Gservo
2nd January 2003, 03:35 PM
http://www.newsarama.com/Other_Publishers/BeoSplash_t.gif
As a story, Beowulf was first told sometime between 650 and 900 AD. Over a thousand years later, the epic tale of a Scandinavian monster fighter is being retold again. This time, instead of Old English, the language in which the story will be told is art and word, and in the pages of Humanoids’ Metal Hurlant #4, shipping later this month. Co-writer and artist Kevin Altieri spoke with Newsarama about the new version.
Okay – real quick – for those who were sleeping through English Lit: Beowulf is a Scandinavian hero who saves the Danes (that is, the folks in Denmark) from two monsters, first, the monster named Grendel, and later, Grendel’s mom. Victorious, Beowulf returns to his own country, where he lives to a ripe old age, finally dying in a battle against a dragon. All told, it’s a 3,000 word poem that has inspired countless works since, including another very close comics connection, Matt Wagner’s Grendel, which was, according to Wagner, inspired by John Gardner’s novel, Grendel, which (putting it very lightly) is a retelling of Beowulf from Grendel’s point of view, hence Wagner’s making Grendel the protagonist of his story.
Anyway – back to Metal Hurlant #4 and Altieri…
Now in his 30s, Altieri’s connection with the monster hunter dates back to the single digits, and an old traditional of elementary school – the Book Order. “When I was seven years old I bought a tiny paperback book from the Scholastic Book Club of Beowulf. It was illustrated in a primitive woodcut style by some nameless genius who tweaked my young mind - Grendel's arm nailed to the wall was a real standout - from that moment I wanted to do Beowulf. I was actually pretty shocked when Francis [co-creator and writer of the adaptation] contacted me. It was hard for me to believe that I was being 'asked' to do my dream project.
”There is something so simple and great in the story that it is basically the reason that the written English word was invented.”
In the centuries since its appearance, everyone from scholars to laymen have discussed the meanings in the tale and, given the nature of such a work as Beowulf everyone can find very personal shades of meaning. Altieri’s no different.
“Beowulf is a story that defines heroism in a very pure way,” Altieri said. “Nobility and virtue, embodied in the form of Prince Beowulf, overcome evil, but not without sacrifice. The works of Shakespeare, Tolkien, Hemingway – and the list goes on - are all the offspring of
this one tale.”
Or, in an even simpler form, Altieri describes Beowulf in the metaphysical: “Reading Beowulf is like channeling the ancient Celtic mind.”
For Altieri, one of the more freeing challenges in drawing Beowulf has been coming up with the look at fell of the tale, based on the original text. In short, he’s not using The 13th Warrior for visual reference.
“One of my passions is the study of history, and as a result I've collected a library full of material on Vikings, Danes, and their life and times,” Altieri said. “I’ve read about them and try to imagine myself living back then. Sometimes when I need a break, I go into my backyard and swing a broadsword about for exercise, and then I sit back down at the drawing board and try to get the images in my brain onto the bristol paper.
And then I thank God that George Freeman is inking the series.”
Given that the original poem is 3,000 words, and even the most recent translation of the work by Seamus Heaney brings it in at 211 pages, it doesn’t take a math whiz to see that the Beowulf in Metal Hurlant #4 won’t be the unabridged version. But – just because it will be short doesn’t mean it will be Altieri’s final word on the hero.
“Francis and I are planning to hit the highlights of Prince Beowulf's career in Metal Hurlant,” Altieri said. “But I see this as something that I will continue to do, off and on, right into my dotage.”
But the path to his dotage is a crowded one, especially considering that Altieri’s main gig is animation (he directed the never-released Gen13 animated feature, and is currently working with Stan Lee on Striperella for TNN). That said, he does plan to continue shoehorning comics work in whenever and wherever he has the chance.
“I love comics as much I love animation,” Altieri said. “I hope to continue to do as much comic work as I can as well as my animation projects - the animated Beowulf feature
being one of them.”
As a story, Beowulf was first told sometime between 650 and 900 AD. Over a thousand years later, the epic tale of a Scandinavian monster fighter is being retold again. This time, instead of Old English, the language in which the story will be told is art and word, and in the pages of Humanoids’ Metal Hurlant #4, shipping later this month. Co-writer and artist Kevin Altieri spoke with Newsarama about the new version.
Okay – real quick – for those who were sleeping through English Lit: Beowulf is a Scandinavian hero who saves the Danes (that is, the folks in Denmark) from two monsters, first, the monster named Grendel, and later, Grendel’s mom. Victorious, Beowulf returns to his own country, where he lives to a ripe old age, finally dying in a battle against a dragon. All told, it’s a 3,000 word poem that has inspired countless works since, including another very close comics connection, Matt Wagner’s Grendel, which was, according to Wagner, inspired by John Gardner’s novel, Grendel, which (putting it very lightly) is a retelling of Beowulf from Grendel’s point of view, hence Wagner’s making Grendel the protagonist of his story.
Anyway – back to Metal Hurlant #4 and Altieri…
Now in his 30s, Altieri’s connection with the monster hunter dates back to the single digits, and an old traditional of elementary school – the Book Order. “When I was seven years old I bought a tiny paperback book from the Scholastic Book Club of Beowulf. It was illustrated in a primitive woodcut style by some nameless genius who tweaked my young mind - Grendel's arm nailed to the wall was a real standout - from that moment I wanted to do Beowulf. I was actually pretty shocked when Francis [co-creator and writer of the adaptation] contacted me. It was hard for me to believe that I was being 'asked' to do my dream project.
”There is something so simple and great in the story that it is basically the reason that the written English word was invented.”
In the centuries since its appearance, everyone from scholars to laymen have discussed the meanings in the tale and, given the nature of such a work as Beowulf everyone can find very personal shades of meaning. Altieri’s no different.
“Beowulf is a story that defines heroism in a very pure way,” Altieri said. “Nobility and virtue, embodied in the form of Prince Beowulf, overcome evil, but not without sacrifice. The works of Shakespeare, Tolkien, Hemingway – and the list goes on - are all the offspring of
this one tale.”
Or, in an even simpler form, Altieri describes Beowulf in the metaphysical: “Reading Beowulf is like channeling the ancient Celtic mind.”
For Altieri, one of the more freeing challenges in drawing Beowulf has been coming up with the look at fell of the tale, based on the original text. In short, he’s not using The 13th Warrior for visual reference.
“One of my passions is the study of history, and as a result I've collected a library full of material on Vikings, Danes, and their life and times,” Altieri said. “I’ve read about them and try to imagine myself living back then. Sometimes when I need a break, I go into my backyard and swing a broadsword about for exercise, and then I sit back down at the drawing board and try to get the images in my brain onto the bristol paper.
And then I thank God that George Freeman is inking the series.”
Given that the original poem is 3,000 words, and even the most recent translation of the work by Seamus Heaney brings it in at 211 pages, it doesn’t take a math whiz to see that the Beowulf in Metal Hurlant #4 won’t be the unabridged version. But – just because it will be short doesn’t mean it will be Altieri’s final word on the hero.
“Francis and I are planning to hit the highlights of Prince Beowulf's career in Metal Hurlant,” Altieri said. “But I see this as something that I will continue to do, off and on, right into my dotage.”
But the path to his dotage is a crowded one, especially considering that Altieri’s main gig is animation (he directed the never-released Gen13 animated feature, and is currently working with Stan Lee on Striperella for TNN). That said, he does plan to continue shoehorning comics work in whenever and wherever he has the chance.
“I love comics as much I love animation,” Altieri said. “I hope to continue to do as much comic work as I can as well as my animation projects - the animated Beowulf feature
being one of them.”