A GREAT ADAPTATION FROM ANOTHER MEDIUM | Day 3 of 31 Days of Comics!
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- čas přidán 13. 05. 2023
- What makes an adaptation and what makes an adaptation great? These were just two of the questions to contend with on my way to pick a comic for Day 3 of 31 Days of Comics, 'A Great Adaptation or Remake"
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#31DaysofComics - Zábava
Apologies for the poor audio; I wondered if I should reshoot the whole thing but I was already late. Lesson now learned and burned into my brain.
Audio seems ok to me.
@@Madbmberwhatbmbsatmidnight I tried my best to repair, but I had bad mic technique and level setting. Now I know that the position of my right arm makes a big difference! 😁
@@ftloc ahh come on :)
i havent read anything in a year. this channel is reminding me of what i used to enjoy. im going to try and read again.
A compliment of the highest order! But don't sweat it too much or compare with others. Reading habits are like the weather. But whenever you get back in, I'd love to know what you're reading and what you think of it. Cheers!
I think Vagabond by Takehiko Inoue gets my vote, being based upon Musashi: An Epic Novel of the Samurai Era by Eiji Yoshikawa. For me Inoue brings the story to life in ways that can only be done in the comics medium, the emotion and atmosphere created is absolutely stunning. A truly epic story brought to life by one of the most talented creators ever.
How many volumes in Vagabond? Your, and others', praise for it has always attracted me but I am intimidated by volume count, as always!
This is one of the few mangas that really interest me. I watched your video about it and it has been on my wish list since. Just like ftloc I always fear the volume count with manga(says someone with gazillion Hellboy trades). But the siren song of a true samurai story is calling me...
@@ftloc there 37 volumes I think and it hasn’t gotten a final ending yet, and might never get one. It’s been on hiatus since 2015
I agree with Gedo van der Zee. "In the Pines" by Dutch writer and artist (and musician), Erik Kriek, is a jaw-dropping piece of work. It covers five murder ballads, some more well-known than others, but fleshes the stories out and occasionally even the plot itself. I know that last bit is against the rules, but it is done tactfully and with respect for each of the songs with which it messes about. I only knew around half of them before I read these adaptations, but I really think they enhance and even improve the plots of those songs. And now I'm in the process of delving into the murky past of the rest of these murderous tales set to song ... Oh, and it's beautifully, even gorgeously, illustrated in a kind of faux linoleum cut sort of way. Highly recommendable!
This sounds like something I need to check out! Also, adapting songs into comics is something so unique and weird that I want to see more of it!
@@ftloc I only own one other example of the genre, which I'm going to keep up my sleeve, for now ... Looking forward to the rest of the 31 days. You rule!
Haha thank you, and I look forward to your sleeve-pick!
This is an easy one for me: "Black Water Lilies" by Didier Cassegrain. Based on a French novel I've never read, but once you read the whole thing, you'll be doubly impressed that he pulled it off as a comic. You can easily imagine how that plot worked as a novel, but pulling it off as a comic is insanity. Magnetic Press did a print version of it, so it is available for print fans.
Yay for Magnetic press and yay for you! Thank you for this recommendation!
“City of Glass” by David Mazzucchelli is my pick for an adaptation from another medium I would recommend.
Day 1 - “Black Hole” by Charles Burns
Day 2 - “Usagi Yojimbo” by Stan Sakai
I want to read it! I read Paul Auster novel
Heh, did you write this before you finished the video?
@@ftloc heh yes I did. I kind of want to get my answer down independent of your own unique thought process. Glad to see tastes converge on this prompt :)
@@James-ip7zk Give it a shot! I'd love to know what you think of it as a person familiar with the novel!
”All you need is kill” illustrated by Takeshi Obata is based on the sci fi novel with the same name by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Explosive art by one of the best mangakas in the business, I love this manga. The movie Edge of Tomorrow with Tom Cruise was partially based on this story. Absolutely recommended 👌🏼
I have yet to read the manga! Have you read the original nove?
Oh totally forgot about this one yea this is great comic adaptation
Another tough one. I thought, is a graphic memoir not an adaptation of real life? But that would be stretching the rules too far. So after considering the beautifull adaptation from 'Of mice and men' by Rebecca Dautremer and 'De Aanslag' (The Assault) by Milan Hulsing, I had a strong feeling that I didn't want to pick a book adaptation of a book, and I eventually ended up picking 'In the Pines' by Erik Kriek. A collection of beautifull murder ballad adaptations.
Adaptations of songs is something I want to see more of. Curiously, the only one I have is also a ballad - Cowboy Pete by Springsteen! 😁
Winshluss's (Vincent Paronnaud) adaptation of Pinocchio would be my choice. While I wouldn't say it surpasses the original, it offers a delightful, irreverent take that doesn't take itself too seriously. A fun fact is that Winshluss also collaborated with Marjane Satrapi, co-directing the animated adaptation of Persepolis.
Great pick; that's quite an indelible book!
Tale of Sand by Ramón Perez from the screenplay by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl of the eponymous unproduced film. I'll count that as an adaptation. Mostly wordless, Fellini surrealism, gorgeously illustrated and designed by Perez.
Wow, what a pick! That is a completely unique comic.
And since the screenplay was never made into a film, it would be an adaptation of a screenplay. But a screenplay is never meant to serve as its own text, only the skeleton to another. So we have to imagine the movie that would have been made, and consider that Perez is actually adapting that imaginary movie. I'm going to go away and think about this some more. What a truly great pick, bravo!
Marvel Comic Classics - Robinson Crusoe. A treasure from my childhood, along with Treasure Island
Do you remember if it was an original Marvel commissioned work or a reprint of an earlier work by another publisher? I know they have done both!
@@ftloc i will pm images when i go to my hometown next week
The new Elric series of adaptations from Titan would be my pick. Starting with Elric The Ruby Throne an adaptation of Elric of Melnibone by Michael Moorcock. Surpasses previous versions to bring the eternal champion to comics, well written and stunningly illustrated that has wonderful little embellishments, brings the characters to life, and captures the epicness of events. Its an ongoing adaptation to complete the entire collection of Elric books into stunning comics that even Moorcock himself has said they are the best adaptations of his books.
I would' love to get my hands on those, but are the original novels worth checking out? Or is it one of those adaptations that make the original slightly irrelevant?
@@ftloc Irrelevant? not at all, admitedly I am an Elric fan but they are worth reading if you like fantasy / sword & sorcery, the creation of Elric and his popular stories changed the face of fantasy forever going against expected and familiar tropes. He is one of my favourite characters. I've read the stories several times throughout my life and plan another reread later this year adding in the new book The Citadel of Forgotten Myths into continuity and Elric Saga : 3 (new stories added to what I thought was the end in Stormbringer), if you love books then snap them up. Currently this is one of the best times to buy them due to the recent 60th anniversary rereleases, print runs come in cycles, hang around then seem to vanish. Look for the omnibus collections and the new novel, this is the reading order -
Elric Saga : Elric of Melnibone
Elric : The Citadel of Forgotten Myths
Elric Saga : Stormbringer
Elric Saga : The White Wolf
Hope this is helpful, let me know what you think of the books if/when you give them a try.
This was not as easy as the previous. In fact I went down a bit of a rabbit hole trying to remember every adaptation that I had ever read in the comics medium. Most of the movie to comic adaptations generally disappointed, and its hard to know if a book to comic adaptation has been done well if you haven't read both the book and comic. Interestingly, all of my contenders ended up being written by the same author, the great Alan Grant. He did 'Kidnapped' and 'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' both with art by Cam Kennedy, aimed to appeal to a younger audience, these are both wonderful adaptations. But my pick goes to the three Stainless Steel Rat books (by Harry Harrison) that he adapted for serialization in 2000AD (credited as 'Kelvin Gosnell' at the time). Carlos Ezquerra provides some wonderful artwork for all three of the stories: 'Stainless Steel Rat', 'Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World', and 'Stainless Steel Rat Saves for President'. At a push, I'd say 'Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World' was the best of the three and is my pick. I also confess that I read all of these some time ago, and I wouldn't be surprised if my pick changed on a reread.
Adding to the ever-growing list!
Don Quixote was the first thing that came to mind, even before watching the video! A close second was Moby Dick, by Chabouté, his art is mesmerizing.
However, my final pick for this category is The Moon Moth. Original story by Jack Vance and adaptation by Humayoun Ibrahim.
The comic form is different than the original. It's a story where the graphic format really comes into play into the story. I think it was a bold move to try to adapt this particular story. Your really have to put your head into it to follow the story, but it is possible and that's one of the things I like.
Yes, yes, and yes! You have 100% agreement here and I actually had to cut paragraphs on The Moon Moth, Moby Dick, and Pluto just because I have made videos on them before. The covers all pop up for a second or two though; I felt bad leaving them out completely! 😁
Anne Frank's Diary - The Graphic Adaptation - the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous.
I have to agree; I really enjoyed that art!
Anything involving Richard Corben taking on the Poetry of Edgar Allen Poe, like his adaptations of the conqueror worm.
an honourable mention to anything crepax adapts, especially his dracula, but run like crazy run like hell is fantastic, as are all the tardi/manchette albums. fog over tolbiac bridge also.
Crepax is a wide gaping chasm in my comics reading, alas.
@@ftloc his stuff is not for everyone, it is the very epitome of european art comics and intellectualized smut. but wow can he draw, and his page design is unequaled. plus you really should get to know valentina roselli, the most fascinating woman in comics.
I didn't pay attention to those Fantagraphics reprints when they first came out and now they seem impossible to get...
This is a tough one due to the lack of adaptations in my collection. I’m going to go with Breccia’s “Dracula” for the gritty beauty of the art.
The figures could almost be cartoony but they achieve a peculiar grotesque that really stuck in my head!
Parker: The Hunter by Darwyn Cooke. RIP.
A great comic, as are all the Parker comics!
I would go with PLuto, but oddly enough my mind immediately jumps to Gaiman, Buckinghman, and Bellaire's recent work on Miracleman. Mainly because Buckingham redrew the previous issues that were published back in the day and it is completely different. You can really see how much he improved as an artist.
That sort of 'remaster' is certainly a very interesting subcategory of adaptation! Small tweaks are sometimes just part of a reprint or reissue, but how would we classify Eddie Campbell's work on the Master Edition of From Hell, I wonder. This certainly sounds more extreme!
@For the Love of Comics remaster seems like the best word in this case tbh since the initial drawings weren't changed. Dave Mckean's work restoring his artwork on Arkham Asylum arguable falls into the same category.
Was the restored art for the Absolute or earlier/later?
@@ftloc yeah I think so. It's the 30th anniversary edition published in 2021.
"City of Glass" is the first title that came to mind when I saw the prompt, but upon reflection I have to give my vote to "Poor Sailor" by Sammy Harkham, a fantastic little comic that (loosely?) adapts "At Sea" by Guy de Maupassant (which I've never read).
I need to look up that comic, thanks!
@@ftloc the individual book version is long OOP, but it's also contained in "Everything Together", his collection of short works
I got lost in the mental gymnastics of the front end definitional work, but I'm still going to answer Mike Mignola's comic adaptation of Brom Stroker's Dracula, the adaptation of the film adaptation of the book.
Haha, those gymnastics are necessary so that I don't tie myself up in knots later. I particularly wanted to clarify why things like Fables and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen to me are new stories and not adaptations, even though they obviously contain adaptation work. And also, the caveat of needing to know the original is an important one because without it I can easily say 'This is a great comic' and not need to say 'this is a great adaptation", if you see what I mean.
But Mignola's Coppola's Stoker's is a great pick! 😁
I've been on a big Mazz kick recently and just read City of Glass. I really loved it, I'm trying to collect as much of his work that I can. Asterios Polyp might be my favorite book at the moment.
All us Mazzucchelli fans keep bemoaning the lack of reprints of Rubber Blanket, particularly frustrating when there doesn't seem to be much from the man to get one's hands on, especially outside of the US.
@@ftloc True! I've got Year One, Born Again, City of Glass, and Asterios. I've also got a couple of his pre Miller Daredevil issues and the issue of X factor that he did. RB is one of my whales and I suspect I'll never capture it
Dutch comics author/artist Dick Matena is famous (mainly in Europe) for his adaptations of literary works. I have read several of his comics, and one that is really as magnificent as the original story is "A Christmas Carol", based on the novella by Charles Dickens. It's wonderfully drawn, coloured, and scripted and captures the essence of the story in magnificent imagery. It takes many literal lines from the novel to be a faithful adaptation. It was recently (2019 I believe) rereleased under the title "Scrooge".
That sounds like something I would definitely enjoy checking out! One of my favourite books from childhood was an illustrated version of A Christmas Carol, and there are many things, particularly the food, that became formative images!
Not alot of adaptations in my read list......but I have bought & read a number of Grendel/Beowolf adaptations as I searched for 1 that was worthy. Santiago Garcia & David Rubin definitely gave us a fantastic retelling.
I have to say that I believe there are some great Conan stories that i think would qualify here (The Tower of The Elephant, The Frost Giant's Daughter & Red Nails are a few). I remember reading these in the Savage Sword of Conan magazine as a young boy, and they've stuck with me ever since.
I thought the Frost Giant's Daughter was great! And i believe that Conan comics based on the novels are well regarded as adaptations by many who've read in both mediums. I need to brush up on my Conan!
I tried Georges Bess' adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula and it was wonderfully illustrative. I now want to try his version of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Not available in English, La Mort Vivante is an adaptation by Olivier Vatine of a Stefan Wul science fiction novel, with art by Portuguese-born French artist Alberto Varanda. I was familiar with Varanda from other work, and he can be very chamaleonic when it comes to adapting his art style. In this case, a story set in the future between Mars and a delapidated Earth now feels like a Gothic novel, almost in the style of Edgar Allan Poe. Vatine himself drew the adaptation of Wul's Niourk, which is available in English from Dark Horse, but I haven't read it.
Le Mort Vivante sounds very interesting, thanks in no small part to your evocative description! Do let me know if you hear about it becoming available in English!
And I really want to get my hands on Bess' Drcula; I saw some pages online and they were striking to say the least! Unfortunately his books have been hard to find/very expensive but I still keep an eye out!
