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155th out of 1,502 books
—
3,025 voters
The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch
by
Neil Gaiman (Goodreads Author),
Dave McKean
A dark and frightening fully painted novella, MR. PUNCH tells the tale of a young boy's loss of innocence results from a horrific confrontation with his past. Spending a summer at his grandfather's seaside arcade, a troubled adolescent harmlessly becomes involved with a mysterious Punch and Judy Man and a mermaid-portraying woman. But when the violent puppet show triggers...more
Paperback, 96 pages
Published
September 1st 1995
by Vertigo
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Mar 24, 2009
André
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who wants something more than just another graphic novel
Shelves:
sequential-art
I bought this book as a present for a great friend of mine, but I couldn't help but read it before I actually gave it to her.
The cover is itself a work of art and the illustrations and overall design are just perfect. They are as adequate to the way the story is told as I have ever seen. (though I admit I haven't read many graphic novels and my opinion might be biased)The novel is a work of genius.
You see the narrator both as a young boy and the adult he became, telling you some events of his e...more
The cover is itself a work of art and the illustrations and overall design are just perfect. They are as adequate to the way the story is told as I have ever seen. (though I admit I haven't read many graphic novels and my opinion might be biased)The novel is a work of genius.
You see the narrator both as a young boy and the adult he became, telling you some events of his e...more
The only time I've read anything or seen anything related to Mr. Punch before was in Diana Wynne Jones's The Magicians of Caprona. All that happened was that the boy and girl main characters were changed into Punch and Judy and had to perform for the Duchess and Duke. Even with Gaiman explaining the Punch and Judy puppets and background/plot through a character explaining it to the main character (a boy, the narrator), I still find this book confusing. It's nicely told from a child's perspectiv...more
Mar 06, 2008
Austin
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Neil Gaiman Fans.
Recommended to Austin by:
I Picked It Up On A Whim.
In the late '80's / early-'90's, when the comics industry was going through another one of it's "growth spurts" that caused all sorts of chaos and speculation with regards to the future of the medium, everyone was scrambling for a way to take advantage of a market that suddenly had a lot of publicity but not much new product. Every publisher launched a number of new titles and developed many new ideas - often letting writers and artists go nuts - in an effort to be the first to have something ne...more
McKean's artwork here is fantastic; he seems to have felt free to work between media and forms at will, and he takes full advantage. The occasional early-90's digital effect distracts (like in some of the fonts), but if you like McKean's (instantly recognizable) style, then you should at least flip through this.
The story, however, is very early Gaiman, by turns mawkish, confusing, and unfocused. It ends up as mostly unfocused reminiscences of a depressing British childhood, which seems to typica...more
The story, however, is very early Gaiman, by turns mawkish, confusing, and unfocused. It ends up as mostly unfocused reminiscences of a depressing British childhood, which seems to typica...more
Dec 06, 2012
Ringling Library
added it
Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean throw us into a beautiful nightmare where innocence is lost and memories of an interrupted childhood are tainted by the high-pitched squeal of Mr. Punch. The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr. Punch is a graphic novel written by Neil Gaiman (responsible for such titles as “American Gods”, “Coraline” and the Sandman series), and illustrated by Dave McKean, who’s not afraid to use any medium to visualize a story.
From a perspective of an art student, McKean’s unus...more
From a perspective of an art student, McKean’s unus...more
L’arte di Dave McKean
"Ha gettato il bambino dalla finestra. Poi ha picchiato a morte la moglie. Ha ucciso il poliziotto venuto ad arrestarlo. E’ riuscito a far impiccare il boia. Ha assassinato un fantasma e messo nel sacco il Diavolo in persona. Non è mai morto. E Mister Punch vive ancora, per viaggiare su e giù per le campagne, divertendo vecchi e giovani.”
I piani narrativi — la vicenda di Mr. Punch, la storia del giovane protagonista e il tema del ricordo — sono magistralmente sottolineati...more
"Ha gettato il bambino dalla finestra. Poi ha picchiato a morte la moglie. Ha ucciso il poliziotto venuto ad arrestarlo. E’ riuscito a far impiccare il boia. Ha assassinato un fantasma e messo nel sacco il Diavolo in persona. Non è mai morto. E Mister Punch vive ancora, per viaggiare su e giù per le campagne, divertendo vecchi e giovani.”
