The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch
Encyclopedia
The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch or simply Mr. Punch is a graphic novel
written by Neil Gaiman
, illustrated and designed by Dave McKean
. It was published in 1994
.
great-uncle; the betrayal of children by adults; fear of the unknown; an unwanted pregnancy, violence, possibly even murder.
The general story is paralleled with the traditional story of the Mr. Punch
show, 'The oldest, the wisest play'. The narrator is first introduced to Mr. Punch when fishing with his grandfather, but encounters it, and a mysterious 'professor' (Punch & Judy man), during various other activities. The story of Mr. Punch, is that he kills his baby, then his wife Judy and the police officer
who comes to arrest him. He outwits a ghost
, a crocodile
and a doctor, convinces the hangman to be hanged in his place and, at the play's end, even defeats the devil himself.
Like many of Gaiman's works, a major theme in this graphic novel is memory
and the unreliability of one's own recollections.
wrote and performed a song about the character, called "Mr. Punch." It was released on the compilation album Where's Neil When You Need Him?
which also featured Tori Amos
, Voltaire
, and Rasputina
.
In 2005, BBC Radio 3
broadcast a one hour radio adaptation of the The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch, adapted by Gaiman with music by McKean and Ashley Slater
.
The Rogue Artists Ensemble
also have mounted Mr. Punch as a stage play.
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...
written by Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, illustrated and designed by Dave McKean
Dave McKean
David McKean is an English illustrator, photographer, comic book artist, graphic designer, filmmaker and musician....
. It was published in 1994
1994 in comics
-Year overall:* Huge changes in the marketplace force many retailers and small publishers out of business...
.
Synopsis
The book follows the childhood memories of the narrator, illustrating various experiences in his life: fishing on the beach at dawn; his grandparents and how one grandfather went mad; a hunchbackHunchback
Hunchback may refer to one of the following.*A derogatory term for a person who has severe kyphosis*The Hunchback of Notre Dame*Hunchback , an arcade and computer game from the 1980s*The Hunchback, a 1914 film featuring Lillian Gish...
great-uncle; the betrayal of children by adults; fear of the unknown; an unwanted pregnancy, violence, possibly even murder.
The general story is paralleled with the traditional story of the Mr. Punch
Punch and Judy
Punch and Judy is a traditional, popular puppet show featuring the characters of Mr. Punch and his wife, Judy. The performance consists of a sequence of short scenes, each depicting an interaction between two characters, most typically the anarchic Punch and one other character...
show, 'The oldest, the wisest play'. The narrator is first introduced to Mr. Punch when fishing with his grandfather, but encounters it, and a mysterious 'professor' (Punch & Judy man), during various other activities. The story of Mr. Punch, is that he kills his baby, then his wife Judy and the police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
who comes to arrest him. He outwits a ghost
Ghost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
, a crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
and a doctor, convinces the hangman to be hanged in his place and, at the play's end, even defeats the devil himself.
Like many of Gaiman's works, a major theme in this graphic novel is memory
Memory
In psychology, memory is an organism's ability to store, retain, and recall information and experiences. Traditional studies of memory began in the fields of philosophy, including techniques of artificially enhancing memory....
and the unreliability of one's own recollections.
Publications
It has been published a number of times:- 1994, GollanczVictor Gollancz LtdVictor Gollancz Ltd was a major British book publishing house of the twentieth century. It was founded in 1927 by Victor Gollancz and specialised in the publication of high quality literature, nonfiction and popular fiction, including science fiction. Upon Gollancz's death in 1967, ownership...
, paperback, ISBN 0575053186, hardback, ISBN 0575051418 - 1995, Vertigo, paperback, ISBN 1563892464, hardback, ISBN 1563891816
- 2006, Bloomsbury Publishing, paperback, ISBN 0747588449
Adaptations
Future Bible HeroesFuture Bible Heroes
Future Bible Heroes is one of several musical groups led by Stephin Merritt, best known for his work with The Magnetic Fields. He shares vocal duties with Claudia Gonson, who sings on the entirety of 2002's Eternal Youth...
wrote and performed a song about the character, called "Mr. Punch." It was released on the compilation album Where's Neil When You Need Him?
Where's Neil When You Need Him?
Where's Neil When You Need Him? is a tribute album based on the works of fantasy writer Neil Gaiman.-Overview:The album was released on Dancing Ferret Discs on July 18, 2006. The CD has cover art by Dave McKean and extensive new liner notes from Neil Gaiman.The album's title was taken from the song...
which also featured Tori Amos
Tori Amos
Tori Amos is an American pianist, singer-songwriter and composer. She was at the forefront of a number of female singer-songwriters in the early 1990s and was noteworthy early in her career as one of the few alternative rock performers to use a piano as her primary instrument...
, Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
, and Rasputina
Rasputina
Rasputina is a cello-driven band based in New York that is renowned for their unconventional and quirky music style as well as their fascination with historical allegories and fashion, especially those pertaining to the Victorian era....
.
In 2005, BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
broadcast a one hour radio adaptation of the The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch, adapted by Gaiman with music by McKean and Ashley Slater
Ashley Slater
Ashley Slater is a UK based trombone player and best known for his work with Norman Cook in the band Freak Power. He was born in Schefferville, Canada in 1961...
.
The Rogue Artists Ensemble
Rogue Artists Ensemble
Rogue Artists Ensemble is a theater company based in Long Beach, California that specializes in “Hyper-theatrical” performance. According to the mission statement on the company’s official website:...
also have mounted Mr. Punch as a stage play.