I gotta go with Parker, especially those beautiful Martini editions
Oof, what a terrific pick! Do you have a favorite among them? I think mine may be The Score.
@@ftloc hmm tough to pick! I don't remember the name of the story, but maybe the one where they go after the money in the mining town? That one ends so well when the caper inevitably goes sour.
@@fantumphool That's The Score! 😁
@@ftloc haha nice! I didn't quite follow your rules. I read the prose of I think the first story where he goes after his ex, years and years ago. I don't remember much and I didn't think that much of it, contrary to the comic.
@@fantumphool Yes, Parker joins the Tardi-Manchette books and others in the pile where I just think of them as excellent comics, not necessarily excellent adaptations (because I am not familiar with the original works).
This one was a no-brainer for me! Before even watching your video or reading a comment it is Paul Auster's City of Glass adapted by David Mazzucchelli (edit: and Paul Karasik)!
Edit: Ha! Just watched the video. Shame on me for leaving Paul Karasik out of my initial response. For me it is the absolute adaptation because it expands the initial book in a new dimension while staying true to its spirit. Like making a cube out of a square or a sphere (but not a cylinder) out of a circle.
I absolutely agree! It is that expansion and magnification that gives the book an edge when talking about the work of adaptation itself.
The moment I saw the video title I knew my choice.
I go with the same tighter rules as you do on this one. I tend to avoid adaptations in comics. Seen too many soulles ”products”. Having said that I do own few comics that I like and I know are adaptations. But for most I have not seen the original movie or read the book etc.
But as the comic adaptation needs to bring to the table something more - making it possibly even better - I have only one option:
The Forever War.
Joe Haldeman, the writer of the original book is involved with the comic too. Marvanos art is spot on. Comic format has a narration tempo that multiplies the plaintive and melancholic. At the same time it’s very accurate adaptation. Futility of war combined with the nothingness of the individual experience within the war machine.
Aha, one from the Analog Comics Hall of Fame! I am looking forward to seeing more in upcoming days and also hunting out a copy of The Forever War!
Wow, very strong endorsement. I love the novel but have been reluctant to check out the adaptation because more often than not I find them pretty uninspired.
@@peterlinfield I’ve owned the comics(three NBM albums) for almost 3 decades. Not just good but one of my all time favorites. Titan Books is printing the comic version now but it’s in smaller size(US comic size).
And I am also a sceptic of adaptations. By default I avoid them. Titan Books has a sequel too called Forever Free. That I cannot recommend. Not a good story and shallow execution.
@@ftloc If possible look for the original 3 NBM albums. Titan Books current version is smaller(US comic size) although the art will work in smaller size too.
@@analogcomics 'the artwork will work in a smaller size' is not something i ever thought I'd hear Analog Comics say! 🤣
For this one I will pick Starstruck by Elaine Lee and Michael Kaluta. I never got to see the play they adapted, but the comic is absolutely stellar science fiction.
Emanon by Kenji Tsuruta, based on a 1983 novel written by Shinji Kajio. I will admit I have not read the original book, but as a standalone manga, it's a brilliant story of what it would mean to be immortal. Now, I need to find a translation of this book!
Is the manga easily available in English?
@@ftloc Yes Darkhorse is currently publishing the story in english.
I believe there is a short story Emanon: A Reminiscence by Kaijo in an anthology Speculative Japan 2.
I haven’t read that many adaptations, but from the ones that I read, my favorite is Mickey’s inferno (adaptation of Dante’s inferno)
I think I have seen the cover of that Mickey album, but it's not easy to get in English I think!
I think many adaptations by Alberto Breccia are worth mentioning (The Tell-Tale Heart, The Colour Out of Space) but by far the best adaptation I ever read is his Rebort on the Blind, based on a chapter from a novel by Ernesto Sabato. Haunting and immersive and masterful at the time of depict the distorted perceptions of madness.
Having read none of these, I am really hoping they are all forthcoming from Fantagraphics as part of their Breccia library!
"the city of glass" is pretty great, even though I liked the original prose a bit more... at least back in the day when I was an huge Paul Auster fan. ... It's funny: my favorite adaptation would be a "Don Quixote" adaptation as well, but one by the German cartoonist Flix (in German spelled "Don Quijote"). Well, it could be argued, if it 's an adaptation at all, because Flix took some liberties (transporting the character into the present and now he's an old man with Alzheimer fighting insurance companies ) but I think he captured the essence of the character ... tbh: I can't really tell, because I have not read the original.
and I have to admit that - after scrolling through the comments here - there are a lot of strong contenders that I haven't thought about: all these Frankenstein and Dracula adaptations by Georges Bess and others... and the Parker stories by Darwyn Cooke... and and...
That sounds like a really interesting adaptation of Quixote! And yes, what a great list of suggestions here, some of which never even crossed my mind!
David Mazzuchelli and Paul Karasik's City of Glass- my all time favorite adaptation and Ulysses: Mahler After Joyce (adaptation of Ulysses by Nicholas Mahler)
A comics adaptation of Ulysses? I'm almost afraid to look into it...
@@ftloc Haha. He has also done it with Proust and Kant, if I am not mistaken.
I have read only one of the originals but my favourite comic adaptation is Streets of Paris, Streets of Murder: The Complete Graphic Noir of Manchette and Tardi. 🙂👍
Superb pick - and I'd love to know what you found to be more powerful in comics form compared to the novel, if anything?
Good topic again. It reminds me how many adaptations I have in my library that I didn't read yet. Maybe because I have read the original so I'm not hurry to read the adaptation. It's for example Neverwhere, American gods and Norse Mythology (all originaly by Neil Gaiman), Clive Barker's Great and Secret Show or Orwell's 1984. In Czech Republic we have a lot of adaptations of our clasics. Some of them are just boring retelling of story with pictures but some another are great. For example R.U.R. by Karel Čapek and adapetd by Kateřina Čupová is really good and was translated and published in more countries. But when I'm thinking what is the best adaptation I ever read then I'm returning again and again to one comics - The Ring of the Nibelung adapted by Philip Craig Russell. When I read it I almost heard the music.
Thank you! What a great sounding list!
My pick is Sharaz-De by Sergio Toppi which is based on the The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights. Toppi is absolutely unique and probably my favourite artist.
Did you catch a glimpse of it in this video? 😁
@@ftloc intially I haven`t seen it, but I just have rewatched the video and found the cover at 6:23 :) Great minds thind alike :)
The recent SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE adaptation was really really strong.
It was! And given I was worried, I was very pleased to see it do such a good job. But perhaps due to an unshakeable bias for the novel, I felt a slight disconnect. I'm going to re-read after some time has passed and see what I think then.
Gary Gianni: Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
I need to look this up! I love Twenty Thousand Leagues!
Darwyn Cooke’s adaptations of Richard Stark’s “Parker” crime novels were an outstanding achievement in the medium from one of comics’ true masters.
Great pick, and one that has now been mentioned several times in these comments - with good reason!
