Episode 304: Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“One of the most precious public possessions of the empire” [BERY] </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04k_uQqUB_e4zzZXFZ-Ouelqaonx5hYKuWs09OjJQ7n2Sm7zk4wApvtY-SStrM3SQUPTtQUFM8523fdzu6LjwCDqzfLGF5OQzyLLjqd6kkUIRMjLk2Dcw4P12zzv0j2TmIakKrRptU1ccVLEbuh7unoP3rIHuILtyg7dqkyj5PlKK6RMY__GWXPp7zp_B/s2544/ihearofsherlock304-header.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2013" data-original-width="2544" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg04k_uQqUB_e4zzZXFZ-Ouelqaonx5hYKuWs09OjJQ7n2Sm7zk4wApvtY-SStrM3SQUPTtQUFM8523fdzu6LjwCDqzfLGF5OQzyLLjqd6kkUIRMjLk2Dcw4P12zzv0j2TmIakKrRptU1ccVLEbuh7unoP3rIHuILtyg7dqkyj5PlKK6RMY__GWXPp7zp_B/w640-h506/ihearofsherlock304-header.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><p>Joel Meadows began what eventually became <i><b>Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: The Gene Genie</b></i> in 2002 while working on <i>Tripwire</i> as a quarterly print magazine.</p><p>He tells us the story of how it took two decades to bring this vision to life with illustrator Andy Bennett, and what the plans are for part two of the story. The initial Kickstarter for part one was wildly successful, and the Kickstarter for the sequel is under way. </p><p>The praise has been effusive: </p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>“A darn good romp” – Guillermo del Toro, Oscar-winning director</li><li>“Classic Sherlock Holmes! You can smell the chimney-smoke and feel the clatter of hooves. Here’s the character we all know and love, given a fresh polish for the 21st century!” – Ian Rankin, <i>Rebus</i></li></ul><p></p><p>The fusion of history and mystery form Joel's perfect nexus, and he's extending his efforts from graphic novel to a novella next. </p><p>We've moved the <b>Sherlockian News</b> to an exclusive bonus track for <b><a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank">supporters</a></b> (watch for that to drop), and added a new segment: "<b>The Learned Societies</b>," all about activities going on in in Sherlockian groups. In this episode, we cover some of the BSI Weekend activities.</p><p>Madeline Quiñones had diligently prepared an installment of "<b>A Chance of Listening</b>," her review of Sherlockian podcasts, that we missed last epsiode, so we make up for it this time. And of course the <b>Canonical Couplet</b> quiz awaits to test your Sherlockian knowledge. The winner, chosen at random from all correct answers, will receive <i>Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders</i>. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by February 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.</p><p>If you become a <a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank"><b>supporter</b></a> of the show, not only will you help to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and transcription services, but we have thank-you gifts at certain tiers and ad-free versions of the episodes for all patrons.</p><div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock304.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size: 57.3 MB, 59:21</h3><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/35093180/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/3d3f42/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: none;" data-dashlane-rid="6c0a29db702d2ca8" data-dashlane-classification="other"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.episodes.fm/258126625" target="_blank">Listen to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere anywhere you get podcasts<br /></a></span><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-hear-of-sherlock-everywhere/id258126625?ls=1">Apple Podcasts</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/30WtRn1mnXfAtX7YaeRY5Y">Spotify</a>; listen to us <a href="https://www.episodes.fm/1198869691">wherever you listen to podcasts</a>.</h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div><h2 style="margin: 0px;">Sponsors</h2><div style="margin: 0px;"><ul><li>Exclusive for IHOSE listeners from <a href="https://mxpublishing.com/" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a>: codes for <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdT14AxBwqMqON1zScLBHRecf2hd-2Q7fR-hHdlRDTrBS9K5w/viewform" target="_blank">5 free audio books</a>.</li></ul></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Would you care to advertise with us? You can find <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" target="_blank">more information here</a>. Let's chat!<br /><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul></ul></div><h2><b>Links</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/tripwire100/sherlock-holmes-and-the-empire-builders-the-gene-genie" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders: The Gene Genie</a></i> (Kickstarter)</li><li><i><a href="https://tripwiremagazine.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tripwire Magazine</a></i></li><li>Social media links: Joel Meadows on <a href="https://x.com/joelmeadows1" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/joelmeadows.bsky.social" target="_blank">BlueSky</a>, <i>Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders</i> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/792026212415533" target="_blank">Facebook Group</a>, <i>Tripwire Magazine</i> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TripwireMag" target="_blank">Facebook</a></li><li>Previous episode mentioned: <a href="https://ihose.co/ihose173">Episode 173: Another Case of Identity</a></li><ul></ul><li>Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at <a href="http://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock">linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock</a>.</li></ul><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery?indie=false&period=month#37883168" target="_blank"><img alt="goodpods top 100 mystery podcasts" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/leaderboard_badges/fiction_mystery_top50_month.png" style="height: 77px; width: 250px;" /></a><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery" style="color: #6f6f6f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 4px; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Goodpods Top 100 Mystery Podcasts</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br />

Episode 304: Sherlock Holmes and the Empire Builders

“One of the most precious public possessions of the empire” [BERY]  Joel Meadows began what eventually became Sherlock Holmes and the Empire...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Episode 301: Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“the preparation for submarine attack” [LAST] </h4><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uSU-YMveOzUhEYVdtJMZjLUI9lpadrlyCclvP-hgnh3LOXZJ5FWLYiwUnDsRr5qdosQwApBvFFJs3s-VWBXsCEzHQTs9tUg20DXsoo2zHOkHQTqCtJYE0CXq2ibCwKw7J7mg8v9b3I1zCefwxuP9tU5JQhbk4h3iHwcprtQZOnXumoS7AWExZwvs5sUn/s1390/ihearofsherlock301%20widescreen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="920" data-original-width="1390" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3uSU-YMveOzUhEYVdtJMZjLUI9lpadrlyCclvP-hgnh3LOXZJ5FWLYiwUnDsRr5qdosQwApBvFFJs3s-VWBXsCEzHQTs9tUg20DXsoo2zHOkHQTqCtJYE0CXq2ibCwKw7J7mg8v9b3I1zCefwxuP9tU5JQhbk4h3iHwcprtQZOnXumoS7AWExZwvs5sUn/w640-h424/ihearofsherlock301%20widescreen.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p>Good storytellers transport us to other places and times by virtue of their ability to create interesting characters and pull us along as the plot unfolds.</p><p><i>Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan</i> begins with two already interesting characters who are concerned with justice, and through Mike Baron's skillful storytelling that we find ourselves following the two as they unravel a global criminal conspiracy. Illustrated by artist Richard Bonk, it represents what may be the greatest work of both of their professional careers.</p><p>As an Eisner Award-winning author, Baron has crowdfunded a number of his works before, and is continuing in that tradition with this book. Interested readers can support it at any of the links below.</p><p>We also have the Sherlockian News and some listener comments, Madeline Quiñones gives us her thirteenth installment of "A Chance of Listening," her review of Sherlockian podcasts. And of course we have a <b>Canonical Couplet</b> quiz for you to test your Sherlockian knowledge. The winner, chosen at random from all correct answers, will receive a copy of <i>Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan</i>. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by December 29, 2024 at 11:59 a.m. EDT. All listeners are eligible to play.</p><p>If you become a <a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank">supporter</a> of the show, not only will you help to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and transcription services, but we have thank-you gifts at certain tiers and ad-free versions of the episodes for all patrons.</p><p>For this episode, we have artwork from the book available for our supporters.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a data-patreon-widget-type="become-patron-button" href="https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=2318606">Become a Patron!</a></p><div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock301.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size: 45 MB, 57:45</h3><iframe allowfullscreen="" data-dashlane-classification="other" data-dashlane-rid="3eccb566faff7137" height="192" mozallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/34463870/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/414851/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" style="border: none;" title="Embed Player" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="100%"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.episodes.fm/258126625" target="_blank">Listen to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere anywhere you get podcasts<br /></a></span><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-hear-of-sherlock-everywhere/id258126625?ls=1">Apple Podcasts</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/30WtRn1mnXfAtX7YaeRY5Y">Spotify</a>; listen to us <a href="https://www.episodes.fm/1198869691">wherever you listen to podcasts</a>.</h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div><h2 style="margin: 0px;">Sponsors</h2><div style="margin: 0px;"><ul><li>Get MX Publishing's <a href="https://amzn.to/3YI2DLv">Advent Calendar books</a> and <a href="https://mxpublishing.com/products/2025-page-a-day-sherlock-holmes-calendar?_pos=1&_sid=36e7d8f1d&_ss=r" target="_blank">2025 page-a-day calendar</a>.</li></ul></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Would you care to advertise with us? You can find <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" target="_blank">more information here</a>. Let's chat!<br /><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><h2><b>Notes</b></h2><div>1:54 Intro and chatter</div><div>5:01 Sherlockian News</div><div>18:32 Interview with Mike Baron </div><div>47:15 Commentary </div><div>49:10 A Chance of Listening</div><div>51:31 Canonical Couplet</div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul></ul></div><h2><b>Links</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li><a href="https://baroncomics.com/" target="_blank">Baron Comics and Graphic Novels</a></li><li><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/big-studios/sherlock-holmes-leviathan" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan</i> on Kickstarter</a></li><li><a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sherlock-holmes-leviathan#/" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan</i> on IndieGoGo</a></li><li><a href="https://www.fundmycomic.com/leviathan" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan</i> on Fund My Comic</a> </li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/3OxWUln" rel="nofollow" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Tenure</a> (Amazon)</li><ul></ul><ul></ul><li>Sherlockian News Links:</li><ul><li><a href="https://ihose.co/BSJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BSJ subscriptions</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/4klQz4F-ycc?si=ogpVbFgS5nIxuKza" target="_blank">The Stories of Sherlock Holmes</a> (YouTube)<br /></li><li><a href="https://www.agratreasurers.net/" target="_blank">Holmes, Doyle & Friends 2025 registration</a></li><li><a href="https://media.dlib.indiana.edu/media_objects/8g84nk258" target="_blank">BSI Trust 2024 Lecture: Mattias Boström</a> (Indiana University)</li><li><a href="http://www.bsitrust.org/2023/12/bsi-trust-lectures.html" target="_blank">Previous BSI Trust Lectures</a> (Baker Street Irregulars)</li><li><a href="https://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/sherlock-holmes-in-india-2025/" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes in India</a> (Sherlock Holmes Society of London)</li></ul><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihoseshows" target="_blank">The IHOSE Archives</a></li><li>Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at <a href="http://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock">linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock</a>.</li></ul><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery?indie=false&period=month#37883168" target="_blank"><img alt="goodpods top 100 mystery podcasts" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/leaderboard_badges/fiction_mystery_top50_month.png" style="height: 77px; width: 250px;" /></a><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery" style="color: #6f6f6f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 4px; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Goodpods Top 100 Mystery Podcasts</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><br /><br />

Episode 301: Sherlock Holmes: Leviathan

“the preparation for submarine attack” [LAST]  Good storytellers transport us to other places and times by virtue of their ability to create...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Episode 195: MX Publishing

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“enterprise and originality” [COPP] </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuRVZnVqYQIp0TF6LEGHr_nFIr7Y6PQbF-uPbgrUbxR_CGBTUOKUiKKYBDMEmApSY-6I0NaQwaRlaIJ9DdhBmXA4-Px_TclFuBt5qDUx-SeMKTluZZbBRc20ZCjUNcy9U9RoamDQGQnxC/s1024/MX+Publishing+header.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuRVZnVqYQIp0TF6LEGHr_nFIr7Y6PQbF-uPbgrUbxR_CGBTUOKUiKKYBDMEmApSY-6I0NaQwaRlaIJ9DdhBmXA4-Px_TclFuBt5qDUx-SeMKTluZZbBRc20ZCjUNcy9U9RoamDQGQnxC/w640-h320/MX+Publishing+header.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>When Steve and Sharon Emecz founded MX Publishing, it had a very different purpose than it does today. And while most Sherlockians know the outfit for its many pastiches (particularly through the <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/07/behind-worlds-largest-new-sherlock.html">MX Collection</a> edited by David Marcum), there's much more going on here than one might realize.<div><br /></div><div>Steve Emecz joined us to talk about what drives him and how MX has grown to become a wide-ranging publisher with over 400 books and 150 authors under its imprint. Not to mention how they support a number of charitable causes such as Stepping Stones School at Undershaw, Happy Life Children's Home in Nairobi, the American Cancer Society, and the World Food Programme, and how it's possible that a publisher can be carbon-positive.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's definitely more than meets the eye with MX Publishing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once again, our popular <b>Canonical Couplet</b> quiz is back, and we reveal the secret behind the origin of these short stanzas. The prize for this edition is a book from MX Publishing. Answers are due by 11:59 pm EDT on July 14, 2020. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Information on sponsors, links, and notes available below.<br /><center><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.paypalobjects.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" width="1" /></center><div><div style="orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="http://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank"><img height="40" src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/widget-images/become-patron-widget-medium%402x.png" style="cursor: move;" width="204" /></a></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Please do consider becoming a <a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank">Patron of the Arts</a>. Your support helps us to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and this year, transcription services.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><h2><b>Sponsors</b></h2><div style="margin: 0px;"><a href="https://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a> is our lead sponsor. They've been with us for nearly the entire run. Please visit their site and let them know you found them via I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.<br /><br /></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Would you care to advertise with us? You can find <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" target="_blank">more information here</a>. Let's chat!<br /><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock195.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 29.8 MB, 1:05:06</h3><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/849568636&color=%238e464b&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: interstate, "lucida grande", "lucida sans unicode", "lucida sans", garuda, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 100; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/ihearofsherlock" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="ihearofsherlock">ihearofsherlock</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ihearofsherlock/mx-publishing" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="MX Publishing">MX Publishing</a></div><pre><br /></pre></div></div><h2><b>Links</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li>This episode: <a href="https://ihose.co/ihose195">ihose.co/ihose195</a></li><li><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a></li><li><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/pages/about-us" target="_blank">About MX and its various causes</a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mxpublishing/playing-a-part-jeremy-brett" target="_blank">Playing a Part - Jeremy Brett</a></i> (Kickstarter)</li><li><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/collections/the-art-of-sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">The Art of Sherlock Holmes</a></li></ul><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard magazine at <a href="https://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a> as well as through our accounts on <a href="https://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://youtube.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://instagram.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a>.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><b>Please subscribe on the podcast provider of your choosing:</b></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pod.link/258126625" target="_blank">Listen to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a></div><br />And would you consider leaving us a rating and review? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323).</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div><h3><br />Transcript</h3><div style="margin: 0px;">Transcript costs have recently risen by 25 percent, so our goal is to reach the <a href="http://patreon.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">$125 per episode</a> level on Patreon. Please consider signing up by clicking the link.<br /><br />Transcript will be here soon (if you can contribute to making that happen).</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />--</div></div></div><div><br /></div></div>

Episode 195: MX Publishing

“enterprise and originality” [COPP]  When Steve and Sharon Emecz founded MX Publishing, it had a very different purpose than it does today. ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Interview: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook

<div class="MsoNormal"> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">"So estimable a young man!" [GOLD] </span></h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4pHEOWiZLnoLI-ngpdgpSU7NEzOW9KrTpGw2DbPqVJG4Yje6tgRKUWepAlp3j0gc-TKQOQBZQs8eGRded82sMEyBh46lKP1CLM1Fi-oHOfoXZ_aARlKASc34e-gpzY1prF1xfTEphmBW/s1600/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="1397" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4pHEOWiZLnoLI-ngpdgpSU7NEzOW9KrTpGw2DbPqVJG4Yje6tgRKUWepAlp3j0gc-TKQOQBZQs8eGRded82sMEyBh46lKP1CLM1Fi-oHOfoXZ_aARlKASc34e-gpzY1prF1xfTEphmBW/s640/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.png" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's novel <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Mycroft-Holmes-Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar/dp/1783291540/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497390883&sr=8-1&keywords=KAREEM+ABDUL+JABBAR+MYCROFT"><i>Mycroft Holmes</i></a> was a huge hit when it was released in 2015. He spoke with Scott and Burt on <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose81" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 81</a> of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, where he shared his early exposure to the stories and his favorites therein. [<i><b>Editor's note:</b> if you haven't listened to his interview yet, we highly recommend it.</i>]<br /> <br /> Abdul-Jabbar's Mycroft Holmes returned in comic book form last year with a five-issue limited run titled "Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook." The five issues have been collected into <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Mycroft-Holmes-Apocalypse-Handbook-Abdul-Jabbar/dp/1785853007/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497390883&sr=8-2&keywords=KAREEM+ABDUL+JABBAR+MYCROFT" target="_blank">a graphic novel set to come out in September</a>. I had a chance to interview Kareem about his interest in Mycroft and what made him take Sherlock's smarter brother to the world of comic books.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere: What drew you to the character of Mycroft Holmes?</h3> <b>Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: </b>People have been writing Sherlock Holmes stories for over a hundred years. I wanted to approach it from another angle, one that was still fairly unknown. Mycroft is a mystery, so writing a mystery about Mycroft is a mystery within a mystery. I got to imagine his origin story and personality with only the slightest clues from Conan Doyle. I especially liked the idea that he was smarter than Holmes and applied his gifts in the service of his government.</div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "times" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /> </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCa1EpfYvrWmHC0Dg4dHjA2gHvk3VPXrU6-khkRfQ0csKmhSlm-MjXv5v2rHrNvT_guPPvScEOwziikOVqqQHT6wRgy1LPUjlb9kTtASjMyZhqhYbIf2NgSemUFAj5-PBAfJY4kzb-kh-9/s1600/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1055" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCa1EpfYvrWmHC0Dg4dHjA2gHvk3VPXrU6-khkRfQ0csKmhSlm-MjXv5v2rHrNvT_guPPvScEOwziikOVqqQHT6wRgy1LPUjlb9kTtASjMyZhqhYbIf2NgSemUFAj5-PBAfJY4kzb-kh-9/s400/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.jpg" width="263" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span></div> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: How did you choose your coauthors for this series?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Anna Waterhouse, who co-wrote the novels, and Raymond Obstfeld, who co-wrote the comic book series, are actually friends. They are both college professors with long careers in writing movies and books. Anna’s penchant for evoking the historic era made her a natural choice for the novel. And Raymond’s encyclopedic knowledge of and passion for graphic novels made him an easy choice.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: In this series, Mycroft Holmes is much more the man of adventure than he is in the Conan Doyle stories. This story line is more of an adventure than your Mycroft novel, also. What drew you to the action genre for this character?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> In a novel, you have more time to build the subtleties of character and plot that you don’t have in a graphic novel. The graphic novel lends itself more to the visual adventure. Plus, having already imagined Mycroft as one kind of character, I was intrigued by the possibility of presenting him as an entirely different kind of character—a rogue and adventurer. The more I thought about that, the more fun I had with his character.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: You are an author who is constantly trying out <a href="https://kareemabduljabbar.com/books/">new genres in hiswriting</a>. Was that the impetus behind telling this story in a comic book format? How did you decide to make Mycroft a comic book hero?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Writing a comic book is much more like writing a sonnet than writing a novel. You are limited by how many panels you can get on a page and you are limited to 22 pages in an issue. So everything you do, from the image you select to the dialogue must be precise and serve a purpose. There’s no room for indulgence that you sometimes get in a novel. I also think that the comic book, like most popular culture, is on the forefront of revealing what our values are as a society. Mycroft is pretty much the same as a Millennial right now, trying to figure out what he stands for and what he wants to do about it.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: With this being your second outing with Mycroft Holmes, what were the big changes to the storytelling process you had to address with changing from the medium of a novel to a comic book?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> As I said, precision is the greatest challenge. But that’s also what made the process so exciting. I wanted to tell a large sweeping story that spanned continents, included steampunk elements, had real historic figures, and was a combination of an Indiana Jones and James Bond adventure.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: Being the history buff that you are, how much of an influence did historical research play in this story?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> A lot of research went into every page, from the opening scene at the British Museum to details about Queen Victoria and Jesse James, to the chemicals science in some of the weapons.<br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBms17q1GFf6-hpjGN9Z_UYFLZ3sctY8Ltt5drluI5QXxr8qvEsHUjMyrOZf_8XTh7vhkliW7EtYZNjtlVkqWjR1EZwBGC22W8Wdwomr3q-yMQMJQ6O68LluWUfjnFcbeUZtpAP6SMEyzG/s1600/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1524" data-original-width="1004" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBms17q1GFf6-hpjGN9Z_UYFLZ3sctY8Ltt5drluI5QXxr8qvEsHUjMyrOZf_8XTh7vhkliW7EtYZNjtlVkqWjR1EZwBGC22W8Wdwomr3q-yMQMJQ6O68LluWUfjnFcbeUZtpAP6SMEyzG/s400/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse+2.jpg" width="262" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: Can you describe the relationship between Mycroft and Sherlock in this story?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> We see Sherlock in person and in flashbacks when they were children. Sherlock is still just a college student when he appears, but there is fierce competitiveness between them. Where Sherlock has isolated himself from the world by abstaining from its pleasures, Mycroft has isolated himself by overindulging in its pleasures. Where Sherlock feels less, Mycroft feels too much and has to steel himself. Neither fits in because their brains won’t let them. But Mycroft feels it’s his responsibility to imbue some sense of humanity in his brother and that makes for some touching moments between them.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: In both of your stories so far, Mycroft finds himself travelling the world. First to Trinidad, and now in America. When you envisioned these stories, did you plan on him being a globetrotter or did that come about later after you developed him? And what made you think to put him in the American west this time?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> I always wanted him to travel the world in order to have him react to the different locales. Getting his take on these exotic locations is fun and informational and adds a level of entertainment to the mysteries. I loved the idea of Mycroft in the American West just to see how he would handle himself. He sees himself as a bit of a rogue, but when he comes face to face will real rogues, he sees himself in a whole new light.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: In your novel, Cyrus Douglas acts as Mycroft’s moral compass. With this story taking place before the novel, Cyrus is absent in the comics. We learn early on that Mycroft is not the most moral of characters. Did you ever find yourself letting Mycroft becoming too much of a cad while you were writing this story?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Not at all. We add struggle between the base impulses of our ids and the divine leanings of the superego. Stories of redemption are much more interesting because there’s always suspense about whether the character will make choices based on his roguish nature or desire to be better.<br /> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /> </span><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6H2hyphenhyphen-qy20B4tKqLUQg5nVhycZYYIrhsxHylRUkPWawSnhcjVjRRwPWi4HuN3uU9-ZYWb8iK1DHqW6ox2dwd8pVx06C_TQXCBqdxG2io7mGTC86rLsh6OX_Bu72wIrPhNLfMo5wVDzmv/s1600/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1523" data-original-width="1003" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6H2hyphenhyphen-qy20B4tKqLUQg5nVhycZYYIrhsxHylRUkPWawSnhcjVjRRwPWi4HuN3uU9-ZYWb8iK1DHqW6ox2dwd8pVx06C_TQXCBqdxG2io7mGTC86rLsh6OX_Bu72wIrPhNLfMo5wVDzmv/s400/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse+1.jpg" width="262" /></a></div> <span style="font-family: "times" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: In issue 1, Mycroft says, “We Holmes brothers are not religious.” The Holmes brothers' religion or lack thereof has been a debated topic in Sherlockian circles for decades. What made you decide to place them on the atheist side of that debate?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> I wanted them to embody pure reason, and religion is not a choice of reason but of faith, which by definition excludes reason. Faith means to believe in something for which there is no evidence. Many people, including myself, find a way to balance faith and reason, but the Holmes brothers cannot make that leap of faith.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: Speaking of religion, Conan Doyle wrote that Sherlock Holmes visited Mecca after his battle with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. Do you see an influence of the Islamic religion in Sherlock’s character?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Reason and curiosity requires that one explore all religions before either selecting one or dismissing them altogether. The Holmes brothers are influenced by strong sense of human decency, which can be found in all the world’s major religions.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: The MacGuffin of this story isn’t one that you would see in a typical Sherlock Holmes story. What made you choose to use such fantastic items?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Fun. I want the reader to have a lot of fun with the story and imagining these devices added a level of surprise. Each issue the reader wonders what amazing device will appear next—at least I hope so.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: Mycroft’s accomplice in his American adventure has a familiar name to Holmes fans. What was the thought process at naming the character that way, just a nod to the original stories, or is there something deeper there?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> There’s definitely more to the story. That relationship with [that character (name redacted)] will be revealed in future issues.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: A second series has been ordered by Titan Comics. Can we plan on seeing Mycroft abroad again? And can we ever hope to see him teaming up with his younger brother?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> The ending of the first series suggests they will be working together in some way in the future. That should be very entertaining.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> IHOSE: Now that you have told Mycroft stories as a novel and a comic book, do you have a format that you prefer to work in for this character?</h3> <b>KAJ:</b> Not really. Each has its own challenges and rewards. When I’m writing the novel, I’m very excited and passionate about that format. When I’m writing the comic book, I’m just as excited and passionate about that format.<br /> <br /> <br /> <i><b>Bonus material:</b> our interview with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose81" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 81</a> of IHOSE:</i><br /> <i><br /></i> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" height="100" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/3801278/height/100/width/600/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/d41111/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe><br /></div> <br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirh-VJdQt52QjLm5erYbPVVKLR2MS4aKPpxh-SisC8qehPN0pFNQADJAkGxlHctQa1znjEMBORC6PdhjKk0LrrgivRc411G7xeP0A8XPBHQupm7qytP8uds5NTHVFrp-POjtbZoM9dFDxH/s1600/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1055" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirh-VJdQt52QjLm5erYbPVVKLR2MS4aKPpxh-SisC8qehPN0pFNQADJAkGxlHctQa1znjEMBORC6PdhjKk0LrrgivRc411G7xeP0A8XPBHQupm7qytP8uds5NTHVFrp-POjtbZoM9dFDxH/s200/KAJ+Mycroft+Apocalypse.jpg" width="131" /></a></div> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1785853007?ref_=sr_1_2&qid=1497390883&sr=8-2&keywords=KAREEM%20ABDUL%20JABBAR%20MYCROFT&pldnSite=1" target="_blank"><i>Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook</i></a> by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is available for preorder on Amazon. It will be released on September 5, 2017.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Interview: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Mycroft Holmes and the Apocalypse Handbook

"So estimable a young man!" [GOLD]  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's novel Mycroft Holmes was a huge hit when it was released in ...

