Pompetti's King Arthur & The Ladies of the Lake

A recent graphic novel release from Black Panel Press:

King Arthur & The Ladies of the Lake

Price range: $9.99 through $24.99

Full details, preview, and ordering information at https://blackpanelpress.com/en/product/king-arthur/. 

Dive into King Arthur & The Ladies of the Lake, a riveting graphic novel by Vincent Pompetti that reimagines the timeless Arthurian legends. Through stunning watercolor illustrations, the story unfolds in the 5th century, a time of myth and magic.

Arthur, guided by Merlin, embarks on a quest for peace and justice, clashing with ancient pagan rites and the encroaching tide of Christianity. Amidst epic battles and dark sorcery, a new perspective emerges, centering the pivotal yet overlooked roles of the mystical Ladies of the Lake. This tale intertwines historical depth with fantasy, inviting readers to explore the rich tapestry of Arthur’s world like never before.

About the Author

Vincent Pompetti is an Italian-Belgian artist born in Liège, Belgium, with family roots in Pineto and Atri in Italy's Abruzzo region. He graduated from the St. Luc Institute of Fine Arts in 1998, specializing in graphic novels. In 2000, he published his first graphic novel, "Planète Divine," with Glénat, marking the beginning of his professional career in the comics industry. He has produced significant works such as "Sir Arthur Benton," "The Gallic Wars," and the pirate story "Le Malouin." Along with José Jover, he invested in the independent publisher Tartamudo and founded the artist association Pegasus. Vincent collaborates with the urban art magazine "Paris Tonkar," and continues to develop his career in painting and illustration. He has exhibited his art internationally in Switzerland, Canada, Italy, and mainly in France. In recent years, he has expanded his portfolio with new projects that blend historical and mythological themes. Vincent remains an influential figure in the European comics scene, known for his detailed illustrations and compelling storytelling.

Unholy Grail Comic Series

I just posted the details of a new comic book series called Unholy Grail on the Monstrous Matter of Britain site. The series is from writer Cullen Bunn and artist Mirko Colak and mashes the Arthurian story with elements from the fiction of H. P. Lovecraft.

Details at https://monstrous-matter-of-britain.blogspot.com/search/label/Unholy%20Grail%20%28comic%29.

Witchblade?

The most recent issue of Witchblade No. 183 (available from comiXology) appears to feature an image of a young Arthur drawing forth the Sword in the Stone. This would not be the first time the series has addressed the legend (see Alan Stewart's Camelot in Four Colors), but is it a legitimate link or am I seeing Arthur where he is not?

Batman in King Arthur's Court

DC will be reprinting the classic story "Sir Batman At King Arthur's Court!" from Batman No. 36 (August-September 1946) in January 2013 as part of the Batman: The Dark Knight Archives Vol. 8. This is an interesting Connecticut-Yankee-type story pitting Batman against Mordred and Morgan le Fay to save Merlin and Camelot.

Further details as follows:

BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT ARCHIVES VOL. 8

• In these 1940s tales, Batman and Robin battle The Joker, The Penguin, Catwoman and others, and meet the Three Musketeers and King Arthur. • Collecting BATMAN #32-37 from 1945-1946.

Written by: Bill Finger
Cover by: Jerry Robinson
Color/B&W: Color
Page Count: 248
U.S. Price: 59.99
On Sale Date: Jan 23 2013
Binding: Hardcover

More Knights of the Living Dead

Issues 3 and 4 of Knights of the Living Dead are now available for purchase as digital comics. Details at http://www.slgcomic.com/knights. The series is also, according the publisher, "available at the iTunes Store and coming soon to Comixology, iVerse, Graphicly and BN.COM (for Nook and Nook Color)."

Zombies in Camelot

It had to happen eventually. Ron Wolfe and Dustin Higgins have produced Knights of the Living Dead, a mash-up of Arthurian legend and zombies, for SLG Publishing. The first issue is free to download, and the second costs $.99. Details and purchase information at http://www.slgcomic.com/knights.

Knights of the Living Dead offers an engaging twist on the fall of Camelot featuring a zombie-fied Lancelot who unknowingly sets a zombie plague against Arthur's realm, destroys its king, and poisons Merlin. Guinevere has a strong presence in the series (as does Mordred, though he meets an untimely end), and it seems to close with the promise of future adventures.

Zombie fans might also be interested in Marvel Zombies 5 No. 3, which also features a zombie invasion of Camelot. A detailed synopsis is available at the Marvel Database.

