Sampler of
Pay attention for here is the factual part. Queen Victoria’s official rat catcher was actually called Jack Black. History does not record his Rocking prowess. “Kitty” was Gilbert’s pet name for his wife. She wasn’t really a human/ cat hybrid, unfortunately.
WS Gilbert was very fond of using magical “potions or elixirs” as a plot device in his operettas, to Sullivan’s unending annoyance. Oscar Wilde really did like kissing gentlemen, and did indeed go to prison for it. Jack the Ripper AKA The Whitechapel Murderer, killed several prostitutes rather brutally in 1888. Although the famous serial killer’s identity remains unknown to this day, it is almost certain that he was *not*, in fact, a huge giggling lobster.
The Bizarre Adventures of Gilbert and Sullivan by Laura Howell
Published: June (UK)/June (USA) 2015 Extent: 72 pp, 21.0 x 14.8 cm ISBN: 9781908030153 Price: £5.99/ $9.99
Everyone knows Gilbert and Sullivan were peerless as composers of light opera in Victorian Britain. But fewer people are aware of their dual identities as super-powered, dapper defenders of the realm! The Bizarre Adventures of Gilbert & Sullivan: the very model of a modern mirthful comic book! Based on historical facts and characters, Laura Howell conjures a delightful collection of topsy-turvy stories set in the Victorian England of Gilbert & Sullivan. Illustrated in a Manga style (for which Laura is well-known), this collection is easily readable while retaining the articulation, intelligence and playfulness that distinguished the work of Arthur Sullivan and W.S Gilbert. Featured characters include Oscar Wilde, Wagner, Mad King Ludwig, Verdi and Jack Black, Queen Victoria’s official rat catcher. Laura Howell is a British-born comic strip artist. She is the first female artist in the history of The Beano comic, and responsible for Johnny Bean from Happy Bunny Green, Les Pretend, Tricky Dicky and the manga adaptation of The Beano. She also drew Billy the Cat in the Special 70 Years Beano, and two Minnie the Minx strips in the same comic. Laura also worked for Toxic magazine, drew the comic strip “Sneaky, the world’s cleverest elephant” for the DFC comic and is a manga artist. She lives in Birmingham, England.