Interview with Tales from the Crypt Contributor Arie Kaplan + More Reviews!
April 20, 2009 by Michael Petranek
Filed under Papercutz Blog, reviews
Hi everyone!
It’s Editorial Assistant Mike Petranek writing about a cool interview with TALES FROM THE CRYPT contributor Arie Kaplan and some more great reviews to share with you! Arie wrote “Jumping the Shark” which was illustrated by Mr. Exes in TALES FROM THE CRYPT graphic novel #4, as well as comicbook #6, serving as the inspiration for one of our most popular covers ever:
Arie recently authored From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books, has written for MAD magazine, and recently wrote the Speed Racer comicbook mini-series called Speed Racer: Chronicles of the Racer. When he recently sat down with Wizard Magazine, Arie had this to say about TALES FROM THE CRYPT:
“I have a whole section on TALES FROM THE CRYPT in “From Krakow to Krypton. So, while I was writing that book, I was also pitching stories to Jim Salicrup at Papercutz for TALES FROM THE CRYPT and man, it’s such a thrill to be involved with TALES FROM THE CRYPT because I read about the history and you’re following in the footsteps of people like Harvey Kurtzman and Al Feldstein and Bill Gaines-Bill Gaines whose dad created the comics industry. That’s quite a legacy to be a part of, so I feel like I’m the inheritor of that legacy. You look at what these people have done and you just hope you can do it justice.”
Well Arie, you certainly did the legacy of TALES FROM THE CRYPT justice with your great story! Check out the rest of Ari’s Wizard interview!
There’s some other great interviews and articles on Arie out there besides this one. Check out Arie’s interview with Heeb Magazine about From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books, his work for Bongo! Comics, TALES FROM THE CRYPT and MAD. There’s also a five minute video interview with Arie from Newsarama about the above topics and more, info on his recent Archie Comics work, and of course, the official From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books site and Arie’s own website. Enjoy!
Onto other news, TALES FROM THE CRYPT comicbook #11 recently got some favorable reviews online:
“I’ve kept with the book since issue one and it has definitely begun to improve, thanks in large part to darker storylines and better artwork… a fun diversion for $4 bucks… Some excellent, moody artwork and coloring.”
-Marc Pellegrini,
http://pellecreepy.blogspot.com
Thanks, Marc! On the subject of reviews, some of our Classics Illustrated titles have been getting a lot of positive press recently. I thought you readers out there might like to see what I’m talking about. Here’s some of the reviews and links to them!
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #5: “Hamlet”
“Classic Mandrake with an outstanding script by Grant. I really, really like these Papercutz reprints.”
-Lee Nordling, platinumcomics.com
CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED #4: “The Raven and Other Poems”
“Wilson… illustrates (very well, and appropriately) a bunch of Poe poems.”
-Andrew Wheeler, antickmusings.com
“A terrific compendium… It’s a great Poe volume — the themes of unbearable loss and creeping pestilence are all here, so put it on your Halloween shopping list now.”
-Mark London Williams, sfsite.com
“Wilson’s style is perfectly suited to Poe’s turn of phrase, as his artwork moves across the page with the cadence established by the words. But don’t take my word for it. At $9.95 this modern classic is a bargain — so order two copies and donate one to your local library!”
“NBM [Papercutz parent company], known for its high-quality graphic novels…demonstrates its taste and expertise again with CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED. The Deluxe hardbacks are meant to last, and look good doint it…it’s a joy to see “The Raven,” “The Counquerer Worm,” “Annabel Lee” and other favorites again…Wilson, known primarily for his award-winning New Yorker, Playboy and National Lamppon Cartoons, is also one of a kind – - and a perfect choice for this book. His peculiar and sometimes bizarre scribblings are unsettling, and given the subject matter, welcome.”
“Classics Illustrated….collecting various Edgar Allan Poe Works, illustrated by famed cartoonist Gahan Wilson. From that description alone, you know it’s worth the sawbuck…it’s a joy to see “The Raven,” “The Conquerer Worm,” “Annabel Lee” and other favorites again.”
-Andrew A. Smith, Scripps Howard News Service
Whew! That’s a lot of nice comments for one day. So…what do YOU think of these and other Papercutz titles? What’s your favorite? What’s your least favorite? It’s all open to discussion here. As Jim says, “love it or hate it, we want to hear your thoughts.” Thanks for reading and have a great day!
-Mike the Editorial Assistant