+ Read more »

by Rob Nunn

Petr Kopl's Sherlock Holmes — A Review

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "...with the same feverish animation as before" [DYIN]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVd0S3BNoIKE5Ir6m2nDXDW5zMtVy7eAwl2kOLcAX67KCClQxzXmf_B1aZfTDUtfeda7AvynK7VTlrT4DBcwtt9hhPc84L3DW8i_1evGwxd7J6zIKLle6W3fcrdtjkIaPCpX6OpX_qRhQs/s1600/kopl02_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVd0S3BNoIKE5Ir6m2nDXDW5zMtVy7eAwl2kOLcAX67KCClQxzXmf_B1aZfTDUtfeda7AvynK7VTlrT4DBcwtt9hhPc84L3DW8i_1evGwxd7J6zIKLle6W3fcrdtjkIaPCpX6OpX_qRhQs/s640/kopl02_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Graphic novel and comic book adaptations of Sherlock Holmes often use canon as a departure point, crafting unique tales that create a properly Victorian atmosphere of high drama.<br /> <br /> Czech artist <a href="http://www.petrkopl.cz/" target="_blank">Petr Kopl's</a> adaptations of <b>"<a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780926803/A+Scandal+In+Bohemia+%E2%80%93+A+Sherlock+Holmes+Graphic+Novel" target="_blank">A Scandal In Bohemia</a>"</b> and <b><i><a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780927237/The+Hound+of+The+Baskervilles++%E2%80%93+A+Sherlock+Holmes+Graphic+Novel" target="_blank">The Hound of the Baskervilles</a></i></b> (both translated by Paul and Jana Simpson and released by MX Publishing) are a rare breed of pastiche: integrating the Canon and other Victorian-era references into a great mix that make for an astoundingly fun read.<br /> <br /> One of Kopl's strengths in both novels is his reliance on the original Sherlock Holmes stories to guide his storytelling, making these novels feel very Holmesian in spirit. (It's no wonder that the <a href="http://www.sherlockholmes.cz/" target="_blank">Czech Society of Sherlock Holmes</a> granted him an honorary membership in 2000). His adaptation of <b>A Scandal in Bohemia</b> manages to integrate <a href="http://sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/readings2.html" target="_blank">"The Adventure of the Speckled Band"</a> seamlessly, making it part of the overall story without any artificiality. Although seemingly the most retold Holmes tale in the canon, Kopl's adaptation of <b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></b> manages a pitch-perfect atmosphere of brooding horror and malevolence.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOECWhkfK_Tlz5BsEzMS3xWso3o08pBIlTpJ6o_E2cHLai-eyiFkJCAv7ZOd1r1njuPrIMwZUixT02YhCO_638AUGekX80MZd9-PqlriyULwVEwq2t9C061MWL2e7c3bS9OGzNNdKhQ4y5/s1600/Kopl+SCAN+scene.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOECWhkfK_Tlz5BsEzMS3xWso3o08pBIlTpJ6o_E2cHLai-eyiFkJCAv7ZOd1r1njuPrIMwZUixT02YhCO_638AUGekX80MZd9-PqlriyULwVEwq2t9C061MWL2e7c3bS9OGzNNdKhQ4y5/s640/Kopl+SCAN+scene.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> What makes both of Kopl's Holmes adaptations work is a strong sense of wit. Despite the slightly exaggerated quality of his art, Kopl never plays his Holmes and Watson strictly for laughs...although there are some legitimately laugh-out-loud moments. Kopl also integrates many clever references to other Victorian literary figures such as Phineas Fogg and a familiar character who got on the wrong train. (To say more would be spoiling). There is only one false note - an appearance by a more fantastic Victorian-era character - but otherwise these are spectacular works of Sherlockian lore.<br /> <br /> (Note: Kopl indicates that these two novels are part of a larger series narrative; however, both of these work very well as stand-alone reads. The third in the series—not reviewed for this article—is "<a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780928357/The+Final+Problem+%E2%80%93+A+Sherlock+Holmes+Graphic+Novel" target="_blank">The Final Problem</a>").<br /> <br /> With many artists and writers crafting graphic novel adaptations of the canon, there is a diverse range of works for Sherlockian scholars and fans to enjoy. Petr Kopl's "<b>A Scandal In Bohemia"</b> and <b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></b> are excellent starting points).<br /> <br /> All three of these Holmesian adaptations are available from <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780926803/A+Scandal+In+Bohemia+%E2%80%93+A+Sherlock+Holmes+Graphic+Novel" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a>.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUNVcvxr-zrT3g-WOG9RmO0sihgST-1Z6anUCEB7U06p0d3ezJlIeE9KN3pa3yjZh9-f7WIy83wZ7tj2sYJUf1NeDvlwY8sbyIZp1TjB-P9PZhan_LnBS7X_q8Ix9iGc_VU52O8eZ6iVL/s1600/Kopl+FINA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqUNVcvxr-zrT3g-WOG9RmO0sihgST-1Z6anUCEB7U06p0d3ezJlIeE9KN3pa3yjZh9-f7WIy83wZ7tj2sYJUf1NeDvlwY8sbyIZp1TjB-P9PZhan_LnBS7X_q8Ix9iGc_VU52O8eZ6iVL/s200/Kopl+FINA.jpg" width="140" /></a>   <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpwA0fmAI7HA98K7CQFGps7NUhjO2FP8KyHYgZ9nu2Wim45nWuePrZOIlyT8zkq4T-_i0Fqaxs5zZ-QU9FDBWOId0qRjL7WRY1rDWjkwlpsP2vRCVGL6ypx7rn4vkJH-gg1V-MuQgDVNE/s1600/Kopl+HOUN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpwA0fmAI7HA98K7CQFGps7NUhjO2FP8KyHYgZ9nu2Wim45nWuePrZOIlyT8zkq4T-_i0Fqaxs5zZ-QU9FDBWOId0qRjL7WRY1rDWjkwlpsP2vRCVGL6ypx7rn4vkJH-gg1V-MuQgDVNE/s200/Kopl+HOUN.jpg" width="133" /></a>   <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6_bn_3qxBPERoJi9_eUUBFm9893S20W_xUJYTq9vP6uv9HM8FY0dzEl8UnpKFg8o4TGyhnX_tpkTIkpQJpbob1fQvpS0QR-pDoCsxx92iBlnsHtW8THllyOhfOEYkzrbJW1SDXyMRYJa/s1600/Kopl+SCAN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP6_bn_3qxBPERoJi9_eUUBFm9893S20W_xUJYTq9vP6uv9HM8FY0dzEl8UnpKFg8o4TGyhnX_tpkTIkpQJpbob1fQvpS0QR-pDoCsxx92iBlnsHtW8THllyOhfOEYkzrbJW1SDXyMRYJa/s200/Kopl+SCAN.jpg" width="149" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> As a bonus, here's a video of Petr Kopl at work on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9oXwBXDf-k" target="_blank">a portrait of Sherlock Holmes</a>.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/T9oXwBXDf-k?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div> <br /> <i>Special thanks to Robert Skel for his assistance in acquiring review copies</i><br /> <div> <i><br /> </i></div> <div> <i>--</i></div> <div> <i><br /> </i></div>

Petr Kopl's Sherlock Holmes — A Review

"...with the same feverish animation as before" [DYIN] Graphic novel and comic book adaptations of Sherlock Holmes often us...

