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Culbard's Lovecraft
Η σκιά πέρα από τον χρόνο
«Από τώρα κι ύστερα…δεν μπορώ να βασίζομαι στις αισθήσεις μου».
Άρκαμ, 1908, Πανεπιστήμιο Μισκατόνικ. Ο καθηγητής Ναθάνιελ Πίζλι καταρρέει την ώρα της διδασκαλίας μπροστά στους φοιτητές του και συνέρχεται πέντε χρόνια μετά. Με φρίκη ανακαλύπτει πως στη διάρκεια αυτής της περιόδου το σώμα του κάθε άλλο παρά ήταν αδρανές – ενώ αρχίζει να βασανίζεται από ανησυχητικούς και αλλόκοτους εφιάλτες. Ο Πίζλι προσπαθώντας να βρει την αλήθεια που κρύβεται πίσω από τα χαμένα χρόνια της ζωής του, έρχεται αντιμέτωπος με πρωτόγνωρες καταστάσεις. Η εικονογράφηση δίνει τρομακτική μορφή σε μια από τις τελευταίες ιστορίες του Χ.Φ. Λάβκραφτ, οδηγώντας τον αναγνώστη σε ένα ανατριχιαστικό ταξίδι μέσα στον χρόνο, τον χώρο και τις πιο κρυφές πτυχές του ανθρώπινου μυαλού.
«Ήμουν ξύπνιος…και ταυτόχρονα ονειρευόμουν»
Άρκαμ, 1908, Πανεπιστήμιο Μισκατόνικ. Ο καθηγητής Ναθάνιελ Πίζλι καταρρέει την ώρα της διδασκαλίας μπροστά στους φοιτητές του και συνέρχεται πέντε χρόνια μετά. Με φρίκη ανακαλύπτει πως στη διάρκεια αυτής της περιόδου το σώμα του κάθε άλλο παρά ήταν αδρανές – ενώ αρχίζει να βασανίζεται από ανησυχητικούς και αλλόκοτους εφιάλτες. Ο Πίζλι προσπαθώντας να βρει την αλήθεια που κρύβεται πίσω από τα χαμένα χρόνια της ζωής του, έρχεται αντιμέτωπος με πρωτόγνωρες καταστάσεις. Η εικονογράφηση δίνει τρομακτική μορφή σε μια από τις τελευταίες ιστορίες του Χ.Φ. Λάβκραφτ, οδηγώντας τον αναγνώστη σε ένα ανατριχιαστικό ταξίδι μέσα στον χρόνο, τον χώρο και τις πιο κρυφές πτυχές του ανθρώπινου μυαλού.
«Ήμουν ξύπνιος…και ταυτόχρονα ονειρευόμουν»
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
10 people are currently reading
602 people want to read
About the author
I.N.J. Culbard
254 books77 followersI.N.J. Culbard is an artist and writer. In 2006, he surpassed thousands of other writers and had his work published in Dark Horse Comics’ New Recruits anthology. He has since appeared in the anthology series Dark Horse Presents, the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD.
Culbard is an acclaimed animation director with considerable experience in directing commercials, developing projects for television, and producing and directing short films. His collaborator at SelfMadeHero is writer Ian Edginton.
Culbard is an acclaimed animation director with considerable experience in directing commercials, developing projects for television, and producing and directing short films. His collaborator at SelfMadeHero is writer Ian Edginton.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
December 20, 2019
The fourth novel by H. P. Lovecraft in I. N. J. Culbard and Self Made Hero's omnibus production Lovecraft, and one that thankfully cuts out most of Lovecraft's purple prose and retains some of the horror of the Cthulhu mythos he was so influential in creating. One day a professor faints and wakes up five years later, having gone mad (something Lovecraft experienced), or visited other dimensions where he encounters "the old ones," some alien race that came to Earth. I am not freaked out by Culbard's versions of these creatures but I like the relationship the story explores between madness and the occult/alien/strange.
The book is worth picking up and taking a look at, very beautiful and atmospheric. I appreciate that Culbard's adaptations work to avoid Lovecraft's infamous racism; oh, it's in there, connecting fear and "darkness," or the evil threat of "otherness," making the work more palatable for contemporary audiences, maybe.
The book is worth picking up and taking a look at, very beautiful and atmospheric. I appreciate that Culbard's adaptations work to avoid Lovecraft's infamous racism; oh, it's in there, connecting fear and "darkness," or the evil threat of "otherness," making the work more palatable for contemporary audiences, maybe.
September 26, 2015
Bullet Review:
Not my typical fare - I've never read any Lovecraft - but I was pretty intrigued with this one. Really interesting story, really creepy in some places without being too "horror" if that makes any sense.
Not sure this makes me want to run out and read actual Lovecraft - I heard his writing is a bit of an undertaking for the modern audience! - but I can definitely appreciate his work and his advancement of the horror genre.
Not my typical fare - I've never read any Lovecraft - but I was pretty intrigued with this one. Really interesting story, really creepy in some places without being too "horror" if that makes any sense.
Not sure this makes me want to run out and read actual Lovecraft - I heard his writing is a bit of an undertaking for the modern audience! - but I can definitely appreciate his work and his advancement of the horror genre.
December 22, 2017
And so we have another of the Self Made Hero interpretations of H P Lovecraft's classics tales.
Yes there are some liberties taken with the story - both for speed and for accuracy (after all even with their own stylised form of art - which I mind I rather like and is very atmospheric) I suspect there are some scenes which are just impossible to image.
The story is still pretty faithful - at least to the extend where if you have never read this story you can still get a feel for what Lovecraft is trying to convey.
This story is rather different to some of his more famous creations. Here we have an attempt to actually explain some of what is going on. Now do not get your hopes up a lot of the menace and terror from the Cthulhu Mythos is simply the unfathomable magnitude of what is going on - however in this book you have an attempt at trying to unravel history and explain how things are linked together - however in the process you are left with even more terrifying questions but at least there are so explanations.
This book in its time was seen as one of the paving stones for the mythos in that it gave grounding for some of the events and creatures. As usual there are the numerous references to other works and creatures which to a extend self reinforce the whole mythos - but for me its the idea that there is a time line and there is a progression all be it impossible to measure.
The series of H P Lovecrafts works is an impressive list to start with and the titles chosen for this series are equally as impressive - if you enjoy the his works then this is most certainly worth a look.
Yes there are some liberties taken with the story - both for speed and for accuracy (after all even with their own stylised form of art - which I mind I rather like and is very atmospheric) I suspect there are some scenes which are just impossible to image.
The story is still pretty faithful - at least to the extend where if you have never read this story you can still get a feel for what Lovecraft is trying to convey.
This story is rather different to some of his more famous creations. Here we have an attempt to actually explain some of what is going on. Now do not get your hopes up a lot of the menace and terror from the Cthulhu Mythos is simply the unfathomable magnitude of what is going on - however in this book you have an attempt at trying to unravel history and explain how things are linked together - however in the process you are left with even more terrifying questions but at least there are so explanations.
This book in its time was seen as one of the paving stones for the mythos in that it gave grounding for some of the events and creatures. As usual there are the numerous references to other works and creatures which to a extend self reinforce the whole mythos - but for me its the idea that there is a time line and there is a progression all be it impossible to measure.
The series of H P Lovecrafts works is an impressive list to start with and the titles chosen for this series are equally as impressive - if you enjoy the his works then this is most certainly worth a look.
December 23, 2021
Lovecraft's purple prose is pretty great - if not easy to swallow - in written form, where he can make his stories feel as alien and otherworldly as their subject matter. In a visual medium, though, you'll want to cut that back a bit and let the pictures take over. I think this adaptation could've done more of that in the first half, though happily the last stages of the story pick up on that front.
