Available now from Gosh! Comics is a limited-edition release of Nightmare at Northanger Abbey by artist and writer Keith Page (co-creator of the graphic novel, Hancock: The Lad Himself and creator of the multiverse-spanning heroine Charlotte Corday).
Only 50 copies of this first limited hand lettered edition of the steampunk-tinged story have been printed, numbered and signed by Keith himself.
Taking inspiration from Jane Austen – this year marking the 250th anniversary of the author’s birth – Keith has cleverly blended her satire on Gothic novels with the works of Thomas Love Peacock into a heady mix of creepy horror, set in the time of George III. Be ready for things that go bump in the night, disturbing visions and ghost stories that have a disturbing impact on some listeners, as two young ladies arrive at Northanger Abbey… which hide more secrets than they expect!
“Northanger Abbey was a satirical novel featuring the likes of Shelley, Coleridge and Lord Byron gathered together in a country house,” Keith notes.
“When I came up with the idea of incorporating it into a new story, it was only a small step to include Mary Shelley and the 1936 film Bride of Frankenstein! A sci-fi twist at the end completes the book.”
“The Gothic novels of the 18th century now appear very tame, but they are the origins of much modern fantasy fiction,” Keith continues. “The subject matter is a little unusual for a comic and I figured that if I didn’t publish it myself, it would be unlikely to see the light of day… the Jane Austen Appreciation Society would very probably not appreciate it!”
One sci-fi aspect of the adventure, its steam carriages, they actually have some basis in reality. Various such vehicles really did exist in the early 1800s, but they are never mentioned by Jane Austen – in much the same way Sir Arthur Conan Doyle never mentions in the tube trains of the Underground in his Sherlock Holmes stories.
Londoner Keith Page had his first comics work published in 1976 and was represented by the Temple Art Agency for many years, working in a wide variety of genres for major comic and book publishers. He undertook long runs of work on Thunderbirds and Commando comics; and is the creator of the “Charlotte Corday” adventures, published online, sometimes working with Stephen Walsh, and the Strawjack adventure stories, the first of those published by Crucible Comic Press in 2022.
Working with Stephen Walsh he was also co-creator of the graphic novel Hancock: The Lad Himself, published by B7 Comics, first becoming a fan of Tony Hancock whist watching the original Hancock Half Hour broadcasts as a child.
• A VERY limited number of copies are also available on eBay from downthetubes, each purchase accompanied by an A3 print featuring characters from the graphic novel will be included in any sale | All purchase mailed flat
• Check out Keith Page’s blog here
• Follow the adventures of Charlotte Corday and other Keith Page projects on Facebook
- About the Author
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: British Comics, Comic Previews, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News
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