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Philip K. Dick's The Hanging Stranger
Who is that man hanging from the light pole? How did he get there? Why doesn't anyone seem to care? Join Ed Loyce as seeks out the answers in this comic adaptation of Philip K. Dick's classic story THE HANGING STRANGER.
After many years of relative obscurity in the public domain, Philip K. Dick's THE HANGING STRANGER, originally published in the December 1953 issue SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURES, is now a brand new thrilling full-color comic book!
After many years of relative obscurity in the public domain, Philip K. Dick's THE HANGING STRANGER, originally published in the December 1953 issue SCIENCE FICTION ADVENTURES, is now a brand new thrilling full-color comic book!
- GenresComicsGraphic Novels
32 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 23, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 19, 2019
This is a remarkably bad adaptation of a Philip K Dick short story with some of the ugliest art I’ve ever seen, steer clear of this.
December 19, 2024
Дивовижним чином основна ідея цього оповідання Діка, а також графічної адаптації перегукується з інсектидами "Тетраморфеуса" та мірмідонцями "Невидимих".
Класна ідея, не надто класне графічне виконання.
Класна ідея, не надто класне графічне виконання.
April 6, 2016
Payne wraps together Kafka, pulp and comic comics
I'm a big fan of Jason Payne, Philip Dick and Kafka. Readers will find them all in Payne's adaptation of The Hanging Stranger—albeit none of them at their best. Even as I say this, you'll get a lot for your $2 download, which I highly recommend.
The Hanging Stranger was Dick's metamorphosis of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, stealing, or unconsciously borrowing, Kafka's insect metaphor and throwing in a little hint of The Trial. Written at the tail end of McCarthy era communist paranoia, when true Patriots believed communists infiltrated every aspect of American society (including my Ohio relatives who were charter members of the John Birch Society), the story will feel stale to some readers but fresh and vital to Trump supporters waiting for the next wave of Islam to insinuate its tendrils into our way of life.
The story features every day Ed, who spent the night working in his basement only to emerge and find a corpse hanging from a lamp post on a public thoroughfare. No one else is bothered by it. The more he asks about it, the more he realizes his friends have been taken over by an alien presence. Even worse, they intend to bring him into the fold.
Younger readers will find the story fresh. Others will see the ending coming a mile away. But it's classic Dick: pulp, pure pulp, by-the-formula-teach-it-to-freshmen pulp, which is why he inspires so many comic artists and film makers to adapt his work. And Payne's is one of the better adaptations (much better than a 24 volume comic adaptation of Blade Runner I ran across a few years back).
Payne's style, at his best, is vivid, outrageous and over the top. It reminds me of Tex Avery at his most imaginative. Sadly, he toned his style down for this adaptation. Fans will still recognize classic Payne, but not the absurd characters he delights with.
This doesn't change the fact that his art work is still fresh and comic, adding a humorous twist to an otherwise dark and brooding body snatcher tale. For readers who haven't seen Payne's other work, or aren't used to indie comics, this is a good entry point to Payne's too-thin catalogue.
Phillip T. Stephens is the author of Cigerets, Guns & Beer, Raising Hell and the new release Seeing Jesus. You can follow him @stephens_pt.
I'm a big fan of Jason Payne, Philip Dick and Kafka. Readers will find them all in Payne's adaptation of The Hanging Stranger—albeit none of them at their best. Even as I say this, you'll get a lot for your $2 download, which I highly recommend.
The Hanging Stranger was Dick's metamorphosis of Invasion of the Body Snatchers, stealing, or unconsciously borrowing, Kafka's insect metaphor and throwing in a little hint of The Trial. Written at the tail end of McCarthy era communist paranoia, when true Patriots believed communists infiltrated every aspect of American society (including my Ohio relatives who were charter members of the John Birch Society), the story will feel stale to some readers but fresh and vital to Trump supporters waiting for the next wave of Islam to insinuate its tendrils into our way of life.
The story features every day Ed, who spent the night working in his basement only to emerge and find a corpse hanging from a lamp post on a public thoroughfare. No one else is bothered by it. The more he asks about it, the more he realizes his friends have been taken over by an alien presence. Even worse, they intend to bring him into the fold.
Younger readers will find the story fresh. Others will see the ending coming a mile away. But it's classic Dick: pulp, pure pulp, by-the-formula-teach-it-to-freshmen pulp, which is why he inspires so many comic artists and film makers to adapt his work. And Payne's is one of the better adaptations (much better than a 24 volume comic adaptation of Blade Runner I ran across a few years back).
Payne's style, at his best, is vivid, outrageous and over the top. It reminds me of Tex Avery at his most imaginative. Sadly, he toned his style down for this adaptation. Fans will still recognize classic Payne, but not the absurd characters he delights with.
This doesn't change the fact that his art work is still fresh and comic, adding a humorous twist to an otherwise dark and brooding body snatcher tale. For readers who haven't seen Payne's other work, or aren't used to indie comics, this is a good entry point to Payne's too-thin catalogue.
Phillip T. Stephens is the author of Cigerets, Guns & Beer, Raising Hell and the new release Seeing Jesus. You can follow him @stephens_pt.
October 17, 2022
A solid adaptation of Philip K. Dick's short story (now in the public domain, BTW), that suffers a little from the artwork, but otherwise is a strong offering. Since it's a short story, this is quickly read, but it'll stick with you.
February 27, 2020
Good adaptation.
The art can be questionable but I did like it.
The art can be questionable but I did like it.
June 15, 2022
good premise, horrible art paring, it doesn't look good for the type of story
January 14, 2017
This is a set of drawings after a story by K. Dick. The drawings are terribly ugly. And this comic book brings nothing new, but misses a few details.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews