Self Made Hero
Encyclopedia
SelfMadeHero is a British graphic novel
and manga publishing company, and imprint
of Metro Media Ltd, who specialise in adapting works of literature.
They launched with two lines in 2007:
In 2009 SelfMadeHero expanded to include:
In 2010 SelfMadeHero expand to include:
For the moment the adaptations will be the main focus for publications, but director Emma Hayley has said they hope to publish original material in the future.
's plays were made by Richard Appignanesi (who previously worked on Icon Books' Beginners series), with the art created by UK-based manga artist
who have come to prominence via Tokyopop
's Rising Stars of Manga
(United Kingdom & Ireland) competition, their work for Sweatdrop Studios
or London manga collective Umisen Yamisen.
stories, adapted by Ian Edginton
, with art by I. N. J. Culbard:
Rachel Cooke reviewed A Study in Scarlet for The Observer
and concluded:
It also includes an adaptation of The Hot Rock by Donald E. Westlake
, the first in the series of books that feature John Dortmunder
.
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
and manga publishing company, and imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
of Metro Media Ltd, who specialise in adapting works of literature.
They launched with two lines in 2007:
- Manga Shakespeare produces works based on the BardWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
but with different settings - mainly Japan in the past and future - Eye Classics are adaptations of great classic works, like those of PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
and KafkaFranz KafkaFranz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
In 2009 SelfMadeHero expanded to include:
- Sherlock Holmes series: including Hound of the Baskervilles and Study in Scarlet.
- Graphic Biography: launched in October 2009 with Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness The series tells the fascinating life stories of both public and private figures. It includes era-defining pop-culture icons such as Johnny Cash and Hunter S. Thompson.
In 2010 SelfMadeHero expand to include:
- Gift Books: featuring 'beautifully produced, non-fiction titles based on iconic cartoon and comic book characters'.
For the moment the adaptations will be the main focus for publications, but director Emma Hayley has said they hope to publish original material in the future.
Manga Shakespeare
The adaptations of ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's plays were made by Richard Appignanesi (who previously worked on Icon Books' Beginners series), with the art created by UK-based manga artist
Mangaka
is the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese...
who have come to prominence via Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
's Rising Stars of Manga
Rising Stars of Manga
Rising Stars of Manga was an English-language comic anthology published by TOKYOPOP from 2002 to 2008, and a contest held by the same company. It was originally semi-annual, but switched to annual beginning with the 6th volume....
(United Kingdom & Ireland) competition, their work for Sweatdrop Studios
Sweatdrop Studios
Sweatdrop Studios are a collective of UK Original English-language manga creators who publish British small press comics.-Overview:The UK's first home-based independent Original English-language manga publisher and distributor, Sweatdrop Studios publish and distribute manga produced solely by...
or London manga collective Umisen Yamisen.
- HamletHamletThe Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601...
(art by Emma VieceliEmma VieceliEmma Vieceli is a professional British comics artist of Italian-English heritage. She is currently a resident of a small village in Cambridgeshire, England.-Biography:...
, March 2007, ISBN 978-0-9552856-1-5) - Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
(art by Sonia Leong, March 2007, ISBN 978-0-9552856-0-8) - The TempestThe TempestThe Tempest is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1610–11, and thought by many critics to be the last play that Shakespeare wrote alone. It is set on a remote island, where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan, plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place,...
(art by Paul Duffield, September 2007, ISBN 978-0-9552856-2-2) - Richard IIIRichard III (play)Richard III is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1591. It depicts the Machiavellian rise to power and subsequent short reign of Richard III of England. The play is grouped among the histories in the First Folio and is most often classified...
(art by Patrick Warren, September 2007, ISBN 978-0-9552856-3-9) - A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
(art by Kate Brown, February 2008, ISBN 978-0-9552856-4-6) - Julius CaesarJulius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
(art by Mustashrik, June 2008, ISBN 978-0-9552856-5-3) - MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
(art by Robert Deas, June 2008, ISBN 978-0-9552856-6-0) - As You Like ItAs You Like ItAs You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
(art by Chie Kutsuwada, January 2009, ISBN 978-0-9552856-0-1) - OthelloOthelloThe Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
(art by Ryuta Osada, January 2009, ISBN 978-0-9552856-5-6) - Henry VIII (art by Patrick Warren, May 2009, ISBN 978-1-906838-02-7)
- King LearKing LearKing Lear is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The title character descends into madness after foolishly disposing of his estate between two of his three daughters based on their flattery, bringing tragic consequences for all. The play is based on the legend of Leir of Britain, a mythological...
(art by ILYA, May 2009, ISBN 978-0-9558169-7-0) - Much Ado About NothingMuch Ado About NothingMuch Ado About Nothing is a comedy written by William Shakespeare about two pairs of lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, and Claudio and Hero....
(art by Emma VieceliEmma VieceliEmma Vieceli is a professional British comics artist of Italian-English heritage. She is currently a resident of a small village in Cambridgeshire, England.-Biography:...
