''Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein'' is an illustrated edition of

Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley ( , ; ; 30 August 1797 – 1 February 1851) was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel ''Frankenstein, Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'' (1818), which is considered an History of science fiction# ...

's 1818 novel '' Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus'', first published in 1983 by American company

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...

, with full-page illustrations by American artist

Bernie Wrightson Bernard Albert Wrightson (October 27, 1948 – March 18, 2017) was an American artist, known for co-creating the Swamp Thing, his Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein, adaptation of the novel ''Frankenstein'' illustration work, and for his other ho ...

. In 2008, a new edition was released by

Dark Horse Comics Dark Horse Comics is an American comic book, graphic novel, manga and Artist's book, art book publisher founded in Milwaukie, Oregon, by Mike Richardson in 1986. The company was created using funds earned from Richardson's chain of Portland, O ...

for the 25th anniversary.

Publication history

This edition reprints the full novel by

(1831 edition), with illustrations by Wrightson. Wrightson spent seven years drawing approximately 50 detailed pen-and-ink illustrations. The book includes an introduction by

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

and from Wrightson himself. The illustrations themselves are not based upon the

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

or Lee films, but on the actual book's descriptions of characters and objects. Wrightson also used a period style, saying "I wanted the book to look like an antique; to have the feeling of woodcuts or steel engravings, something of that era" and basing the feel on artists like

Franklin Booth Franklin Booth (July 18, 1874 – August 25, 1948) was an American artist known for his detailed pen-and-ink illustrations. He had a unique illustration style based upon his early recreation of wood engraving illustrations with pen and ink. His sk ...

, J.C. Coll and

Edwin Austin Abbey Edwin Austin Abbey (April 1, 1852August 1, 1911) was an American muralist, illustrator, and painter. He flourished at the beginning of what is now referred to as the "golden age" of illustration, and is best known for his drawings and paintings ...

. Wrightson has said that it was an unpaid project: To help fund this labor of love, Wrightson released three portfolios of his ''Frankenstein'' illustrations in 1977, 1978, and 1980 in advance of the publication of the full book in 1983. Each portfolio contained six 11x16 inch plates. The text accompanying the third portfolio said: In August 1993, Apple Press published ''The Lost Frankenstein Pages'', which collects unused finished artwork as well as sketches and studies by Wrightson. In 1994, Underwood-Miller published a new edition of the novel containing some of these previously unused illustrations, bringing the total from 43 to "over 45." In October 2008, for the 25th anniversary of the first edition, a new edition was prepared and released with 47 illustrations by

in an oversized (9" x 12"), hardcover format scanned from the original artwork, when it could be tracked down. Simon & Schuster's Gallery Books imprint released a new version in August 2020 in hardcover and a paperback is scheduled for April 2021; however, the size for both is a smaller 6"x9", reducing the detail in Wrightson's artwork.

''Frankenstein Alive, Alive!''

In 2012, Wrightson and writer

Steve Niles Steve Niles (born June 21, 1965) is an American comic book author and novelist, known for works such as '' 30 Days of Night'', '' Criminal Macabre: A Cal McDonald Mystery'', '' Simon Dark'', ''Mystery Society'', '' Batman: Gotham County Line'', '' ...

began publishing a comic book series titled ''Frankenstein Alive, Alive!'' which is billed as a "sequel to Wrightson's acclaimed 1983 illustrated version" by

IDW Publishing IDW Publishing is an American publisher of comic books, graphic novels, art books, and comic strip collections. It was founded in 1999 as the publishing division of Idea and Design Works, LLC (IDW) and is recognized as the fifth-largest comic ...

. Wrightson won his first National Cartoonists Society's award in the category Comic Books for ''Frankenstein Alive, Alive!'' in 2013.''2013 Reuben Awards Winners''
at reuben.org, 25.May 2013 Retrieved 14.August 2013

References

External links

Bernie Wrightson's ''Frankenstein''
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{{Frankenstein 1983 books 1983 comics debuts 1983 comics endings Horror comics Dark Horse Comics titles Marvel Comics titles Comics based on Frankenstein Comics set in the 19th century Comics set in Germany