Prince Valiant on Film/TV Update

I had thought I posted this before, but it looks like I forgot. Kevin Harty's recent collection The Vikings on Film: Essays on Depictions of the Nordic Middle Ages includes a number of discussions on adaptations of Prince Valiant to film and television, as follows (see post on The Medieval Comics Project for details on non-Arthurian comics to film/TV addressed here):


The Vikings on Film: Essays on Depictions of the Nordic Middle Ages
Edited by Kevin J. Harty

Print ISBN: 978-0-7864-6044-1 = $38.00
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-7864-8638-0
22 illustrations, notes, filmography, bibliographies, index
236pp. softcover (7 x 10) 2011

Table of Contents

Preface 1
Introduction: "Save Us, O Lord, from the Fury of the Northmen"; or, "Do You Know What’s in Your Wallet?" 3
KEVIN J. HARTY

The Trope of the Scopic in The Vikings (1958) 9
KATHLEEN COYNE KELLY
Guess Who’s Coming to Plunder? Or, Disorientation and Desire in The Long Ships (1964) 24
DONALD L. HOFFMAN
"To be, or not to be"--King: Clive Donner’s Alfred the Great (1969) 39
CHRISTOPHER A. SNYDER
Valiant and Villainous Vikings 46 [on 1954 Prince Valiant]
ALAN LUPACK
Silly Vikings: Eichinger, Hickox, and Lorenz’s Anglo-German-Irish Production of Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant (1997) 56
JOSEPH M. SULLIVAN
When Civilization Was Less Civilized: Erik the Viking (1989) 72
SUSAN ARONSTEIN
"The Love of All Mankind but Also the Love of One Woman Alone": Hrafn Gunnlaugsson’s Shadow of the Raven (1988) 83
JOAN TASKER GRIMBERT and CLAUDIA BORNHOLDT
Different Pathfinders, Different Destinations 96
ROBERTA DAVIDSON
Who’s Savage Now?!--The Vikings in North America 106
KEVIN J. HARTY
Call of the Wild: Culture Shock and Viking Masculinities in The 13th Warrior (1999) 121
ELIZABETH S. SKLAR
Harrying an Infinite Horizon: The Ethics of Expansionism in Outlander (2008) 135
DAVID W. MARSHALL
Between Exploitation and Liberation: Viking Women and the Sexual Revolution 150
LAURIE A. FINKE and MARTIN B. SHICHTMAN
Time Out of Joint: Why a Gaul Fought the Normans in Asterix and the Vikings (2005) 165
ANDREW B. R. ELLIOTT
Northern Lite: A Brief History of Animated Vikings 178
MICHAEL N. SALDA
The Vikings on Film: A Filmography 193
KEVIN J. HARTY

About the Contributors 215
Index 219

Kalamazoo 2012 Session Update

The Society has finalized the details of its comics-themed roundtable. Full details are on the Medieval Comics Project blog, and I have posted the Arthurian-themed papers below:

The Comics Get Medieval at Kalamazoo: New Perspectives for Incorporating Comics into Medieval Studies Teaching and Research

2. “Caliber (2008), or Arthur’s Mystical Six-Shooter and the Gunslingers of the O.K. Corral”

Karen (Casey) Casebier, St. Mary’s College of Maryland

3. “Arthurian Themes in DC Comic’s Demon Knights (2011-)”

Jason Tondro, University of California, Riverside

Arthurian Comics at NEPCA

Two papers devoted to Arthurian-themed comics will be presented in November at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury Connecticut, from 11-12 November. The complete program is now available online.

SATURDAY, 12 NOV., 8:30-10 AM
6) Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Legend II: Legends Old and New (ROOM: WARNER 320)

PAPER 3 OF 4: “What Do Vampires Have to Do with the Holy Grail? The Transformation of the Grail Legend in Undead Arthuriana”—Michael A. Torregrossa, The Virtual Society for the Study Of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

SATURDAY, 12 NOV., 1:30-3 PM

2) Comics and Graphic Novels II: Damsels Causing Distress (ROOM: WARNER 226)

PAPER 2 OF 4: “Vampiric Viragoes: Villainizing and Sexualizing Arthurian Women in King Arthur v. Dracula (2005) and Madame Xanadu (2008)”—Kate Allocco, Western Connecticut State University

New from SelfMadeHero as part of their Eye Classics line, this graphic novelization of Malory presents the Arthurian story from the conception of King Arthur to the coming of Lancelot:

Le Morte D'Arthur: “The Coming of the King, Volume One”

Author of Original: Sir Thomas Malory
Adaptor: John Matthews
Illustrator: Will Sweeney