I'm going to go with Dixon and Wenzel's adaptation of The Hobbit. In my opinion it's an equal to the original novel (and far superior to the Jackson trilogy). It still has some of the problems of the original, like lack of depth and strange pacing, but the art more than makes up for it. I love any interpretations of middle-Earth pre-Jackson LOTR trilogy, and to me this is one of the best!
I am definitely going to have to check this out. Like you, I really enjoy different 'takes' (as opposed to 'more of the same' that happens in our franchise obsessed approaches) and interpretations of Middle Earth have always been interesting.
Also, my wife is a certifiable Tolkien nut and this sounds like something she would really be interested in as well. Thanks!
Sapiens by yuval noah harari, adapted by daniel casanave.
And oz by skottie young.
Two greats i cherish, cant decide a favorite.😊
Nice picks! I e heard great things about the Sapiens adaptation!
Ohhhh exciting while writing that CZcams on the telly kicked in to your Top Ten Sci-fi from.... whenever ago and noticed that you DO talk about Zot!. One of my absolute favs and I noticed it was on you 'credit' intro sequence, but couldn't find a video where you discuss it? Have I missed a more indepth discussion of this wonderful work?
Not yet in a distinct video, alas! I had plans for #33 to be an episode of the Single Issues I Love series of videos, and it still will be if i ever pick those up again.
I wonder if "logicomix" can fall under this category. Although it isn't really a direct adaptation of any works per-se, I believe it is somewhat based on a public lecture given by Bertrand Russell. The structure of logicomix is somewhat unique in the sense there is a story within a story and THAT story is somewhat loosely based on Russell's lecture, so I might be cheating a bit here. But its one of my favorite 'biographical' works of all times and on someone I have found endlessly fascinating.. so couldn't resist mentioning it here :-)
There's certainly an adaptation nestled within the biography, something that is not uncommon in biographies. Some will directly extract letters and quotes from time to time, and at other times adapt them. I loved Logicomix and although I wouldn't think of it as an adaptation but an original work of nonfiction comics, I would say that section could work! You'll find a similar thing in Feynman, and other comics biographies by Jim Ottaviani, where a lecture or presentation is put forward as a significant part of the story.
I was really into the Anita Blake comics drawn by Brett Booth based on the Novel Guilty Pleasures by Laurel K Hamilton. I read the books in high school years before the first story arc got adapted and as I was reading it I could imagine it being a comic. I even thought I could illustrate it myself...
I am not familiar with this, either in prose or comics! Thanks!
I haven't read many adaptions, I prefer to read original work most of the time. However if I have to name one it would be 'To kill a mockingbird' adapted by Fred fortham. This adaptation came close to the original classic by Harper Lee
It was a solid comic through and through, but I have a powerful nostalgia for the novel that even the movie didn't quite reach.
Persephone by Loic Locatelli-Kournwsky, I can’t say this is superior then the Greek myth itself but I love how comics can keep these stories alive. I’ve been thinking a lot about studio Ghibli movies recently and how accessible they are. This adaption or retelling has been referred as Ghibli meets Greek myth. A lot of myths can be harrowing stories but when it’s balanced with such beautiful art it doesn’t get bogged down and allows the story to just breathe.
Is it available in English and in print? I'm intrigued and I love many comics adaptations of mythology (and folk tales, which too I appreciate being kept alive in this way)
I was struggling with this one until I read another ocmment mentioning Fables. An interesting reimagining and adapting of various fairytales into a single world, with well drawn characters and a plot which goes in quite an unexpected direction. The art is brilliant as well.
Yes, Fables would be one of those handful of comics that would mess everything up by being prequel, sequel and multi-source adaptation all at the same time, so I swept it away along with The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen 😁
I don't think I would look for an adaptaton being superior to the original...but to stand on it's own as an interesting and powerful creation. In that way what first pops into mind are Jack Kirby's 2001, Jim Steranko's Outland and Thomas and Windsor-Smith's Red Nails. hearing your picks I realize that in general I've avoided any and all graphic novel adaptation of great novels...just immediately seems like a bad idea to me...but since I haven't read any, other the old Classic Comics when I was a kid, I could be wrong...
Haha, I empathize! I always thought that making comics out of classic novels would never result in good comics, but I've since changed my mind (a little).
In fact, I wonder these days if I don't lean towards adapting comics from prose as a more 'ripe with potential' endeavour than adapting a comic from movies/TV/ visual media. With acting, framing, cinematography, editing all competing in more similar ways than words do, I think movie adaptations have a greater chance of suffering in comparison.
And I didn't mean to imply that an adaptation must exceed the original or even that is what I look for, just that it's the cherry on top of something that is already good. Of course you can have a terrible source, an adaptation that is marginally better, and I would never say that meant it was a great adaptation.
The easiest example is probably The Godfather, which as a book was a bestseller and has many, many fans, but the movie was one of the finest pieces of Hollywood cinema ever created, establishing a reputation in movies that the book would never come close to in novels.
@@ftloc Great example with the Godfather...what a mediocre novel turned into cinematic brilliance! It would be intriquing if a comics creator approached adaptations the way a director at the level of Coppola ! Generally I dismiss all the comics movie adaptions that were so common in the late 70s and 80s here in the US, they were just churned out for a quick buck. The two I mentioned are definitely exceptions where artists at least visually made the movies their own to brilliant effect.
@@sleepyreader666 I'm very fond of the Kirby 2001 (even though collectors - curse them - have kept certain 'key' issues out of my hands, barring me from having the full run) and it's definitely it's own thing.
I think that last Classics illustrated run I talked about (with Bill Sienkiewicz, Kyle Baker, Rick Geary et al) does try some very interesting things, and adaptations like Chaboute's Moby Dick and the Rubin-Garcia Beowulf definitely feel like artistic visions and not cheap cash grabs.
Still, they have to refine and focus and that means latching on to aspects of the original, and something like the Godfather manages to instead amplify and add to the original. Now THAT would be great to see!
And I guess that's why City of Glass was my pick, it is the closest I have seen to that kind of amplification through adaptation into comics. But I am sure there are more. I wouldn't be surprised if Darwyn Cooke's Parker was also like that, but I would need to read the original novels to be sure.
Okay I'm going to go with a different tack with this. My basis is if a movie or telly show (and to a lesser extent prose work) adapts a comic they don't stick to a specific story they take elements and tone and theme (if we are lucky) and convert the rest to suit the medium the adaption is for. On that basis I'm going with Mark Russell and Steve Pugh's Flintstones. Adapts the telly series, not specific stories to not only the comics medium but also to contempory times. So its adapting not in the way you define, but I'm ahem, adapting that definition to my ends.
On a side note I really must read that adaption of City of Glass. If its better, or could even be considered better, than the Paul Auster story its going to be quite the read!
The Flintstones is a terrific pick, primarily because it is a terrific work of adaptation that i feel bad now for overlooking in this video, but also because more people are likely to be familiar with the source material, giving the oomph it has a certain universal acknowledgement. In short, near impossible to argue with! 😁
One of the adaptations that I read recently was the slaughterhouse 5 comic book. The original novel was still fresh in my mind when I picked it up so it was a blast to dig into and notice certain things that I didn’t realize about the original. It actually contextulized certain aspects of the book that I never considered or even thought about! A great read for fans of the novel and for newcomers who want to experience the story.
