David Wenzel

Seeking knowledge in, of, and about Middle-earth.
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vison
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David Wenzel

Post by vison »

I guess this is old news to most of you, but tonight I saw this graphic novel for the first time: The Hobbit, illustrated by David Wenzel. I didn't have a chance to read it, but the illustrations were very nice from what I could see in my brief glimpse.

Anyone here familiar with this version of The Hobbit?
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Post by Bolg of the North »

Yesterday, as I went to the library to return some books, I went to pick up a Bernard Cornwell book and decided to check what they had for Tolkien.

Sure enough, there was the exact version you spoke of. I picked it up to see if it had Beorn in it and I wanted to see what Bolg looked like. :D

After looking through most of it, the artwork looked familiar and I remembered seeing it somewhere about 15 years ago.

On the inside cover of the edition that I borrowed it shows adaptions for FotR, TTT, and RotK. That is what I would like to see !
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Post by Impenitent »

Yes, I bought that version for my nephew when he was about 7 - that would be about...14 years ago? I bought it because he wasn't really interested in reading, so I was trying all the roundabout and unusual methods of interesting him the written word and comics seemed to do the trick!

My kids have since inherited the hand-me-down copy and my son loves it! He's read it a few times, and when I read the real version of The Hobbit to him, he uses the Wenzel edition to sort of follow along via the illustrations - and notes all the bits of missing narrative.

It's quite good, uses only Tolkien text, rather than re-constructed text but like any illustratrated edition, cannot include everything.

Your boys would probably enjoy it.
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Post by yovargas »

I saw it at the library a couple months ago never having known of its existance. I read my fav part possibly of all the books - Bilbo and Gollum's first meeting - and though I thought the illustrations were merely okay(ish), I found it pretty delightful anyways. I can't imagine not loving it as a kid. :)
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Post by Alatar »

I first bought this maybe 15 years ago? I love the artwork for the most part, its very Tolkien in style. Its really well condensed with only one obvious error that I saw.

When the company are arriving in Rivendell, the tra-la-la-lallying elves make most of the same remarks to Bilbo and the Dwarves, but leave out the one about Bilbo being too fat to fit through any keyholes, which makes the following exchange a little nonsensical:

Elves: Dont dip your beard in the foam longfather!

Gandalf: Hush! The valleys have ears and some elves have over merry tongues!
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Post by vison »

Jeez. Thanks, guys. I am definitely going to get this book for the gassoons. I always thought LOTR was a good candidate for the same treatment.

When I was in high school one of my English teachers put copies of Classics Illustrated on the shelves of the classroom. Her view was that any aquaintance with certain classics was better than no aquaintance, and I think she was right. Many of the kids read the Classics Illustrated versions and then went on to read the "real" book.
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