SELF MADE HERO, SHAKESPEARE & MANGA

[MattBrady]

by Benjamin Ong Pang Kean

And another publisher takes a look back at the classics.

This time around, it’s Self Made Hero, the graphic novel and manga arm of Metro Media UK. Self Made Hero launched the first two books (modern adaptations of William Shakespeare’s plays Hamlet by writer Richard Appignanesi and artist Emma Vieceli, and Romeo and Juliet by Appignanesi with illustrations by Sonia Leong) in their Manga Shakespeare series in March this year, and they have been “very pleased” with the response in the UK - and also Japan. The books were published in the US in May. Two more in the series appeared in September – The Tempest by Appignanesi with artist Paul Duffield, and Richard III by Appignanesi and artist Patrick Warren. The Tempest is expected to be released in the US at the same time as A Midsummer Nights Dream (art by Kate Brown) in Spring ‘08. Publication date of Richard III is still to be confirmed.

Self Made Hero’s Eye Classic imprint “marries groundbreaking artists with classic novels and shorts to cast a new light on their work” and the line kicked off this week with Edgar Allan Poe's Nevermore by such illustrators and adaptors as Jamie Delano and Steve Pugh; Ian Edginton and D’Israeli; Jeremy Slater and John McCrea; Leah Moore and John Reppion. Next Spring will see the release of Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita illustrated by Andrej Klimowski and Danusia Schejbal; and Franz Kafka's The Trial, illustrated by Chantal Montellier and adapted by David Zane Mairowitz. Future adaptations include The Picture of Dorian Grey and Crime and Punishment.

Newsarama sat down with Self Made Hero Director Emma Hayley for a chat about the origin of Self Made Hero, and talked about both the Manga Shakespeare and Eye Classics imprints.

Newsarama: Who are the people behind the formation of Self Made Hero?

Emma Hayley: SelfMadeHero, specializing in manga and graphic adaptations of world famous novels and plays, was launched in February ‘07.

I formed a team to work on their first series – Manga Shakespeare. In 2005, I wrote to Richard Appignanesi, formerly a founder and co-director of the Writers & Readers Publishing Cooperative and Icon Books where he originated the internationally acclaimed Introducing series. I felt that Richard Appignanesi would be the perfect editor for the series. He had a huge passion for comics, loved Shakespeare and had a lot of experience in marrying text with visuals. It was important that the editor was able to visualise the plays in manga form, and abridge the text in places where the visuals could tell the story. It was very important that the full text version of Shakespeare was not used for these manga - I didn't want these pages to be crammed full of a bunch of talking heads. Instead, what we have is a marriage between the text and the visuals which retains the sense of performance of the original play and keeps the reader engaged.

NRAMA: Now, the idea of adapting Shakespeare's plays into graphic novels/manga has been done by various other publishers in the past. For example, the late Byron Preiss adapted/packaged Shakespeare and other classics into graphic novels for Penguin Book's Puffin Books. But why manga?

EH: The pacing and storytelling in manga is far more akin to performance. Shakespeare intended his plays to be seen and not just read. The manga medium is a good bridge between performance and text. There is also an aliveness and flow to manga which really grabs the attention of the reader, and can help to overcome the sometimes difficult language in Shakespeare's plays.

NRAMA: The manga style has influenced the likes of certain American artists/creators like Ed McGuinness, Brian Wood, Frank Miller, and others but what is the industry like in the UK?

EH: The industry is booming, there has been a rapid increase in sales year on year from 2001, and continues to be the fastest growing sector of the book industry here. There are manga clubs after school now and the number of expos dedicated to manga and anime have increased this year. Its a great time to be involved in publishing manga.

NRAMA: What do you think sets Manga Shakespeare apart from the rest?

EH: It's all about the pacing and the storytelling that brings Shakespeare's words to life. We're using a genre that speaks to a hip audience who has less time for more traditional looking adaptations and more time for ones that have that not only have that cool factor, but are put together by artists who are more rooted in the 21st century.

NRAMA: The first two books, Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet hit the US in May. How have these books been doing?

EH: The books have been very well received. The New York Post gave us some really good press.