+ Read more »

by Gordon D

Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein — A Review

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "his manner suggested that it was some strange creature" [ENGR]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQdcpEpV3cVKXWh-maZIHNJegHVu9B5E7XKLGY9YfE9FGEOnylOGk3gyfcos_HEMZuUsLyQehVgjHNT4PBluJaL3QkYlNW47u9aQMfdW7agsMEAgARPFmNcG4nEUjbW0qNojaregUMH2j/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+and+the+Horror+of+Frankenstein+-+header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlQdcpEpV3cVKXWh-maZIHNJegHVu9B5E7XKLGY9YfE9FGEOnylOGk3gyfcos_HEMZuUsLyQehVgjHNT4PBluJaL3QkYlNW47u9aQMfdW7agsMEAgARPFmNcG4nEUjbW0qNojaregUMH2j/s640/Sherlock+Holmes+and+the+Horror+of+Frankenstein+-+header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> Holmesian pastiche is rife with mashups, especially the literary kind. Hoping to generate a strong story, authors frequently pair Holmes and Watson with other characters and historical figures to create unique tales that might not fit regular canon.<br /> <br /> <b><i><a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1780925042" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="e592d10dd2fae485c3c45d2dd9e9829d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Horror-Frankenstein-Kuhns/dp/1780925042/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=e592d10dd2fae485c3c45d2dd9e9829d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_9040639" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_9040639" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=e592d10dd2fae485c3c45d2dd9e9829d&_cb=1468243086011" style="border: none !important; height: 0px !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important; width: 0px !important;" width="0" /></i></b>, written by Luke Benjamen Kuhns and drawn by Marcie Klinger (published in 2013 by <a href="http://mxpublishing.com/product/9781780925042/Sherlock+Holmes+and+The+Horror+of+Frankenstein" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a> and available through their site and on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Horror-Frankenstein-Kuhns/dp/1780925042/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=e592d10dd2fae485c3c45d2dd9e9829d&linkCode=ktl" target="_blank">Amazon</a>) is an exceptional mix of horror and detection that is well worth reading.<br /> <br /> The story opens with a man discovering — and chipping out — a figure in the ice. Discovering Holmes with his infamous seven-per-cent solution, Watson spurs Holmes to investigate a series of grave robberies. As the plot progresses, Holmes and Watson find themselves encountering the results of one scientist's ambitions...and facing the challenge of another ambitious scientist's plans.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddztfWkY0zdq1htD5NXESBZ6BQCZUyrpX47m0apd9Xhd-hSwl6y5SZdWrLCyJ2uZV09_U2Kw_UGLEF_Agmbm6VtpjC9tDeNli1ERW8Ie554DQ77ZSlBganxqxTeKIXsJpFccnvVmr_q2p/s1600/Sherlock+Holmes+and+the+Horror+of+Frankenstein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddztfWkY0zdq1htD5NXESBZ6BQCZUyrpX47m0apd9Xhd-hSwl6y5SZdWrLCyJ2uZV09_U2Kw_UGLEF_Agmbm6VtpjC9tDeNli1ERW8Ie554DQ77ZSlBganxqxTeKIXsJpFccnvVmr_q2p/s400/Sherlock+Holmes+and+the+Horror+of+Frankenstein.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> <i>Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein</i> works as a more horror-oriented version of the canon. Klinger's art and layouts are very solid, driving the narrative and building the appropriate mood and atmosphere. Kuhn's writing is also exceptional - mostly dialogue-driven, but with clear awareness of both Conan Doyle and Mary Shelley's works, integrating both into a solid story that may seem reminiscent of past efforts, yet has a Holmesian flair of its own.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7B1yQNnBBnw?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div> <br /> A relatively short yet enjoyable read, <i>Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein</i> is a good example of a literary mashup executed well. It is definitely <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7B1yQNnBBnw" target="_blank">worth checking out</a>.<br /> <br /> <i>Special thanks to Robert Skel for his assistance in acquiring a review copy</i><br /> <div> <i><br /> </i></div> <div> <i>--</i></div> <div> <i><br /> </i></div>

Sherlock Holmes and the Horror of Frankenstein — A Review

"his manner suggested that it was some strange creature" [ENGR] Holmesian pastiche is rife with mashups, especially the lit...

+ Read more »

by Gordon D

Sherlock Holmes and the Wold Newton Universe

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <h4> "I had no idea that such individuals exist outside of stories." [STUD]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCaVRvlMkqwaIJMgJ3kVOjFXOMVuJodrKy99NkfUdyPfnPP7XzqFmEPGIFoLRbtUbtSd1kbHQHcKFkTBPXg0E_3ywzx7GPDliLIdrilbCbgQG3mpNyp9aP5sIRPDs9SFxJVG7IDV4P_RX/s1600/peerless01a.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sherlock Holmes meets Tarzan?" border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPCaVRvlMkqwaIJMgJ3kVOjFXOMVuJodrKy99NkfUdyPfnPP7XzqFmEPGIFoLRbtUbtSd1kbHQHcKFkTBPXg0E_3ywzx7GPDliLIdrilbCbgQG3mpNyp9aP5sIRPDs9SFxJVG7IDV4P_RX/s1600/peerless01a.gif" title="The Adventure of the Peerless Peer - PJ Farmer" width="640" /></a></div> <br /></div> <br /> As a kid, around the same time I began reading the Sherlock Holmes canon, I was also a pretty big fan of comic books.  These were the days (the late 70s and early 80s) when the average price of a comic book was about 30 cents, and we used to get marked down comics at the local five-and-dime for ten cents.  Back in those days, one of my favorite types of comic books were the ones that featured "crossovers": <i>The Brave & the Bold</i>, for example, which always featured Batman teaming up with another hero; or one of my other favorites, a DC/Marvel collaboration that featured Spiderman and Superman teaming up against the Incredible Hulk. (In fact, Batman even teamed up with a 135-year-old Sherlock Holmes in <a href="http://crossover.bureau42.com/zbatmanholmes.html">Detective Comics #572</a>.)<br /> <br /> But those crossovers are pretty small potatoes when compared to the Wold Newton Universe, a massive crossover concept developed by science fiction author Philip José Farmer.  Farmer, who hailed from Peoria, IL (very close to my hometown), wrote many novels that featured collaborations and connections among a host of famous literary characters, including but not limited to: Tarzan, Doc Savage, the Scarlet Pimpernel, Lord Peter Wimsey, Solomon Kane, Arsène Lupin, and of course, Sherlock Holmes.  The basic idea presented by Farmer in some of his novels, beginning with <i>Tarzan Alive</i> in 1972, was that a mysterious meteorite fell to earth near Wold Newton in Yorkshire in the year 1795, and that radiation from the impact caused genetic mutations in the occupants of a nearby coach.  The descendants of these travelers were, according to Farmer, some of the famous fictional characters mentioned above.<br /> <br /> The Wold Newton Universe, as it was dubbed by Win Scott Eckert, is not limited to Farmer's work: Eckert and other fans of Farmer's work have greatly expanded the Wold Newton mythology to a host of other fictional characters.  The development of the Wold Newton Universe is not unlike the "great game" that is so popular with Sherlockians around the world. Indeed, Mr. Farmer, like William S. Baring-Gould and various other Sherlockians, treated Holmes and Lord Greystoke and others as if they were real people whose stories were deliberately fictionalized by Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Rice Burroughs, et al.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> I wish I could report that Philip José Farmer was as skilled at writing further adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Lord Greystoke as were the authors to whose work he paid tribute.  But sadly, I have read one of the novels that teamed up Tarzan with Holmes and Watson, <i>The Adventure of the Peerless Peer</i> (1974). I found it to be an absolutely painful read, nothing like either Doyle's or Burroughs's work.  Holmes in particular is presented as pompous ass, for the most part.  Lord Greystoke fares a bit better, but not very well.  And Watson is an absolute bumbling oaf in the book. Still, there is something about the <b>idea </b>of the Wold Newton Universe that appeals to my twelve year old, comic book-reading self.<br /> <br /> You can find out more about the mythology of the Wold Newton Universe at Win Scott Eckert's <a href="http://www.pjfarmer.com/woldnewton/Pulp2.htm" target="_blank">site devoted to the subject</a>.  The website is a bit scattered and difficult to navigate, but there is quite a bit of information about the subject of the Wold Newton Family, including a list of Farmer's works that incorporate the various characters of that universe, as well as a variety of works by other authors that have been woven into the tapestry.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Sherlock Holmes and the Wold Newton Universe

"I had no idea that such individuals exist outside of stories." [STUD] As a kid, around the same time I began reading the...

