Truth matters. Community matters. Your support makes both possible. LAist is one of the few places where news remains independent and free from political and corporate influence. Stand up for truth and for LAist. Make your year-end tax-deductible gift now.
Drawing Rock 'N' Roll And Sympathy Into Frankenstein's World
Listen
5:35
Gris Grimly has depicted classic texts like <em>The Legend of Sleepy Hollow</em> and the stories of Edgar Allan Poe. He also recently collaborated with author Neil Gaiman on <em>The Dangerous Alphabet</em>.
(
Robyn Von Swank
/
Courtesy of HarperCollins
)
Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein has been adapted countless times over the years — into films, television shows and even musicals.
In his new graphic novel adaptation of Shelley's story, illustrator Gris Grimly says he set out to make the original text more accessible.
"The first time I tried to read Frankenstein, I didn't get through it," Grimly tells NPR's Arun Rath. "Frankenstein is not the easiest read when you're young."
The graphic novel contains nearly 200 pages of illustrations stitched together with Shelley's words. Grimly says he relied on film adaptations of the story. "I wanted to change that for the young generations to come — to give them a way to read the words and interpret the words ... and not have to rely on the movies," he says.
Interview Highlights
On not repeating previous illustrations of the story
Sponsored message
I was gonna make it my own world, my own time period. Something kind of surreal and have an element of rock 'n' roll to it.
On Frankenstein's monster as a sympathetic, child-like character
It is definitely a huge part of the book. ... Some people say that has to do with Mary Shelley's upbringing and the pain — that she felt ostracized. And so she put that into that character.
I think that's one of the things that drew me to the story in the beginning is that fact that I kind of felt ostracized growing up. I grew up in the country, on a farm, and I just didn't fit in growing up.
On relating to the character
When I was 5 years old, I was burned seriously — my back, 80 percent of my skin, so I grew up feeling kind of like a monster. I felt that I was that creature that wanted to fit into society but was consistently told that I wasn't there, I couldn't. And I think that's one of the things that has always attracted me to the Frankenstein story.
Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. 9(MDA1OTI3MjQ5MDEyODUwMTE2MzM1YzNmZA004))
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive before year-end will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.
If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