NRAMA: The Tempest and Richard III hit UK stores in September, right? And A Midsummer Night's Dream in February 2008. When will these be available in the US?

EH: The Tempest and A Midsummer Night's Dream will be launched by Amulet Books, an imprint of Harry N Abrams in Spring 2008.

NRAMA: There are also plans for adaptations of Othello and Much Ado About Nothing. Can you fill us in on the latest developments? Also, what else could we expect from the Manga Shakespeare line?

EH: New titles in the series will include: Much Ado About Nothing, Taming of the Shrew, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, As You Like It and Merchant of Venice.

NRAMA: Popular manga are adapted into anime and other mediums. Are plans underway to adapt Self Made Hero's version of, say, Hamlet, which is set in a "dramatic futuristic world," or Shakespeare's tale of two star-crossed lovers "caught up in a bitter feud between two Yakuza families" into full-length animated series, half-hour TV programs, feature films, games? After all, Sonia was involved with a British comedy movie and Emma worked on the art and design of a collectible card game…

EH: We have had a lot of interest from big name production companies in Japan, as well as the USA. I'll keep you posted. But, yes, we would ultimately like there to be a series of animations for TV.

NRAMA: Moving on, Self Made Hero has another imprint called Eye Classics. Who came up with the initial idea, and what got the ball rolling with this imprint?

EH: Again, this was my idea. This is a very different series to Manga Shakespeare. Eye Classics transforms some of the most important European and world classics into graphic novels. The artists and scriptwriters that I commissioned for the titles in the Eye Classics series are acknowledged leaders in the world of graphics novels and bandes dessinées - illustrators and writers whose work is widely admired and internationally acknowledged.

NRAMA: Nevermore will feature such illustrators and adaptors as Jamie Delano and Steve Pugh; Ian Edginton and D'Israeli;Jeremy Slater and John McCrea; Moore and Reppion. Does it mean that Eye Classics will not be featuring manga-style illustrations like the Manga Shakespeare imprint? Or will it be determined on a case by case, project by project basis?

EH: The ones for the first titles in the Eye Classics series will not be manga.

NRAMA: Marvel Comics recently announced the adaptation of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray by veteran writer Roy Thomas, who's also adapting other classics for the House of Ideas' Marvel Illustrated line. Why do you think classic literature translate well into graphic novels and/or manga?

EH: We are also adapting The Picture of Dorian Gray for one of the titles in our Eye Classics series. Not all classic literature will translate well into graphic novels or manga, but we feel that the ones we have chosen will work well. Just in the same way that plays are reinvented in different modern contexts and forms (such as screen adaptations), graphic novels are another form of artistic expression. We are reinventing some excellent, timeless literature.

NRAMA: Finally, let's take a peek at the crystal ball. Publishing giants like Marvel, DC, TokyoPop have either adapted the manga style into some of their most popular properties or are creating new properties with manga-inspired creators and calling them Original English Language (OEL) manga or global manga. Will Self Made Hero be doing new creations other than adapting Shakespeare's plays into manga and "transforming classics into another art form"?

EH: For the moment, we are concentrating on the classics and focussing on creating high quality mangas and graphic novels that grab people's attention. The number of extremely talented script writers and artists in the UK is phenomenal and I hope that Self Made Hero will, in the not-so-distant-future, be able to announce the publication of even more high quality graphic books, both adaptations and original works.

Visit the official site at www.selfmadehero.com

[sebzero11]

Excellent!

I'll finally be able to get all of my 7th graders to WANT to read Shakespeare!

[CitC]

This really sounds interesting.

I just read some of Classical Comics' version of Henary V. I really like their approach: One version which is word for word the play (it is like watching the play - sort of), another version saying the same thing in modern language (no slang, just clear speaking); and another version which gives an abriged version of the text.

Classical's version would prove very useful in a classroom, and from the looks of it, so would SMH's version. Good luck.

[Benjamin Ong]

Originally Posted by CitC

I just read some of Classical Comics' version of Henary V. I really like their approach: One version which is word for word the play (it is like watching the play - sort of), another version saying the same thing in modern language (no slang, just clear speaking); and another version which gives an abriged version of the text.