+ Read more »

by Cory Howell

"They Took Into Partnership" [VALL]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptG9WZ1RVF8VULwJzjgKtDBEiDPaiASJXqN1qw_jvrxron9yF0kXv1ivad5wRvZkcx8utY3_0YyLpr7wtIBdcOZh4vIbnwzoetFDrLPO9s9ag9pQ7zRI6a0noKUxt1SUvUuhe3QrpYFDC/s1600/Watson+&+Holmes+-+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptG9WZ1RVF8VULwJzjgKtDBEiDPaiASJXqN1qw_jvrxron9yF0kXv1ivad5wRvZkcx8utY3_0YyLpr7wtIBdcOZh4vIbnwzoetFDrLPO9s9ag9pQ7zRI6a0noKUxt1SUvUuhe3QrpYFDC/s320/Watson+&+Holmes+-+Cover.jpg" width="208" /></a></div> With BBC's <b>Sherlock</b> and CBS' <b>Elementary</b>, the idea of contemporary stories and modern reinventions of the Great Detective does not seem as radical as one might perceive. However, a recent comic series by New Paradigm Studios (<a href="http://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1326941042"></span>whose Kickstarter campaign was featured on this site<span id="goog_1326941043"></span></a>, and which has been the subject of <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/08/episode-44-watson-and-holmes.html" target="_blank">an episode of <b>I Hear of Sherlock</b></a>) reveals an extremely similar - yet similarly radical - recasting of Holmes and Watson in contemporary times.<br /> <br /> <b>Watson and Holmes</b> is a series written by Karl Bollers, and drawn by Rick Leonardi, that recasts the duo's adventures in contemporary New York. However, there is a slight racial switch, as the series takes place specifically in Harlem: John Watson is a medical intern, and Sherlock Holmes is a private investigator. Although it may lack the canon-influenced snap of the BBC series - or even the more procedural aspects of CBS's efforts - <b>Watson and Holmes</b>sparkles with a straightforward narrative drive, having a kind of propulsiveness that characterized the best of Conan Doyle's work. There are slight nods and variations to the canon, but Bollers' writing captures the spirit (if not the letter) of canon.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>Leonardi's artwork on <b>Watson and Holmes</b> is also exemplary - there is a great noir feel to the art, and he is able to capture physical action well. Characters have a definite look and tone to them, and his take on both Watson and Holmes gives both men a strong presence. Storytelling throughout is well paced, resulting in a desire for more stories and tales by the end of the fourth issue.<br /> <br /> The first issues of <b>Watson and Holmes</b> are available online via <a href="http://www.comixology.com/">Comixology</a> and <a href="http://www.comixpress.com/">Comixpress</a>, as well as through better comics shops. Although a trade paperback collection is likely, <b>Watson and Holmes</b> is also enjoyed in single issue portions and worth any Sherlockian's time. With plenty of nods and Easter eggs for Sherlockians, this is one series worth seeking out.<br /> <br /> <i style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.890625px;">Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://blogthispal.blogspot.com/" style="color: #003366;">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/" style="color: #003366;">Comic Related</a>. </i><br /> --

"They Took Into Partnership" [VALL]

With BBC's Sherlock and CBS' Elementary , the idea of contemporary stories and modern reinventions of the Great Detective does no...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

A Look at the Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Renegade Press

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "Striking illustration" [ILLU]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ytirRyI2SXqWfKCqdf3Fl9L3Vfd8w4s9Bp62rScHP7BqID-D7ROcADXh0azWOGeoEXg23pmbP8HI6AoxrwgH0pIlU4bjgZXY1UmLAoWjGFgnqZbVxzljw-xTsThJQB0ggeBYodY6SLEw/s1600/holmescomic005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ytirRyI2SXqWfKCqdf3Fl9L3Vfd8w4s9Bp62rScHP7BqID-D7ROcADXh0azWOGeoEXg23pmbP8HI6AoxrwgH0pIlU4bjgZXY1UmLAoWjGFgnqZbVxzljw-xTsThJQB0ggeBYodY6SLEw/s640/holmescomic005.jpg" width="414" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> One of my friends gave me a collection of comic books they found at a used-books store: the “<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HXLURQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001HXLURQ&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20"><i>Cases of Sherlock Holmes</i></a></b>” series by Dan Day. It was run by Renegade Press from 1986 til ‘88 and then by Northstar Publishing from ‘89 til 1990. I expected these to be a set of original tales featuring the Great Detective, based solely on the cover images. Open up the first issue, and the first page looks like the image seen on the right.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The illustrations were rich in detail and very evocative of a Victorian setting. Particularly pleasing is the amount of detail given to the characters - more than even the best Sidney Paget drawings could hope to give us, as we view them in reprints. The only drawback to the early issues of the Cases of Sherlock Holmes series is that the text was in ALL CAPS. No need to shout at me while I'm reading a graphic novel.</span><br /> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <br /></div> Some of you probably know about these already - for those of you who don’t, they’re worth looking for. They are, simply, the stories from the Canon put to illustration. The illustrations themselves are wonderfully detailed, and the layout is generally easy to follow. Most of the time the illustrations simply decorate the columns of text, but every now and then the reader comes across a dynamic spread - <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJvPiLOKI78-XCN6AeDcRufb7mDhjmRV7S7CW7PZWVxhHLJsGf9GnKQtQdBpVyI72LNjsPp7V2i3OraKxTwKvD9nieLtncLJCoxMHZ71UxH0p1KpC3C3PAq39hNTMHYEsgFVt8U5EC_8q/s1600/holmescomic001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJvPiLOKI78-XCN6AeDcRufb7mDhjmRV7S7CW7PZWVxhHLJsGf9GnKQtQdBpVyI72LNjsPp7V2i3OraKxTwKvD9nieLtncLJCoxMHZ71UxH0p1KpC3C3PAq39hNTMHYEsgFVt8U5EC_8q/s640/holmescomic001.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /> This is also from the first issue, “The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet”, and shows the confrontation between Holmes and the thief. Granted, there is some artistic license taken with the scene, such as Holmes wrestling over a knife, but it is stunning nonetheless. <br /> <br /> While I’m on the subject of ‘artistic license,’ I should mention an aspect of these comics I find particularly entertaining: the covers. My initial supposition that these comics would be original stories was wrong, but I think I can be forgiven. The title of the story is not printed on the cover, and the illustrations tend towards pulp.<br /> <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"></b></div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"></b><br /> <div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-align: center;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMmJElCvP7wBCrZpXjUJxok3ofpHqK06UY1h3mxbR4XHQvmrRZuRVD75I-nuf0swsJBuMirRW05j35JGG2QtDkAZCVbK1HofBmJOT_INgz1RZJavzlS5VBZSAQ0USQja0gdbILbhU_Cad/s1600/holmescomic002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMmJElCvP7wBCrZpXjUJxok3ofpHqK06UY1h3mxbR4XHQvmrRZuRVD75I-nuf0swsJBuMirRW05j35JGG2QtDkAZCVbK1HofBmJOT_INgz1RZJavzlS5VBZSAQ0USQja0gdbILbhU_Cad/s640/holmescomic002.jpg" width="427" /></a></b></div> <br /> This one isn’t too bad, as “The Adventure of the Six Napoleons” does feature small statues of Napoleon, who is dead, hence the skeletal figure on the horse with the funny hat. <br /> <br /> But what story could possibly have this cover image?</div> <div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <br /></div> <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9KTpJ5XOhNF0Cr22YEvi9P9Vz583ct7tfxPSyk_LX6oG5RVA1vLecNZtSpZIA6VVbkBbbyhp9hpgGKJOcWrVOheMkUOhbQBqWrQOgzvMHXdeJy6ejoA2qU1t0T-HiX55Sfg1ygeuNxQh/s1600/holmescomic004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9KTpJ5XOhNF0Cr22YEvi9P9Vz583ct7tfxPSyk_LX6oG5RVA1vLecNZtSpZIA6VVbkBbbyhp9hpgGKJOcWrVOheMkUOhbQBqWrQOgzvMHXdeJy6ejoA2qU1t0T-HiX55Sfg1ygeuNxQh/s640/holmescomic004.jpg" width="419" /></a></b></div> <div style="font-weight: normal;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div> </div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"> </div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"> </b> <br /> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Silver Blaze.” The story about a horse.</span></span></b></div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"> </b> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oddly, of the 20 issues, one is an original pastiche. “The Strange Adventure of the Vourdalak” was written by Gordon Derry and is an interesting, thought-out tale that keeps the feel of the Canon while adding a little more action (and cocaine) in a neat setting - a traveling fair of gypsies, Turks and Cossacks in France. It is the only pastiche in the series.</span></span></div> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div> <span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These are a fun, quirky addition to my collection, and could be enjoyed by any Sherlockian who is a fan of comics or illustrated editions of the stories. They’re certainly worth keeping an eye out for at your local used books or comics store, or online.</span></span></b><br /> <i><br /></i><i>Katie writes about Sherlock Holmes in science fiction (among other things) on her <a href="http://www.kaelma.tumblr.com/">tumblr.</a></i><br /> <i><br /></i><i>When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity.</i><br /> --<br /> <br /> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001HXLURQ&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>  <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001HXZVQM&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>  <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001EMV2PK&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

A Look at the Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Renegade Press

"Striking illustration" [ILLU] One of my friends gave me a collection of comic books they found at a used-books store: the “...