I usually don't mind Culbard's artwork, but something felt weird about it here, especially with the humans.
I usually don't mind Culbard's artwork, but something felt weird about it here, especially with the humans.
December 19, 2017
Βαθμολογία: ★★★
Η ιστορία είναι τρομερά ενδιαφέρουσα, αλλά δεν μπορώ να πω ότι η διασκευή σε κόμικ την δικαίωσε. Το σκίτσο δεν μου άρεσε ιδιαίτερα. Αξίζει πάντως να το διαβάσετε αν σας αρέσουν οι περιέργες ιστορίες.
Η ιστορία είναι τρομερά ενδιαφέρουσα, αλλά δεν μπορώ να πω ότι η διασκευή σε κόμικ την δικαίωσε. Το σκίτσο δεν μου άρεσε ιδιαίτερα. Αξίζει πάντως να το διαβάσετε αν σας αρέσουν οι περιέργες ιστορίες.
July 3, 2013
INJ Culbard’s latest HP Lovecraft adaptation is of Lovecraft’s last major work, the sci-fi-esque horror story The Shadow Out Of Time. Unlike Culbard’s last 2 adaptations, At The Mountains Of Madness and The Case Of Charles Dexter Ward, The Shadow Out Of Time is a trickier story to make work in a comic and is tonally different from Lovecraft’s more straightforward horror tales - as a result this is the weakest book in the series so far.
For those unfamiliar with Lovecraft, HP (Howard Phillips) Lovecraft was an early 20th century pioneer of the horror genre, which is referred to as “weird fiction”. Published primarily in low-circulation pulp magazines, he went largely unrecognised in his lifetime and experienced a resurgence after his death in 1937 when his fiction entered the lives of numerous popular writers of today like Stephen King, Michel Houellebecq, Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore, who would count Lovecraft amongst their influences.
The Shadow Out Of Time (TSOOT) is about Professor Peaslee who suffers a fainting spell one day at Miskatonic University in Lovecraft’s fictional town of Arkham. When Peaslee awakens he discovers 5 years have passed - but even more disturbingly, he finds out that he wasn’t unconscious and bedridden for all those years but actively walking around. But how was that possible? And what was “he” doing in those lost years?
With TSOOT, it seemed like Lovecraft was moving away from the horror genre as the story is mostly about the space dreams Peaslee experienced and relays, in rather tedious exposition, to the reader. There are numerous scenes of odd-looking aliens, somewhat familiar yet ominous pyramids and monoliths, and ancient statues hidden in remote areas that attest to the idea that We Are Not Alone In The Universe. All of which is fine material for Lovecraft to tackle except he tries to make it fit the horror template and it doesn’t work because they’re two different genres.
Culbard does his best to diminish Lovecraft’s awkward writing style (the description “horrific prose” was never more ironically applied than to Lovecraft) where his characters repeatedly tell the reader that what they saw was shocking and horrible beyond belief which doesn’t work quite so well as experiencing it yourself. If you’re told over and over again that something is scary, it’s probably not. Thankfully, Culbard does away with those extensive paragraphs from the original story so the book reads a lot smoother and he even gives the characters dialogue, something Lovecraft notoriously avoided in his fiction (I should say that he claimed dialogue was vulgar and that was why he refused to use it in his work, but I think that he didn’t mostly because, as a recluse, he rarely spent much time around other people and so had no idea how they spoke. The few times he did utilise dialogue, it is absolutely laughable - ellipses everywhere!).
Perhaps the most damning aspect of this story and that makes TSOOT one of the least interesting Lovecraft stories is the descriptions of the Great Old Ones, the ancient deities that make up Lovecraft’s legendary Cthulu mythos. Culbard does his best to depict them as scary going off of Lovecraft’s descriptions but they’re really anything but - in fact, they’re kind of funny and kind of stupid at the same time. One of them looks like a giant strawberry nestled atop a can of tuna; another looks like a grasshopper with jelly for arms - these are the terrifying gods of chaos and madness?! They resemble the product of a 5 year olds imagination!
I know Lovecraft’s fans really love his mythos but the stories related here read more like something Tom Cruise and John Travolta would believe in rather than credible sci fi or horror - it’s that poorly conceived and related. I respect that Lovecraft put a lot of effort into making it seem fascinating but I found it as byzantine and inscrutable as Tolkien’s extensive Middle Earth history.
I enjoyed parts of the book like Peaslee’s eerie experiences, the mystery of those lost years, and his travels to remote areas of the world in search of answers. All of this was great, its just when those answers are revealed and turn out to be, well, kind of boring, that the book fell apart for me. Lovecraft droning on about some alien mythology he created is only interesting to the most indulgent of readers willing to try to understand this rambling discourse, a group to which I don’t belong.
The Shadow Out Of Time is a somewhat interesting Lovecraft story with some good moments, decent art, and I think Culbard make the story far better in this book that Lovecraft did by himself so if you want to read this story, pick up this adaptation rather than punish your brain by reading Lovecraft’s prose. It’s also the weakest Lovecraft adaptation Culbard has done so far - instead of TSOOT, I highly recommend checking out The Case of Charles Dexter Ward for a more entertaining and haunting Lovecraft comic.
For those unfamiliar with Lovecraft, HP (Howard Phillips) Lovecraft was an early 20th century pioneer of the horror genre, which is referred to as “weird fiction”. Published primarily in low-circulation pulp magazines, he went largely unrecognised in his lifetime and experienced a resurgence after his death in 1937 when his fiction entered the lives of numerous popular writers of today like Stephen King, Michel Houellebecq, Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore, who would count Lovecraft amongst their influences.
The Shadow Out Of Time (TSOOT) is about Professor Peaslee who suffers a fainting spell one day at Miskatonic University in Lovecraft’s fictional town of Arkham. When Peaslee awakens he discovers 5 years have passed - but even more disturbingly, he finds out that he wasn’t unconscious and bedridden for all those years but actively walking around. But how was that possible? And what was “he” doing in those lost years?
With TSOOT, it seemed like Lovecraft was moving away from the horror genre as the story is mostly about the space dreams Peaslee experienced and relays, in rather tedious exposition, to the reader. There are numerous scenes of odd-looking aliens, somewhat familiar yet ominous pyramids and monoliths, and ancient statues hidden in remote areas that attest to the idea that We Are Not Alone In The Universe. All of which is fine material for Lovecraft to tackle except he tries to make it fit the horror template and it doesn’t work because they’re two different genres.
Culbard does his best to diminish Lovecraft’s awkward writing style (the description “horrific prose” was never more ironically applied than to Lovecraft) where his characters repeatedly tell the reader that what they saw was shocking and horrible beyond belief which doesn’t work quite so well as experiencing it yourself. If you’re told over and over again that something is scary, it’s probably not. Thankfully, Culbard does away with those extensive paragraphs from the original story so the book reads a lot smoother and he even gives the characters dialogue, something Lovecraft notoriously avoided in his fiction (I should say that he claimed dialogue was vulgar and that was why he refused to use it in his work, but I think that he didn’t mostly because, as a recluse, he rarely spent much time around other people and so had no idea how they spoke. The few times he did utilise dialogue, it is absolutely laughable - ellipses everywhere!).
Perhaps the most damning aspect of this story and that makes TSOOT one of the least interesting Lovecraft stories is the descriptions of the Great Old Ones, the ancient deities that make up Lovecraft’s legendary Cthulu mythos. Culbard does his best to depict them as scary going off of Lovecraft’s descriptions but they’re really anything but - in fact, they’re kind of funny and kind of stupid at the same time. One of them looks like a giant strawberry nestled atop a can of tuna; another looks like a grasshopper with jelly for arms - these are the terrifying gods of chaos and madness?! They resemble the product of a 5 year olds imagination!
