The big news from Steerforth Press last week was that they will be distributing an excellent (and useful!) line of graphic novels called Campfire. The first batch of books is mostly graphic adaptations of classic novels like Robinson Crusoe, Moby Dick, Frankenstein, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, etc. with some Biography and Mythology mixed in. Eventually, Campfire’s line will move into 4 distinctive categories: Classics, Mythology, Biography and, coming in 2011, Originals.
In the meeting, I got to flip through the graphic novel version of H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man and was genuinely impressed with the quality of the artwork and the book itself, with a glossy finish and a highly respectable paper quality. They seem to work very well as adaptations, maintaining a fidelity to the original language while smartly condensing it so that it reads at a fast pace like a regular graphic novel. What impressed me further was their price: a budget-friendly $9.99(US). Look for them this summer!
If you have any questions about the series, email library@randomhouse.com and we will try our best.
-David
As someone who reads, reviews and buys graphic novels for my library I’m very interested in graphic adaptations of novels but sort of skeptical; I haven’t seen that many great graphic adaptations of literary sources and will look forward to taking a look at this series. Thanks for the heads up!