut - Twain battles to defeat his own conscience, an intolerable bother since the day he was born. His conscience thinks it is up for the battle...

A Curious Pleasure Excursion - Another powerful adaptation, William L. Brown provides woodblock illustrations to illustrate Twain's advertisement for a luxury trip aboard the Comet Coggia!

Is He Living or is He Dead? - Simon Gane lends his old-fashioned style to a tale of artistic fame and true talent, as four painters conspire to gain wealth from poverty. The only condition is that one of their number must die in order to become famous.

The Mysterious Stranger - Adapted by Richard Geary, a regular of the Graphics Classics series, this story features three young boys who meet a mysterious stranger. The happy visitor announces himself as Satan, and proceeds to show the three boys the true nature of a happy life. Only the dead and insane are free from the world's troubles.