I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

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

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(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) 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 <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">Victorian Undead</a> and <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>. This December, <a href="http://www.bluewaterprod.com/">Bluewater Productions</a> will be publishing the first issue of the Sherlock Holmes: Victorian Knights four-issue miniseries, just in time for the release of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1515091/">Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</a>. 
 
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 how writers and artists approach the canon when reinterpreting the character for a modern audience. 
 
According to Ken Janssens, the four-issue Sherlock Holmes: Victorian Knights is actually "...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." 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/">The Hound of the Baskervilles</a> as his favorite Holmes novel), Janssens saw a unique challenge in writing the characters: 
<blockquote>
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.</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 The Hound of the Baskervilles his favorite novel). For him, capturing not only the characters of Holmes and Watson - but the era in which they live - presented unique challenges: 
 
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<blockquote>
... 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.</blockquote>
 
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 "...the 1985 Barry Levinson-directed <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>. Not only is it a fun ride, the story and atmosphere just pulls me right in". Although Martin enjoys the Downey film, he admits, "Harking back to my youth though I still have a real soft spot for Disney’s Basil the Great Mouse detective" 
 
 
It's good to know that Holmes and Watson are in good hands. Sherlock Holmes: Victorian Knights comes out in December - please visit your local comics shop to pre-order your copy. 
 
 
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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>.</div>
 
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"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...

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by Scott Monty

Mysterious Press Opens Electronic Arm

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"infinitely more mysterious" [DEVI]</div>
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Those familiar with Otto Penzler, BSI ("The King of Bohemia") are acutely aware of his impact in the mystery publishing world, including that of Sherlock Holmes. 
 
Most widely known for his <a href="http://mysteriousbookshop.com/">Mysterious Bookshop</a> in New York, he has a keen eye for rare and valuable books, as well as an uncanny sense of the up and coming talented mystery authors. Otto himself is no stranger to writing, as he had an early career in journalism that we heard about firsthand from Otto in a very informative interview on <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 17 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a> (as a complete aside, our favorite two minutes of the interview are from the 26- to 28-minute mark - see if you agree). 
 
He is also no stranger to publishing and editing, as he founded the Mysterious Press in 1975 and ran it until 1989 when he sold it to Warner Books. Otto has also been editing under the Otto Penzler Books imprint for Harcourt for the last seven years or so, and last year he reacquired Mysterious Press from Warner. 
 
Today, the Mysterious Press has added a modern twist to its business model: <a href="http://mysteriouspress.com/">MysteriousPress.com</a>. 
 
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As Otto describes in <a href="http://mysteriouspress.com/blog/welcome-to-mysteriouspresscom.asp">his blog post</a>, the original Mysterious Press was unique in that it offered dust jacketed and limited editions in the mystery genre. Acknowledging the difference in the publishing industry in the 21st century, the new Mysterious Press will be entirely electronic/digital. In conjunction with Open Road Media, the e-books will feature some of the most acclaimed authors in the mystery, suspense and espionage world. 
 
We won't delve into each of them here (Otto does that on his site), but will note that the selections are fairly robust now, with sections such as short stories, Edgar Award-winners, hard-boiled, noir and more. No Sherlock Holmes titles - yet - but we heard from Otto and expect to see some soon. 
 
Also, it's helpful to note that the Mysterious Press has a Facebook page and Twitter account, in a nod to how communicating in the digital medium is important, especially when your customers are consuming your products digitally. They can be found at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MysteriousPressCom">http://facebook.com/MysteriousPressCom</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/eMysteries">@eMysteries</a>. 
 
We here at I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere wish Otto and the staff of MysteriousPress.com every success. We're certain they'll do well. 
 
 
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. 
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Mysterious Press Opens Electronic Arm

"infinitely more mysterious" [DEVI] Those familiar with Otto Penzler, BSI ("The King of Bohemia") are acutely aware...

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by Scott Monty

"Out of The Black Shadows" [TWIS]

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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000X7SDA4&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />It's a story worthy of Conan Doyle himself - a "lost" early Holmes film that loosely adapts two key stories in the canon, and that is now freely available for viewing. 
 