ISBN: 9781906838249
Available: Mar 2011
Binding: PB(f)
Price: £14.99
Size: 165x241
Extent: 144 pp
Colour: Full colour [actually blue color with black ink on cream-colored paper (as shown)]

Product Description
The epic legend of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table is re-imagined here as a visually stunning graphic novel adapted by John Matthews and illustrated by Will Sweeney. This faithful reworking of Sir Thomas Malory's chivalric masterpiece introduces the young Arthur and charts his rise to power as King of Britain and the formation of his Knights of the Round Table. Aided by Merlin, Arthur must unite the kingdoms of Britain under his banner and take on adventures that will take him closer to his destiny and a danger caused by those he loves and trusts most.

Fate/Stay Night No. 11

Despite the closure earlier this year of publisher Tokyopop, it seems that number 11 (May 2011) of the Fate/Stay Night manga was released and is available from a limited number of retailers. This issue is of particular interest in that it features a series of flashbacks to Saber's past as King Arthur, with appearances by both Merlin and Bedievere. There is also a section entitled "Pendragon" that features a dragon, which is (presumably) related to the Arthurian legend as well. In addition, as the current Holy Grail War continues, readers learn further details about the last war and its outcome.

Knights of the Lunch Table #3

The Battling Bands, volume three of Frank Cammuso's Knights of the Lunch Table, was released earlier this month. Here are the details from his web site:

A battle is looming at Camelot Middle School--a battle of the bands, that is! Artie, Wayne, and Percy enter the talent show seeking fame and fortune. But only one of them plays an instrument: Percy. And he plays the tuba. Their only hope of winning is finding the long-lost "Singing Sword," the fabled instrument of awesome power.
But how can Artie find time to rock when he's been assigned a new lab partner, Melody Claymore? Melody is a klutz and a goof, and she harbors a not-so-secret crush on Artie. Is Melody his worst nightmare or secretly the answer to his prayers?

Ages 9-12

Paperback: 128 pages

Classics Illustrated Returns

British publisher Classic Comic Store Ltd. has begun releasing reproductions of the original Classics Illustrated series, all with re-colored artwork and digitally enhanced cover art. Number 11 of their new line includes a reprint from 2009 of "Knights of the Round Table," which was originally published as Classics Illustrated No. 108 in June 1953. The book, which (as to be expected from a story from 1953) presents a bowdlerized account of the complete Arthurian story from Arthur's birth to his death and focuses on the adventures of Gareth, Galahad, and Lancelot, is nicely produced with crisp art and glossy white pages. Appendices include a history of the Round Table in medieval Arthurian literature, an overview of the Arthurian legend on film (and some TV), two versions of Arthur's genealogy (from Geoffrey of Monmouth and Thomas Malory), a short essay on the history of Excalibur, 5 questions to spark discussion on the Matter of Britain, and a timeline of Arthurian Britain.

Future of Fate/stay night Manga

The future of the English translation of the Fate/stay night manga series (currently at No. 10) is now up in the air as publisher Tokoypop has shut down. Numbers 11 and 12 had been solicited, but, as of today, they are no longer available for ordering on Amazon.com.

Thoughts on Lee and Hart's Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur

With apologies in advance to the authors, Tony Lee and Sam Hart's graphic novel Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur (Candlewick, 2011) arrived in today's mail, and I really wanted to like it but, ultimately, could not (at least not yet). As with their Outlaw: The Legend of Robin Hood, the book offers an innovative (yet also derivative) take on the Arthurian story, and one wonders what the publisher means by "a faithful retelling" of the legend. The primary conflict lies in the struggle between the good and evil powers of the Faerie realm (the Seelie and Unseelie, respectively), and many characters are presented as half- or full-fey. That said, there is little new material here, though, as the authors acknowledge no sources (though Malory is misquoted once), one wonders if the borrowing is intentional. Most clearly, Boorman's Excalibur is evoked many times and quoted at least once. The portrayals of the Faerie realms (though patriarchal here) recall both the Avalon of Marion Zimmer Bradley and John Matthews's own recent graphic novel The Chronicles of Arthur: Sword of Fire and Ice (2009), and the Faerie blood of many characters is also reminiscent of Bradley while Matthews may be the source for the inclusion of Bercilack (here a somewhat unsupernatural figure and the initiator of a very disappointing version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight) in Avalon. Also, the dissociation of some of the Arthurian cast from their usual roles in the story resembles similar approaches in other twenty-first century texts, like King Arthur (2004) and BBC1's Merlin, and Guinevere's presentation as a warrior surely reflects her portrayal in that role in both King Arthur and Matt Hawkin's comic book series Lady Pendragon, which also saw Guinevere succeeding Arthur upon his death. Lastly, Arthur's love for Viviane, the Lady of the Lake, which is the nexus of the story, was featured prominently in the cartoon Camelot (1998) as was his ultimate fate to spend eternity with her in Avalon. The creation of Mordred is more unique though his training resembles scenes from NBC's Merlin (1998). There are also some truly original touches, as in the representation of Ulric and in Arthur's training in Avalon as cheat (time, of course, flows differently in Faerie), but these seem few in number (at least upon my initial reading). The story is also safely bowdlerized for its young readers (aged 10 and up, according to the website), though the dialogue, except at times when colloquialisms are tossed in, would be acceptable to older readers as well; however, although I appreciate its attempts to deviate from from Norris J. Lacy has termed, the "tyranny of tradition," one wonders of the value of this very nontraditional account of the legend as most graphic novel retellings are designed to supplement or enhance canonical versions of the tradition. In summation, this is not a Classics Illustrated version of the Matter of Britain, as are Gareth Hind's Beowulf, The Odyssey, and Shakespeare from the same publisher, though perhaps it will inspire readers to seek out more stories of the Once and Future King.

