Best known for his tales of terror, author Edgar Allan Poe is grand master of the malevolent narrative. Teamed with the dark whimsical illustrations of artist/storyteller Gris Grimly, four of Poe’s classics are given a graphically enhanced depiction in Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales of Mystery and Madness. So what can you expect when you combine gothic Poe with Grimly’s grim contemporary illustrations? Pure elated mania, exactly what a Poe fan wants, no?
Poe’s stories are composed in an abridged format to fit into the 135 page novel that is fancifully filled with Grimly’s grotesque luster of full colored artwork. Fanatical devotees be advised, this abridgment in no way dismembers Poe’s original production. As any madman can attest, Poe’s works are pure genius anyway you slay the cat and Grimly’s art only plays tribute to that genius.
Gris Grimly’s illustrations, though not entirely similar, are comparable to Tim Burton’s cartoon classics, The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Corpse Bride, which are a slightly weird mixtures of jolly and macabre. A perfect pairing for young Poe fans, or the more mature who are looking for a refurbished version (not that Poe’s works would ever need alteration!). Grim and Poe compliment rather than hinder each other’s individual styles of work, and perform together to make a truly peculiar object d’art, both seen and heard.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 1 religious exclamation.
Violence/Gore: Character maims an animal with a knife; (brief scene) character kills an animal; character’s house burns down (no casualties); (brief scene) character murders a loved one; brief creepy depiction of a corpse; threat of hanging; brief creepy description of “death” killing its victims; character is pushed with force; (brief scene) characters are burned alive; (brief eerie scene) corpse-like character attacks another character; (non-detailed scene) house is destroyed, no mention of casualties.
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
Murder(s), death(s), mental illness/instability, animal abuse/cruelty.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
Characters drink alcohol in 3 stories; one character is hinted at being an alcoholic; brief mention of opium.
