Shakespeare in Comics - Gianni de Luca

Shakespeare in Comics by Gianni de Luca / an English-language edition from Passenger Press in Italy, large 160 page paperback, 10.25 x 14.4 inches.

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For the first time in the 50 years since since their original creation, SHAKESPEARE IN COMICS by Gianni De Luca collects into this amazing English edition his so-called “Shakespeare Trilogy”, the graphic novel adaptations of three of Shakespeare’s plays – The Tempest, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet – that were published in the catholic magazine Il Giornalino in 1975 and 1976. To draw the “trilogy” De Luca resorted to a simple yet revolutionary storytelling in which the customary fragmentation of the page in panels and tiers progressively disappeared. The last of the three adaptations, Romeo and Juliet, is entirely composed of double splash pages, large panels which occupy both of the pages in front of the reader, like the view of a theatrical stage. On this wide horizontal page the characters are drawn several times, in a series of poses meant to convey the idea of their motion in contrast with the stillness of the scenery. In order to precisely “decode” the page, the reader must simply follow their movements around: an unconventional yet effective use of the visual language of comics that inspired many and many cartoonist from all the world.

Gianni de Luca (Gagliato, January 27, 1927 - Rome, June 6, 1991 ) was an Italian cartoonist, illustrator, painter and engraver considered one of the greatest Italian masters of comics, endowed with a graphic elegance that will characterize all his production and capable of continuous stylistic research which, experimenting with new graphic solutions, made him one of the most innovative Italian artists ever.