I know Lovecraft’s fans really love his mythos but the stories related here read more like something Tom Cruise and John Travolta would believe in rather than credible sci fi or horror - it’s that poorly conceived and related. I respect that Lovecraft put a lot of effort into making it seem fascinating but I found it as byzantine and inscrutable as Tolkien’s extensive Middle Earth history.
I enjoyed parts of the book like Peaslee’s eerie experiences, the mystery of those lost years, and his travels to remote areas of the world in search of answers. All of this was great, its just when those answers are revealed and turn out to be, well, kind of boring, that the book fell apart for me. Lovecraft droning on about some alien mythology he created is only interesting to the most indulgent of readers willing to try to understand this rambling discourse, a group to which I don’t belong.
The Shadow Out Of Time is a somewhat interesting Lovecraft story with some good moments, decent art, and I think Culbard make the story far better in this book that Lovecraft did by himself so if you want to read this story, pick up this adaptation rather than punish your brain by reading Lovecraft’s prose. It’s also the weakest Lovecraft adaptation Culbard has done so far - instead of TSOOT, I highly recommend checking out The Case of Charles Dexter Ward for a more entertaining and haunting Lovecraft comic.
September 20, 2017
Τον Φεβρουάριο του 2016 είχα διαβάσει την νουβέλα του Χ. Φ. Λάβκραφτ πάνω στην οποία βασίζεται το παρόν graphic novel, η τελευταία μακροσκελής ιστορία που έγραψε ο μεγάλος αυτός συγγραφέας τρόμου. Είχα μείνει γενικά ικανοποιημένος από την νουβέλα, αν και είχα συναντήσει διάφορα... προβληματάκια με τις πομπώδεις περιγραφές και την όλη τρέλα της πλοκής. Από τα τρία βιβλία του συγγραφέα που έχω διαβάσει μέχρι σήμερα ("Η περίπτωση του Τσαρλς Ντέξτερ Γουόρντ" και "Τα βουνά της τρέλας" τα άλλα δυο), είναι το λιγότερο αγαπημένο μου. Όπως και να'χει, όμως, η ιστορία είναι φοβερά ενδιαφέρουσα και οι ιδέες εξαιρετικά ιντριγκαδόρικες, σίγουρα είναι ένα βιβλίο που αξίζει να διαβάσει κανείς.
Τώρα, εδώ έχουμε να κάνουμε με την μεταφορά μιας τόσο περίεργης και ιδιαίτερης νουβέλας σε μορφή κόμικ. Κατά την γνώμη μου έκανε αρκετά καλή δουλειά ο Κάλμπαρντ, μετέφερε όσο μπορούσε την τρέλα και την παράνοια που διακρίνει την πλοκή και τον πρωταγωνιστή, το σχέδιο είναι "καθαρό" -αν και ίσως όχι για όλα τα γούστα-, νομίζω ότι κάνει καλά την δουλειά του, αποτυπώνει με παραστατικότητα όλες τις περιπέτειες του καθηγητή Πίζλι.
Σίγουρα το κόμικ μπορεί να μην διαθέτει την τρομακτική και περίεργη ατμόσφαιρα της νουβέλας του Λάβκραφτ, μιας και λείπουν όλες αυτές οι τρομερές περιγραφές των τοπίων, των γεγονότων και των χαρακτήρων για τις οποίες φημίζεται ο φοβερός αυτός συγγραφέας, όμως νομίζω ότι μια χαρά μπορεί να περάσει κάποιες ανατριχίλες στον αναγνώστη και να τον μπάσει στον τρομερό κόσμο των ιστοριών του Χ. Φ. Λάβκραφτ. Κάποια καρέ, μάλιστα, τα χάζεψα για λίγα λεπτά παραπάνω! Στα θετικά του κόμικ είναι η στρωτή ροή της υπόθεσης, καθώς και τα πολύ ωραία και ταιριαστά με την ιστορία χρώματα.
Γενικά, σαν λάτρης των ιστοριών του Χ. Φ. Λάβκραφτ, έμεινα ικανοποιημένος και "χορτασμένος" από το συγκεκριμένο κόμικ, χωρίς βέβαια να ενθουσιαστώ κιόλας. Όμως η έκδοση αξίζει τα λεφτά της (έστω με μια καλή έκπτωση τουλάχιστον!), τόσο για την ιστορία αυτή καθαυτή, το σχέδιο και τα χρώματα, όσο και για την πολύ προσεγμένη και ωραία δουλειά εκ μέρους των εκδόσεων Αίολος.
Τώρα, εδώ έχουμε να κάνουμε με την μεταφορά μιας τόσο περίεργης και ιδιαίτερης νουβέλας σε μορφή κόμικ. Κατά την γνώμη μου έκανε αρκετά καλή δουλειά ο Κάλμπαρντ, μετέφερε όσο μπορούσε την τρέλα και την παράνοια που διακρίνει την πλοκή και τον πρωταγωνιστή, το σχέδιο είναι "καθαρό" -αν και ίσως όχι για όλα τα γούστα-, νομίζω ότι κάνει καλά την δουλειά του, αποτυπώνει με παραστατικότητα όλες τις περιπέτειες του καθηγητή Πίζλι.
Σίγουρα το κόμικ μπορεί να μην διαθέτει την τρομακτική και περίεργη ατμόσφαιρα της νουβέλας του Λάβκραφτ, μιας και λείπουν όλες αυτές οι τρομερές περιγραφές των τοπίων, των γεγονότων και των χαρακτήρων για τις οποίες φημίζεται ο φοβερός αυτός συγγραφέας, όμως νομίζω ότι μια χαρά μπορεί να περάσει κάποιες ανατριχίλες στον αναγνώστη και να τον μπάσει στον τρομερό κόσμο των ιστοριών του Χ. Φ. Λάβκραφτ. Κάποια καρέ, μάλιστα, τα χάζεψα για λίγα λεπτά παραπάνω! Στα θετικά του κόμικ είναι η στρωτή ροή της υπόθεσης, καθώς και τα πολύ ωραία και ταιριαστά με την ιστορία χρώματα.
Γενικά, σαν λάτρης των ιστοριών του Χ. Φ. Λάβκραφτ, έμεινα ικανοποιημένος και "χορτασμένος" από το συγκεκριμένο κόμικ, χωρίς βέβαια να ενθουσιαστώ κιόλας. Όμως η έκδοση αξίζει τα λεφτά της (έστω με μια καλή έκπτωση τουλάχιστον!), τόσο για την ιστορία αυτή καθαυτή, το σχέδιο και τα χρώματα, όσο και για την πολύ προσεγμένη και ωραία δουλειά εκ μέρους των εκδόσεων Αίολος.
August 1, 2018
Το σχέδιο είναι πανέμορφο, πραγματικά ο Culbardt έκανε πολύ καλή δουλειά. Μπορεί κάποιους να τους εκπλήσσει αυτό που πρόκειται να πω αλλά αυτό είναι η πρώτη ιστορία που διαβάζω του Lovecraft. Πάντα έλεγα ότι θέλω να διαβάσω τα βιβλία του καθώς είναι και ένας από τους βασιλιάδες της φαντασίας, αλλά ποτέ δεν έπιανα ένα βιβλίο του. Μιας και ήταν graphic novel (που αρέσουν αρκετά στην αδερφή μου) είπα να το πάρω. Το απόλαυσα αρκετά. Μπορεί σε μορφή βιβλίου να μου άρεσε περισσότερο αλλά και έτσι ήταν ωραίο. Ήταν αρκετά ξεκούραστο και το ρούφηξα με την μία. Μου άρεσε που ήταν σε μορφή γράμματος προς τον γιο του πρωταγωνιστή. Του έδινε έναν προσωπικό τόνο και με έκανε να αγχώνομαι για το τι συμβαίνει στον πρωταγωνιστή και να συμπάσκω. All in all ήταν καλή επιλογή.