Classical's version would prove very useful in a classroom, and from the looks of it, so would SMH's version. Good luck.

Good things come to those who wait

[Elliot Mears]

I would kill a man for a comics version of Thomas Middleton's (or Cyril DeTourneur's, depending who you ask) REVENGER'S TRAGEDY. I love that play, and the film version with Chris Eccleston and Eddie Izzard, like my own son.

[DeTroyes]

Cool. Looking forward to seeing Henry V giving the St. Crispins Day speech standing in front of a line of giant robots....

Now I've got to talk to my LCS about getting these...

--DBK

[Illustr8r]

Originally Posted by sebzero11

Excellent!

I'll finally be able to get all of my 7th graders to WANT to read Shakespeare!

Oy. I'm so glad I left the teaching profession.

So the only way you can get your 7th graders to read Shakespeare is to reduce the characters into dewy-eyed manga characters drawn by some artistic wigger white guy? Not much of a teacher, are you?

They don't "want" to read Shakespeare in this instance, they want to read comics. The kids don't evolve, the content is just being dumbed down to their current level. Why not just teach them to say "you want fries with that" NOW, because that's pretty much all they're in for if you don't challenge them at an adult level.

[MattBrady]

Originally Posted by Illustr8r

So the only way you can get your 7th graders to read Shakespeare is to reduce the characters into dewy-eyed manga characters drawn by some artistic wigger white guy? Not much of a teacher, are you?

you're really not one to judge, as you're here, unable to express yourself without insulting others. Knock it of or leave.

MattB

[sebzero11]

Originally Posted by Illustr8r

Oy. I'm so glad I left the teaching profession.

So the only way you can get your 7th graders to read Shakespeare is to reduce the characters into dewy-eyed manga characters drawn by some artistic wigger white guy? Not much of a teacher, are you?

They don't "want" to read Shakespeare in this instance, they want to read comics. The kids don't evolve, the content is just being dumbed down to their current level. Why not just teach them to say "you want fries with that" NOW, because that's pretty much all they're in for if you don't challenge them at an adult level.

Thanks for the assist, Matt, but I got this....

By "all" of my seventh graders I mean I'll finally be able to reach the kids in my 2 Lower Level classes who are sent specifically to me, because they enter my class as 7th graders with a 3rd or 4th grade reading level and I move them up to 5th, 6th, and sometimes even 7th grade reading level through-out the year. As for whether they "Want" to read Shakespeare or comics, I don't really care which, as long as they WANT to read, considering they don't want to read, write, or do, anything when they first come to me.
My other 3 classes are MYP (Middle years Program) which is the Middle School lead in to the International Baccalaureate Program, who take college courses along with their High School courses and graduate from High School with their Associate's Degree. Newsweek rated my schhol (and our program) #89 in its "Top 100 High Schools in America," so I guess what my colleagues and I are doing is working.
I've made great headway in the past in getting kids to read by using graphic novels like Bone, Maus, and even DC and Marvel heroes. In fact, part of my Graduate Thesis Project was the academic relevancy of sequential art and the graphic novel as a reading/literature based tool. I'm always happy to find more graphic novel interpretations of the classics as it gets my kids exposed to more traditional literature in a non-threatening form.
I even get the kids to embrace writing, while learning and applying literary concepts such as plot, theme, characterization, and setting by writing and drawing their own comics which I then have published (Comixpress does great stuff on a school budget) to give the kids a sense of accomplishement and ownership. We sell them as a school fundraiser.

So, sure, for certain kids, under certain circumstances, the only way I can get them to FIRST read Shakespeare is to hand them the Graphic Novel...but that peaks their interest, which then gets them to read the play, and to perform it, and, thanks to the "dumbed down to their level" version, they now have a more familiar and interpretable frame of reference in their background knowledge to understand and appreciate the finer qualities and intricacies of the original work. this leads to more reading, more understanding, and guarantees that "Do you want fries with that?" may help pay for their college, but is only one small step on their career path.