A final note on the artwork: Hart's style (as was also Mike Collins's for Matthews's book) is not typical of most contemporary comics and is, at least for me, difficult to get used to. Most of the characters seem too elongated and thin, and, at times, details are totally or partially lost. The result is not a "pretty" book that one expects would appeal to the target reader.

Michael A. Torregrossa
Co-Founder, The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

Review of Arthur: The Legend Vol. 1

Dalen Books will be publishing David Chauvel and Jerome Lereculey's Arthur: The Legend Volume 2 later this year, and I just came across an extended review of the first volume on ComicBitsOnline.com. Additional reviews can be accessed from the product page at Dalen Books.

Dracula vs. King Arthur Continued

Adam and Christian Beranek's Dracula vs. King Arthur continues to spread out into other media. The series is now a web comic--with individual pages posted several times a week--on DraculavsKingArthur.com and some of the posts include annotations by Adam Beranek. Enthusiasts can also find the series as an iPhone app from Comixology and a motion comic from Comflix Studios (click menu and scroll to your left). These manifestations are of course in addition to the original comic book series, the collected editions, and digital comics released previously.

I append below a trailer for the webcomic as found on YouTube:


There are also a number of interviews available from the various creators (such as Adam Beranak and artist Chris Moreno), and these can be conveniently accessed from our links menus in the sidebar.

Christina Francis on Arthur, King of Time and Space

Christina Francis has an essay in in the latest issue of Arthuriana on the webcomic Arthur, King of Time and Space. The essay can be accessed in Project MUSE. The complete reference is as follows:

Francis, Christina. "Playing with Gender in Arthur, King of Time and Space." Arthuriana 20.4 (Winter 2010): 31-47.

Abstract:
By developing characters with unstable and changeable sex identification, Paul Gadzikowski creates an Arthurian world with fluid gender boundaries in his webcomic Arthur, King of Time and Space. The effect of this fluidity is a cast of Arthurian characters that continuously confronts sex and gender stereotypes, inviting audiences to reconsider their own assumptions about sex and gender.

Spidey in King Arthur's Court Redux

Last summer and fall, I begin an exhaustive search for Arthurian comics featuring Spider-Man, and I had thought I had found everything. However, a recent post on Marvel.com reveals that an episode from 1970 of the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon also included an Arthurian-themed episode. The episode can be viewed below.

Michael

Caliber: First Canon of Justice Comic Trailer

I came across the following via a link from Alan Stewart's excellent Camelet in Four Colors website. He also links to a lengthy interview on Comic Book Resources. From Radical Publishing, Caliber: First Canon of Justice (2008), written by Sam Sarkar and illustrated by Garrie Gastonny, is a recasting of the Arthurian legend in the American Old West. It was originally published in five issues and later collected into both a hardcover and paperback edition. There are links to further interviews (under "News/Reviews") at Radical's site for the series.

Here's Radical's introduction to the series:

The Arthurian Legend of Excalibur is reborn in the Old Pacific Northwest. A world in which Shamans replace Wizards, gunfighters walk where knights once stood, and in which a mystical gun will change the world in place of the sword of legend. It is here that Caliber is revealed as a tattooed six gun imbued with supernatural power. A land where lawlessness runs rampant, and Arthur will have his chance to set balance to the scales of justice.