I piani narrativi — la vicenda di Mr. Punch, la storia del giovane protagonista e il tema del ricordo — sono magistralmente sottolineati...more
I bought this graphic novel as a birthday present for my husband, who rediscovered it in a book about some of the greatest graphic novels of all time. He remembered reading it when he was younger, and liked the visual style.
This morning I gave it a read. While I've read some of Neil Gaiman's other stuff (Coraline, American Gods, Stardust, etc.) and knew it was going to be creepy, I wasn't quite prepared for exactly HOW creepy it was. I mean, the Punch and Judy thing is disturbing in and of itsel...more
This morning I gave it a read. While I've read some of Neil Gaiman's other stuff (Coraline, American Gods, Stardust, etc.) and knew it was going to be creepy, I wasn't quite prepared for exactly HOW creepy it was. I mean, the Punch and Judy thing is disturbing in and of itsel...more
A young boy, sent to stay with his grandparents for the summer, learns some very troubling family secrets when he begins helping his grandfather at his seashore Punch & Judy attraction. Told through a mix of adult reminiscences and third-person glimpses into his childhood, this story yields a haunting tale of the mysterious misdeeds of adults and of the lifelong search for answers left to the children caught up in them.
One of the most beautiful things about this graphic novel is that the ans...more
One of the most beautiful things about this graphic novel is that the ans...more
This is another one of the older Neil Gaiman graphic novels I haven't ever read so I was eager to read it. It was an interesting story; McKean's artwork is dark and provoking.
This novel basically tells about a boy growing up. The Punch and Judy show plays a significant part in parts of his life, and at times his life seems to imitate the play.
This is a typical Neil Gaiman story; it is well told, a little eerie, and a bit creepy. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this is more the story of a boy g...more
This novel basically tells about a boy growing up. The Punch and Judy show plays a significant part in parts of his life, and at times his life seems to imitate the play.
This is a typical Neil Gaiman story; it is well told, a little eerie, and a bit creepy. I wasn't sure what to expect, but this is more the story of a boy g...more
I'm a big Neil Gaiman fan, however (and I know this may sound like blasphemy) I'm not the world's biggest fan of Dave McKean's art. I appreciate his art, but it doesn't move me or speak to me as other artists' work does. Overall, this was a well written, solid effort from Gaiman, but being one of his earlier works, it lacks some of the charm that his later works weave so well into the narrative. It did get me interested in the history and culture of Punch and Judy shows, though, and Gaiman and M...more
Holy crap this graphic novel was violent and creepy. I think we can all agree there is something really eerie about puppets.
I'm reading a lot of people talk about the artwork, which in itself is awesome, with the little fragments of drawings and real photographs that go so well with the theme of memory and recollection, but let's just stick to the story for a second here.
I feel sorry for the unnamed narrator. The Mr. Punch and Judy show definitely parallels the life of Uncle Morton, like in the...more
I'm reading a lot of people talk about the artwork, which in itself is awesome, with the little fragments of drawings and real photographs that go so well with the theme of memory and recollection, but let's just stick to the story for a second here.
I feel sorry for the unnamed narrator. The Mr. Punch and Judy show definitely parallels the life of Uncle Morton, like in the...more
I heard about this graphic novel in the "On the Ledge" column in the back of an issue of Grant Morrison's The Invisibles though the precise issue I don't recall. The pairing of Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean is one that I adore - Mirrormask was particularly good - and I was intrigued by the concept more than I would care to admit. I didn't grow up on Punch and Judy, but I knew enough about it from cartoons to get the general idea.
The story is incredibly dark, as "On the Ledge" warned. The story is...more
The story is incredibly dark, as "On the Ledge" warned. The story is...more
The closest I've come to seeing a Punch and Judy show is a recreation of an Italian commedia dell'arte performance. Punch comes from Pulcinella who then became Punchinello and finally Punch. The show standardized in the Victorian era. In 1827 John Payne Collier published a playbook for Punch and Judy professors called The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Punch and Judy and claimed it was told to him from Giovanni Piccini.
