A-Z Blogging Challenge: F is for Frankenstein Pop-Ups

Frankenstein Pop-Ups

During last year's A-Z, I wrote about one of the Dracula pop-up books that I have; this year, I thought it only fair that I should include my Frankenstein pop-up book! As with the Dracula pop-up book, this adaptation of the famed Mary Shelley novel features the talents of Clare Bampton (story adaptation), Anthony Williams (illustrations) and David Hawcock (pop-ups), with the addition of Rob Taylor (colour), and is published by Walker Books as well.

Frankenstein is equally as visually appealing, and the panels featuring the creature are particularly emotive and well-executed. The story is shortened, surmised and details left out in order to fit the constraints of an illustrated pop-up book, which does make it feel slightly rushed in places. However, where an author might spend ten to twenty pages or more on each description of scenery, emotions, reactions etc. the illustrations and pop-ups create the scene in a page or less and the impact is much more immediate. 

Some of the paper craft creations, such as the one above, are close to half a metre high, which can't help but leave a lasting impression!

Whilst I won't pretend that this pop-up is a substitute for reading the original Frankenstein text, for horror fans who want something different after working through the novel several times, and for younger readers who aren't quite ready to tackle The Modern Prometheus yet, this is a fun and novel spin on a beautiful book.

This post is part of the A-Z Blogging Challenge, 2013.

A-Z Challenge: D is for...Dracula Pop-Ups!

D is for...Dracula Pop-Ups!

Again, this entry has been backdated because I missed some days of the challenge, but regardless of that, today D is for...Dracula Pop-Ups! Although I wish I had random spooky haunted house hydraulic pop-up decorations around my house to show you, I don't. So instead, I bring you this adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic Gothic horror novel, 'Dracula', in the form of a graphic novel / pop-up book.  

Much to my delight, I received this book as a birthday present last year, along with a pop-up version of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' by the same company and another 'Dracula' pop-up book by a different publisher. This one is a collaboration between three people: Clare Bampton (story adaptation), Anthony Williams (illustrations) and David Hawcock (pop-ups).

Back view of the pop-up below

Having read the original novel and watched so many film adaptations that I've lost count (no pun intended), this one was quite a fun, visually impressive format for 'Dracula' to take. Both sides of the pop-ups are printed, so there's no white card on the back showing up to ruin the atmosphere, and they are also extremely intricate. In addition to the main pop-up in the centre of each double page spread, the side panels also fold out to reveal more of the narrative and numerous mini-pop-ups. 

The main downside to this book is that is simply isn't long enough to encompass the entire story properly and so only major plot points are included. It still makes sense as a whole, but it feels somewhat rushed and incomplete at times, which you don't get with serialised graphic novels, as they are far longer.

I think it would probably be better suited to older children or possibly even younger teens, as a precursor to reading the novel, rather than older teens and adults. Having said that, I still adore the elaborate pop-ups, and it's a fairly unusual and aesthetically pleasing addition to my horror collection! 

This post is part of the A-Z Blogging Challenge.