Eisner and Harvey Award-winning artist and writer P. Craig Russell will make his only convention appearance in 2008 at Mid-Ohio-Con. Perhaps best known for his collaborations with Neil Gaiman, Russell’s extensive and diverse body of creative work includes pioneering adaptations of literary and operatic classics as well as mainstream work for DC, Marvel, Dark Horse, and other major comic publishers.
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MOC - Special Guest: P. Craig Russell
Review by Kelly Fineman:
Mind you, the Coraline in this version looks nothing like the Coraline on the cover of the original novel* (as drawn by David McKean), nor does she look anything like the Coraline who will be in the forthcoming 3D movie version of the book.* BUT in some ways, I like her all the more for it, because she looks like a real girl, and not like a cartoon(ish) character. Russell even makes Coraline seem to stand a bit taller as the book moves along, and the images of the Other Mother (who likes to sew buttons for eyes, brrrrr**) are decidedly frightening, as they should be.
Full review:
From the July 2008 edition of School Library Journal:
This adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s novel (HarperCollins, 2002) reads as though it were intended for the graphic novel format in the first place. Insatiably curious Coraline is an explorer dedicated to discovering everything she can about the area around her family’s new home. When she comes upon a door in their flat that seems to go nowhere, enters an alternate world that at first is full of interesting things and delicious foods–everything that she has longed for. However, the dangerous creature there–called the “other mother”– intends to keep her forever. After Coraline’s parents are kidnapped into the other world, she sets off on a mission to rescue them. Russell’s illustrations suit the tone of the story perfectly, from the horrific black button eyes of the people in the other world to Coraline’s very telling facial expressions. The style is realistic, which makes the moments when the other world loses its solidity even more eerie. The pacing never lags, and Coraline’s transformation into a girl who understands that having everything you want is the least interesting thing of all is natural. For readers who enjoyed the novel, Coraline is sure to complement their reading experience. Those who come to the book first as a graphic novel will be just as captivated.–Alana Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT
