Porcelain: A Gothic Fairytale
Written by Benjamin Read
Illustrated by Chris Wildgoose
Colored by Andre May
Lettered by Jim Campbell
Cover by Chris Wildgoose
Improper Books
Release Date: July 10, 2013
Cover Price: $19.99
My favorite fairytales have always been those with a dash of edge and darkness, namely, told by the brothers Grimm. For this reason I was intrigued by the premise of Porcelain: A Gothic Fairytale. Published by Improper Books, Porcelain is presented by the company’s two founders, writer Benjamin Read and illustrator Chris Wildgoose, who offer a graphic novel constructed with an eerie, somber love story and a hint of the macabre.
When a street urchin is pressured by others into scaling a high wall and stealing from the “wizard” on the other side, she reluctantly complies. What she discovers beyond the wall is a gentle old alchemist who, after having lost a loved one, has dedicated his life to the creation of “Runes”: animated beings made of porcelain and crushed bone. Now dwelling in a genuine living doll house, the ragamuffin is addressed simply as “Child” and becomes a surrogate daughter of sorts to the man known only as “Uncle.” Feeling trapped as time passes, Child quickly learns that the kind inventor is actually a lonely old man longing for just a flicker of happiness and that not all is clear cut within the confines of her new world.
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