Following up on our item on The Hobbit’s first publication yesterday, you may want to check out a new book, The Mythmakers, a graphic novel biography of two literary lions – C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien – from New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator John Hendrix.
Out this week, The Mythmakers (AmazonUK Affiliate Link) follows the remarkable story of their friendship and creative fellowship, and how each came to write their masterworks
Through narrative and comic panels, Hendrix chronicles Lewis and Tolkien’s near-idyllic childhoods, then moves on to both men’s horrific tour of the trenches of World War One to their first meeting at Oxford in 1929, and then the foreshadowing, action, and aftermath of World War Two.
He reveals the shared story of their friendship, in all its ups and downs, that gave them confidence to venture beyond academic concerns (fantasy wasn’t considered suitable for adult reading, but the domain of children), shaped major story/theme ideas, and shifted their ideas about the potential of mythology and faith.
Published by Abrams Fanfare, The Mythmakers also shows the camaraderie and the importance of the social and literary circle of friends called the Inklings, and how the friendship of these two great men fell apart and came together again. Hendrix concludes describing how the writings of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien had re-enchanted the 20th century, after two World Wars.
In writing aimed at scholars, adults, and young people, these two tweedy academics altered the course of storytelling and embraced the concept that fantasy writing for an adult audience was an accepted form of literature.
The format is similar John’s 2018 book, The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler: prose interspersed with images and narrative comics. The narration is often conversations between a knowledgeable wizard and a comical lion. Through brisk conversation between these two friends, they explain some of the bigger ideas in an approachable and entertaining way.
Throughout the story, there are “gateways” that lead readers to the back matter where certain themes, such as how myth/fantasy evolved or the art of world-building, are discussed more fully. This device keeps the main story flowing quickly and smoothly for those readers not interested in the more academic ideas behind the narrative.
Among the ideas covered in the narrative and back matter are Tolkien’s world-building, the “Theology of Creation” linking their faith to their writings, the meaning of real friendship, the value of fantasy, and the power of a creative community.
Aimed at 10 – 14 year olds, The Mythmakers also offers an exploration of the different kinds of storytelling in Lewis’s Narnia stories and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, both relying on “the Myth” as a storytelling device, but differing in the use of allegory vs. symbolism; and explores the creative differences of Lewis and Tolkien: the high standards of Tolkien’s fiction and the faster and more immediate approach of Lewis’s.
Also included are an author’s note, endnotes, bibliography and index.
John Hendrix is a New York Times bestselling author and illustrator. His books include the young adult graphic novel The Faithful Spy: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Plot to Kill Hitler (a YALSA Nonfiction Excellence in Nonfiction Award Finalist) and the picture books Go and Do Likewise!: The Parables and Wisdom of Jesus, Shooting at the Stars: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus, and Nurse, Soldier, Spy: The Story of Sarah Edmonds, A Civil War Hero.
He is also the author-artist behind the adult books The Holy Ghost: A Spirited Comic and Drawing Is Magic: Discovering Yourself in a Sketchbook. He is chair of the MFA Illustration and Visual Culture program in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis. Hendrix lives in Webster Groves, Missouri.
• The Mythmakers by John Hendrix is on sale from Thursday 26th September 2024 | ISBN 978-1419746345 | Order it from AmazonUK (Affiliate Link)
• Also on downthetubes: Happy Birthday, The Hobbit!
- 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: Books, Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds, US Comics
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