, May 2009, ISBN 978-0-9558169-6-3) - The Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
(art by Faye Yong, September 2009, ISBN 978-0-9558169-1-8) - Twelfth Night (art by Nana Li, September 2009, ISBN 978-0-9558169-9-4)
Eye Classics
The creators are drawn from a British comic background (in particular Nevermore) but also include screenwriters and more traditional artists.- Nevermore (anthologyComics anthologyComics anthologies collect works in the medium of comics that are too short for standalone publication.- U.S. :- UK :British comics have a long tradition publishing comics anthologies, often weekly...
of adaptations of PoeEdgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
's work, October 2007, ISBN 978-0-9552856-8-4):- "The Pit and the PendulumThe Pit and the Pendulum"The Pit and the Pendulum" is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe and first published in 1842 in the literary annual The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present for 1843. The story is about the torments endured by a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition, though Poe skews historical facts. The...
" (by Jamie DelanoJamie DelanoJamie Delano is a British comics writer. He was part of the first post-Alan Moore "British Invasion" of writers. Best known as the first writer of the comic book series Hellblazer, starring John Constantine.- Biography :...
, with art by Steve PughSteve PughSteve Pugh is a British comic book artist who has worked for most of the major comic producers on both sides of the Atlantic: DC, Marvel, Dark Horse and 2000 AD.-Biography:...
) - "Murder in the Rue MorgueThe Murders in the Rue Morgue"The Murders in the Rue Morgue" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe published in Graham's Magazine in 1841. It has been claimed as the first detective story; Poe referred to it as one of his "tales of ratiocination". Two works that share some similarities predate Poe's stories, including Das...
" (by Ian EdgintonIan EdgintonIan Edginton is a British comic book writer.He is one of the few British comic talents to follow the reverse trajectory to the one usually taken: becoming successful in American comics before returning to work for 2000 AD.-Biography:...
, with art by D'IsraeliD'IsraeliMatt Brooker, whose work most often appears under the pseudonym D'Israeli , is a British comic artist, colorist, writer and letterer. Other pseudonyms he uses include "Molly Eyre" , for his writing, and "Harry V...
) - "The Facts in the Case of Mr. ValdemarThe Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar"The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" is a short story by American author Edgar Allan Poe about a mesmerist who puts a man in a suspended hypnotic state at the moment of death. An example of a tale of suspense and horror, it is also, to a certain degree, a hoax as it was published without claiming...
" (by Jeremy Slater, with art by John McCreaJohn McCreaJohn McCrea is a comic book artist best known for his collaborations with writer Garth Ennis.-Career:...
) - "The Black CatThe Black Cat (short story)"The Black Cat" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. It was first published in the August 19, 1843, edition of The Saturday Evening Post. It is a study of the psychology of guilt, often paired in analysis with Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart"...
" (by Leah MooreLeah MooreLeah Moore is an English comic book writer. She is the daughter of Alan Moore and Phyllis Moore, and is married to John Reppion. She has worked with both Alan and John on the comic Albion. She has also written for other comics and publications including Tom Strong and The End Is Nigh...
and John ReppionJohn ReppionJohn Mark Reppion is a British writer. He is married to Leah Moore, the daughter of Alan Moore, and he has worked with both on the comic Albion.-Biography:...
, with art by James FletcherJames FletcherJames Fletcher was a Canadian entomologist, botanist and writer.He was born near Rochester, Kent England in 1852. He began work as a clerk at the Bank of British North America in London and was transferred to the Montreal branch in 1874 and the Ottawa branch in 1875...
) - "The Fall of the House of UsherThe Fall of the House of Usher"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in September 1839 in Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. It was slightly revised in 1840 for the collection Tales of the Grotesque and Arabesque...
" (by Dan Whitehead, with art by Shane OakleyShane OakleyShane Oakley is a British illustrator and comic book artist from Stoke-on-Trent, England.-Biography:He began his career contributing to the alternative comics review Deadline Magazine in the 1980s . In 1989 Shane worked as the penciller on issues 1 to 6 of Mister X volume two...
)
- "The Pit and the Pendulum
- The Master and MargaritaThe Master and MargaritaThe Master and Margarita is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven around the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. Many critics consider the book to be one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and one of the foremost Soviet satires, directed against a...
(originally by Mikhail BulgakovMikhail BulgakovMikhaíl Afanásyevich Bulgákov was a Soviet Russian writer and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita, which The Times of London has called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.-Biography:Mikhail Bulgakov was born on...
, adapted by Andrzej Klimowski and Danusia Schejbal, 128 pages, May 2008, ISBN 978-0-9552856-7-7) - The TrialThe TrialThe Trial is a novel by Franz Kafka, first published in 1925. One of Kafka's best-known works, it tells the story of a man arrested and prosecuted by a remote, inaccessible authority, with the nature of his crime revealed neither to him nor the reader.Like Kafka's other novels, The Trial was never...