Slaughterhouse 5 made me want to read the book. It was that good. Haven’t read the book yet though so couldnt list this comic here.
I'm hopelessly biased, perhaps, as I love the novel. It was a great comic, and there were moments of wonderful presentation of some difficult things. But only in the specific context of adaptation, I missed the wry tone of the novel. I will return to the comic soon and I believe my second read will be a different experience than the first one; the first feels like a read I needed 'to get out of the way', which sometimes happens when one loves the original.
@@ftloc For me adaptations are like cover songs. Cover songs are usually done of the songs that were really good and famous already. So the bar is really high to begin with. In the context of from-book-to-comic "only" doing as good as the original material is already a feat. The situation changes when you´re not familiar with the original content. For example, I haven´t read Slaughterhouse 5 book. I really liked the comic and I didn´t have to compare it with the book while reading.
I think the comparison to cover songs is an interesting one. There are parts of that I agree with and parts I don't.
Firstly, by my parameters here, a song cover is in the same medium as the original, so more of a remake. An adaptation from another medium would not necessarily use the same lyrics or melody, if the analogy holds!
But if we were to say that the 'covers' comparison holds, I would still say we often say 'better than the original' for a cover, a cover can also be the definitive version with nobody remembering the original, the cover can be flat, boring and uninspired, or can be revelatory and show things we hadn't noticed before. In all of these and more, the judgement we exercise and the ranking we do is very dependent on if you know the original or not.
If you didn't know Marvin Gaye's Heard it Through the Grapevine was a cover, you may just refer to it as a great song, and that evaluation doesn't really 'fall' when you learn about the original, it may just expand.
@@ftloc Ah, Fussing Time! 😊I´ll fully and eagerly giving to it.
Cover song comparison does have a slightly different parameters when used between two different mediums(adaptation). But I think it´s less than you suggest.
Firstly, doing a carbon copy cover song is boring(not bringing anything new to it) while in a comic adaptation it would gather praise. Fans of certain book or movie would love to get the very same experience but in a different medium. So in that respect the bar with adaptations is even lower than with cover songs. This detail does not take into account how difficult it is to make a carbon copy experience for an adaptation. But that would be a subject for a different discussion.
As we both mentioned - it matters a lot if a reader knows the original. But let´s turn the situation around. Many listeners don´t know if a song is original or a cover - so many songs out there. What we tend to forget - especially with comics - is that many movie goers don´t know that V for Vendetta was based on a comic. The same goes for Polar. And Lucifer. And Tank Girl. And Essex County. And Locke & Key etc. etc. Most of my friends don´t know they´re watching a lot of live action that is based on some comic. They do know Marvel and DC but that´s it. What I´m trying to say here is that even across mediums the original is often unknown and the adaptation is seen as "the definitive version".
I see the difference of adaptation and remake but for me they are more semantic than it would first appear. In the core of it - for me - is the thought that both adaptation and remake are not the original creation. They are based on something good that already exists. Both adaptation and cover are born out of showing respect - or plan to cash in:)
Anyone adding something meaningful to original - making it even better - is important thing to talk about, too. That is a form of creating, too. And the fans of any medium NEED there to be people with the talent of creating. Adding more to something already great is phenomenal - and rare - feat in my opinion. This is why The Forever War was my only option here. In music I´d probably say Jimi Hendrix All Along the Watchtower as it completely transforms the original. In his case it might´ve been chemically induced revelation but still.
We´d need a Fussing Time live feeds!😄
I was surprised to discover i hadnt read many adaptions. Besides some christians comics as a kid. Looking on my shelf i saw " the iron wagon" by Jason which i understand is an adaption. I have read it multiple times. ( i hope this isnt a repeat comment, i think my first one got lost in the ether, so retyped it.)
Now it is my turn to have lost a comment - I replied but it seems to have vanished.
I love the Iron Wagon. Since I haven't read the original, I simply think of it as 'an excellent comic, period' instead of 'an excellent adaptation'.
R Crumb’s adaptation of the Book of Genesis. Despite being a word-for-word adaptation, it managed to completely recast the stories, histories, and characters in Genesis. Totally unexpected.
That's a fantastic pick! Adaptations that maintain the original text verbatim but build a distinct comic around it are an interesting subcategory here, and Crumbs Genesis certainly stands high there!
Havent read to many adaptations yet, some mentioned by others like Sharaz de by Toppi, but is not really an adaptation I guess since it was inspired by 1001 nights but the stories told are from Toppis imagination. Also did read No longer human by Ito. I had one adaptation on my list to buy when back in print: Moby Dick by Shabouté but I am definately inspired to add several of the recomendations to that list now!
It is interesting to read a couple of adaptations of the same work back to back. One can try that with Beowulf and Moby Dick, among others I am sure. Thanks to these comments, I now have to check out No Longer Human!
This is really tough because I have seen tons of comic adaptations but haven't read too many. Neil Gaiman is my favorite author and almost all of his books have been adapted in comic form but I haven't read them.
So for this one I am going to have to give two half answers.
Titan comics publishing of the ongoing adaptations of the Elric novels has been wonderful, but it is kind of a remake instead of just a straight adaptation.
Darwyn Cooke's adaptations of the Parker novels are great, but I'm not familiar enough to know if they truly stand up to the source material.
Parker is superb, and the only reason i don't mention it is because I haven't read the originals. Neither have I read Elric (in any form) but the enthusiasm for it in these comments is making it more and more sound like a 'must check out' comic!
I recommend both the more recent bande dessinee series that is ongoing (4 volumes out so far) and the original series that straight up adapt the original novels, down to the same exact dialogue. There are 6 of those volumes with stories all by Roy Thomas and most of the artwork done by P. Craig Russell.
It’s mentioned below, but I think for me it’s Mike Mignola’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula- an adaptation of a film by Francis Ford Coppola that was an adaptation. I think it might have been the first time my attention was drawn to Mignola’s artwork and it’s gorgeous and atmospheric. I have more memories of the graphic novel than the film. It was close because I wanted to put Regis Loisel’s Peter Pan adaptation, but couldn’t because I could only get my hands on a few of the English language volumes not the entire run at the time, but it’s beautifully done.
Loisel's Peter Pan really serves most as a prequel, but I agree with you that it is indeed a gorgeous comic, brimming with both appreciation of the original as well as inventiveness.
I have those Dracula issues with Topps bubblegum cards, and I really love them. The omnibus didn't tempt me but that black and white edition is extremely tempting!
I am sorry to be spamming this commentaries: Russell’ s adaptions of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline, Sandman: Dream Hunters and American gods.
Ok, I know I kind of cheated (or bent the rules a bit) but you have to pick one! 😁
I can't commit to your self-imposed rules because I think most of the adaptations I really like are in part informed by my lack of reading the source material. Rubin's Beowulf (well, I barely remember the epic that I read in high school so I essentially haven't read it), Slaugtherhouse Five, Junii Ito's Frankenstein and No Longer Human, Cooke's Parker comics. I can't say they're better, but I like them all a lot.
Those are all crackerjack choices (although I think I was less impressed by Ito's Frankenstein than most people).
