Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Even as the more ambitious comics artists are breaking down the barriers between high and low culture, Sikoryak mines the long-standing differences between literary classics and lowbrow comics to telling effect. For two decades, he has been producing meticulously precise, cleverly incisive mash-ups of literary landmarks and familiar comics. Wuthering Heights becomes an EC horror tale recounted by Nelly Dean, the House à la Crypt -Keeper ; The Scarlet Letter is retold in the style of John Stanley's Little Lulu; Dostoyevsky Comics recasts Crime and Punishment to look like Bob Kanes' Batman; and in Good Ol' Gregor Brown, Charlie Brown is transformed into Kafka's cockroach. It wouldn't work if Sikoryak didn't pay such close attention to the particulars of both the classics and the comics. Dialogue and actions are scrupulously faithful to the originals, and re-creations of the artists' visual styles are uncanny. Sikoryak's remarkable parodies will obviously be best appreciated by readers knowledgeable about both the literary originals and the comics on which his adaptations are modeled, but even those only passingly familiar with either or both will recognize Sikoryak's comical brilliance.--Flagg, Gordon Copyright 2009 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
This slim but densely sly volume collects, at long last, 20 years of Sikoryak's classic lit/classic comics mashups. Blondie and Dagwood act out Genesis in "Blonde Eve"; Garfield tempts Jon into a deal with the devil in "Mephistofield"; and Batman turns into Raskol for a reworking of "Crime and Punishment." What could be simple parody in other hands is elevated to multileveled artistry by Sikoryak's uncanny ability to mimic the line of artists from Winsor McCay through Jack Davis to Charles Schulz. He goes far beyond mere imitation to eerily inhabit the artistic sensibilities of a dozen cartoonists; the result is as funny as it is impressive. These retellings linger on the philosophical underpinnings of such tales; coupled with the allusions and baggage of these familiar cartoon characters, the crossovers take on a life of their own to become legitimate adaptations. For instance, Little Pearl in "Red Letter Day" features Marjorie Henderson Buell/John Stanley's Little Lulu characters in a note for note retelling of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, contrasting the grim Puritan narrative with the animated expressions of the Bueel/Stanley originals to cast the sin-obsessed settlers into even sharper relief. Readers who pick this up for the well-deserved laughter will get a bonus with the thoughtful metaphors. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 11 Up-The practice of retelling classic literature in comic-book form gets turned on its head in this entertaining mash-up. With a varied compilation featuring Blondie and Dagwood newly created and naked in the Garden of Eden, or a typically wry Garfield in the role of Mephistopheles, Sikoryak successfully merges the main themes and plot points with the artistic components unique to the individual comics. For instance, old school Superman's square jaw perfectly conveys The Stranger's nihilistic detachment, presented by the covers of "Action Camus" instead of "Action Comics." Though each story's impact depends on readers' frame of reference with the material (teens might readily recognize the Macbeth plot but not the "Mary Worth" comic strip), the book provides a good entry point for discussing satire. Added details like Letters to the Editor, a drawing contest, and "advertisements" for a toy model of the Pequod complete the package, ensuring more than a few chuckles.-Joanna K. Fabicon, Los Angeles Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Review by School Library Journal Review
