Fort: Prophet of the Unexplained!

by Peter Lenkov, Frazer Irving

Late-nineteenth-century New York City bears witness to such events as fish falling from the sky and strange lights in the night, and it is up to mild mannered librarian Charles Fort to discover the source of these bizarre occurrences.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Horror, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Supernatural, Comix

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Peter M. Lenkov

Reviews

[Michael Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this small-sized graphic novel (actually, a compilation of a four-issue comic book) because I have a longtime interest in Charles Fort and “Fortean phenomena” generally -- but it’s not really about that. It turns out to be a rather pedestrian, very derivative, annoyingly unimaginative superhero tale in the “Twilight Zone” mold, in which Fort (an employee of the New York Public Library) welcomes a visitor from space who is on the trail of an escaped monster-virus killing off New York’s business elite (why just them?). Gov. Theodore Roosevelt has a supporting role, as does a young H. P. Lovecraft (who did *not* live in New York as a child), plus a couple of others who are never explained. (I wonder if this was meant to be part of a longer story?) Don’t waste your time or money on this one.

[Simão Cortês · Rating 2 out of 5]

The storyline was rather weak. I was sad that they turned Fort into a seeker of truth Fox Mulder style ("the truth is out there") instead of the dadaistic crazy man he was. The art was not astonishing, the story was too cliche (even if we consider that the point was for it to be cliche). It would be much more interesting to explore Fort as a humorous anti-hero (like Deadpool) or at least a humorous hero (like spiderman). Fort as the classic hero does not work at all. Also, where did his belly go? There is no relevant character arc either, nothing changes or develops. The reason that I give 2 stars is that it's pretty awesome to see a real life person like Fort getting his own supernatural comic book (he would have loved the idea, I'm sure) and the very interesting cameo of Lovecraft as the homeless boy who runs errands for him.

[Joni · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charles Fort fue un investigador que se encargó de recopilar cientos de casos extraordinarios que la ciencia, harán unos 150 años no supo explicar. Fenómenos tales como lluvia de peces y rarezas por el estilo. Si fue un embustero o un fabulador quizá nunca se sepa. En sí, su obra fue de inspiración para escritores del género fantástico, de terror y ciencia ficción. Lovecraft fue confeso admirador.
La cuestión es que más allá de la veracidad de sus escritos, su influencia en la cultura es tan grande como poco reconocida.
Ahora bien, en cuanto a este cómic no hay más que una aventura de las más imposibles, un ente extraterrestre asesino.
Apenas se mencionan algunos de los cientos de casos.
El dibujo es excelente, el blanco y negro encaja a la perfección en la ambientación.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic novel, published by Dark Horse, collates the 4 comics which tell the story of Charles Fort, a "prophet" for the unexplained. The story deals with the grizzly deaths of prominent members of society and also imagines HP Lovecraft as a young assistant to Fort. The story was gripping and well told and it's just a shame it wasn't longer. A great second hand bookshop find!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. I'm only just getting into graphic novels, so I haven't got much to compare it to, but I found it very entertaining and I thought the artwork was beautiful. I like Fort as a comic book hero - it's a fun idea.

[Francesca Giardiello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lettura interessante ma sceneggiata non benissimo, ci sono dei salti da un luogo e da un evento all'altro troppo drastici, e il legante della voce narrante interna non sempre riesce a venire in aiuto. I disegni sono ben fatti, diversi, un piacere da vedere, peccato per il ritmo narrativo.

[Robert Marsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is unfairly maligned. I thought it was great fun. A pulp era tale told with pulp gusto. Loads of fisticuffs and kick-assery! The only drawback was that some of the panels were so dark it was difficult to tell what was going on in the story. Overall, I recommend.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Extremely disappointing. Readable, but a shallow interpretation of Fort. Irving, who is usually phenomenal produces extremely muddled art.

[Ανδρέας Μιχαηλίδης · Rating 2 out of 5]

More like a 2.5 and a damn shame. I rounded down as I was not able to finish it. It's a shame because the story is not half bad and I really liked the idea of Charles Fort as a character, with a very young H.P. Lovecraft as a sidekick. Sadly, though not even the art is bad, it is very, very tiresome in black and white. It would have been a whole other comic if it were colored.

Furthermore, there are large sections of hard to read, calligraphy lettering, which really should be avoided in comics AT ALL COSTS.

[Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was loaned to me by a friend who enjoys Fortean theories and tales.

Over all it was an enjoyable read. The artwork was simple black and white but done quite well.

I was not very familiar with Fort's biography in detail to note any inconsistencies with his character.

My only dislike was in the young street urchin assisting Fort: H.P. His surname is given a few panels later as Lovecraft. There is no spoiler in this but it does establish the story for me as Alternate History. While HPL lived in New York at a point in his life, it was not while a young boy. This kind of detail often ruins a story for me.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

After hearing from a friend that he ought a compilation of Charles Fort's writings, I remembered that I had ordered this book for my library's collection so I brought it home fo him to read and he enjoyed it. It's a neat little story but unfortunately it does not give any background on who Charles Fort was which is too bad.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice period piece with a mix of a Lovecraftian monster and an alien for a twist. The main character is quite enjoyable and I'm definitely looking forward to another story. Hopefully the next story will have a bit more about his sidekick HP also.

[Trevor Oakley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chas Fort meets a young H.P. Lovecraft in this comic. Very freakin' sweet!

[Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute, fun read.

[Jason · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars, really. Fun take on a fascinating man apart from any fictionalization.

[Brandon Watkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent premise but poor execution.

[Andréa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard to follow the action since the artwork is b&w without any color.