June 21, 2013
This graphic novel adaptation of one of Lovecraft's key science fiction fantasies is well worth adding to the library. It is a simple and clear presentation of the story.
The central problem of filmic and graphic adaptation remains however - Lovecraft's unaussprechlichen horrors are best left vague in print, let alone as image, as far beyond current imaginings.
The central problem of filmic and graphic adaptation remains however - Lovecraft's unaussprechlichen horrors are best left vague in print, let alone as image, as far beyond current imaginings.
October 31, 2015
A little Halloween treat for myself. One of HPLs most complete and mature stories, leaving us to wonder just how good he really could have been had he not died way too young. This series of adaptations have been a real success, from the anthologies of shorts to the magnificent At The Mountains Of Madness and this one is a welcome addition, although I do feel that the immensity of Peaslee's findings are just too much to be delivered graphically. I do hope they continue though as this is a great way to keep Lovecraft's work alive and contemporary, without falling into pastiche.
June 12, 2020
An interesting and well done graphic adaption of Lovecraft. Not the easiest author to adapt in comic, but a lot try them self at it. I've seen some damn good one and some very poor one too over the years, this one is in the top half of it for sure. It respects the writing of Lovecraft and propose good illustration, that could have been a bit darker at some point, but still a good visual presentation of the original imagination! A worthy read for the Lovecraft fans!
February 25, 2017
This is the first Lovecraft graphic novel that I feel the artwork is worthy of the source material. Culbard's adaption and illustration works well and makes for an enjoyable read. I look forward to more "collaborations".
May 17, 2024
if you like this review i now have website: www.michaelkamakana.com
120514: now this is how envisioned lovecraft can be- have to find more of culbard- so much vision, so clean, so sharp, using fragments of hp prose. having read the story, having seen a previous adaptation, there is no doubt the man could inspire powerful images. this is the best of all the graphic work from lovecraft seen so far, and works for me because rendering is clean, representational, simple, and it is just right to ask the viewer to complete the image, as prose often does, as abstract art does... really love this art.
120514: now this is how envisioned lovecraft can be- have to find more of culbard- so much vision, so clean, so sharp, using fragments of hp prose. having read the story, having seen a previous adaptation, there is no doubt the man could inspire powerful images. this is the best of all the graphic work from lovecraft seen so far, and works for me because rendering is clean, representational, simple, and it is just right to ask the viewer to complete the image, as prose often does, as abstract art does... really love this art.
December 11, 2014
I really love the idea here - mixing Lovecraft's unique prose with graphic work. At times the art worked really well supplementing the story, however I did feel at times the artwork let the story down, with boxy basic drawings of settings (such as the classic Miskatonic university.) Something really cool was the well balancing paneling, as the story pacing increased so did the intensity and size of the art panels.
Apparently there are similar works out there, which I look forward to devouring. This sort of thing is highly recommended for anyone interested in HP but perhaps find the old timey prose a little clunky.
Apparently there are similar works out there, which I look forward to devouring. This sort of thing is highly recommended for anyone interested in HP but perhaps find the old timey prose a little clunky.
July 16, 2016
I do not read many graphic novels, but I really enjoyed this. Culbard's illustrations really added a lot to the story, and made the story fun to read. I didn't realize that he had done so many adaptations, but now I will see if my library has them. One reviewer said that this is his weakest adaptation. If that is so, then I am really looking forward to the others, because I thought this one was great.
September 18, 2021
I like the idea of Lovecraft far more than I actually like the stories themselves. I find his prose dense, frustrating and florid, and his attempts to emulate the eras of his heroes feels too clumsy and distancing to me. I’ve always felt on some level he is not only the father of fanfic but that this is in some way because he himself was writing fanfic himself: a turgid mix of MR James, Lord Dumsany, Hope Hodgson and Poe, with the writing dragging down his frankly astonishing ideas. It’s no surprise so many fanfic writers turn to the Cthulhu mythos, because on some level they must recognise he’s their forefather
This adaptation, thankfully, takes most of Lovecraft himself out of the problem and instead allows INJ Culbard to lift the ideas out of the bog of Lovecraft’s labyrinthine prose and allow them to sing. One of Culbard’s great skills - and I think he’s a genius, by the way - is his use of colour and shade and fluidity of line to tell stories. And this means that a lot of the denser stuff gets to really work because Culbard is such a fine artist. There’s a palpable state of dread towards the end of the book, oppressive blacks and dark blues exploded with dashes of red for contrast and dread. It’s exquisitely done. And the story - which I don’t think is one of Lovecraft’s best because it doesn’t really fully use the brilliant central idea - is adapted incredibly well, using only some of the original prose for strong effect
This adaptation, thankfully, takes most of Lovecraft himself out of the problem and instead allows INJ Culbard to lift the ideas out of the bog of Lovecraft’s labyrinthine prose and allow them to sing. One of Culbard’s great skills - and I think he’s a genius, by the way - is his use of colour and shade and fluidity of line to tell stories. And this means that a lot of the denser stuff gets to really work because Culbard is such a fine artist. There’s a palpable state of dread towards the end of the book, oppressive blacks and dark blues exploded with dashes of red for contrast and dread. It’s exquisitely done. And the story - which I don’t think is one of Lovecraft’s best because it doesn’t really fully use the brilliant central idea - is adapted incredibly well, using only some of the original prose for strong effect
December 29, 2019
Einsog með aðlögun Culbard á At the Mountains of Madness er textanum haldið í meiri mæli en góðu hófi gegnir þannig að sagan flæðir ekki rosalega vel af myndasögu að vera. Að því sögðu eru teikningarnar ágætar og henta sögunni sæmilega, þótt stíll meira í ætt við Ben Templesmith hljómi betur í mín eyru. Sagan sjálf og orðfæri Lovecrafts eru skemmtileg og sígild þótt þessi saga sé ekki sú mest spennandi af sagnabálkum hans hvað varðar "action". Ágæt aðlögun á sígildri sögu.
November 4, 2020
Dopo la lettura del racconto originale mi sono letto gli adattamenti a fumetti.
Questo di Culbard è decisamente potente, all'altezza del racconto originale; la ricerca dell'atmosfera giusta che contraddistingue gli adattamenti lovecraftiani di questo autore balza all'occhio anche questa volta.
Unica pecca la colorazione che in alcune tavole maschera un po' troppo e appesantisce inutilmente. Chissà come erano le tavole disegnate in b/n.
Sono 4 stelle piene.
Questo di Culbard è decisamente potente, all'altezza del racconto originale; la ricerca dell'atmosfera giusta che contraddistingue gli adattamenti lovecraftiani di questo autore balza all'occhio anche questa volta.
Unica pecca la colorazione che in alcune tavole maschera un po' troppo e appesantisce inutilmente. Chissà come erano le tavole disegnate in b/n.
Sono 4 stelle piene.
August 30, 2023
Buena adaptación de Lovecraft que añade referencias curiosas a otras de sus obras.
December 29, 2017
Ολόκληρη η κριτική στο Smassing Culture
H αναπαράσταση του μη παραστατικού
Για τον Ηοward Phillips Lovecraft, έχουμε μιλήσει εκτενώς και στο παρελθόν. Δεν θα μπορούσαμε άλλωστε να αγνοήσουμε έναν από τους μεγαλύτερους δημιουργούς του φανταστικού, του τρόμου, αλλά και του φαντασιακού (ή, ορθότερα, κοσμικού) τρόμου.
