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CBG SATELLITES
The ADD Blog by Alan David Doane
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Today, I’ll be taking a look at two recently released adaptations of L. Frank Baum’s classic The Wizard of OZ. I’m sure this seems a little excessive. Sure, one OZ review may give you readers some insight into how an artist goes about tackling an adaptation, but is there really a call for two? The answer is yes, simply because the OZ books have a lot to offer comics.
In years past, comic artists have taken multiple shots at adapting Baum’s series to comics with wildly different results from Caliber Press’ line of OZ horror comics to Eric Shanower’s groundbreaking yet faithful series of graphic novels. While these same stories have been adapted for film and stage as well, there is a reason that OZ books are so ripe for scrutiny by comic creators. For one, OZ presents a rich fantasy setting full of extremely playful visual ideas and archetypal characters, not to mention the fact that these broad fantasy trappings hold a large amount of depth and meaning. However, the biggest reason OZ seems a solid pick for the comics is that both of them are generally viewed as children’s entertainment.
True to that idea, both of the OZ comics I’ll be looking at today are on the market primarily to catch the attention of children. Both of them provide very general adaptations of the first and most recognizable OZ novel, although each of them take a different path to entice younger readers into the world of comics. Analyzing the difference between these two approaches allows us to both measure the level of success each artist achieves in general terms as well as in terms of their goal of hooking kids on comics.
Released as part of Penguin Group’s line “Puffin Graphics” (a comics line releasing multiple classic adaptations to the book store market), Cavallaro’s take on Dorothy and company’s adventures is an entertaining and honest adaptation. Unlike the Hollywood musical most of us think of when we hear the word “OZ,” this comic retains the many of the creepier encounters from the book as well as the more morose depictions of the characters. It’s easy to forget how sad so many of OZ’s inhabitant’s are, but Cavallaro pulls a lot of emotion from seemingly simple caricatures, particularly the Scarecrow. Over an over, the reader sees the Scarecrow use wit and intelligence to solve his friend’s problems only to lament afterwards that he is useless without a brain. When combined with the laments of the Tin Woodsman and the Cowardly Lion, this repetition delivers heartbreaking beats rather than ham-handed lessons. In this, Cavallaro flawlessly presents the central them of The Wizard of OZ: each person’s inability to conquer their fear is a result not of their own shortcomings but of their lack of confidence in the abilities they have.
The overall success of this version of the story is owed to two facts. First and foremost, Cavallaro smartly follows Baum’s novel to the letter. Not only is every scene from the original recalled here, but a large amount of the dialogue is also quoted verbatim. With such a brilliant story to start from, Cavallaro is left with the burden of making his telling in pictures comparable to the original prose. Luckily, the artist is a very good storyteller. Every scene in the comic is told with remarkable economy, and countless methods of comic storytelling are put to use from omniscient narration to expository dialogue and from simple grid form panels to zigzagging montage splash pages. And while Cavallaro crams as much detail and action as possible onto every page, the visuals never overwhelm nor detract from the story at hand, and they often pull out the emotion of the tale with ease. Combine these details with a thick, dark ink line reminiscent of charcoal drawings, and you have a quick but engaging read.
Aside from all these wonderful little details, there is one aspect on Cavallaro’s work on the project that trumps all others: his moden designs. As I said before, the goal of the Puffin Graphics line and b association this work is to bring young readers into the world of comics. While the publisher is doubtlessly doing what they can to get this book placement in book stores, libraries, and book orders, the artist brings the strongest element in making kids want to read a Wizard of OZ comic book by making this version of OZ and its characters look like the world kids see today. From the earliest pages, we see a modern flair in Cavallaro’s picture of Dorothy’s Kansas town. Rather than an rickety dustbowl collection of houses, the reader is greeted by a modern, Midwestern city. From there, the character designs pick up this idea in a big way as Dorothy is introduced complete with a steel-studded belt and Riot Grrrl armbands, the Good Witch of the North is decked out like your hipster aunt complete with beehive and shades, and the Scarecrow wears a hoodie and baggie pants reflecting a hip-hop style. While some of these descriptions may sound odd for OZ, Cavallaro pulls them off strongly, adding a current of Americana to the story.