It's that playbook that forms the foundation for Neil Gaiman and Dave...more
It's that playbook that forms the foundation for Neil Gaiman and Dave...more
Neil Gaiman values memories like an evil queen that can actually hold them in jars. He's a master at crafting a coming-of-age tale that doesn't feel like it is what it is. Instead, this was an ominous, poetic take on the retelling of boyhood while weaving in and out of a Punch and Judy show (which I only just learned was a thing). It's beautifully written and strikes up the balance that Gaiman can do so well of not only hiding his other hand but letting you wonder if he even has another hand. It...more
This is an interesting adult graphic novel by the Neil Gaiman/David McKean team. A man recalls his life in England during his childhood. There was always Punch and Judy puppet shows on the beach and one day on a fishing trip with his grandfather he watches the show alone in the early morning. He compares the actions of Mr. Punch, a murderer who throws the baby out the window and kills his wife, etc. with the common domestic violence he witnessed in his family. There is an unspoken idea that dome...more
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The story was pretty good, but what really stands out is the artwork by Dave McKean. The story is illustrated through a mash-up of photography, drawings, and other weird stuff I don't know what to call. End result: awesome.
The puppets used were super creepy, and really made the most impact. The boy in the story is basically brooding the whole time (or so it seems), but the way he and his relatives are drawn seem perfectly fitting.
Gaiman's prose is the narration of the child, now grown up, remi...more
The puppets used were super creepy, and really made the most impact. The boy in the story is basically brooding the whole time (or so it seems), but the way he and his relatives are drawn seem perfectly fitting.
Gaiman's prose is the narration of the child, now grown up, remi...more
A man recalls his six year-old self, a summer that has stuck in his memory for years with hazy visions of his grandfather's failing amusement arcade. It was that year that the boy met Mr Punch, the puppet who entertains audiences by murdering his baby, wife, a policeman and then the judge. The boy doesn't find Punch's antics funny, in fact he's terrified, but when his grandfather allows a Punch show to open in his arcade as a last ditch effort to stay in business, the boy has no choice but to se...more
It’s common knowledge around these parts (that is, my house) that I am not a fan of dolls. This includes those cute (to some) little baby dolls girls get when they’re little, marionettes and puppets, expensive porcelain figurines or angels, and basically any kind of a doll in photographs or books. They’re all creepy to me.
I’m crazy, I know.
There was one instance I remember, back when I was just a wee gal, where I actually cried and cried because my best friend’s grandma hand-made a doll for me....more
I’m crazy, I know.
There was one instance I remember, back when I was just a wee gal, where I actually cried and cried because my best friend’s grandma hand-made a doll for me....more
I nomi Gaiman e McKean, associati, dovrebbero stimolare l'acquolina a qualunque fan a prescindere.
Ma quando si prende in mano un volume (libro? fumetto? graphic novel? difficilissimo catalogarlo) come “La comica tragedia o la tragica commedia di Mr. Punch” ogni più rosea aspettativa viene tranquillamente superata.
Perché di nuovo il genio di Gaiman ci porta in mezzo alle nostre paure, di nuovo ci trasporta a vedere cose che già conosciamo mostrandocele come non ce le ricordavamo più.
In questo cas...more
Ma quando si prende in mano un volume (libro? fumetto? graphic novel? difficilissimo catalogarlo) come “La comica tragedia o la tragica commedia di Mr. Punch” ogni più rosea aspettativa viene tranquillamente superata.
Perché di nuovo il genio di Gaiman ci porta in mezzo alle nostre paure, di nuovo ci trasporta a vedere cose che già conosciamo mostrandocele come non ce le ricordavamo più.
In questo cas...more
Surumielinen ja aavemainen, osittain piirretty osittain valokuvien (ja nukkien) avulla kuvitettu tarina pojasta ja ajasta, jonka hän vietti pienenä isovanhempiensa luona Englannin etelärannikolla. Tärkeässä roolissa tarinan kannalta on perinteinen Punch and Judy -nukketeatteri, joka perustuu Punch-hahmon naurettavaan ilkeyteen ja täten absurdiin synkkään huumoriin. Wikipedian mukaan hahmot on saaneet lukuisia intertekstuaalisia viittauksia populaarikulttuurissa, joita oli ihan hauska sieltä sela...more
The whole graphic novel looked like a work of art. I loved all the different materials used for the pictures on the pages. Very creative. A mixture of sketches, photography and puppets.
The story in itself was well creepy (and not just because I get easily freaked out by puppets). The writing is rich and enjoyable. All in all, The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr.Punch tells the story of a boy growing up.