Το να προσπαθήσεις να αναπαραστήσεις οπτικά όλη αυτή την δυναμική του Lovecraft-ικού λόγου ενέχει τροματικές δυσκολίες, οι οποίες δεν πηγάζουν (μόνο) από τα ακατανόμαστα πλοκάμια κάποιου τέρατος. Προέρχονται, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, τόσο από την δομή, όσο και από την υφή της ατμόσφαιρας του έργου του, ιδιαίτερα αυτού της ωριμότητας. Τα περισσότερα έργα του Lovecraft έχουν πολύ λίγη δράση, ενώ αντίθετα βρίθουν πολύπλοκων και λεπτομερέστατων περιγραφών. Η δράση περιορίζεται στην αντίδραση των ανθρώπινων χαρακτήρων σε καταστάσεις απάνθρωπες, απόκοσμες και παράλογες. Οι περιγραφές πάλι, ενώ είναι πυκνές, ουσιαστικά αυτό που κάνουν είναι να συσκοτίζουν αντί να δίνουν μια απτή εικόνα. Ο συγγραφέας από το Providence αρέσκεται σε συχνές επαναλήψεις λέξεων όπως «ακατανόητο», «απερίγραπτο», «ανείπωτο», «ανομολόγητος». Αφιερώνει δηλαδή το τεράστιο συγγραφικό του ταλέντο και λεξιλόγιο σχεδόν αποκλειστικά στην απόπειρα περιγραφής πραγμάτων που δεν μπορούμε να περιγράψουμε.
Ταυτόχρονα, το ύφος του δεν έχει σχεδόν καμία συναισθηματική έξαρση. Απουσιάζουν οι συγκινήσεις, οι εντάσεις, οι αφορισμοί. Αυτός ο ψυχρός, δημοσιογραφικός τόνος όταν ασχολείται με κοσμικά, ασύλληπτα μεγέθη έχει μια βαθύτερη, αποκρουστική σημασία και δείχνει και τον λόγο για τον οπο��ο ο Lovecraft επηρέασε την πορεία της λογοτεχνείας, στον βαθμό που το έκανε: Θέτει προ τετελεσμένου την γνωστική περατότητα του ανθρώπου, και μάλιστα με αβυσαλλέο βαθμό. Αδιαφορώντας πλήρως για την αισιοδοξία του ορθολογισμού, ο οποίος προήγαγε την θετικιστική άποψη για τον κόσμο και το σύμπαν, ο μοναχικός αυτός προφήτης του χαμού σκηνοθετεί στην κοσμική αρένα, με ήρωες τους αποτρόπαιους θεούς του, την καντιανή επιταγή: όχι μόνο ο Λόγος δεν αρκεί για να τα γνωρίσουμε όλα, όχι μόνο η Γλώσσα δεν φτάνει για να περιγράψει τον τρόμο της άγνοιας μας, αλλά ακόμα και αυτά που ξέρουμε δεν είναι παρά φάσματα, σκιές στους τοίχους της πλατωνικής σπηλιάς. Κάθε απόπειρα εναντίωσης σε αυτή την φυσική κατάσταση, κάθε κρυφοκοίταγμα στις φλόγες οδηγεί στο χαμό. Αυτή η συνειδητοποίηση χτυπά κατακούτελα τον σύγχρονο άνθρωπο, ο οποίος έχει συνηθίσει να θυσιάζει και να θυσιάζεται αγόγγυστα για αυτή την σιγουριά, και είναι ο λόγος για τον οποίο ο Lovecraft παραμένει ένας αγέραστος καλλιτέχνης τρόμου, μακριά από φτηνιάρικα jump scares ή ανούσια μυστήρια και μέτριες αναφορές σε προϊόντα της μαζικής κουλτούρας.
Συγχρόνως βέβαια, αυτός είναι και ο λόγος που ο Lovecraft δεν είχε πολύ καλή αντιμετώπιση στον κινηματογράφο, την κατεξοχήν τέχνης της μοντερνικότητας. Από την μία αυτό είναι λογικό, τόσο για τεχνικούς όρους, όσο και για καλλιτεχνικούς: το μοντέρνο έφερε μαζί του την πίστη στην επιστήμη, την οποία η Lovecraft-ιανή μυθολογία χλεύαζε. Έτσι η σύνδεση 7η Τέχνης και Lovecraft είχε, στην καλύτερη, περιορισμένα αποτελέσματα.
Τι γίνεται όμως με τα κόμιξ; Πως θα μπορούσε μια Τέχνη η οποία βασίζεται, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, στις αναπαραστατικές τεχνικές του κινηματογράφου, αλλά σε εντελώς διαφορετικό πολιτισμικό πλαίσιο (καλώς ήρθατε στο μεταμοντέρνο) να αναπαραστήσει το μη παραστατικό;
Την απάντηση σε αυτό δίνει, με έξοχο τρόπο, ο Βρετανός Ι.N.J Culbard σε μια σειρά έργων επαναγνωριμίας ουσιαστικά του σύγχρονου κοινού με το έργο του κλασσικίζοντα στο ύφος, αλλά μεταμοντέρνο στην θεώρηση Lovecraft. Το ανα χείρας έργο, το H Σκιά Πέρα Από τον Χρόνο (στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Αίολος, που έχουν μια σημαντική παράδοση στην μετάφραση αλλά και στην ανάλυση του Lovecraft-ικού έργου στην χώρα μας), βασίζεται στην ομώνυμη νουβέλα του 1934-1935, έργο της ωριμότητας του συγγραφέα. Το κόμικ καταφέρνει να μας μεταφέρει ακριβώς την αίσθηση και την υφή του απόκοσμου και ιδιαίτερου αυτού Λόγου μέσα από εικόνες περιγραφικές μέσα στην ασάφεια τους, πολυεπίπεδες και με τρομερό βάθος.
Ο Ι.N.J Culbard, με εμπειρία στην Dark Horse Comics, αλλά και στον χώρο του animation, συνδυάζει δυτικές ( Jean-Claude Mézières για παράδειγμα) και ανατολίτικες ( Katsuhiro Otomo) τεχνοτροπίες και επηροές για να φέρει στο χαρτί σκέψεις που δεν αιχμαλωτίζονται εύκολα. Επιπλεόν, το H Σκιά Πέρα Από τον Χρόνο είναι μια από τις λίγες σχετικά ιστορίες που ο κεντρικός χαρακτήρας δομείται πολύ προσεκτικά. Ο καθηγητής Ναθάνιελ Πίζλι είναι ένας από τους πιο ανθρώπινους χαρακτήρες του συνήθως μισάνθρωπου ερημίτη από την Νέα Αγγλία και αυτό το Ι.N.J Culbard το προσέχει πάρα πολύ. Τον αποδίδει και αυτός με κατανόηση, ακόμα και συμπάθεια σε πολλά σημεία. Ένα ήρεμο και ψυχρό χαμόγελο για έναν άνθρωπο που κούνησε την άκρη της συμπαντικής κουρτίνας…
Επιπλέον, κάτι που χρήζει αναφοράς είναι και η επιλογή των χρωμάτων. Ενώ η επιλογή των σκούρων τόνων σε όλο το έργο θα φάνταζε μια ρεαλιστική λύση στην μυστικότητα των περιγραφών της νουβέλας, ο Ι.N.J Culbard αντιμετωπίζει το θέμα πολύ πιο θαρρετά. Εφαρμόζει ένα συνδυασμό χρωμάτων, φωτός και τρομακτικών εφιαλτών, που όχι μόνο σπάνε την μονοτονία και ευχαριστούν τον αναγνώστη, αναλαμβάνοτας ουσιαστικά τον ρόλο του να δομήσουν την ατμόσφαιρα, αλλά και παρουσιάζουν αν όχι εντελώς νέες, σίγουρα λιγότερο προσεγμένες πλευρές του έργου. Επιπρόσθετα, πέρα από τα χρώματα, ο Culbard αποδεικνύειεται πολύ καλός και στο set up αλλά και στο μοντάζ των πλάνων. Καταφέρνει να αναδεικνύει την ένταση των κινήσεων και την αγωνία των περιγραφών με τα σωστά κοψίματα, το ακριβές, άτακτο μέτρο και τον πρέποντα ρυθμό. Ακόμα, με την επανεγγραφή πεδίων σε καρέ ήδη δομημένα, αποδίδει με έναν εξαιρετικά έξυπνο τρόπο την ταυτόχρονία των γεγονότων, στο παρελθόν και στο παρόν, στη Γη, και στο πέρα της, μια έννοια δύσκολη στην απόδοση της εικαστικά. Επίσης τα αποσπάσματα από το έργο, μεταφρασμένα από τον Θωμά Μαστακούρη, ένα μεγάλο κεφάλαιο στην ελληνική μετάφραση, ταιριάζουν απόλυτα τόσο με το ύφος του Lovecraft, όσο και με την προσέγγιση την οποία ακολούθησε ο Culbard στο έργο.