So, you know what, you are not the only one who is "so glad you left the teaching profession."

[Sesshomaru]

i dont mind the initiative , but i hardly see a manga here ...

I'd advise instead , when it get released outside japan , the quite "good Romeo X juliet" anime from studio Gonzo ... it of course took huge liberties , but is a damn fine piece of art .

[CitC]

Oy. I'm so glad I left the teaching profession.

So the only way you can get your 7th graders to read Shakespeare is to reduce the characters into dewy-eyed manga characters drawn by some artistic wigger white guy? Not much of a teacher, are you?

They don't "want" to read Shakespeare in this instance, they want to read comics. The kids don't evolve, the content is just being dumbed down to their current level. Why not just teach them to say "you want fries with that" NOW, because that's pretty much all they're in for if you don't challenge them at an adult level.

sebzero11 said it better than I ever could, but this is the same argument that came up after the Classical Comics version came out a couple of months ago. Lots of angry comments by people that seemed to not understand what teachers are trying to do.

It wouldn't allow my comments, but here is the article and comments I was referring to.

[Mick Martin]

Originally Posted by Illustr8r

Oy. I'm so glad I left the teaching profession.

So the only way you can get your 7th graders to read Shakespeare is to reduce the characters into dewy-eyed manga characters drawn by some artistic wigger white guy? Not much of a teacher, are you?

They don't "want" to read Shakespeare in this instance, they want to read comics. The kids don't evolve, the content is just being dumbed down to their current level. Why not just teach them to say "you want fries with that" NOW, because that's pretty much all they're in for if you don't challenge them at an adult level.

You know, the really ridiculous thing about your comment is that we're talking about Shakespeare, as in a guy who wrote plays, as in a writer who never meant for his audience to experience his plays by reading the scripts, but by watching them performed by actors.

So, exactly what is the difference between a student reading Shakespeare manga and one watching a film adaptation, or in its original format - on stage?

Actually, the difference is that in a manga - as opposed to on stage or on film - the student is still involved in READING, and so is still challenged by Shakespeare's brilliant use of language.

So, by your definition of "dumbed down" Shakespeare, every stage or film performance of his plays is much more "dumbed down" than this manga or any other comic book adaptation could ever be.

[Sluggo]

Originally Posted by sebzero11

Thanks for the assist, Matt, but I got this....

By "all" of my seventh graders I mean I'll finally be able to reach the kids in my 2 Lower Level classes who are sent specifically to me, because they enter my class as 7th graders with a 3rd or 4th grade reading level and I move them up to 5th, 6th, and sometimes even 7th grade reading level through-out the year. As for whether they "Want" to read Shakespeare or comics, I don't really care which, as long as they WANT to read, considering they don't want to read, write, or do, anything when they first come to me.
My other 3 classes are MYP (Middle years Program) which is the Middle School lead in to the International Baccalaureate Program, who take college courses along with their High School courses and graduate from High School with their Associate's Degree. Newsweek rated my schhol (and our program) #89 in its "Top 100 High Schools in America," so I guess what my colleagues and I are doing is working.
I've made great headway in the past in getting kids to read by using graphic novels like Bone, Maus, and even DC and Marvel heroes. In fact, part of my Graduate Thesis Project was the academic relevancy of sequential art and the graphic novel as a reading/literature based tool. I'm always happy to find more graphic novel interpretations of the classics as it gets my kids exposed to more traditional literature in a non-threatening form.
I even get the kids to embrace writing, while learning and applying literary concepts such as plot, theme, characterization, and setting by writing and drawing their own comics which I then have published (Comixpress does great stuff on a school budget) to give the kids a sense of accomplishement and ownership. We sell them as a school fundraiser.

So, sure, for certain kids, under certain circumstances, the only way I can get them to FIRST read Shakespeare is to hand them the Graphic Novel...but that peaks their interest, which then gets them to read the play, and to perform it, and, thanks to the "dumbed down to their level" version, they now have a more familiar and interpretable frame of reference in their background knowledge to understand and appreciate the finer qualities and intricacies of the original work. this leads to more reading, more understanding, and guarantees that "Do you want fries with that?" may help pay for their college, but is only one small step on their career path.