+ Read more »

by Katie Magnusson

"We Are, As Usual, The Irregulars" [LADY]

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "we are, as usual, the irregulars" [LADY]</h4> <br /> On January 2nd, 2012, <i>The Times</i> of London featured a very special comic insert....one which is of particular interest to Sherlockians and graphic literature fans alike, and helped set a proper tone for 2012<br /> <br /> As you can see by the embedded graphic below (click to enlarge), the <i>Times </i>featured a junior insert featuring <a href="http://www.thebakerstreetirregulars.com/" target="_blank">The Baker Street Irregulars</a> - characters who are the centerpiece of a graphic novel series by Tony Lee (who also finished a terrific run on IDW's <b><i><a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B005M2A4D4">Doctor Who</a></i></b> series) and Dan Boultwood for Franklin Watts/EDGE Books. There are currently four stories available in graphic novel form, and this series has been featured in this very blog (see <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/06/full-approval-cree_10.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Baker Street Irregulars — A New Graphical Series"</a>)<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/6621925625/" title="Baker Street Irregulars Comic - Times of London by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="Baker Street Irregulars Comic - Times of London" height="640" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6621925625_a9e865aa1a_z.jpg" width="523" /></a></div> <br /> The <i>Times</i> story - named "The Adventure of the New Year's Necklace" is a great, New Years Day-themed tale, taking place in 1892 between "The Final Problem [FINA]" and "The Empty House [EMPT]". All of Mr. Lee's stories are "in canon", and some well-known Sherlockians provide guidance and input. This is a great all-ages series to engage  the next generation of Sherlockians (including my 9 year-old godson, who received a copy of <b><i><a href="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0553328255">The Complete Sherlock Holmes</a></i></b> from his godfather), and is well worth checking out.<br /> <br /> (Some information for this post taken from the <a href="http://geekygirlslovescifi.blogspot.com/2012/01/first-look-lee-boultwoods-baker-street.html" target="_blank"><b>Geeky Girls </b>blog</a>).<br /> <i><br /></i> <i>Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>.</i><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

"We Are, As Usual, The Irregulars" [LADY]

"we are, as usual, the irregulars" [LADY] On January 2nd, 2012, The Times of London featured a very special comic insert....on...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Two Knight-Errants To the Rescue" [SIGN]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-U0mYx5v-AG_CUAwuEFtgHPFjclZ0PnGudiKHUkcyJLBlLxz-K-JwB04JQZBPBfHTzexmK6REC_gmwfd6jnMntdBKy3VtqJwvjzAe9s3z8d5ioq3z6bb7wfP5YTp2mVqs0TlgkBox5zE/s1600/Sherlock-Holmes-Cover-Col.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV-U0mYx5v-AG_CUAwuEFtgHPFjclZ0PnGudiKHUkcyJLBlLxz-K-JwB04JQZBPBfHTzexmK6REC_gmwfd6jnMntdBKy3VtqJwvjzAe9s3z8d5ioq3z6bb7wfP5YTp2mVqs0TlgkBox5zE/s200/Sherlock-Holmes-Cover-Col.jpg" /></span></a></div> <i>(NOTE: Promotional art was provided for purposes of review only, and are kindly used with permission. Special thanks to Ken Janssens and Matthew Martin for their time and insights, and to Brant Fowler at Comic Related for bringing this to our attention)<br /></i>Holmes and Watson seem to be making a "comeback" of sorts in comics and graphic literature, appearing in a wide range of stories such as <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401228402/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399369&creativeASIN=1401228402"><i>Victorian Undead</i></a></b> and <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1606902172/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=1606902172">Sherlock Holmes: Year One</a></i>.</b> This December, <a href="http://www.bluewaterprod.com/">Bluewater Productions</a> will be publishing the first issue of the <b><i>Sherlock Holmes: Victorian Knights</i></b> four-issue miniseries, just in time for the release of <b><i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1515091/">Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</a></i>.</b><br /> <br /> Writer Ken Janssens and artist Matthew Martin were gracious enough to offer some of their insights around the upcoming series. For many Sherlockians who read this blog, this is a great opportunity to learn <i>how</i> writers and artists approach the canon when reinterpreting the character for a modern audience.<br /> <br /> According to Ken Janssens, the four-issue <b><i>Sherlock Holmes: Victorian Knights</i> </b>is actually "<i>...two interconnected stories. The first two issues deal with the murder of a prostitute and a haunting by a black spectre. The second two issues deal with the murder of one of the suspects from the first story.</i>" As a lifelong Sherlockian who was introduced to the canon via the Brett series (and who counts <a href="http://librivox.org/the-hound-of-the-baskervilles-by-arthur-conan-doyle/"><b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></b></a> as his favorite Holmes novel), Janssens saw a unique challenge in writing the characters:<br /> <blockquote> <i>Writing them together in a scene is easier than writing them alone. There is a give and take, a yin and yang, that you get to play off of that is extremely fun. They love each other like brothers, but just like vastly-different brothers, they are constantly annoyed and rag on each other.</i></blockquote> Artist Matthew Martin, who resides in England with his wife and daughter, grew up with Holmes as part of his culture (and he, too, considers <b><i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></b> his favorite novel). For him, capturing not only the characters of Holmes and Watson - but the era in which they live - presented unique challenges:<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-qov9g79BdRi7iWxEYP5kX-EkRetPxGTl6NTMzdZc8s0QaxmN3ihMs8Ja5iPJ4-5oww5-Tf_Vrgol8A67abYbmIfcEX5qXzIfL2j0toSL-OHebMkIIXqJMWXYdEdt-lv9G27keHHzyVQ/s1600/Sherlock-Holmes-Page-3-LR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-qov9g79BdRi7iWxEYP5kX-EkRetPxGTl6NTMzdZc8s0QaxmN3ihMs8Ja5iPJ4-5oww5-Tf_Vrgol8A67abYbmIfcEX5qXzIfL2j0toSL-OHebMkIIXqJMWXYdEdt-lv9G27keHHzyVQ/s200/Sherlock-Holmes-Page-3-LR.jpg" width="130" /></a></div> <blockquote> <i>... I used the Robert Downey Jr version of Holmes more as inspiration than the classic look, which will probably be a contentious choice for some fans....With Watson I went the opposite way, going a bit more classical with choices like the facial hair...I loved creating the buildings and setting the scenes, I always find the more challenging aspect character related in terms of being consistent and really bringing them to life.</i></blockquote> <br /> Thankfully, both Janssens and Martin are not only fans of the character, but have some very unique tastes when it comes to adaptations of the canon. For Janssens, his personal favorite is "<i>...the 1985 Barry Levinson-directed <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AUHPC/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B0000AUHPC">Young Sherlock Holmes</a></b>. Not only is it a fun ride, the story and atmosphere just pulls me right in"</i>. Although Martin enjoys the Downey film, he admits, <i>"Harking back to my youth though I still have a real soft spot for Disney’s Basil the Great Mouse detective"</i><br /> <br /> <br /> It's good to know that Holmes and Watson are in good hands. <b><i>Sherlock Holmes: Victorian Knights</i> </b>comes out in December - please visit your local comics shop to pre-order your copy.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>.</i></div> <i><br /></i> --<br /> <br />

"Two Knight-Errants To the Rescue" [SIGN]

(NOTE: Promotional art was provided for purposes of review only, and are kindly used with permission. Special thanks to Ken Janssens and M...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Dark Rumours Gathered Round Him" [FINA]