Επιλογικά, το H Σκιά Πέρα Από τον Χρόνο είναι ένα απαραίτητο συμπλήρωμα για την συλλογή όσων ασχολούνται ήδη με τον μεγάλο δημιουργό, αλλά και μια εξαιρετική εισαγωγή για όσους θέλουν να γνωρίσουν τον Αμερικάνο λογοτέχνη με μια πιο άμεση οπτική. Σε κάθε περίπτωση, δεν απογοητεύει!
H αναπαράσταση του μη παραστατικού
Για τον Ηοward Phillips Lovecraft, έχουμε μιλήσει εκτενώς και στο παρελθόν. Δεν θα μπορούσαμε άλλωστε να αγνοήσουμε έναν από τους μεγαλύτερους δημιουργούς του φανταστικού, του τρόμου, αλλά και του φαντασιακού (ή, ορθότερα, κοσμικού) τρόμου.
Το να προσπαθήσεις να αναπαραστήσεις οπτικά όλη αυτή την δυναμική του Lovecraft-ικού λόγου ενέχει τροματικές δυσκολίες, οι οποίες δεν πηγάζουν (μόνο) από τα ακατανόμαστα πλοκάμια κάποιου τέρατος. Προέρχονται, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, τόσο από την δομή, όσο και από την υφή της ατμόσφαιρας του έργου του, ιδιαίτερα αυτού της ωριμότητας. Τα περισσότερα έργα του Lovecraft έχουν πολύ λίγη δράση, ενώ αντίθετα βρίθουν πολύπλοκων και λεπτομερέστατων περιγραφών. Η δράση περιορίζεται στην αντίδραση των ανθρώπινων χαρακτήρων σε καταστάσεις απάνθρωπες, απόκοσμες και παράλογες. Οι περιγραφές πάλι, ενώ είναι πυκνές, ουσιαστικά αυτό που κάνουν είναι να συσκοτίζουν αντί να δίνουν μια απτή εικόνα. Ο συγγραφέας από το Providence αρέσκεται σε συχνές επαναλήψεις λέξεων όπως «ακατανόητο», «απερίγραπτο», «ανείπωτο», «ανομολόγητος». Αφιερώνει δηλαδή το τεράστιο συγγραφικό του ταλέντο και λεξιλόγιο σχεδόν αποκλειστικά στην απόπειρα περιγραφής πραγμάτων που δεν μπορούμε να περιγράψουμε.
Ταυτόχρονα, το ύφος του δεν έχει σχεδόν καμία συναισθηματική έξαρση. Απουσιάζουν οι συγκινήσεις, οι εντάσεις, οι αφορισμοί. Αυτός ο ψυχρός, δημοσιογραφικός τόνος όταν ασχολείται με κοσμικά, ασύλληπτα μεγέθη έχει μια βαθύτερη, αποκρουστική σημασία και δείχνει και τον λόγο για τον οπο��ο ο Lovecraft επηρέασε την πορεία της λογοτεχνείας, στον βαθμό που το έκανε: Θέτει προ τετελεσμένου την γνωστική περατότητα του ανθρώπου, και μάλιστα με αβυσαλλέο βαθμό. Αδιαφορώντας πλήρως για την αισιοδοξία του ορθολογισμού, ο οποίος προήγαγε την θετικιστική άποψη για τον κόσμο και το σύμπαν, ο μοναχικός αυτός προφήτης του χαμού σκηνοθετεί στην κοσμική αρένα, με ήρωες τους αποτρόπαιους θεούς του, την καντιανή επιταγή: όχι μόνο ο Λόγος δεν αρκεί για να τα γνωρίσουμε όλα, όχι μόνο η Γλώσσα δεν φτάνει για να περιγράψει τον τρόμο της άγνοιας μας, αλλά ακόμα και αυτά που ξέρουμε δεν είναι παρά φάσματα, σκιές στους τοίχους της πλατωνικής σπηλιάς. Κάθε απόπειρα εναντίωσης σε αυτή την φυσική κατάσταση, κάθε κρυφοκοίταγμα στις φλόγες οδηγεί στο χαμό. Αυτή η συνειδητοποίηση χτυπά κατακούτελα τον σύγχρονο άνθρωπο, ο οποίος έχει συνηθίσει να θυσιάζει και να θυσιάζεται αγόγγυστα για αυτή την σιγουριά, και είναι ο λόγος για τον οποίο ο Lovecraft παραμένει ένας αγέραστος καλλιτέχνης τρόμου, μακριά από φτηνιάρικα jump scares ή ανούσια μυστήρια και μέτριες αναφορές σε προϊόντα της μαζικής κουλτούρας.
Συγχρόνως βέβαια, αυτός είναι και ο λόγος που ο Lovecraft δεν είχε πολύ καλή αντιμετώπιση στον κινηματογράφο, την κατεξοχήν τέχνης της μοντερνικότητας. Από την μία αυτό είναι λογικό, τόσο για τεχνικούς όρους, όσο και για καλλιτεχνικούς: το μοντέρνο έφερε μαζί του την πίστη στην επιστήμη, την οποία η Lovecraft-ιανή μυθολογία χλεύαζε. Έτσι η σύνδεση 7η Τέχνης και Lovecraft είχε, στην καλύτερη, περιορισμένα αποτελέσματα.
Τι γίνεται όμως με τα κόμιξ; Πως θα μπορούσε μια Τέχνη η οποία βασίζεται, σε μεγάλο βαθμό, στις αναπαραστατικές τεχνικές του κινηματογράφου, αλλά σε εντελώς διαφορετικό πολιτισμικό πλαίσιο (καλώς ήρθατε στο μεταμοντέρνο) να αναπαραστήσει το μη παραστατικό;
Την απάντηση σε αυτό δίνει, με έξοχο τρόπο, ο Βρετανός Ι.N.J Culbard σε μια σειρά έργων επαναγνωριμίας ουσιαστικά του σύγχρονου κοινού με το έργο του κλασσικίζοντα στο ύφος, αλλά μεταμοντέρνο στην θεώρηση Lovecraft. Το ανα χείρας έργο, το H Σκιά Πέρα Από τον Χρόνο (στα ελληνικά από τις εκδόσεις Αίολος, που έχουν μια σημαντική παράδοση στην μετάφραση αλλά και στην ανάλυση του Lovecraft-ικού έργου στην χώρα μας), βασίζεται στην ομώνυμη νουβέλα του 1934-1935, έργο της ωριμότητας του συγγραφέα. Το κόμικ καταφέρνει να μας μεταφέρει ακριβώς την αίσθηση και την υφή του απόκοσμου και ιδιαίτερου αυτού Λόγου μέσα από εικόνες περιγραφικές μέσα στην ασάφεια τους, πολυεπίπεδες και με τρομερό βάθος.