So, you know what, you are not the only one who is "so glad you left the teaching profession."

I applaud you, sir, for putting CitC in his place. Good on you for doing everything you can to get children reading ANYTHING in this age of TV, video games, internet, etc.

I love the "commitment" to sparking an interest in learning from a person who quit being a teacher, apparently because he had contempt for the children whose throats he was trying to shove his old-fashioned ideals down.

Notice the tell-tale sound of crickets since you posted your response to CitC? Beautiful.

[skeletorjr]

Originally Posted by Sluggo

I applaud you, sir, for putting CitC in his place. Good on you for doing everything you can to get children reading ANYTHING in this age of TV, video games, internet, etc.

I love the "commitment" to sparking an interest in learning from a person who quit being a teacher, apparently because he had contempt for the children whose throats he was trying to shove his old-fashioned ideals down.

Notice the tell-tale sound of crickets since you posted your response to CitC? Beautiful.

Just an fyi, I think CitC was agreeing with him, it was 'illustr8r' who was being responded to.

[CitC]

Just an fyi, I think CitC was agreeing with him, it was 'illustr8r' who was being responded to.

Yeah, pardon my language, but what the hell!? I'm the guy with the website promoting this stuff to anyone that will listen. I'm okay getting slammed, just not when its not me that you are actually annoyed with.

Read my first post - the one saying good luck and tell me more.

[skeletorjr]

Originally Posted by CitC

Yeah, pardon my language, but what the hell!? I'm the guy with the website promoting this stuff to anyone that will listen. I'm okay getting slammed, just not when its not me that you are actually annoyed with.

Read my first post - the one saying good luck and tell me more.

I think there must have been some confusion there on Sluggo's part. Your stance is pretty clear.

[librarykat]

The other thing is, who in the world expects 7th graders to read Shakespeare, for crying out loud? I was an honor student, a voracious reader, and I was ALONE in reading Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet in 8th grade. No one else in my school was doing so. I was considered a total nerd and a nut for doing so. I think the Manga Shakespeare titles are brilliant, in that by attracting readers, they are laying the groundwork for these readers to feel ready and able to tackle the actual plays (either by watching performances or by reading) when they're a couple of years older. I'm a librarian who has visited many a middle and high school. I've observed high school juniors tackling Shakespeare and not "getting" it. I applaud any teacher who's willing to try more unconventional methods to promote reading in the classroom, by using graphic novels, local literature in local vernacular (such as Hawaiian pidgin), and any other means.

[sebzero11]

Originally Posted by Sluggo

I applaud you, sir, for putting CitC in his place. Good on you for doing everything you can to get children reading ANYTHING in this age of TV, video games, internet, etc.

I love the "commitment" to sparking an interest in learning from a person who quit being a teacher, apparently because he had contempt for the children whose throats he was trying to shove his old-fashioned ideals down.

Notice the tell-tale sound of crickets since you posted your response to CitC? Beautiful.

Sluggo, I appreciate your support, but, as some others have pointed out, CitC is on my side....in fact, he's more on my side then I am, check his website!
It was illustr8r that shot off his mouth.

I'm glad to see that the majority of posters understand the value of these works in the classroom!

CitC, I salute you!

Librarykat, most of my 7th graders are International Baccaluareatte students, that puts them above Advanced Placement, and above Honors. Many of them are smarter than I am. I only get to keep the "big desk" because I have more accumulated knowledge. In a few years I'll be neediong them to teach me! I only use Shakespeare (among other things) with my low-level/remedial kids because they know I use that with my other kids and you'd be amazed at how much harder they are willing to try when they feel I've entrusted them with the same content as my I.B. kids. They will rise to the challenge and beam with pride when they get the same assignment as the "smart" kids. Sure, my grading standards vary between the two class levels, but the kids still get that "I did the hard work feeling!

I hope more companies do this kind of work. Marvel has their Marvel Illustrated line, Paper Cutz has Classics Illustrated, Self Made Hero has Shakespeare.
This month's Previews has a listing from Lerner Publishing Group for hardcover 48pg GNs of Myths & Legends. They have Ali baba, Perseus, Sunjata, Robin Hood, Tristan & Isolde, and several others. My kids respond well to Myths, Legends, and Folklore. I may have to get those too!

