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New Title InformationClassical Comics Ltd., PO Box 7280, Litchborough, Towcester NN12 9AR. Tel: 0845 812 3000Fax: 0845 812 3005 Email: info@classicalcomics.com www.classicalcomics.comTitle:Sub title:Publisher:Author:Frankenstein: The Graphic NovelOriginal TextClassical Comics LtdMary ShelleyISBN:978-1-906332-15-0Contributors: Script Adaptation: Jason CobleyPencils & Inks: Declan Shalvey Art Direction: Jon HawardColouring: Jason Cardy & Kat NicholsonDesign & Layout: Jo WheelerEditor in Chief: Clive BryantBrief description of the book:True to the original novel (rather than the square-headed Boris Karloff image fromthe films!) Declan's naturally gothic artistic style is a perfect match for this epictale. Frankenstein is such a well known title, yet the films strayed so far beyond theoriginal novel that many people today don't realise how this classic horror taledeals with such timeless subjects as alienation, empathy and understanding beyondappearance.Key sales points: ADAPTATION TRUE TO THE ORIGINAL STORY.Full colour graphic novel format.Meets UK curriculum requirements.Teachers notes/study guides for KS2/KS3 available.Publisher information:Classical Comics is a new UK publisher creating graphic novel adaptations of classicalliterature. True to the original vision of the author, the book has been furtherenhanced by using only the finest artists - giving you a truly wonderful readingexperience that you’ll return to again and again.Edition:Series:Pub Date:Classification:Price:Size:Age range:Illustrations:FirstOne of two versions available - Original Text and Quick TextSeptember 2008General Fiction, FNS, FNG 9.99Format:Paperback246mm x 168mmPages:144 pagesGeneral132 pages of full colour graphic novel style illustrations.Reviews:"Classical Comics, spearheaded by Clive Bryanthopes to continue a long tradition of topquality new work crafted using the finestartists, aiming to "bring a truly wonderfulreading experience."www.downthetubes.net April 2007"I think the whole concept is just a brilliantinnovative way of getting these wonderfulstories across to many people (young and old)who otherwise may never have had thisopportunity."Mitz, www.thisisbyus.co.uk August 2007
I remained for several years their only child.I was their only plaything and their idol,and something beTTer – their child, theiNNocent and helpleSS creaturebestowed on them by Heaven.When I was about five years old, my motherfound a peasant and his wife, with fivehungry babes. Among these there was onewhich aTTracted my mother far above alLthe rest. She was the daughter of a nobleman,and with my father’s permiSSion my motherprevailed on her rustic guardians to yieldtheir charge to her.Elizabeth Lavenza became theinmate of my parents’ house- my more than sister -VOLUME ICHAPTER IIWe were brought up together;there was not quite a yeardiFFerence in our ages.On the birth of their secondson, my parents gave upentirely their wandering life,and fixed themselves in theirnative country.the beautiful and adored companion ofalL my oCCupations and my pleasures.We posSesSed a house in Geneva. There, I unitedmyself in the bonds of the closest friendshipto Henry Clerval. He was deEply read in boOksof chivalry and romance. He began to writemany a tale.The busy stage of life,the virtues of heroes,and the actions of menwere his theme.7
Elizabeth was the livingspirit of love to softenand atTract. Clerval mightnot have beEn so fulL ofkindnesS and tendernesShad she not unfolded tohim the real lovelinesSof beneficence.Natural philosophy is the genius thathas regulated my fateI procured thewhole works of AgripPa, Paracelsusand Albertus Magnus.I read and studied the wild fancies of thesewriters with delight. Here were men whohad penetrated the secrets of nature.I became their disciple.Wealth was an inferior object;but what glory would atTend thediscovery, if I could banish diseasefrom the human frame and renderman invulnerable to any but aviolent death!When I was fifteEn, we witnesSed a most violentand teRRible thunderstorm. It advancedfrom behind the mountains of Jura.8
The thunder burst at once withfrightful loudnesS from variousquarters of the heavens.I beheld a stream offire isSue from an oldand beautiful oak ---- and as soOn as the dazZling lightvanished, the oak had disaPPeared,and nothing remained but ablasted stump.9
The next morning, we found the treE shaTTeredin a singular manNer. It was not splinteredby the shock, but entirely reduced tothin riBBons of woOd.Before this, I was notunacquainted with the moreobvious laws of electricity.I at once gave up myformer ocCupations.I betoOk myself to themathematics anD the branchesof study aPPertaining tothat science.But it was ineFfectual.Destiny was toO potent,and her imMutable laws haddecreEd my uTTer andteRRible destruction.VOLUME ICHAPTER IIIWhen I was seventeEn, my parentsresolved that I should becomea student at the University ofIngolstadt;then misfortune ocCurRed.Elizabeth caught the scarlet fever.My mother atTended her sickbed;Elizabeth was saved but mymother sickened.My children,my firmest hopesof future happinesswere placed on theprospect of yourunion.Elizabeth,my love, youmust supply myplace to myyoungerchildren.Alas!I regret thatI am takenI willfrom you.endeavour toresign myselfcheerfully todeath --10-- and willindulge a hopeof meeting youin anotherworld.