Ο Ι.N.J Culbard, με εμπειρία στην Dark Horse Comics, αλλά και στον χώρο του animation, συνδυάζει δυτικές ( Jean-Claude Mézières για παράδειγμα) και ανατολίτικες ( Katsuhiro Otomo) τεχνοτροπίες και επηροές για να φέρει στο χαρτί σκέψεις που δεν αιχμαλωτίζονται εύκολα. Επιπλεόν, το H Σκιά Πέρα Από τον Χρόνο είναι μια από τις λίγες σχετικά ιστορίες που ο κεντρικός χαρακτήρας δομείται πολύ προσεκτικά. Ο καθηγητής Ναθάνιελ Πίζλι είναι ένας από τους πιο ανθρώπινους χαρακτήρες του συνήθως μισάνθρωπου ερημίτη από την Νέα Αγγλία και αυτό το Ι.N.J Culbard το προσέχει πάρα πολύ. Τον αποδίδει και αυτός με κατανόηση, ακόμα και συμπάθεια σε πολλά σημεία. Ένα ήρεμο και ψυχρό χαμόγελο για έναν άνθρωπο που κούνησε την άκρη της συμπαντικής κουρτίνας…
Επιπλέον, κάτι που χρήζει αναφοράς είναι και η επιλογή των χρωμάτων. Ενώ η επιλογή των σκούρων τόνων σε όλο το έργο θα φάνταζε μια ρεαλιστική λύση στην μυστικότητα των περιγραφών της νουβέλας, ο Ι.N.J Culbard αντιμετωπίζει το θέμα πολύ πιο θαρρετά. Εφαρμόζει ένα συνδυασμό χρωμάτων, φωτός και τρομακτικών εφιαλτών, που όχι μόνο σπάνε την μονοτονία και ευχαριστούν τον αναγνώστη, αναλαμβάνοτας ουσιαστικά τον ρόλο του να δομήσουν την ατμόσφαιρα, αλλά και παρουσιάζουν αν όχι εντελώς νέες, σίγουρα λιγότερο προσεγμένες πλευρές του έργου. Επιπρόσθετα, πέρα από τα χρώματα, ο Culbard αποδεικνύειεται πολύ καλός και στο set up αλλά και στο μοντάζ των πλάνων. Καταφέρνει να αναδεικνύει την ένταση των κινήσεων και την αγωνία των περιγραφών με τα σωστά κοψίματα, το ακριβές, άτακτο μέτρο και τον πρέποντα ρυθμό. Ακόμα, με την επανεγγραφή πεδίων σε καρέ ήδη δομημένα, αποδίδει με έναν εξαιρετικά έξυπνο τρόπο την ταυτόχρονία των γεγονότων, στο παρελθόν και στο παρόν, στη Γη, και στο πέρα της, μια έννοια δύσκολη στην απόδοση της εικαστικά. Επίσης τα αποσπάσματα από το έργο, μεταφρασμένα από τον Θωμά Μαστακούρη, ένα μεγάλο κεφάλαιο στην ελληνική μετάφραση, ταιριάζουν απόλυτα τόσο με το ύφος του Lovecraft, όσο και με την προσέγγιση την οποία ακολούθησε ο Culbard στο έργο.
Επιλογικά, το H Σκιά Πέρα Από τον Χρόνο είναι ένα απαραίτητο συμπλήρωμα για την συλλογή όσων ασχολούνται ήδη με τον μεγάλο δημιουργό, αλλά και μια εξαιρετική εισαγωγή για όσους θέλουν να γνωρίσουν τον Αμερικάνο λογοτέχνη με μια πιο άμεση οπτική. Σε κάθε περίπτωση, δεν απογοητεύει!
January 31, 2017
Generally, I'm not a big fan of Lovecraft. It's been so many years after his work was published that most people have had time to copy him and now his work just doesn't feel fresh and new to me, since I've seen it done and doubled. But these Culbard adaptations are great! The illustrations serve to expand on the text as Culbard does a fantastic job at showing these everyday, normal type people who find themselves amid the slow creep of horror and you can truly see the horror on their faces as the realization dawns. That right there is what makes a good comic; the pictures serve to make the words better, not to hide, replace or detract from the story.
January 17, 2019
Culbard's strongest adaptation.
The Shadow Out of Time is a compelling, well drawn and engrossing tale about time, space, the cost of acquiring knowledge.
Culbard seems to have really hit his stride in this one. His chosen style is consistent and while the mosnters are not always frightening or memorable, they do offer up a proper quota of the grotesque.
Not sure about the halo for the flashlight, but overall, a commendable adaptation.
The Shadow Out of Time is a compelling, well drawn and engrossing tale about time, space, the cost of acquiring knowledge.
Culbard seems to have really hit his stride in this one. His chosen style is consistent and while the mosnters are not always frightening or memorable, they do offer up a proper quota of the grotesque.
Not sure about the halo for the flashlight, but overall, a commendable adaptation.
November 22, 2016
Made me nearly as paranoid as reading House of Leaves. Thankfully I was too tired to stay up and scan my bedroom for entities from another world.
Thanks, Lovecraft. Now my imagination is going to go bananas next time I have insomnia.
Thanks, Lovecraft. Now my imagination is going to go bananas next time I have insomnia.
October 5, 2025
The Shadow Out of Time is not my favourite story by Lovecraft, but it is an iconic and important one, being his last long work. It added a lot of lore to the Cthulhu mythos which I believe allowed an expansion of his universe to be carried by countless others since.
The original story is somewhat overegged and wordy to the point where entire chapters are just there to speculate and further the readers curiosity. However, Culbard's version here cuts a lot of the fat off and maintains a much better pace for it.
The story stays close to the original with only very minor changes but adapts well to the graphic imagery the story carries, particularly in the second half where the exploration in Australia begins.
The narrative is told by a man, Peaslee, who lost several years of his life due to being posessed by another being, although the being seemed benign, he only has vague memeories of these years which he tries to understand in a later period of life. His findings take him to Australia to where he starts to remember a network of caves in a remote desert, but doesn't realise why, or what significance it holds.
What he finds may not be wise to admit to the outside world, and that's only if they would believe him.
The original story sags in the middle whereas this version does not. Questions still remain for the reader such as the cult who bring the device which may have snapped him out of the years long trance. But it ends with a twist and a decent explanation as to what happened and why, which Lovecraft sometimes lacked in other tales.
Overall, I'd say this is a worthy adaptation which benefits from Culbard's simplistic, yet expressive style. The ancient towers and blocky remnants were particularly striking scenes in this one. I'd say the original story would not be an ideal introduction to Lovecraft's works, however, the graphic novel version would be as it keeps the strangeness, the curiosity, and the dread as to what could have been alive at a better pace.
The original story is somewhat overegged and wordy to the point where entire chapters are just there to speculate and further the readers curiosity. However, Culbard's version here cuts a lot of the fat off and maintains a much better pace for it.
The story stays close to the original with only very minor changes but adapts well to the graphic imagery the story carries, particularly in the second half where the exploration in Australia begins.
The narrative is told by a man, Peaslee, who lost several years of his life due to being posessed by another being, although the being seemed benign, he only has vague memeories of these years which he tries to understand in a later period of life. His findings take him to Australia to where he starts to remember a network of caves in a remote desert, but doesn't realise why, or what significance it holds.
What he finds may not be wise to admit to the outside world, and that's only if they would believe him.
The original story sags in the middle whereas this version does not. Questions still remain for the reader such as the cult who bring the device which may have snapped him out of the years long trance. But it ends with a twist and a decent explanation as to what happened and why, which Lovecraft sometimes lacked in other tales.