I love getting my school to order Graphic Novels!

[HazMatMan]

Not to play the part of Nick Paladine but, illustr8r did have a point, nevermind the rude 'tude. So much of education today is reduced to the least common denominator.

If subzero11 thinks comicbooks are such an excellent teaching tool, well then that says a lot about subzero11. Teaching aid, maybe. sz11 further embarrases self by admitting that the kids are abundantly smarter. If students exceed their teachers, maybe W should have come up with the NTLB Act.

My point is, The Tempest has always been Shakespeare-lite. It's a good introduction to Wiley Willy with half the bloodshed and tawdry nun-blushing lasciviousness of say, Macbeth. Let's be honest, IBP junkies or not, what 7th grader in this era has the linquistic fortitude or patience to comprehend iambic pentameter when their language skills have been reduced to txt msgs?

I think it's more a matter of industry idea houses running out of material and falling back on properties with expired copyrights.

All in all, the art, manga or not, is intriguing.

[sebzero11]

Originally Posted by HazMatMan

Not to play the part of Nick Paladine but, illustr8r did have a point, nevermind the rude 'tude. So much of education today is reduced to the least common denominator.

If subzero11 thinks comicbooks are such an excellent teaching tool, well then that says a lot about subzero11. Teaching aid, maybe. sz11 further embarrases self by admitting that the kids are abundantly smarter. If students exceed their teachers, maybe W should have come up with the NTLB Act.

My point is, The Tempest has always been Shakespeare-lite. It's a good introduction to Wiley Willy with half the bloodshed and tawdry nun-blushing lasciviousness of say, Macbeth. Let's be honest, IBP junkies or not, what 7th grader in this era has the linquistic fortitude or patience to comprehend iambic pentameter when their language skills have been reduced to txt msgs?

I think it's more a matter of industry idea houses running out of material and falling back on properties with expired copyrights.

All in all, the art, manga or not, is intriguing.

::sigh::

1st, my describing my students as "smarter than I am" is called hyperbole. The figurative use of gross exaggeration to illustrate a point. It's a concept introduced around 6th grade. Besides, the aforementioned "smart kids" are from my IB classes, and are NOT the ones I was planning on using these with...although I know they'd love them. I was excited about these for my lower level kids.

2nd, I, like many of today's top educators, am NOT pushing the use of "dumbed-down" text, I am promoting the use, for those students who need it (because they have learning/emotional/physical disabilities, are slower learners, or have come up through a system that pushes problems ahead rather than dealing with them) of books that are more accesible, less daunting, and more appealing.
Look, in order to make someone a better reader, you don't give them books above their reading level. They won't be able to comprehend it, which will frustrate them, which will lead to them giving up or burning out. Instead, you start by giving them a book just below their reading level. They read this with accuracy and confidence. Then you move to something at their level. Then you start taking it up a notch, a little at a time, so that over the course of the school year they can go from 7th graders reading at a 4th grade level to 7th graders reading at a 6th or 7th grade level. If you have a kid stammering and floundering through a 4th grade book you don't say "here, read Last of the Mohicans. That'll get you up to snuff." These are kids who have been convinced that they will never be able to read well. You have to rebuild more than just their reading skills.


But, you know all of these concepts, because you hold two degrees in Literature, A Master's degree in English Education, a Reading certificate, An English Certificate, teach 2 low level Middle Schhol English classes, 3 IB Middle School English classes, and adjunct a college writing course.

Oh, wait....that's me.

[HazMatMan]

[quote=sebzero11]::sigh::QUOTE]

I have no interest in arguing with your credentials. It's obvious you're an ego-maniac. You shouldn't over exaggerate, btw. That causes contention.

I love Bill Shakespeare as much as the next bloke with a degree in Comp. Lit. It's drudgery at its finest but, at the end of the day, you go away with a little bit more than what you began.

Ciao for now subzero11. You go on with your bad self.