Considering the quick pace, clean art, and fun design that pulses through The Wizard of OZ: The Graphic Novel, I wouldn’t doubt any kid on the street would enjoy this work immensely. The debate on whether or not these kinds of big publisher graphic novels will ever find their way to those kids is a whole different column, but if the rest of the Puffin Graphics line is half this good, we should be seeing a lot of happy kids. Grade: 5/5
Like my other example, David Hutchison’s OZ: The Manga represents an attempt to modernize the classic book in order to bring younger readers fully into the comics world. This would seem easier given that manga is the primary form of comics kids are reading these days, however long time manga publisher Antarctic Press has had more than a few troubles breaking into the larger mainstream market as their competitors have. While the publisher thrived with English language manga in the Direct Market long before the manga boom, they haven’t had a bookstore hit. I’m not sure what to attribute this too, although the release of this book in single issues first can’t o so well compared to a digest sized graphic novel. In any event, Hutchison serves up an extremely accessible adaptation that should connect with young manga readers.
There are numerous qualities which this work shares with the Puffin volume, and all of them are positives. Like Cavallaro, Hutchison follows the Baum original to the letter in both scene choice and dialogue (for this reason, I felt comfortable submitting this review even though only four of eight issues are on the stands now). Hutchison also smartly updates the look of the cast and world of OZ to be more familiar to younger readers. However, simply comparing this work to Cavallaro’s does the former no justice as Hutchison’s similarities still sharply contrast his fellow adaptor in style and effect. It’s no secret that manga reads and feels different than traditional Western comics, and here the reader is given a great example of the strengths of the East.
Larger panels and wider landscapes in OZ: The Manga give the pace of the story a more concrete feel. There’s an awful lot to take in visually in the opening twister sequence, although the scene moves swiftly and excitingly into the rest of the work. Many critics of manga argue that the action moves too fast for there to be as much substance as the more dense American comics, however Hutchison disproves this idea repeatedly by sneaking telling detail into every corner of the text. One simple example of this is how each author introduces Dorothy’s full name. While Cavallaro informs the reader that Dorothy is in fact Dorothy Gale through repeated expository dialogue in the many scenes where she meets new friends and foes, Hutchison sneaks the name onto the doorknob of Dorothy’s flying house in the twister scene amongst the wild, windswept panels. More importantly, Hutchison uses manga technique to build tone and drama in the story. As I said earlier, the OZ books are often melancholy in nature, and Cavallaro’s track for adding this element came in repetition of rhythmic dialogue and expressions on the characters, Hutchison builds similar feelings through the looming towers of the Wicked Witch’s castle, which follow Dorothy along in certain scenes with little or no dialogue at all.
Hutchison also does a splendid job with the design of his OZ, reinterpreting the fabled land through the eyes of a manga fan. The aforementioned towers of the witch’s castle are stark, post-apocalyptic messes like a reader might see in any number of sci fi manga. The characters also follow traditional patterns with the Good Witch in a magical girl outfit and the Tin Woodsman as a steampunk pneumatic man. These details give the work a strange and often scary feel (especially in the case of the monster OZ seen by the Tin Woodsman) which should excite young readers as well as engage them by drawing from a popular visual style they identify with.
Even with all this good work, there are a few glitches in Hutchison’s take on the novel. While many of his designs and action work are very good for the characters, his caricature and facial expressions fall a little flat. The Scarecrow in particular is disconcerting as he is often rendered with unmoving features yet is granted facial expressions at odd moments (I know a lot of these face metaphors are common in manga, but Hutchison does not put them to their best use). Moreover, there are often scenes drawn with such a lack of detail that it looks as though they were drawn in Bic pen and photocopied for publication. An overuse of dot screens to provide some grays and I believe depth into the picture make some sequences seem too messy to follow.
Regardless of these small technical flaws, OZ: The Manga is an immensely entertaining adaptation which uses the tropes and techniques of Japanese comics to drive home the story in a unique way. There have been no announcements yet as to whether or not the single issues of this series will be released as a trade paper back, but if it is released, it should make for some great competition for the Puffin volume, which works out well for all of us. Grade: 4/5
-- Kiel Phegley
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The Wizard of OZ: The Graphic Novel
OZ: The Manga #1-4