(originally by Franz KafkaFranz KafkaFranz Kafka was a culturally influential German-language author of short stories and novels. Contemporary critics and academics, including Vladimir Nabokov, regard Kafka as one of the best writers of the 20th century...
, adapted by Chantal Montellier and David Zane MairowitzDavid Zane MairowitzDavid Zane Mairowitz , is a writer. He studied English Literature and Philosophy at Hunter College, New York, and Drama at the University of California, Berkeley.In 1966 he emigrated to England, where he worked as a freelance writer...
, 128 pages, March 2008, ISBN 978-0-9552856-9-1) - The Picture of Dorian GrayThe Picture of Dorian GrayThe Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde, appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine on 20 June 1890, printed as the July 1890 issue of this magazine...
(originally by Oscar WildeOscar WildeOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
, adapted by Ian EdgintonIan EdgintonIan Edginton is a British comic book writer.He is one of the few British comic talents to follow the reverse trajectory to the one usually taken: becoming successful in American comics before returning to work for 2000 AD.-Biography:...
, with art by I. N. J. Culbard, 128 pages, September 2008, ISBN 978-0-9558169-3-2) - At the Mountains of Madness (originally by H. P. LovecraftH. P. LovecraftHoward Phillips Lovecraft --often credited as H.P. Lovecraft — was an American author of horror, fantasy and science fiction, especially the subgenre known as weird fiction....
, adapted and drawn by I. N. J. Culbard, 128 pages, October 2010, ISBN 978-1-9068381-2-6)
Crime Classics
The Crime Classics line began with set of four adaptations of the Arthur Conan DoyleArthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
stories, adapted by Ian Edginton
Ian Edginton
Ian Edginton is a British comic book writer.He is one of the few British comic talents to follow the reverse trajectory to the one usually taken: becoming successful in American comics before returning to work for 2000 AD.-Biography:...
, with art by I. N. J. Culbard:
- The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles is the third of four crime novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in The Strand Magazine from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set largely on Dartmoor in Devon in England's West Country and tells the story of an...
(144 pages, Sherlock Holmes, SelfMadeHero, May 2009, ISBN 1-906838-00-3) - A Study in ScarletA Study in ScarletA Study in Scarlet is a detective mystery novel written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, introducing his new character of Sherlock Holmes, who later became one of the most famous literary detective characters. He wrote the story in 1886, and it was published the next year...
(144 pages, Sherlock Holmes, SelfMadeHero, October 2009, ISBN 1-906838-01-1) - The Sign of the Four (144 pages, Sherlock Holmes, SelfMadeHero, May 2010, ISBN 978-1-906838-04-1)
- The Valley of FearThe Valley of FearThe Valley of Fear is the fourth and final Sherlock Holmes novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The story was first published in the Strand Magazine between September 1914 and May 1915, and the first book edition was published in New York on 27 February 1915.- Part I: The Tragedy of Birlstone...
(144 pages, Sherlock Holmes, SelfMadeHero, October 2010, ISBN 978-1-906838-05-8)
Rachel Cooke reviewed A Study in Scarlet for The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
and concluded:
It also includes an adaptation of The Hot Rock by Donald E. Westlake
Donald E. Westlake
Donald Edwin Westlake was an American writer, with over a hundred novels and non-fiction books to his credit. He specialized in crime fiction, especially comic capers, with an occasional foray into science fiction or other genres...
, the first in the series of books that feature John Dortmunder
John Dortmunder
John Archibald Dortmunder is a fictional character created by Donald E. Westlake, and who is the 'hero' of 14 novels and 11 short stories published between 1970 and 2009. He first appeared in the novel The Hot Rock, published in 1970....
.
Graphic Biography
- Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness (by Reinhard Kleist, 223 pages, Graphic Biographies, SelfMadeHero, October 2009, ISBN 0-8109-8463-6)
See also
- Classics IllustratedClassics IllustratedClassics Illustrated is a comic book series featuring adaptations of literary classics such as Moby Dick, Hamlet, and The Iliad. Created by Albert Kanter, the series began publication in 1941 and finished its first run in 1971, producing 169 issues. Following the series' demise, various companies...
, a similar venture from the 1940s to 1960s - Marvel IllustratedMarvel IllustratedMarvel Illustrated is an imprint from Marvel Comics for comic adaptations of classic literature. Each novel's story is told in the form of a limited series, the issues of which are later collected together as a trade paperback.-Titles:...
, Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
imprint adapting classic literature - Classical ComicsClassical ComicsClassical Comics is a British publisher of graphic novel adaptations of the great works of literature, including Shakespeare, Charlotte Brontë and Dickens.-Overview:...
, another new British company producing graphic novel adaptations of great works, including some of the same Shakespeare plays - Graphic Classics
- The Manga Bible, an adaptation by SikuSiku (comics)Siku is the pseudonym of British/Nigerian artist and writer Ajibayo Akinsiku, best known for his work in 2000 AD.-Biography:Siku studied design and printing at the Yaba’s School of Art, and theology at the London School of Theology....