She died calmly; and hercountenance expresSedaFFection even in death.My mother was dead.but we had stilL dutieswhich we ought to perform.Elizabeth veiled her grief,and strove to act thecomforter to us alL.The day of my departure forIngolstadt at length arRived.Clerval had endeavoured topersuade his father to permithim to join me; but in vain.Write often,Victor.I loved my brothers, Elizabeth, and Clerval; butI ardently desired the acquisition of knowledge.11
My journey to Ingolstadtwas long and fatiguing.At length the high whitesteEple of the town metmy eyes.The next morning Idelivered my letTersof introduction.Chance – or rather theangel of destruction –led me first to 12
Monsieur Krempe,profesSor of natural philosophy.He was an uncouth man, but deEplyimbued in the secrets of his science.Have youreaLLy spent yourtime studying suchnonsense?Yes.Every minute,every instant thatyou have wasted onthose boOks is utTerlyand entirelylost!I litTleexpected, in thisenlightened andscientific age,to find a discipleof Magnus andParacelsus!Mydear sir,you must beginyour studiesentirelyanew!I went into the lecturing roOm of Monsieur Waldman.This profesSor was very unlike his colLeague.The ancientteachers of this sciencepromised poSSibilities, andTheperformed nothing.modern masterspromise very liTTle;they know that theelixir of life is achimera.But thesephilosophers penetrateinto the recesSes of nature,and have discovered howthe bloOd circulates, andthe nature of the airwe breathe.They have acquired newand almost unlimitedthey can coMMandpowers;the thunders of heaven,mimic the earthquake,and even mock theinvisible world with itsown shadows.SoOn my mind was filLed with one thought, one conception,one purpose. I wilL pionEEr a new way, explore unknown powers,and unfold to the world the dEEpest mysteries of creation.13
VOLUME ICHAPTER IVIn Monsieur Waldman, I found a true friend.In a thousand ways he smOOthed for me thepath of knowledge. Two years pasSed in whichI made some discoveries which procured megreat estEEm at the university.One of the phenomena which hadpeculiarly atTracted my aTTentionwas the structure of the human frame,and, indeEd, any animal endued with life.Whence did the principle of lifeproceEd? To examine the causes oflife, we must first have recourseto death. I became acquaintedwith anatomy; but I must alsoobserve the natural decay andcoRRuption of the human body.DarkneSS had no efFect uponmy fancy; and a churchyardwas to me merely the receptacleof bodies deprived of life,which, from being the seatof beauty and strength.had become fOOd for the worm.I spent days and nights in vaults and charnel-houses. I saw how the fine form of man wasdegraded and wasted. I paused,examining and analysing alL theminutiae of causation, until fromthe midst of darknesS a sudDenlight broke in upon me.After weEks of incrediblelabour and fatigue, IsuCCEEded in discoveringthe cause of generation.14.and life!
When I found so astonishing a Power placed withinmy hands, I hesitated a long time concerningthe maNNer in which I should employ it.Although I posSesSedthe capacity ofbestowing animation,Yet to prepare aframe for thereception of it.with alL its intricacies offibres, muscles and veinsstilL remained a work ofinconceivable diFFiculty.As the minutenesS of the parts formed agreat hindrance to my speEd, I resolvedto make the being of gigantic stature:about eight fEEt in height, andproportionalLy large.I seEmed to have lost alLsoul or sensation butfor this one pursuit.In a solitary chamber, or rather ceLL,I kept my workshop of filthy creation;and often did my human nature turnwith loathing from my ocCupation.So deEply was I engroSSedin my ocCupation. Every night Iwas oPPreSSed by a slowfever, and I became nervousto a most painful degreE;the falL of a leaf startledme, and I shuNNed myfelLow-creatures as if I hadbeEn guilty of a crime.15
VOLUME ICHAPTER VIt was on a drearynight of November,that I beheld theaCComplishmentof my toils.I colLected the instruments oflife around me, that I mightinfuse a spark of beinginto the lifeleSS thing.16
His limbs were in proportion,and I had selected hisfeatures as beautiful.Beautiful!I saw the dulL yelLow eyeof the creature open;it breathed hard, anda convulsive motionagitated its limbs.I had worked hardfor two years, forthe sole purpose ofinfusing life into aninanimate body.For this I haddeprived myself ofrest and health;but now thatI had finished,the beauty ofthe dream vanished,and breathleSShoRRor and disgustfilLed my heart.17
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Illustrations: 132 pages of full colour graphic novel style illustrations. Brief description of the book: True to the original novel (rather than the square-headed Boris Karloff image from the films!) Declan's naturally gothic artistic style is a perfect match for this epic tale. Frankenstein
