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Kate Beaton

Hark! A Vagrant Hardcover – Illustrated, September 27, 2011

by Kate Beaton (Author)

261 ratings

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FEATURED ON MORE THAN TWENTY BEST-OF LISTS, INCLUDING TIME, AMAZON, E! AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY!

Hark! A Vagrant is an uproarious romp through history and literature seen through the sharp, contemporary lens of New Yorker cartoonist and comics sensation Kate Beaton. No era or tome emerges unscathed as Beaton rightly skewers the Western world's revolutionaries, leaders, sycophants, and suffragists while equally honing her wit on the hapless heroes, heroines, and villains of the best-loved fiction.
She deftly points out what really happened when Brahms fell asleep listening to Liszt, that the world's first hipsters were obviously the Incroyables and the Merveilleuses from eighteenth-century France, that Susan B. Anthony is, of course, a "Samantha," and that the polite banality of Canadian culture never gets old. Hark! A Vagrant features sexy Batman, the true stories behind classic Nancy Drew covers, and Queen Elizabeth doing the albatross. As the 500,000 unique monthly visitors to harkavagrant.com already know, no one turns the ironic absurdities of history and literature into comedic fodder as hilariously as Beaton.

Print length

160 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Drawn and Quarterly
Publication date

September 27, 2011
Dimensions

5.47 x 0.94 x 8.79 inches
ISBN-10

1770460608
ISBN-13

978-1770460607
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“[Beaton's comics] are witty reinventions of literary and historical figures navigating modern times . . . A high-minded version of The Far Side that is at once of-the-moment and timeless.” ―DEBORAH VANKIN, The Los Angeles Times on Kate Beaton

“Simply put, this is the most well-drawn, funniest comic that I've read in a while.” ―ADRIENNE SO, Wired on Kate Beaton

“[Beaton's] neat linework and terrific grasp of simple caricature and facial expression sells a lot of the best strips, including Sasaki Kojiro meeting an undignified end, Jane Austen and Nikola Tesla being pestered by their fans, and Lord Byron muttering "Bitches, man" to a grieving Percy Bysshe Shelley. A-” ―The Onion, The A.V. Club on Kate Beaton

About the Author

KATE BEATON grew up in Nova Scotia, Canada. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history and anthropology at Mount Allison University. She presently resides in Brooklyn, New York.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Drawn and Quarterly; Illustrated edition (September 27, 2011)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1770460608
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1770460607
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.54 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.47 x 0.94 x 8.79 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #244,773 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #56 in Drawn & Quarterly Comic & Graphic Novels
- #284 in Biographies & History Graphic Novels
- #519 in Literary Graphic Novels (Books)

Customer Reviews:
261 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		79%
4 star		12%
3 star		4%
2 star		2%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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You may think you know history -- but you don't know *Kate Beaton* history

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2012

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I've been pointing at Kate Beaton's awesome comics -- usually about historical/literary topics, often with unexpected contemporary topical references, always with a smart, feminist sense of humor -- for a few years now, but I don't think I've actually written about her at length. (If you've completely missed her work, it's no shame -- but just go google for her name and this title, and you'll find her website, where you can read dozens of her awesome webcomics. Then you can come back and buy this book, which you'll want to own.)

This is the second book of her work, after the self-published Never Learn Anything From History last year, but it's much larger (168pp vs 68pp), contains a bunch of notes on the comics from Beaton, and is vastly more widely available, so HARK! A VAGRANT is definitely the book-length Kate Beaton object of choice.

(If you're confused about the title of the book; it's also the title of her website, and derives from one of her early comics. That still doesn't make a lot of sense -- it's not obviously something to raise up as the centerpiece of a webcomic -- but randomness and serendipity is always important in both humor and comics.)

You should read Kate Beaton comics -- and buy this book -- because she's smart and witty and deeply knowledgeable about a lot of random literary/historical stuff, and she's wonderful at combining those three things in unexpected and entertaining ways. And because her loose, expressive drawings are nearly as much fun as her jokes. And because she's one-third of the brain trust behind Strong Female Characters. And because, if this book is a success, we should see her do more with her other kinds of comics -- the slice-of-life strips with her family, the bizarre MS Paint strips, the sullen Mystery Solving Teens, and especially the rare, sweet strips about talking to her younger self.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

Fathas

An Excellent Comic plus History to boot

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2011

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Hark! A Vagrant is by far one of my favorite webcomic series. It is engrossing and very entertaining, the characters always seem to reflect who you'd expect them to be except they don't take themselves too seriously. Another plus is you don't even need to know the historical figures, in fact I enjoy it more when I don't! Much like XKCD, a strip from Hark! A Vagrant frequently sends me to wikipedia to read the full bio of historical figures. I feel I've learned more about history from this webcomic than my 7+ years of history classes in school.

I sincerely hope many people buy Kate Beaton's book in support of her comic.