The reason I imposed that rule on myself was that otherwise I would just call something a great comic. It seems that the only reason to mention that it is an adaptation is to analyze those choices it makes from the point of view of someone looking at both. At least, that's what I told myself 😁
The French novel trilogy, Vernon Subutex was adapted to a pretty good graphic novel. It was actually a collaboration with the original author and there’s a second one on the way.
Do you know of it is available in English?
Quite a lot of Dracula adaptations mentioned in the comments.
Alberto Breccia's Dracula
Mike Mignola’s Dracula
Georges Bess' Dracula
I'll add one more to the pile - El Garing & Kerry Gammill's Dracula. Aka "Bram Stoker's Dracula Starring Bela Lugosi."
If you ever wondered what the classic 1931 Dracula movie would've been like had they stuck closely to the novel, this is for you. My only nitpick would be the fact they didn't give Lugosi a moustache! Even though the Count did have one in the novel. They could've given him the moustache Christopher Lee had as Dracula in the 1970 film as a stelathy little Easter Egg.
And while not adaptations per-se, I would like to point out three particular Assassin's Creed comics - The Fall, The Chain and Brahman. They're my personal favourite comics based on a video game franchise. Shame Ubisoft didn't continue to work with Kerschl & Stewart on more AC projects. Assassin's Creed comics in general are quite a mixed bag due to just how many people worked on them over the years.
There were PARTIALLY canon (wrap your head around that) comics originally published in French, the previously mentioned Kerschl & Stewart trio, multiple series from Titan Comics, some more original French releases (which I think WERE fully canon this time), a Japanese manga, a Chinese manhua, some Dark Horse releases and there's even an official Assassin's Creed Webtoon comic. Sheesh. :P
Tha k you so much for the great comment and recommendations..they sound intriguing and I'll look to check them out. I must admit that video game adaptations would not have crossed my mind of being worthwhile, but rit all comes down to the actual craft of the piece i suppose.
I'm definitely going to try and find as many Dracula adaptations as I can! 😁
Probably not my winner for this category (I like Parker) but noone has mentioned the H.P. Lovecraft adaptations by Tanabe Gou. Definitely the best adaptations of Lovecraft in ANY medium, but not sure they get close to the top of this list.
I am not familiar with those, but I can certainly throw in loud cheers for Parker. The only reason I don't mention it here is because I have never read the original books.
Τhis is kind of hard for me since I don't have anything like that in my collection.
But I think junji itos adaptation of Frankenstein counts. Right?
It's a great story(obviously) and the style of junji ito is just so fitting for it.
Ito's Frankenstein definitely counts, and is certainly a unique take!
Hard to pick just the right one. City of Glass is brilliant. First glance at my bookshelves Parker stood out. Thinking on my floppies Corben’s Poe, Gaiman’s Norse Mythology, and Corben’s Sound of Thunder are all contenders. Ah! Then I recall Garcia Santiago and David Rubin’s Beowulf and that absolutely must be my pick for best comic adaptation.
Beowulf is truly magnificent. So sad I had to cut it 😁
Haven't read that many adaptations however i can think of two works Frankenstein by bernie wrightson , At the mountains of madness by gou tanabe. Both of them pretty much for same reason stellar artwork
Wrightson gets his first mention! And I think the second or third for MoM by Tanabe. And if you had to pick one of the two?
@@ftloc If I had to pick I will go with bernie wrightson Frankenstein the amount of detail and effort wrightson put in drawing that book is insane.
@@ftloc also full disclaimer never knew parker and no longer human are adaptations until I read comments and they are my favourites. Never expected the best adapted comic prompt to be the most difficult to choose
Haha glad you're enjoying the tricks this game has up its sleeve! 😁
Darwyn Cooke Parker!
A very popular selection, with good reason!
Anything done by P Craig Russell: The Oscar Wilde fairytales, his Rudyard Kipling Jungle book stories, the poem by Mishima, The Ring of the Nibelung and The Magic Flute.
And I am unable to get my hands on ANY of these, alas!
There's an adaptation of PKD's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep from Boom Studios. It's good but doesn't do anything new or exceeds the original.
My pick will be Richard Starks Parker. Cooke's art and use of colour is just phenomenal. Also the pacing is so tight and just fits the medium so well. It even exceeds the source material if i dare say so. The Outfit, cemented it as one of the best adaptations for me.
If there was a 'winner' from the comments, it would be Parker. And it doesn't even look close.
Tough category as I don't know too much about comic adaptations.
I will go for Norse Mythology by Gaiman and Russell. The myths are clearly told and illustrations help the reader get into the many tales.
Just our of curiosity, have you read the original prose? And I hope the comments here give you plenty of works to check out!
@ftloc I haven't read Gaiman's original prose version, but I have read other versions of the Norse myths and they can vary in quality.
'Robotech' by comico comics. from the cartoon.
I'm also going w/ the Fablesverse as my choice including Fairest, Jack of Fables, The Literals, Cinderella miniseries, & Peter & Max A Fables novel. For me the Fables reprint of Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall for a cheap price was my comic "crack" introduction into the universe.
1001 Nights of Snowfall itself counts as a dozen adaptations nestled within yet another one! 😁
Parker by Darwyn Cooke comics adapted from the novels from Richard Stark (Donald E. Westlake) this adaptation has become one of my favorite noir comics.
Like with the Tardi Manchette comics, Parker is a certain pinnacle for me, but I have to just think of them as 'excellent comics'; I cannot comment on them being 'excellent adaptations' as I have not read the originals.
Tough one today. I’m going to go with Fables. While obviously a well known great series, I believe it qualifies as being an adaptation of many classic fairy tales.
Absolutely valid!
It is precisely to get rid of the dilemma created by Fables, LoEG (and a lot more of Moore), and their rotten ilk that refuses to neatly fit in a box that I created my 'no single work -multiple source' rule! 😁
And I could also argue the 'no sequels' rule as a backup! 😁
But my choice would be Russell and Thomas adaption of Michael Moorcock’s Elric: The dreaming city! (Russell’s adaption of Stormbringer).
Don't have any adaptations in my collection, but from what I have seen I am going with the iconic work of Georges Bess on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. The artwork and storyline is as haunting as the classic original. I think gritty artwork just makes it magical. The English language version out this November?
I'm looking forward to that Frankenstein as well as hunting for a copy of Bess' Dracula, which looks wonderful!
I was initially going to pick Gareth Hinds’ adaptation of “King Lear”, but in terms of a work that I believe surpasses the original, I think “Noah” by Darren Aronofsky and Niko Henrichon, based on Aronofsky’s 2014 film of the same name, definitely meets that criteria. Henrichon’s beautiful, sublime art gives the Biblical pre-Flood world the lived-in feel of an epic fantasy on par with Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, and the level of detail he crams into every panel is mind-blowing. I think it’s a fantastic achievement of comics
You are the second person i know who has told me the comic is far superior to the movie (which I was disappointed by). I guess it has a good chance now of making the cut, I need to check it out! Thanks!
For Day 3, I'm going to pick Julian Peters' adaptation of the TS Eliot poem, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Zen Pencils' adaptation of Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken comes a close second. :)
Yay, more poetry adaptations! I need to look these up immediately! Thank you!
