Wednesday, January 18, 2012

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Interpreted by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young

Many of us know the story featuring the beloved Dorothy and her companions, Toto, the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion.  When L. Frank Baum created the world of Oz, he also created a classic that will last for ages.  Spinoffs, including my personal favorite Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, are not uncommon and neither are devoted fans.  Eric Shanower is one of these fans, bringing out his love of the original story with the help of artist, Skottie Young in graphic novel form thanks to Marvel Classics.

When I saw this graphic novel at the library, I knew I had to bring it home and take a peek.  My peek revealed a tale that was true to the original, though the visuals did not completely match my own imagination.  Some character interpretations I absolutely loved; case in point was the Cowardly Lion.  One in particular left me unsettled:  the Scarecrow.  The others grew on me and the overall illustrations kept me staring at the pages long after reading the words printed on them.

Despite the difference in views, I still enjoyed this novel and the perspective presented by a true fan of Oz.  If you are one of these fans, you may enjoy getting lost in Shanower and Young's version, too!

What are some of your favorite interpretations or retellings of Baum's Oz?
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5 comments:

  1. https://booksthoughtsadventures.comJanuary 18, 2012 at 9:07 AM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  2. https://booksthoughtsadventures.comJanuary 18, 2012 at 9:10 AM

    I had to delete my comment because I wrote oooh and my iPad self corrected it to pooh...

    So what I really said was oooh...this sounds
    yummy...

    Nice find!!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tif SweeneyJanuary 19, 2012 at 9:09 PM

    Patty ... LOL!! This completely made my day! Ah the little things!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kristen M.January 20, 2012 at 1:25 AM

    Maybe I should try this one. I was disappointed by the last Oz graphic novel that I tried (by Michael Cavallaro) but it was a much different look than this one. I just don't think anyone can top the original Neill artwork!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Tif SweeneyJanuary 22, 2012 at 10:42 AM

    Kristen M. ... It is so hard to revisit a favorite sometimes when the artist goes outside the familiar. Overall, I enjoyed this one, but I did struggle with the art of the scarecrow in particular because of this.

    ReplyDelete

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