19 people found this helpful

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Elizabeth Fulton

Great sense of literature and history

Reviewed in the United States on October 7, 2011

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I am not as knowledgeable about history as some of Kate Beaton's readers, but I know a great deal about the literature she references. I must say, she hits all the most ridiculous points -- from Charlotte and Emily Bronte's love of screwed-up men, to the absurdities of King Lear, to the war between Watson, Stupid Watson, and Gay Watson.

To be sure, Beaton's comics have often led me to look up historical figures about which I knew little or nothing, particularly those whose race or gender cut them out of the traditional narrative. For instance, I wouldn't have known about Rosalind Franklin's work on the structure of DNA, or Matthew Henson's contribution to the first (white) expedition to the North Pole, without Beaton -- not to mention several stories which only came to my attention upon reading other Beaton comics which do not appear in this book.

In short: while most of these comics are available for free on the interwebs, I think it's totally worthwhile to send Kate Beaton some cash moneys for her work in disseminating history and literature to the masses.

9 people found this helpful

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Kate Ross

Amazing Sense of Humor

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2011

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Kate Beaton's comics are so wonderful that they should probably be illegal. You will fall in love with her drawings--especially the finely nuanced facial expressions. Beaton's characters range from the ridiculous to hilarious interpretations of historical characters and events. Pretty much everything about this book is completely awesome. If you put it on your coffee table, you will probably live a happier life and have more friends (or at least cooler ones with more a sophisticated sense of humor). You will have precisely zero regrets about buying this book. I have not been paid or unduly influenced to write this review... I genuinely love Kate Beaton's work this much.

4 people found this helpful

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Greg A. Marshall

Kate Beaton is brilliant!

Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2019

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Her strips and rapier-like humor both shine in this collection. Do yourself a favor and get it.
That is all.

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Tina

History made hilarious and fun!

Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2014

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I laughed so much reading these comics! They are extremely hilarious portrayals of history, science and literature. I had so much fun and couldn't stop smiling. The comics are cheeky, and so witty (plus - unforgettable characters!). Plus the art is well drawn in a simple, clean manner. My favourites are the ones of Nemesis, Sexy Tudors, Jules Verne writing a fan letter (with a drawing!) to Edgar Ellan Poe and Macbeth. This book is beautiful.

One person found this helpful

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ricemilk

Wiping tears of laughter from my eyes

Reviewed in the United States on June 1, 2021

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so funny... and you feel so clever for getting her jokes

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Lumpy

Humor for grown ups. Funny, intelligent and charming.

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2012

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I like everything about this book. The drawings are just as wonderful in ink as they are on my computer screen. Each comic is like an inside joke between me and the author, who just happens to be an incredibly witty history savant. And the dialog is perfectly formed, sounding just like people you know, rather than historical figures. It's the kind of book you're proud to own and show to your intelligent friends. If you don't have any intelligent friends, read this book and you will get some.

One person found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

LeaPrufrock

A webcomic even more brilliant in book form. A must for history-dorks

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 8, 2012

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WhileI have little or no time for reading outside of my history course at the moment, I did treat myself to Hark! a Vagrantby Kate Beaton. I've been a fan of her website for quite a while now. It it's a fantastically fresh set of comics that mainly focuses on poking fun on countless areas of history, literature and general topics (such as what it is to be Canadian and feminism and even Batman). All are sharp, witty, sometimes silly and oddly educational, especially when you read Beaton's commentaries at the bottom.

The book takes all that was good about the website, bringing you many of your favourite comics alongside some new ones, and I must say that they translate wonderfully into book form. Beaton's commentaries are preserved neatly at the bottom and are just as witty and interesting as the comics themselves.

The drawings are charming and bring a light-hearted feel that mixes perfectly with the jokes. You're sure to fall in love with history again, even if you're not familiar with some of the time periods or topics. You'll soon want to find out more about the cast of characters.

In short, a lovely book, presented perfectly in keeping with the feel of what makes the website wonderful. You'll be proud to pop it on your coffee table.

Ophelia Grace

Hark! A must have collection

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2013

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I've always been a huge fan of Kate Beaton's comics and couldn't resist buying this little gem. If you're familiar with history, superheroes, Sherlock Holmes and literature, then this will be a perfect addition to your bookshelf. If not, buy it anyway! Beaton will forever be a heroine of mine and after making your way through a few pages of Hark! A Vagrant, I'm sure she'll be one of yours too.

jmk

A witty look at history from a completely different angle.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 22, 2015

Verified Purchase

A dryly amusing look on history, novels, feminism and a bit of modern celeb. culture, with a few stand-out strips. You'll never look at Dracula the same way again!

UnicornsRule

Gift for History Geek

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2013

Verified Purchase

Made a great Christmas gift for a history/literature geek.
Kate Beaton's witty humor with her adorable illustrations make this a good gift for someone who appreciates a different outlook on times gone by. Think Horrible Histories but with a more adult spice.

Lazlo Panaflex

Kate Beaton is underrated!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 13, 2012

Verified Purchase

Checking her website as regularly as I do I thought it was a shame she hadn't sneaked one or two new cartoons in but it's still a delight to own a hard copy of some of her work and know that you're helping to support her art.

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