I would recommend this to anyone who is looking to read a comic that is a bit differe...more
The story in itself was well creepy (and not just because I get easily freaked out by puppets). The writing is rich and enjoyable. All in all, The Tragical Comedy or Comical Tragedy of Mr.Punch tells the story of a boy growing up.
I would recommend this to anyone who is looking to read a comic that is a bit differe...more
Esiste una sottile linea scura (cit.!) tra l'infanzia e l'età adulta, tra la realtà e il surreale, tra veglia e sogno. Gaiman ci si butta a capofitto e ci sguazza dentro, narrando una storia che veramente non ha né capo né coda. Ma attenzione: è volutamente privo di senso, perché la totale confusione, il vortice assoluto diventa metafora vivente dell'esperienza di vita di un ragazzino che non è più bambino, ma che non è ancora adulto.
L'arte di McKean rende il tutto mille volte più apprezzabile.
L'arte di McKean rende il tutto mille volte più apprezzabile.
Not since Salvador Dali has sur-realism had such a master of the trade as Dave McKean. Each panel of this book is deserving of being framed and mounted on the wall.
The story, told by a grown man's memories of his childhood, is filled with his family's secrets and mysteries. We never get the full family drama, simply a series of glimpses. It would seem that most family members in the know aren't very forthcoming with the information, or else, what they do know, is a warped version of the actual e...more
The story, told by a grown man's memories of his childhood, is filled with his family's secrets and mysteries. We never get the full family drama, simply a series of glimpses. It would seem that most family members in the know aren't very forthcoming with the information, or else, what they do know, is a warped version of the actual e...more
The essence of memory is that we rarely get right to the heart of the matter. Something floats up into our thoughts and teases out a recollection. If that recollection has an emotion attached, then we are pulled down deeper towards other memories. As those memories gather about us, the world is recreated for us as it once was. Or at least how we saw it once upon a time. Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean’s MR. PUNCH is all about how we access memory. The story starts with shallow memories, brief bits...more
This book was perplexing. All the elements were in their place: a troubled child with wise perceptions, a family with dark secrets, a murky setting, the pervasive presence of a creepy, violent puppet show. And yet, despite how much I loved individual qualities of the book, it took much longer to read than it should have. I found myself vaguely bored at times and am not entirely sure why.
I hate to say it, but Dave McKean's art may be the reason. As lovely as his covers are, and as awesome and uni...more
I hate to say it, but Dave McKean's art may be the reason. As lovely as his covers are, and as awesome and uni...more
I pretty sure that about 9/10 of this story went completely over my head. But, I did understand and enjoy the theme of related, representational memories (i.e., the Punch show and his memories of his grandfather) -- and the idea that the representational memory often overtakes, or replaces the original memories. The imagery, and its unsettling nature, did a lot to advance the story line - completely atmospheric.
I only give it a 3 because I really couldn't wrap my head around it. I give it a 4 f...more
I only give it a 3 because I really couldn't wrap my head around it. I give it a 4 f...more
Creepy. But in a totally good way. It brought to mind my childhood, those incidents only half-remembered, that become legends where facts are mixed up and matched with a peculiar logic all their own. I can see why Gaiman and McKean enjoy collaborating. I think I may have seen something like a Punch and Judy show when I was younger. Something very similar anyway. I don't recall much beyond laughing at the puppets' silliness, calling out suggestions, and simply enjoying the show.
I read this based on a review from a friend ... I was surprised I had never heard of it. I liked it. Melancholy. About the scariness of being a young child in a world full of adults with secrets both mundane and nefarious, all filtered through the whacked-out world of Mr. Punch and Judy. I especially forgot how fantastic Dave McKean's art can be. It seems prescient with all the steampunk collage that's so popular now.
Ugh, a strike and a miss for Gaiman. This was just horrid. First off, it was in the same weird paper-cut out style of Alice in Sunderland which I think looks sloppy and horrific and I could never keep track of who was who because they all looked the same.
This was certainly creepy - especially since Punch & Judy is inherently some of the creepiest shit ever. But besides the creepy factor, I'm not sure what was going on in this story. I think it is about the boy narrator remembering a scary e...more
This was certainly creepy - especially since Punch & Judy is inherently some of the creepiest shit ever. But besides the creepy factor, I'm not sure what was going on in this story. I think it is about the boy narrator remembering a scary e...more
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“Adult helplessness destroys children. Or it forces them to become tiny adults of their own.”
—
14 people liked it
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May 18, 2012 05:26pm