My choice for this category would be - No Longer Human by Junji Ito
What does it adapt? I don't think I am familiar.
@@ftloc Osamu Dazai's "No Longer Human". An autobiographical novel - his last - written in 1948 - which is considered as the second most sold novel in Japan till date. It is said that this novel was his suicide note to the world. Unfortunately he just died at the age of 38. I haven't read the original book but Junji Ito's adaptation is absolutely grandeur. I can't imagine how challenging it must've been for Ito to translate that novel into a graphic novel/manga. But he did full justice. It is by far Ito's second best book in my opinion after Uzumaki. I highly recommend you to check it out. Spoiler alert - the book is heavy with deaths and sadness and negativity and all things that any sane person run away from. But everyone should read this.
@@ranaletsreadcomics Wow, that sounds like an intense read and a wonderful recommendation! Thank you!
I have a ton of options that I am confused by (no thanks to P Craig Russell and his ouvre of operas), so I'll answer with different books in different places 😈
My choice for this is the Mignola comic adaptation (specifically the noir edition) of Francis Ford Coppola's movie adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel (double whammy) - Dracula.
I love the art and layouts in that Dracula, just wish that it was a little before.
How about the Gaiman adaptations, i know you're a fan of those. Find one with P Craig Russell and you're set! 😁
I mean, PCR is adapting into comics Gaiman's Norse Myths books, which is itself an adaptation of the actual Norse mythology 😂
The only thing I can think of that kinda works is Gundam the Origin manga. It’s more of a retelling than an actual adaptation
Retellings definitely work as adaptations. Many would say that is what adaptations should always be!
I really like bram stokers Dracula by Mike mignola an adaptation of Ford copollas movie by the same name.
That's a very cool comic, one of the best movie adaptations i e seen in comics. Just a bit too slight, i wanted a bit more 'meat' 😁
1 - my favorite comic : Rules of summer by Shaun Tan
2 - a comic to recommend to anyone : The arab of the future by Riad Sattouf
3 - great adaptation from another medium : 1984 by Xavier Coste
Why? Because it’s not translated in English yet… Everybody knows the great dystopic novel 1984 by George Orwell.
‘WAR IS PEACE. FREEDOM IS SLAVERY. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH.’
For more than 1 year now there is a terrible war running. Lot of propaganda has been flooding the world. And suddenly 1984 is no more a dystopic novel. It’s no more dystopic. And it’s no more a novel, it’s also a graphic novel.
Xavier Coste spent 3 years for the making of this graphic novel. Since he was 15 he has been obsessed by the novel and has wanted to make an adaptation of it.
Massive buildings oppress the characters. Big brother is watching every step and every word. People are watched and hence made invisible. So they are represented as small silhouettes. The artwork recreates perfectly the oppressive atmosphere.
These days I might have read in the newspapers that some inspired leaders make war in order to avoid war. So war is peace again.
I will send your eventual list of 31 comics to Fantagraphics and Drawn and Quarterly and see if they can do something about this bothersome lack of English translations!
@@ftloc I'm so sorry for that but I can't deny my culture. :-)
@@tinustinus571 Haha, on the contrary, it is exactly what is wonderful about games like this!
Novel-to-comic: Berni Wrightson’s Frankenstein (I do realize I’m cheating here. Apologies)
Comic-to-film: American Splendor
You know, I've never been able to get my hands on a copy of Wrightson's Frankenstein , but i should refresh my search!
Absolutely worth tracking down! The hardcover Darkhorse did is pretty spectacular.
I am going to run with your rules but I'll go with Scott Pilgrim vs. The world. In my opinion the best movie adaptation of a comic. It brings all the little details from the book alive and thensome without overdoing it. But hey, we should recommend comics, not movies. Aha, while filming was on it's way Brian o'Malley did not finish the book yet so he had to do some adaptations. Huh, huh, see what I did there? Does it count? No? Oh, I have read to few adaptations then. But what I do like a lot is moviescripts being reworked into comics. So Alien 3 went through development hell with multiple drafts. One of the earlier drafts has been adapted into a comic book. I am not going to argue it's the best comic made and superior to the movie but it's a book I am happy it excists.
That...is very clever! Reminds me of classifying Arthur C Clarke's 2001 as a movie novelization, and I would say that the final volume of Scott Pilgrim could count as an adaptation of Edgar Wright's screenplay, since Wright 'published' first 😁
Would an unfilmed screenplay being turned into a comic count? Jim Henson's Tale of Sand would be another such contender if so, but the emperor would have to be The Incal! 😁
- my favorite comic: Nausicaa of the valley of the wind by Hayao Miyazaki
- a comic to reccomend to anyone: Peanuts by Charles
- a great adaptation: 1984 by Fido Nesti
I really enjoyed 1984 by George Orwell and I was very courious about this graphic novel adaptation. I must say that Fido Nesti has done a great job recreating the "suffocating" atmosphere of that society and the characters desires, doubts and struggle.
This is the third time, I believe, that 1984 has been mentioned so I am guessing I really need to check this out! 😁
@@ftloc Orwell's works entered recently the public domain. That's why there are several adaptations of his novel 1984. I know the ones by Fido Nesti and Xavier Coste, both are very good adaptations.
And I need to check out the Xavier Coste adaptation 🙂
For me, it’d be Sharaz-De by Sergio Toppi. It was out of print for a while but it’s now back in print. Hope you can do dedicated video one day for Toppi’s masterpiece.
So you would know - does the reprint mean Sharaz De will not be part of the Toppi library volumes?
@@ftloc it was published as vol.7 of The Collected Toppi series.
Dammit I was sooo sure you'll go with the Rob Davis option for this. (But I do love love LOVE City of Glass)
Also, considering Don Quixote as an honorable mention, which means your One Rule lasted 2 days 😂😂
You should have seen the first cut of this video. All the previously mentioned comics that just flash on the screen got their own paragraph....😁
I mean, Pluto does deserve a paragraph 😁
@@DIZZYDAYS1 Maybe I can put them up as 'outtakes, not bloopers'
I really like Rob Davis' adaption of Don Quixote
It's terrific!
The two volume adaptation of H. P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness by Gou Tanabe.
Ah, something I should look into! Is it, in your mind, better than the original?
@@ftloc Please do get Tanabe's works, especially the mangas based on Lovecraft's oeuvre. I think his adaptation of The Shadows Over Innsmouth (in English) will be coming out by the end of this year. Would love to see a video from you on Tanabe's adaptations of Lovecraft one day. As to your question, Lovecraft was especially known for his adjectivalism and purple prose which, I presume, gets the flexibility space in prose works. Apart from that, Tanabe has really captured the essence and vitality of Lovecraftian fiction, and as far as the artwork is concerned, it's fantastic.
Does pluto count i read the greatest robot arc of astro boy and was blown away and after reading pluto it brought back memories and made it better
I was saddest about cutting Pluto because I said 'another medium' but it definitely counts as one of the best adaptations of any kind ever. I dropped in a picture as a previously discussed comic.
