LULU, a comic, by John Linton Roberson

Lulu is a newly published comic, or graphic novel, by John Linton Roberson. It is based on the Lulu plays by Frank Wedekind. Those same plays, of course, were the basis for the G.W. Pabst film, Pandora's Box, starring Louise Brooks. They also were the basis for Alban Berg's opera, Lulu, as well as the Lulu Reed & Metallica recording, Lulu, and much else. 

These incarnations of Lulu inspired Roberson, who offers an original and up-to-date take on Lulu and her archetypal story. According to Martin Pasko, who wrote the introduction, "LULU translates into graphic storytelling terms Wedekind’s meditation on sexual repression and its role in facilitating exploitative seduction with all its disturbing ferocity intact." This ain't for the faint of heart, nor the underage. Roberson's work has been described by critics as "fairly obsessed with sex & death." He disagrees with "fairly."

Roberson's latest is book one of Lulu. More volumes are in the works. In an extensive interview with Robb Orr on the Comics Forge website, Roberson was asked, "Which elements of Wedekind’s LULU inspired you to adapt it into a comic format?" 

Partly its history–it’s been adapted a number of times before to different media, most famously as Alban Berg’s opera and, even more famously, Pabst’s silent film with Louise Brooks PANDORA’S BOX (which is basically just the second play, and which most readers if interested can see on TCM quite often). Brooks in fact became so identified with Lulu that the name is almost a synonym for her, but i avoided my Lulu looking like her. Mine is based on an Italian actress some might know from 1900 and SUSPIRIA, Stefania Casini. But it was also adapted as a film in 1923 with Asta Nielsen and in 1980 by Walerian Borowczyk for French TV. That particular version is interesting–though it’s not the best–because it deals with the erotic content of the plays more openly than other versions, though Berg’s opera does so too; besides that it’s one of the few modernist operas that appears regularly, it’s also one of the only ones to regularly feature nudity and sexual content. That caught my interest because most people seem to think the classics are “clean” and I like to point out that they’re not, that’s just how we’re taught they are. The work takes a remarkably modern view of sexuality and women–both with Lulu and Geschwitz–and challenges a lot of our set ideas of how women were viewed at the time. It’s also never been adapted for comics, as far as I know, except one scene used in Moore & O’Neill’s LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: CENTURY 1910, mashed up with–and killed by–Macheath from THREEPENNY OPERA. And then there’s that it’s a chance to do something in comics very different than a lot of the sci-fi, horror and superhero stuff that presently predominates, and of which I’m kinda sick.

John Linton Roberson is the creator of VITRIOL, VLADRUSHKA, ROSA & ANNALISA, MARTHA, the play SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF, and numerous other works in comics, script and prose. For more about the artist and his new work, check out his website. Lulu is available on Amazon.com and on Createspace.

The Fat Man

I thought you all would like to know that The Fat Man graphic novel project has a brand new web site which features a 50 page preview of this forthcoming work. I mention it because this graphic novel - which features time travel, secret agents, Nazi's and more - even includes Louise Brooks as a character. I have already pre-ordered a copy. More information, sample pages, and more can be found at www.the-fat-man.co.uk

I noticed this piece as well

I noticed this piece as well because it also mentions "Beggars of Life."

A cartoon history of James Cagney

Here is something else I came across recently, a cartoon history of James Cagney. I noticed it because it mentions Beggars of Life. (Cagney starred in the stage production of Jim Tully's book which played in New York City in 1925.)

A cartoon history of Lillian Gish

Here is something I came across recently, a cartoon history of Lillian Gish from 1931.

New Yorker illustration

FYI: There is a very nifty illustration of Louise Brooks (in a scene from Pandora's Box) in the June 19 isue of the New Yorker. See page 24.

Louise Brooks by Rick Geary

A caricature of Louise Brooks by Rick Geary shows up on eBay ocassionally as a rubber stamp. There is one for sale now. I have one of these rubber stamps. And I remember that Barry Paris stamped a copy of his biography that he signed for me some years ago. They are nifty.

Speaking of vintage comics

Speaking of vintage comics and silent film . . . . I recently ordered two comics books from Fantagraphics. Each contained 1920's comic strips featuring silent film stars. The two I purchased were Fatty Arbuckle and Mabel Normand and Her Funny Friends. Though their covers feature contemporary artwork, inside these 30+ page comic books is vintage material compiled from early issues of The Kinema Comic, a British publication. Each comic also includes a bonus paper toys drawn by Larry Semon - the silent film actor who started out as a cartoonist. Each comic book retails for $4.95, and can also be purchased directly from the editor.



As a bunch of these strips were published in England in the early 1920's, these two collections are the first in what may be a long series of reissues. Soon after receiving them, I emailed the editor, and she told me that a comic book featuring Ford Sterling (Louise Brooks fellow actor in a couples of films) is due out later this year. Hooray!

A very Louise Brooks-looking comic strip character

Here is something I noticed for sale on eBay, which includes a very Louise Brooks-looking comic strip character. This syndicated comic strip was called "Frank Merriwel." It ran from 1930-1934, and featured a college kid named Frank that got in all sorts of adventures. The artist is Jack Wilhelm. In this particular 1931 strip, Frank is wooing a female character that looks very much like Louise Brooks. Anyone know much about this strip?

Louise Brooks & John Striebel

Check out this sketch of Dixie Dugan by John Striebel. It's part of an eBay auction which includes some letters and notes between Louise Brooks (the inspiration behind the long running comic strip) and Striebel (the artist who drew the strip). Very nifty!

Aileen Pringle comic strip

Speaking of comic strips, here is a curiousity I recently came across. It dates from September, 1931.

Ron Goulart's Comics History Magazine

Help! I am looking for issues #1 (winter 1996), #2 (Spring 1997), and #3 (Summer 1997) of Ron Goulart's Comics History Magazine. This little known periodical features a three part article on Dixie Dugan which I would like to read. ( Inspired by Louise Brooks, Dixie Dugan was a popular comic strip which began in the late 1920's.) I am having a bit a trouble trying to track down copies of Comics History Magazine. The only library in the country which seemingly owns this publication is Michigan State University, but these copies reside in their special collections. And thus, cannot be loaned. I would happily accept photocopies of the articles. Does anyone have copies of the magazine?

Freckles and His Friends

Here is an amusing item I came across the other day while looking though old newspapers on microfilm. This comic strip dates from 1923, and features Buster Keaton as a character (in this day's strip). Other strips I noticed featured Mary Pickford and Constance Talmadge. Does anyone know anything more about "Freckles and His Friends," or the cartoonist, Blosser?