Overall, I'd say this is a worthy adaptation which benefits from Culbard's simplistic, yet expressive style. The ancient towers and blocky remnants were particularly striking scenes in this one. I'd say the original story would not be an ideal introduction to Lovecraft's works, however, the graphic novel version would be as it keeps the strangeness, the curiosity, and the dread as to what could have been alive at a better pace.
November 20, 2022
A gripping story of time traveling intellectuals looking to record the annals of history and archive the lifespan of all life forms. The story starts with the classical Lovecraftian approach of a mentally exhausted protagonist writing his/her unbelievable and fantastical adventures as if by writing it they hope to find a form of validation and truth, rather than accepting that they had simply lost their mind.
There seem to be a nice link to At the Mountains of Madness here, which I found very interesting to be putting 1 and 1 and getting a 2, not so common in this cosmic horror mythology. There wasn’t much character building and I’m not sure if that was lost in the comic format or even the original story lacks it (but I intend to find out). However, with the shortcoming of character development, the novel has more than made up for in world setting, and what an intriguing world it was!
The comic style felt perfect for the setting of the story and the detailing of the world and creatures was quite imaginative as opposed to the lack of features or emotions exhibited in our characters, harkening back to the chasm between character and world building.
This is definitely a good entry book to Lovecraft, it exercises most of his typical tropes, a protagonist holding onto sanity by a thread, cosmic beings with unfathomable intellect and power, a mystery shrouded in obscure mythos and legend. So I would definitely be recommending this read to anyone who would be looking for a flavor of Lovecraft.
There seem to be a nice link to At the Mountains of Madness here, which I found very interesting to be putting 1 and 1 and getting a 2, not so common in this cosmic horror mythology. There wasn’t much character building and I’m not sure if that was lost in the comic format or even the original story lacks it (but I intend to find out). However, with the shortcoming of character development, the novel has more than made up for in world setting, and what an intriguing world it was!
The comic style felt perfect for the setting of the story and the detailing of the world and creatures was quite imaginative as opposed to the lack of features or emotions exhibited in our characters, harkening back to the chasm between character and world building.
This is definitely a good entry book to Lovecraft, it exercises most of his typical tropes, a protagonist holding onto sanity by a thread, cosmic beings with unfathomable intellect and power, a mystery shrouded in obscure mythos and legend. So I would definitely be recommending this read to anyone who would be looking for a flavor of Lovecraft.
May 18, 2022
After twenty-two years of nightmare and terror, i am unwilling to vouch for the truth of that which I think I found in western Australia on the night of 17-18 July 1935.
It is probably obvious by now that I adore a graphic novel adaptation of a classic horror story, whether it be H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, or M.R. James.
This time it's another Lovecraft story from the Cthulhu mythos. Featuring well know locations, such as the Miskatonic University in Arkham and Innsmouth, the story follows Professor Nathaniel Peaslee.
When the Professor collapses in front of a class, he awakes 5 years later to find his world upside down. Assuming he'd been in a coma, he soon finds that he had, in fact, been rather active, studying and researching the occult. Determined to find out the truth of his missing time, he finds himself going back over the texts and investigations that filled his missing time. Their truth, more horrifying than he could have ever imagined.
Classic Lovecraft, wonderfully adapted. A full 5 stars.
It is probably obvious by now that I adore a graphic novel adaptation of a classic horror story, whether it be H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, or M.R. James.
This time it's another Lovecraft story from the Cthulhu mythos. Featuring well know locations, such as the Miskatonic University in Arkham and Innsmouth, the story follows Professor Nathaniel Peaslee.
When the Professor collapses in front of a class, he awakes 5 years later to find his world upside down. Assuming he'd been in a coma, he soon finds that he had, in fact, been rather active, studying and researching the occult. Determined to find out the truth of his missing time, he finds himself going back over the texts and investigations that filled his missing time. Their truth, more horrifying than he could have ever imagined.
Classic Lovecraft, wonderfully adapted. A full 5 stars.
July 13, 2024
The Shadow Out of Time is an excellent science fiction and cosmic horror story by Lovecraft. The original work is one that lacked the problematic elements that appeared in a number of Lovecraft’s works. This adaptation takes the novella and does a great job of covering the key points in a visual format.
The story covers professor Peaslee, who collapses and wakes five years later to hear that his wife has left him because he became a different person. His secondary personality took trips for mysterious reasons, met occult figures, and consulted dark tomes.
His dreams are of a strange city from the distant past, where he was trapped in a non-human body. The Yithians can throw their minds through space and time in order to seek knowledge, and switch bodies to study other worlds and cultures.
Peaslee documents his dreams as a record of a psychological disorder, only to be contacted by an Australian geologist who has seen his alien markings in stone in the desert. He arranges an expedition to uncover the truth.
This story is an excellent example of covering deep time. This adaptation is enjoyable.
The story covers professor Peaslee, who collapses and wakes five years later to hear that his wife has left him because he became a different person. His secondary personality took trips for mysterious reasons, met occult figures, and consulted dark tomes.
His dreams are of a strange city from the distant past, where he was trapped in a non-human body. The Yithians can throw their minds through space and time in order to seek knowledge, and switch bodies to study other worlds and cultures.
Peaslee documents his dreams as a record of a psychological disorder, only to be contacted by an Australian geologist who has seen his alien markings in stone in the desert. He arranges an expedition to uncover the truth.
This story is an excellent example of covering deep time. This adaptation is enjoyable.
December 10, 2022
While this is one of my favourite HPL stories, I didn't really felt anything while reading the graphic novelization. I think it was just a bit to flat.
The time the protagonist spend in the past should/could have been much more psychedelic. And the family which abandoned him could have given more time. As I remember in the original story he had two sons. One stayed with him, the other one went with their mother.
Also the Australian part of the story could have been more... Australian. Yeah it didn't vibe with me.
What did vibe was the descend in the cave system. There Culbard really took the time, the pages.
So don't recommend, just read the original story. I have some more stories converted by Culbard, I hope I like those better.
The time the protagonist spend in the past should/could have been much more psychedelic. And the family which abandoned him could have given more time. As I remember in the original story he had two sons. One stayed with him, the other one went with their mother.
Also the Australian part of the story could have been more... Australian. Yeah it didn't vibe with me.
What did vibe was the descend in the cave system. There Culbard really took the time, the pages.
So don't recommend, just read the original story. I have some more stories converted by Culbard, I hope I like those better.
February 7, 2021
This must be best story about body snatching I ever read.
When professor collapses during the class in Arkham's Miskatonic University he is placed under close monitoring and care. Five years later he awakens totally oblivious of time passed. As he recuperates strange memories of times past and future start to flash in his mind and he starts the search for mysterious locations haunting his mind.
Entire concept is truly great. Wont go into details here because it would be major spoiler but artist truly managed to bring the strange events from Lovecraft's novels to life.
Highly recommended to all fans of horror and especially Lovecraft.
When professor collapses during the class in Arkham's Miskatonic University he is placed under close monitoring and care. Five years later he awakens totally oblivious of time passed. As he recuperates strange memories of times past and future start to flash in his mind and he starts the search for mysterious locations haunting his mind.
Entire concept is truly great. Wont go into details here because it would be major spoiler but artist truly managed to bring the strange events from Lovecraft's novels to life.
Highly recommended to all fans of horror and especially Lovecraft.
August 18, 2019
By nature of being focused upon horrors that are often beyond the understanding of a sane human mind, Lovecraft's stories are difficult to translate into an illustrated format. Most that I've read feel like pale imitations to the original story that have little to add on their own. But this feels like the first one I read that I felt was able to help bring the story even more alive through the illustrated medium.
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