@@ftloc i haven't read much comics for an answer but i still enjoy these challenges and recommendations and love your videos
@@xodox2505 Thank you so much! I hope you find plenty of recommendations and suggestions here and long may your enjoyment of this channel continue! 😁
@@ftloc sure❤
Unrelated to this video, but I’d love to hear your thoughts on burnout and if you’ve ever experienced that with the hobby
The reading or the CZcams hobby? 😁
Not with reading, but definitely with buying more than I can read. Nowadays I am fine taking it slow, buying only one or two books a month, and trying to catch up with the to-read stack.
Zorro novel by Isabel Allende adapted by writer Matt Wagner and artist Francesco Francavilla for Dynamite Comics (the first arc)
Wow, that sounds like something I would love to check out!
@@ftlocfrom the same company there's also The Lone Ranger written by Brett Matthews and drawn by Sergio Cariello with sublime covers by John Cassaday adapted from the radio series
Can I say Neil Gaiman's Graveyard book (the two comic books based on the novel by the same name)? I found them very interesting and endearing reads.
They definitely count!
Its a shame you dont make any more tintin videos. But still, love your videos!
I'll make more Tintin videos, i just don't want to keep repeating myself. I need to find a new 'angle' 😁
Maybe I'll rank each one! 😋
@@ftloc Yay!
American Gods!! by Neil Gaiman!
Better than the book, would you say?
@@ftloc No, nothing beats the book! But it's feels like a magnificent adaptation of the show. If that makes sense 😂
I am sorry to say that I can't participate in this prompt. I guess I never ever read any adaptation or I don't remember one. Let me recall my memory If I remember one.
There are definitely a lot of movie tie-ins, superhero and otherwise, but they may not be very good. There's also TV show adaptations (I have read both Buffy and Firefly comics, although some of them are sequels and prequels. A lot of people enjoyed the superhero comic Injustice, and that is adapted from a video game, of all things! 😁
@@ftloc Yes. I have seen too many comics alike that but I never felt okay to read them. I thought if I have seen the movies why should I read the comics. Haha! Now I will be waiting for Day 4th. Peace! 🤞
"If I've seen the movie, why would I read a comic of it?" is EXACTLY the reason not many movie adaptations come to mind for me eirther. I guess I just haven't checked them out as much as I have adaptations of prose. I think because a movie already has images and colour and light and framing and composition, I think a comic version of that has less potential to bring something new to the table, whereas with prose or songs, there's much more to explore.
I love the fact that you are playing with some added restrictions, and I quite like the fact that you are ruling out comics that adapts work you are not familiar with. There quite a bunch of amazing comic adaptations that come to mind whose original material I'm not familiar with. Manu Larcenet's "Brodeck's" Report", Mizuki Shigeru's "Konjaku Monogatari", Darwyn Cooke's "Parker", Ito Junji's "No Longer Human", P. Craig Russell's "The Ring of the Nibelung"... But even though I can judge them as comics I can't judge them as adaptations. Where I disagree is the notion that a great adaptation has to be superior to the original material. That is something I don't consider, mainly because I feel that is out of my league to judge both books on terms that grand, even if I know the material pretty well. Where I draw the line is, for the most part. a) Is the essence of the work present on a powerful way on both works? b) Does the adaptation bring something interesting to the table? c) Does it use the new medium to actually tell something that the original can't convey (or improve it)?
With that in mind, my pick can only be Alberto Breccia's (with some help form Norberto Buscaglia on the scripts) adaptations of the Cthulhu Mythos. It kinda breaks the "no collection of stories" rule, but I'd say they are all great so you can pick any of them individually. Lovecraft has been adapted (with... let's just say diverse degrees of success) to a staggering degree, but Breccia's work to me nails what makes Lovecraft's often flawed writing so impactful and great. Lovecraft's depictions of cosmic horrors walk a fine line between abstract and figurative description. It works best when it's vague. And most often than not, adaptations of the horrors that live in his pages are quite literal. Breccia's artwork brings to a visual medium that balance between abstraction and physical manifestation. The creatures and horrors are not so much depicted as intuited. It's the perfect adaptation for me. Also, it's Breccia. You can never go wrong picking Breccia.
(Sorry for the length, I just wanted an excuse to mention a bunch of other comics and make it seem like I'm not cheating)
Thank you for this excellent comment and all the recommendations!
And i have to say that first of all there is no such thing as 'sorry for the length ...' on this channel! 😁 Lovely, thought-out analyses, especially with cheating honorable mentions, are very much encouraged! 😁
And I find myself in complete agreement with you - i can say a comic is a great comic, but I can't comment on if it is a great adaptation unless I'm familiar with both works.
And i didn't mean to imply that an adaptation *must* be 'better' than the original it's just that the very best adaptations, as a cherry on the top, are the ones that find something new, or magnify, or enhance in its medium the strengths of the original, just like you say.
For example, i would say that The Godfather and Jaws are both significant achievements in filmmaking in a way that the original novels are not significant achievements in novel writing, putting them up there as two of the greatest adaptations of all time 😁
Can't wait for the Cthulu translations from Breccia!
1 point from me for Breccia and 1 point for Manu Larcenet who will be in my final list for sure. I don't know if Manu Larcenet is well-known outside France. His artwork in 'Brodeck's report' and in 'Blast' is great. Both graphic novels are translated but not in English (I believe).
Pass😄😄.
Haha, how come?
@@ftloc i like green river killer. does it count as adaptation? I read incognegro, 1984 and to kill a mockingbird but didn't liked them much.
@@comicsdude3166 Green River Killer is an original work in comics, as is Incognegro. 1984 and Mockingbird would be adaptations. But you don't have to only consider prose. There may be adaptations of movies or TV shows or even fairy tales or folk tales. I hear a lot of people enjoyed Injustice, which I believe is actually adapted from a video game!
Interesting, I am now acutely aware of how little adaptions i have read. I imagine i have read a bunch. But besides " God's Smuggler" a christian comic adaption i read as a kid i couldnt think of any. So i looked at my bookshelf and saw the " "The Iron Wagon" by Jason. Which i have reread a number of times and though not fimiliar with the original work i do enjoy Jason's a lot.
@@donvanderahe5336 Great pick, and it totally works. And another of those where I don't know the source material so nothing about how it is adapted factors into my love for it!
Thr first one that popped into my head was Marvel's Oz books by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young. I think they are all beautiful adaptations, and ones that I'll enjoy reading with my children when they're old enough.
Those were also part of the honorable mentions I ended up cutting for discipline reasons. I love the artwork in particular; the designs are extremely evocative, often replacing older images in my brain. Shanower's writing is solid if not spectacular. I just feel that the books are just slightly too 'thin'; the grand sense of adventure and discovery the books evoke is a bit muted. This is particularly true for the later books I think, but I confess it has been a while since I read them.
@For the Love of Comics despite loving them so much, I've only ever read the first four. I own them in the digest size books and I've never been able to find the last two in that format!
Ah that 'favourite format' conundrum! I don't know if I have seen the digests. I loved the original HCs, and although there's a handy dandy omnibus out there now, that separate slim hardcover format is still the one I love. I can only imagine my frustration at not being able to get the whole series in that format, but I honestly think the first couple are the 'best'