Twenty-two years ago, Charles Vess’ orginal The Book of Ballads was released. Charles Vess created beautiful black and white illustrations for short comic-book retellings by familiar and beloved authors like Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen, and Emma Bull. Each section retells an old ballad, with both artist and author providing an original take on the tale.
If you enjoy stories that range from haunting to creepy to downright weird, you’ll love the English, Irish, and Scottish ballads, and if you like any of the artists in the book you’ll enjoy the retellings. There are tales of life, love, death, and transformation. Some, like Charles DeLint’s version of “The Twa Corbies,” bring the ballad into the author’s world while standing alone on their own right. Others take the tales and provide a new twist or an added depth to the story. The currently
In September 2017, Titan Comics is bringing out an oversized, 10 x 15, hardcover version. In addition to giving the work a new, larger scale, the book will include Charles Vess’ original thumbnails and story notes.
The Book of Ballads: The Original Art Edition comes to comic book stores on September 13, 2017 and to bookstores on October 10, 2017. To pre-order from Amazon, follow this link.
Click on an image to see a larger version (It’s worth it!)