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sleeping_Cardinal">The Sleeping Cardinal</a> (better known in the USA as <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0022373/">Sherlock Holmes' Fatal Hour</a>) is a 1931 film with Arthur Wontner as Holmes and Ian Fleming as Watson, serves as a loose adaptation of <a href="http://sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/readings12.html">"The Adventure of the Final Problem"</a> and <a href="http://sherlockholmes.stanford.edu/2007/notes1_1.html">"The Adventure of the Empty House"</a>. Like many early sound movies, the direction is still rather theatrical, focusing mainly on discussions in rooms rather than a more dynamic presentation. 
 
Details about how the film became "lost" can be found its <a href="http://www.archive.org/details/SherlockHolmes-SleepingCardinal">entry on the Internet Archive</a>, which also allows for embedding and (like <a href="http://www.publicdomaintorrents.net/nshowmovie.html?movieid=967">Public Domain Torrents</a>) downloading the film in various formats. 
 
But judge for yourself - is this a hidden gem ripe for rediscovery? A film that should have remained lost? Or is it just another one of many Holmesian adaptations that just simply needs to be enjoyed on its own merits? 
 
This mystery, dear reader, is entirely yours to solve.... 
 
 
<center>
<object height="270" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/6X0PdK6ohkxkxlAL7MaPZQ"></param>
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<embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/6X0PdK6ohkxkxlAL7MaPZQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="270" allowFullScreen="true"></embed></object> 
 
If you're not able to view the Hulu video, it's also <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9sdhosC3ho">available on YouTube</a>. <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xUzwMy0AZD0?rel=0" width="480"></iframe></center>
 
 
  
If you would care to purchase <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X7SDA4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B000X7SDA4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the DVD from Amazon.com</a>, it's available by clicking here or via the image below. In addition, the other three titles from the Wontner series are available on DVD: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000098ZSG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B000098ZSG" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sign of Four</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000098ZSG&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000098ZRR/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B000098ZRR" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008ZL4R/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=B00008ZL4R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Murder at the Baskervilles</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00008ZL4R&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />. All are worth watching, if only to appreciate the transition of Sherlock Holmes from silent to "talkies" prior to the arrival of Basil Rathbone. 
 
Editor's note: This is a guest post by Gordon Dymowski. Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry for <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a>. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/" style="color: #003366;">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/" style="color: #003366;">Comic Related</a>. 
 
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. 
 
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"Out of The Black Shadows" [TWIS]

It's a story worthy of Conan Doyle himself - a "lost" early Holmes film that loosely adapts two key stories in the canon, a...

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by Scott Monty

"Preposterous" [3GAB]

We have an update to share on <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1515091/">Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</a>: The latest movie posters have been released (on Yahoo! again), one each featuring Holmes and Watson. You may recall we made an update in July (<a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2011/07/long-shadows-trailed-down-houn.html">"Long Shadows Trailed Down" [HOUN]</a>) in which we shared the latest posters and the first appearance of the trailer for the film. You may see them again by clicking through to that link. The updated posters are equally as dramatic, featuring Holmes (again with a pistol) and Watson in profile, the former with the Eiffel Tower in the background, the latter with the Clock Tower behind him. Both can been seen below the latest trailer, which is available on the <a href="http://sherlockholmes2.warnerbros.com/">official website for the movie</a>, <a href="http://sherlockholmes2.warnerbros.com/">http://sherlockholmes2.warnerbros.com</a>. The site is beginning to come to life and we'll keep you updated on what we find. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" class="b-hbp-video b-uploaded" frameborder="0" height="282" id="BLOGGER-video-60b20561d142f44f-17139" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzCFciyxQNfsnUU0sgdchrdJJEmmomYRaw3HMwnJry793eI-ycSGmSnIfkTtgzdXXLbbiBf7mAfWN9y3HcERkiBrS-jLhwS6hdbI1OHpdhysNfi8MjIubauBZbNSr71a49FfKiV&origin=www.ihearofsherlock.com" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="500"></iframe></div> Is it just us, or does there seem to be even more explosions and action scenes than in the last film? Here are the posters: <center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/6238683083/" title="Robert Downey, Jr. is Sherlock Holmes by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="Robert Downey, Jr. is Sherlock Holmes" height="954" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6221/6238683083_7147f7f8e6_o.jpg" width="618" /></a> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/6238683053/" title="Jude Law is Watson by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="Jude Law is Watson" height="954" src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6050/6238683053_caf27704dd_o.jpg" width="618" /></a></center> We can tell that there's some Hollywood magic afoot in these images, as there's more smoke around the buildings than in the 1890s London sky... What do you think? Are you ready for the latest installment in the Guy Richie-directed franchise? --