<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2642/4181732741_724a46fc2d_m.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2642/4181732741_724a46fc2d_m.jpg" style="float: right; height: 240px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 191px;" /></a>Many of us are aware of the events of Reichenbach Falls - of that final clash between Holmes and Moriarty as chronicled in <a href="http://sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/readings12.html">"The Adventure of the Final Problem" [FINA]</a> and <a href="http://sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/2007/notes1_1.html">"The Adventure of the Empty House" [EMPT]</a>. But for many Sherlockians, there is a darker variation that they will not - or dare not - consider:<br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> <i>What if Moriarty was the victor at Reichenbach Falls? What if the Great Detective fell that fateful day and the Napoleon of Crime stood triumphant?</i></div> <div> <br /></div> <div> That is the premise behind <a href="http://www.imagecomics.com/">Image Comics'</a> new <b><a href="http://www.professorjamesmoriarty.com/">Moriarty</a> </b>series, written by Daniel Corey and drawn by Anthony Diecidue, and is now three issues into its inaugural arc, "The Dark Chamber". It is also, for Sherlockians, a great modern style "what if" take not on Holmes, but on his nemesis.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> We begin the story twenty years after Moriarty's triumph - he is living in relative seclusion, preferring to remain in the shadows. He is recruited by British intelligence on a unique mission - to locate the missing Mycroft Holmes....and if you think this is going to be another Holmesian pastiche, think again. Corey's writing provides a great mix of modern storytelling style with a working knowledge of the canon, creating a fully plausible "what if" scenario. (There is a scene of deduction in the first issue that not only connotes Moriarty's standing with Holmes, but is also one of the best written sequences I have read in awhile). There are some interesting twists and turns (without spoiling, there's a surprise cameo in # 2), and although the series takes a more science fiction-style turn, this is a pretty solidly written comic. For traditional Sherlockians, it may not have an easy appeal, but may be good for transitioning younger members into the canon.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> My only real objection is with Diecidue's art - perhaps it's a bias on my part, but it looks <i>too</i> modern. (Moriarty appears to have jumped out of modern production). It tends to have a slightly jarring effect - unlike Moffatt's Victorian-character-in-modern-times, a modern-take-on-Victorian-character, art wise, doesn't quite seem to fit. It is a slightly acquired taste, admittedly, but Diecidue does have a great ability to drive atmosphere forward in his art.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> Writer Corey is no stranger to the canon - for more information, please listen<a href="http://comicrelated.com/news/12534/panel-discussions-10"> his podcast interview with my fellow Comic Related scribe Russell Burlingame.</a> With <b>Moriarty, </b>he uses the canon as a jumping-off point to tell a more modern story....and quite frankly, it's one of the better Holmes pastiches.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> The first three issues have been released, and can be found at your local comics store.</div> <div> <br /> <i>Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>.</i></div> <div> <i><br /></i> --<br /> <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004ZQRL0C&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>  <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0055FKDQG&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>  <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B005AV91HM&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>  </div>

"Dark Rumours Gathered Round Him" [FINA]

Many of us are aware of the events of Reichenbach Falls - of that final clash between Holmes and Moriarty as chronicled in "The Adventu...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"Collection of Strange Episodes" [WIST]

<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2534/4182466190_3865d233f7_o.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2534/4182466190_3865d233f7_o.gif" style="float: left; height: 293px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0pt; width: 300px;" /></a>Sometimes, the best thing you can do to a treasured character is to show them in their worst light - to take an unflattering look at a character and in doing so, and show how much you revere them.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.omahaperez.com/">Omaha Perez's</a> graphic novel <span style="font-weight: bold;">Holmes: Haydn's Head</span> (published by <a href="http://www.ait-planetlar.com/holmes.shtml">Ait/PlanetLar</a>) does precisely that - it takes a darkly humorous look at Holmes and Watson, and tells a very compelling (if rather unique) Holmes story.<br /> <br /> Imagine, if you will, Holmes as a high-functioning addict, with Dr. Watson as his willing enabler. A high profile theft that is meant to be kept secret (and based on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haydn%27s_head">actual historical events</a>). A collection of strange episodes that somehow reach an inevitable climax....Although much of this sounds sacrilegious to the canon...it's actually quite a humorous tale that juxtaposes canon (and canon-sounding) narration with "real" events that make this a pretty solid read.<br /> <br /> (Of course, let me be very clear - much of the humor is definitely adult-oriented, and the book contains much profanity and nudity. This may not be the best gift for those Sherlockians who are more sensitive or thin-skinned. But I happen to like adult-oriented humor, and even Perez himself admits that there is <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&old=1&id=10617">a specific 20th century influence on <span style="font-weight: bold;">Haydn's Head</span></a>).<br /> <br /> Perez's story - and his art - really drive home the Victorian period setting without seemingly forced, and his woodcut-style covers are extremely evocative. (Interior art is similar to Eddie Campbell's work on Alan Moore's <span style="font-weight: bold;">From Hell</span> graphic novel.) The narrative is relatively straightforward, and the book is a very simple read. Quite frankly, it's a pretty solid addition to any collection of Holmesian pastiche.<br /> <br /> However, the humor is not for everyone, but quite frankly, Perez's unique take on the Holmes/Watson dynamic is well worth checking out. It may not be everyone's Holmes, but for a small group (like myself) it's <span style="font-weight: bold;">their</span> kind of Holmes.<br /> <br /> <i>Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>.</i><br /> <i><br /></i> --

"Collection of Strange Episodes" [WIST]

Sometimes, the best thing you can do to a treasured character is to show them in their worst light - to take an unflattering look at a chara...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Muppet Sherlock Holmes — A Review

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h4 style="text-align: center;">"all the fearlessness of youth" [STUD]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2zz_eBCIYD67XFI8-HAb-ezSES2OKS74m-ji3NSKvpaF7HfobcVy0hXyN7Y-Q2OQ4JWb3zQ_yMyMFn4oNlISIcQJvMFXaJADzLZh3U96IzFxknO1Y89hSN2hhQZRL3XFvYWFqw993-Js/s1600/Rootie+Kazootie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2zz_eBCIYD67XFI8-HAb-ezSES2OKS74m-ji3NSKvpaF7HfobcVy0hXyN7Y-Q2OQ4JWb3zQ_yMyMFn4oNlISIcQJvMFXaJADzLZh3U96IzFxknO1Y89hSN2hhQZRL3XFvYWFqw993-Js/s640/Rootie+Kazootie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> My introduction to Sherlock Holmes came...well, via two sources. One was the well-worn copy of <i><b><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/c/2670720/77416/2029?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abebooks.com%2Fservlet%2FSearchResults%3Fan%3DDoyle%26bi%3D0%26bx%3Doff%26cm_sp%3DSearchF-_-Advs-_-Result%26ds%3D30%26prc%3DUSD%26recentlyadded%3Dall%26rgn%3Dww%26rollup%3Don%26sortby%3D17%26tn%3DBoys%2527%2520Sherlock%2520Holmes%26xdesc%3Doff%26xpod%3Doff" target="_blank">Boys' Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0060217359" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="1" /></b></i> at a library near my grandmother's; the other was through constant repeats of the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce films on Sunday afternoons. In short, perhaps like many people my age, my introduction to Sherlock Holmes was rather age-appropriate, and the heady atmosphere of Doyle's stories captivated me because I was exposed to adaptations which mixed that atmosphere with other, more contemporary elements.<br /> <br /> Almost one year Ago, <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/05/were-equally-puppets-in-his-hands-soli_4.html">Boom Studios announced that it was releasing a four issue mini-series entitled <b>Muppet Sherlock Holmes</b></a>. Fortunately, that four-issue series has been released as a trade paperback, and quite frankly, it is not only a great introduction for future Sherlockians, but a great addition to any current Sherlockian library.<br /> <br /> Or in other words, there is no age limit to the readership of this book.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_x8qLxCvfMigmYEPJ6-PF48D5Ieg1Ak5dtMjwOd_jYWPLTxfC3AxvmX0xxPXSkuU93dNPk8cSOmYZOUtV8mX2vjJmzrfuHoIp2l9jfSIaqotDFlp94VGjpAs4b69G30m0bVFQQZpEkFP/s1600/Muppet+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_x8qLxCvfMigmYEPJ6-PF48D5Ieg1Ak5dtMjwOd_jYWPLTxfC3AxvmX0xxPXSkuU93dNPk8cSOmYZOUtV8mX2vjJmzrfuHoIp2l9jfSIaqotDFlp94VGjpAs4b69G30m0bVFQQZpEkFP/s320/Muppet+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" width="211" /></a></div> <br /> Patrick Storck deftly adapts four stories from the canon - "Speckled Band", "A Scandal in Bohemia", "Red Headed League" and "Musgrave Ritual" - but provides them with the kind of humor that is noted with the Muppets. It also strikes a tender balance, finding the humor in the characters without making them parody or cliche. In addition, there are some deft contemporary references (including what I believe to be a punk rock reference) that manage to avoid the trap of taking the reader out of the story. These are simply entertaining for readers of all ages.<br /> <br /> <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1608866130" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="1" />But quite frankly, it's Amy Mebberson's artwork that really gives the series a lift. It would have been easy to make the art look overtly like a cartoon (after all, we are talking about the Muppets), but Mebberson manages to give it a slight Victorian sheen - not enough to take away form the humor, but plenty to give it a lift. This is as much a comic that is enjoyable to look at as it is to read.<br /> <br /> Reading the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ZpQUC8" target="_blank">Muppet Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1608866130" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="1" /></span> trade has made me more than eager to revisit the canon - although I've been making my way through, this is a must read not just for present scholars of the Great Detective...but for their descendants.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> [<i>Gordon posts on the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry, and also writes about comics and popular culture for <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a></i>]</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; margin: 0px;"> <br /></div> --<br /> <br />

Muppet Sherlock Holmes — A Review

"all the fearlessness of youth" [STUD] My introduction to Sherlock Holmes came...well, via two sources. One was the well-wor...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty