Title: Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein

Author: Gris Grimly

Date of First Publication: August 27, 2013

Place of Publication: Balzer + Bray

Type: Graphic Novel

Characters: Adaptation

Themes: ALL THEMES

Critical Summary: Gris Grimly’s Frankenstein is a fresh take on Mary Shelley’s original 1818 text in which he illustrates her words. The drawings offer a visual perspective of her original writing and offer a macabre, gothic, modern interpretation of the characters. Grimly’s version is the first fully illustrated version in color to use the original 1818 text, where previous authors have abandoned the words completely to produce illustrated-only versions or ones that include original content or dialogue. In Grimly’s edition, Shelley’s words are left untempered which creates an opportunity to take her literal text and create something from it that is visually original.

Grimly’s adaptation uses a style that is much more modern, and which has appealed to younger audiences who are trying to find a more accessible way of reading Shelley’s text. Though the text is the same as the original version and tells the same story of Victor Frankenstein and the Creature, the drawing put the story in a more modern era. Victor is seen wearing a leather jacket and sporting a sort of rock-and-roll style. The other characters are also dressed in this fashion, implying a modern goth vibe. Graphically, the characters have an aura of modern day defiance—almost like something that you would see coming out of the punk subculture. Grimly manages to take Shelley’s words and embellish them through his graphic depictions.

Though the illustrations depict a different time period or a world that is separate from Shelley’s Victorian times, the themes in the story remain the same. Victor is still trying to create something that he doesn’t fully understand, the Creature is still lost, angry, confused, and ultimately misunderstood by others. What Grimly is attempting to create is a fresh, visual take on the story that still somehow honors the original content and opens it up to a new interpretation. He manages to do this with style and flare in his illustrations, using bold colors and by giving the characters an edge to their personalities.

Administrative Notes:  Annette Morrison, CSUF