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Marley's Ghost
Marley's Ghost is the posthumous completion of legendary creator Harvey Kurtzman's adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens' novel—A Christmas Carol. Kurztman's ambitious concept for Marley's Ghost began in the 1950s—as an early "graphic novel"—but was never realized. Now, over 60 years later, writers Josh O'Neill and Shannon Wheeler expand upon Kurtzman's extensive adaptation notes while illustrator Gideon Kendall's outstanding artwork utilizes Kurtzman's breakdowns and stylistic choices to make this long-lost vision a reality!
130 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 8, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
November 6, 2018
Marley’s Ghost- Based on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens- Adapted by Harvey Kurtzman is a 2017 publication.
This is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ which has finally been published in graphic novel format from Harvey Kurtzman’s vision. His project never came to fruition in his lifetime.
Josh O'Neill, Shannon Wheeler, and Gideon Kendall took his plans and brought them to life.
My review, to be clear, is on the graphic novel adaptation and not of the original classic by Charles Dickens. Be aware that the cover does clearly state the novel is only BASED on the original.
Therefore, one should not expect this graphic novel to be hundred percent faithful the Dicken’s classic.
That said, this is the first graphic novel adaptation of a classic novel I’ve read that was not completely true to the original. Leaving Tiny Tim’s struggles out of the novel was not a great move in my opinion and diminished my enjoyment of the novel significantly.
However, I could deal with omission, but ADDING new scenes is certainly a bold move. Again, I might have given it some latitude except for the fact that those additions were in direct contradiction to the message the book conveys, added nothing significant to the story, and was completely unnecessary, thus making this one a real disappointment for me.
The illustrations, however, are outstanding! The color is so rich and vivid and captures many of the similar or familiar images fans of the movie adaptations will enjoy immensely.
I enjoyed the inclusion of the some of the original drawings from decades past, and the history of how this graphic novel finally came to be, which is very interesting.
Overall, however, this was let down for me. I felt the authors failed to understand the underlying message of the original story or if they did get it, they did a very poor job of translating that message to the graphic novel format. However, if you just want the bare basics of the classic and would like to see how the story was illustrated, it is definitely worth taking a look at.
2.5 stars
This is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ which has finally been published in graphic novel format from Harvey Kurtzman’s vision. His project never came to fruition in his lifetime.
Josh O'Neill, Shannon Wheeler, and Gideon Kendall took his plans and brought them to life.
My review, to be clear, is on the graphic novel adaptation and not of the original classic by Charles Dickens. Be aware that the cover does clearly state the novel is only BASED on the original.
Therefore, one should not expect this graphic novel to be hundred percent faithful the Dicken’s classic.
That said, this is the first graphic novel adaptation of a classic novel I’ve read that was not completely true to the original. Leaving Tiny Tim’s struggles out of the novel was not a great move in my opinion and diminished my enjoyment of the novel significantly.
However, I could deal with omission, but ADDING new scenes is certainly a bold move. Again, I might have given it some latitude except for the fact that those additions were in direct contradiction to the message the book conveys, added nothing significant to the story, and was completely unnecessary, thus making this one a real disappointment for me.
The illustrations, however, are outstanding! The color is so rich and vivid and captures many of the similar or familiar images fans of the movie adaptations will enjoy immensely.
I enjoyed the inclusion of the some of the original drawings from decades past, and the history of how this graphic novel finally came to be, which is very interesting.
Overall, however, this was let down for me. I felt the authors failed to understand the underlying message of the original story or if they did get it, they did a very poor job of translating that message to the graphic novel format. However, if you just want the bare basics of the classic and would like to see how the story was illustrated, it is definitely worth taking a look at.
2.5 stars
December 22, 2018
This was amazing!!! A graphic novel retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic (one of my favorite holiday tales). The artwork in this was spot-on and added so much to the story. I enjoyed reading every page of this and will be adding it to my yearly Christmas to-read. It was also interesting to read about how Kurtzman tried to get this published like 50 years ago, but no one was interested. Thankfully times have changed and this beautiful book was created.
December 8, 2023
Fun!
Excellent version of a classic tale! The story was just as I remember it and the artwork was perfect! Highly recommended! 5 stars!
Excellent version of a classic tale! The story was just as I remember it and the artwork was perfect! Highly recommended! 5 stars!
November 11, 2024
Although I'm a HUGE fan of Charles Dickens and his immortal and ever beloved classic, A Christmas Carol, I was quite disappointed with this graphic novel adaptation. Admittedly, the story itself is very much intact, with only a few changes made to Dickens' work overall. HOWEVER, several of the otherwise "minor" alterations made by writers Josh O'Neill and Shannon Wheeler are, by my estimation, most unforgivable.
And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE both Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. I really do! In fact, this is actually the third comic book adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol that I've read just this year (2017), and although every single one of those adaptations made subtle changes to Dickens' masterfully written original dialog, and either truncated or even totally removed certain passages, at least the other two adaptations didn't shamelessly insert a whole page (page 59) that depicts Scrooge and the Spirit of Christmas Present openly mocking what looks like either Anglican or Roman Catholic church goers!
I mean, for goodness sake, O'Neill and Wheeler! Was a page like that even necessary? It's a time honored Christmas (as in specifically CHRISTIAN) classic, you shamelessly secular, Social Justice Warrior, spoiled sport haters! Come on! You wanna hate on Christians? THEN KINDLY GO SOMEPLACE ELSE! Please.
Since the publication of A Christmas Carol way, way, way back in 1843, there have quite naturally been numerous adaptations (including a slew of motions pictures based on the novella), and I've of course read or seen most of them, but NONE that I'm personally aware of has ever been so bold as to take such blatant liberties with this very, very CHRISTIAN subject matter! I mean, come on, guys! LEAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL CLASSIC CHRISTMAS STORY ALONE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. Take your secular hatred of organized religion some place else, for pity's sake! Make your trendy, pseudo-"modern" sociopolitical statements somewhere else, if you please.
PLEASE.
But that's not all that I take issue with in this Comixology exclusive that actually has the audacity to purport to be "by Harvey Kurtzman." Uh... NO, it's not. Yes, it was definitely Kurtzman's idea to do a graphic novel adaptation of A Christmas Carol back in 1954 (that unfortunately never got beyond the planning stages), but, interestingly enough, the pages the legendary creator of Mad Magazine drew himself (that are included at the end of the book) show clearly that, even though his rough layouts were followed more or less "closely" by artist Gideon Kendall for this particular edition, it is highly notable that Kurtzman chose NOT to change Dickens' text. Not even one iota. NOT ONE SINGLE SOLITARY WORD.
In fact, the pages that Kurtzman actually penned seem to show that he intended for the original material to be transcribed as faithfully as possible. But that is definitely not the case with this Comixology exclusive that purports to be "by Harvey Kurtzman." Again, two actual authors are listed, and NEITHER is named "Kurtzman." And Harvey Kurtzman is DEAD. And has been, longer even, than Jacob Marely has been "dead as a doornail" within the pages of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. As Dickens himself put it; "This must distinctly be understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate."
So what's up with all THAT, huh? Marketing. That's what's up with that.
Mind you, I'm not talking about the majority of the dialog, which is in some cases almost verbatim to what you'd find in a careful reading of A Christmas Carol, written by the master himself. So, as a result, at first, I was none the wiser when reading the so-called "Kurtzman" adaptation. The first indication that something was slightly off kilter for me, however, was when Scrooge was depicted on page 17 as having poured himself "a whiskey to steady his nerves." Uh... just exactly where is THAT in Dickens' A Christmas Carol? I'll tell you where! It's simply not in there! In fact, NONE of the other references to dubious alcohol consumption that are included in this graphic novel are to be found in the pages of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Oh, there may be allusions to drunkenness and talk of "Christmas punch" in Dickens' work, but that's about it.
And that's just the beginning of what really, truly, deeply disappointed me about this totally over-hyped version of A Christmas Carol, that not only shamelessly attempts to hijack and despoil the good name of Harvey Kurtzman, but, perhaps most unforgivable of all, the good name of Charles Dickens himself. Okay, fine. Admittedly, my all time favorite Victorian era writer wasn't necessarily a big fan of Catholicism (according to some accounts and interpretations), but at the very least, he had the good sense to NOT get overly preachy about such things when writing A Christmas Carol. Which is something that writers O'Neill and Wheeler might have done well to reflect upon, before getting overly preachy, yes, PREACHY, with their interpretation of the material themselves.
Perhaps... all of the above is actually why they had to change the name from A Christmas Carol to "Marley's Ghost." Though I suppose that was Kurtzman's idea to begin with. Either way, much is the pity, because this otherwise well illustrated adaptation of the beloved Christmas classic is just exactly that. It's a pale, pathetic GHOST of a poor substitute for the original material. And much is the pity indeed.
And I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE both Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. I really do! In fact, this is actually the third comic book adaptation of Dickens' A Christmas Carol that I've read just this year (2017), and although every single one of those adaptations made subtle changes to Dickens' masterfully written original dialog, and either truncated or even totally removed certain passages, at least the other two adaptations didn't shamelessly insert a whole page (page 59) that depicts Scrooge and the Spirit of Christmas Present openly mocking what looks like either Anglican or Roman Catholic church goers!
I mean, for goodness sake, O'Neill and Wheeler! Was a page like that even necessary? It's a time honored Christmas (as in specifically CHRISTIAN) classic, you shamelessly secular, Social Justice Warrior, spoiled sport haters! Come on! You wanna hate on Christians? THEN KINDLY GO SOMEPLACE ELSE! Please.
Since the publication of A Christmas Carol way, way, way back in 1843, there have quite naturally been numerous adaptations (including a slew of motions pictures based on the novella), and I've of course read or seen most of them, but NONE that I'm personally aware of has ever been so bold as to take such blatant liberties with this very, very CHRISTIAN subject matter! I mean, come on, guys! LEAVE THIS BEAUTIFUL CLASSIC CHRISTMAS STORY ALONE, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. Take your secular hatred of organized religion some place else, for pity's sake! Make your trendy, pseudo-"modern" sociopolitical statements somewhere else, if you please.
PLEASE.
But that's not all that I take issue with in this Comixology exclusive that actually has the audacity to purport to be "by Harvey Kurtzman." Uh... NO, it's not. Yes, it was definitely Kurtzman's idea to do a graphic novel adaptation of A Christmas Carol back in 1954 (that unfortunately never got beyond the planning stages), but, interestingly enough, the pages the legendary creator of Mad Magazine drew himself (that are included at the end of the book) show clearly that, even though his rough layouts were followed more or less "closely" by artist Gideon Kendall for this particular edition, it is highly notable that Kurtzman chose NOT to change Dickens' text. Not even one iota. NOT ONE SINGLE SOLITARY WORD.
In fact, the pages that Kurtzman actually penned seem to show that he intended for the original material to be transcribed as faithfully as possible. But that is definitely not the case with this Comixology exclusive that purports to be "by Harvey Kurtzman." Again, two actual authors are listed, and NEITHER is named "Kurtzman." And Harvey Kurtzman is DEAD. And has been, longer even, than Jacob Marely has been "dead as a doornail" within the pages of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. As Dickens himself put it; "This must distinctly be understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate."
So what's up with all THAT, huh? Marketing. That's what's up with that.
Mind you, I'm not talking about the majority of the dialog, which is in some cases almost verbatim to what you'd find in a careful reading of A Christmas Carol, written by the master himself. So, as a result, at first, I was none the wiser when reading the so-called "Kurtzman" adaptation. The first indication that something was slightly off kilter for me, however, was when Scrooge was depicted on page 17 as having poured himself "a whiskey to steady his nerves." Uh... just exactly where is THAT in Dickens' A Christmas Carol? I'll tell you where! It's simply not in there! In fact, NONE of the other references to dubious alcohol consumption that are included in this graphic novel are to be found in the pages of Dickens' A Christmas Carol. Oh, there may be allusions to drunkenness and talk of "Christmas punch" in Dickens' work, but that's about it.
And that's just the beginning of what really, truly, deeply disappointed me about this totally over-hyped version of A Christmas Carol, that not only shamelessly attempts to hijack and despoil the good name of Harvey Kurtzman, but, perhaps most unforgivable of all, the good name of Charles Dickens himself. Okay, fine. Admittedly, my all time favorite Victorian era writer wasn't necessarily a big fan of Catholicism (according to some accounts and interpretations), but at the very least, he had the good sense to NOT get overly preachy about such things when writing A Christmas Carol. Which is something that writers O'Neill and Wheeler might have done well to reflect upon, before getting overly preachy, yes, PREACHY, with their interpretation of the material themselves.
Perhaps... all of the above is actually why they had to change the name from A Christmas Carol to "Marley's Ghost." Though I suppose that was Kurtzman's idea to begin with. Either way, much is the pity, because this otherwise well illustrated adaptation of the beloved Christmas classic is just exactly that. It's a pale, pathetic GHOST of a poor substitute for the original material. And much is the pity indeed.
November 10, 2017
Amazing
Marley’s Ghost took a classic story and made it feel fresh. This was my first experience reading a graphic novel, and I loved it. The illustrations were incredible and coupled with the familiar story made for an enjoyable read. This novel will attract readers of all ages. It has the charm of A Christmas Carole, with its messages of kindness, hope, and the ability of changing for the better, but it also contains illustrations that take the story to the next level. It is a combination of the old and the new in the very best of ways. It maintains the integrity of the classic story while at the same time modernizing it with an extraordinary graphic interpretation. It will surely attract a new audience, but I am not sure who will enjoy it more, those already familiar with the story or those who might have missed out on it without the update. Not to be missed.
Marley’s Ghost took a classic story and made it feel fresh. This was my first experience reading a graphic novel, and I loved it. The illustrations were incredible and coupled with the familiar story made for an enjoyable read. This novel will attract readers of all ages. It has the charm of A Christmas Carole, with its messages of kindness, hope, and the ability of changing for the better, but it also contains illustrations that take the story to the next level. It is a combination of the old and the new in the very best of ways. It maintains the integrity of the classic story while at the same time modernizing it with an extraordinary graphic interpretation. It will surely attract a new audience, but I am not sure who will enjoy it more, those already familiar with the story or those who might have missed out on it without the update. Not to be missed.
December 27, 2017
This adaption of a Christmas Carol is well done. There are wonderful little in jokes in some of the illustrations.
November 12, 2017
I LOVED IT!!!!
I love this story and I am always fascinated by all the interpretations I've come across over the years. This one was fabulous and was so fun to read. I really enjoyed it! Everyone that worked on this graphic novel did a real solid for Mr. Kurtzman, and I think he would have been very proud of how it turned out. BRAVO!!!
I love this story and I am always fascinated by all the interpretations I've come across over the years. This one was fabulous and was so fun to read. I really enjoyed it! Everyone that worked on this graphic novel did a real solid for Mr. Kurtzman, and I think he would have been very proud of how it turned out. BRAVO!!!
December 2, 2018
This is a very good comics adaptation of A Christmas Carol. The history of this adaptation is interesting. I won't get too deep into it, but basically it's a project that Kurtzman started, but did not complete. He got as far as doing breakdowns, basically. He couldn't find a publisher for the project, and put it aside. (There's an essay about that in the back of the book.)
As far as I can tell, the text is largely taken right from Dickens. Reading other reviews, I see that some people have identified areas where it deviates from the original, but honestly I didn't notice any of that as I was reading it. I don't think that any of the alterations are jarring or change the meaning of the story in any way.
The artwork is reminiscent of both Kurtzman and Jack Davis. I wasn't familiar with the artist, Gideon Kendall, but he's quite good. The story flows well, though there are a few transitions that are a little abrupt.
The story itself is one of my favorites, and never fails to affect me. I've been feeling pretty down on the whole idea of Christmas this year, but now I'm at least a little motivated to try to get into the Christmas spirit. I might even send out my Christmas cards today...
As far as I can tell, the text is largely taken right from Dickens. Reading other reviews, I see that some people have identified areas where it deviates from the original, but honestly I didn't notice any of that as I was reading it. I don't think that any of the alterations are jarring or change the meaning of the story in any way.
The artwork is reminiscent of both Kurtzman and Jack Davis. I wasn't familiar with the artist, Gideon Kendall, but he's quite good. The story flows well, though there are a few transitions that are a little abrupt.
The story itself is one of my favorites, and never fails to affect me. I've been feeling pretty down on the whole idea of Christmas this year, but now I'm at least a little motivated to try to get into the Christmas spirit. I might even send out my Christmas cards today...
December 8, 2018
It's been forever since I read A Christmas Carol, so I'm not 100% sure how much of this is directly from that—but I good chunk is verbatim, I think???
Anyway, this was a good way to kick off my holiday reading! I loved the art, and this story lends itself well to a comic book treatment. I wasn't sure what the title meant—"Harvey Kurtzman's..."—but there's a bit at the end that explains that Kurtzman (of MAD fame) had the idea for doing a graphical treatment of this back in the 50s, and pretty much everyone said, "Yeah, we're not interested, thanks." But now that graphic novels are so popular, it was given another go, using Kurtzman's ideas as a blueprint. Thumbs up!
I feel like the end was a bit abrupt? But maybe it was that way in the book, too? Not sure. But overall, very enjoyable.
Anyway, this was a good way to kick off my holiday reading! I loved the art, and this story lends itself well to a comic book treatment. I wasn't sure what the title meant—"Harvey Kurtzman's..."—but there's a bit at the end that explains that Kurtzman (of MAD fame) had the idea for doing a graphical treatment of this back in the 50s, and pretty much everyone said, "Yeah, we're not interested, thanks." But now that graphic novels are so popular, it was given another go, using Kurtzman's ideas as a blueprint. Thumbs up!
I feel like the end was a bit abrupt? But maybe it was that way in the book, too? Not sure. But overall, very enjoyable.
December 18, 2018
I really liked this adaptation! I’ve read the original and really like how movies and other visual mediums capture the story. For example, I love being able to see how much of a difference there is in Scrooge’s manner and expressions between his cranky old age and his happy youth. This particular artist has some awesome splash pages that were well done. This is free to borrow through the lending library if you’re a prime member currently! Nothing groundbreaking about it, but it is a quick read and a good way to get into the spirit of Chrismeth.
Also, if anyone has an answer to this question, please share: why the frick is Tiny Tim’s life dependent on Scrooge being charitable? I can’t imagine the piss poor health care system would be able heal something like Tim’s affliction even if the sufferer was super wealthy?
Also, if anyone has an answer to this question, please share: why the frick is Tiny Tim’s life dependent on Scrooge being charitable? I can’t imagine the piss poor health care system would be able heal something like Tim’s affliction even if the sufferer was super wealthy?
December 4, 2023
This is a project I can get behind!
Back in the 50s Kurtzman was having success with MAD comics - he was the creator, writer and did layouts and covers for the first 20+ issues. But he wanted to do something for an adult audience. His idea was to do a faithful adaptation of a Christmas Carol. More for adults than the Illustrated Classics comics. He did layouts and a few sketch pages - plus a completed page rendered by the great Jack Davis but ultimately never finished the project as finding a publisher for an adult graphic novel in the 50s proved difficult. Those initial pages are collected in the back matter.
Josh O'Neill, Shannon Wheeler and Gideon Kendall have completed Kurtzman's vision with this 120 page adaptation. It's pretty faithful to both Kurtzman and Dickens. Kendall does some fantastic cartooning throughout. It doesn't have as much of Dickens's text on the page as I believe Kurtzman's original would have, but it does follow the original tale pretty closely and is more mature than most adaptations.
I will always wish we had the Jack Davis version! But this is pretty great and well worth seeking out for fans of Kurtzman or if you're just interested in a more faithful adaptation of Dickens with some great cartooning. They capture the pathos as well as the humour of the original.
Back in the 50s Kurtzman was having success with MAD comics - he was the creator, writer and did layouts and covers for the first 20+ issues. But he wanted to do something for an adult audience. His idea was to do a faithful adaptation of a Christmas Carol. More for adults than the Illustrated Classics comics. He did layouts and a few sketch pages - plus a completed page rendered by the great Jack Davis but ultimately never finished the project as finding a publisher for an adult graphic novel in the 50s proved difficult. Those initial pages are collected in the back matter.
Josh O'Neill, Shannon Wheeler and Gideon Kendall have completed Kurtzman's vision with this 120 page adaptation. It's pretty faithful to both Kurtzman and Dickens. Kendall does some fantastic cartooning throughout. It doesn't have as much of Dickens's text on the page as I believe Kurtzman's original would have, but it does follow the original tale pretty closely and is more mature than most adaptations.
I will always wish we had the Jack Davis version! But this is pretty great and well worth seeking out for fans of Kurtzman or if you're just interested in a more faithful adaptation of Dickens with some great cartooning. They capture the pathos as well as the humour of the original.
December 20, 2018
you know the story of Scrooge ... so that is not something new ...but I had to see these drawings, art, doodles (that is totally not a good enough word for this masterpiece!) these are so amazing. i love art. not sure it will do it on all book reading apps or not? but i read it on my kindle and it is like leaping off the page ... so real ... like watching a movie or such like that??! so awesome!! loved it ... gotta see what else this artist does do??! well done. just amazing! ( ;
December 6, 2024
Delightful
What a delightful book, an accomplishment and tribute to a great talent and cultural force of the past. The style is perfectly evocative of the EC comics days and as a result, it feels like you have a time capsule work in your hands. Cannot help but smile the whole way through.
What a delightful book, an accomplishment and tribute to a great talent and cultural force of the past. The style is perfectly evocative of the EC comics days and as a result, it feels like you have a time capsule work in your hands. Cannot help but smile the whole way through.
December 22, 2018
Kind of an odd ode to a brilliant classic. There were points where it felt ad libbed with modernity. Still not too bad. Definitely missed it’s potential in my opinion.
December 28, 2018
All the stars for this gorgeous graphic novel 😍
December 4, 2022
Epic!
Classic story adapted into graphic form. Follows the novella very well. Visuals are eye-popping! The people, the spirits, the environments are all depicted superbly. Must read. Highly recommended!
Classic story adapted into graphic form. Follows the novella very well. Visuals are eye-popping! The people, the spirits, the environments are all depicted superbly. Must read. Highly recommended!
December 7, 2023
A decent retelling with good art.
December 13, 2023
A wonderfully faithful adaptation of Charles Dickens novel A Christmas Carol. While there are no surprises here (and tbh - I wouldn’t want there to be), the artwork by Gideon Kendall is just gorgeous throughout - a perfect read for the festive season
November 23, 2017
The best adaptation of A Christmas Carol
Dickens' timeless tale of Christmas renewal and second chances has been often adapted, but many people forget that this story is a ghost story! Kurtzman remembered this and thanks to his work at EC Comics, we have a frightening retelling of the rebirth of Ebenezer Scrooge. If it's been a while since you read this classic, pick up this graphic novel version.
Dickens' timeless tale of Christmas renewal and second chances has been often adapted, but many people forget that this story is a ghost story! Kurtzman remembered this and thanks to his work at EC Comics, we have a frightening retelling of the rebirth of Ebenezer Scrooge. If it's been a while since you read this classic, pick up this graphic novel version.
November 19, 2017
This is Amazing!!
This might be as good as "Muppets Christmas Carol"
True to the original, really entertaining and very well done!
It's a shame it took six decades to be published.
This might be as good as "Muppets Christmas Carol"
True to the original, really entertaining and very well done!
It's a shame it took six decades to be published.
December 26, 2017
Five Stars PLUS
If you are a fan of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" then you need to read this. A truly great comic adaptation that stays true to the original story and is accented by tremendous art that couldn't fit the story better. This adaptation was set into motion way back in the 1950s by Harvey Kurtzman, but since graphic novels didn't exit then he was never able to get the go ahead to have it published so he only did thumbnails and a few pages, but finally the story was completed by using his thumbnails and staying as true to his vision as possible. I really can't praise this enough as I was blown away. A great Christmas read, or really, great to read anytime. Just great.
If you are a fan of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" then you need to read this. A truly great comic adaptation that stays true to the original story and is accented by tremendous art that couldn't fit the story better. This adaptation was set into motion way back in the 1950s by Harvey Kurtzman, but since graphic novels didn't exit then he was never able to get the go ahead to have it published so he only did thumbnails and a few pages, but finally the story was completed by using his thumbnails and staying as true to his vision as possible. I really can't praise this enough as I was blown away. A great Christmas read, or really, great to read anytime. Just great.
December 24, 2017
This is a wonderful adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. What makes it even more enjoyable are Harvey Kurtzman's layouts and pages he created to pitch Marley's Ghost to Simon & Schuster in 1954. It is a tragedy that it would take over three decades for the book publisher to realize the storytelling power of comic books, graphic novels or whatever you choose to call the combination of words and pictures in a progressing sequence that tell a story.
I recommend this graphic novel to everyone, especially around the year-end Christmas time season.
I recommend this graphic novel to everyone, especially around the year-end Christmas time season.
December 17, 2025
Very good graphic adaptation of the story. I thought it was going to be from Marley's perspective because of the title, but no, it's literally just a graphic novel adaptation of Dicken's novel. However, that being said, it's an excellent adaptation with really good art. If I'm not going to read the original Dickens novel, I'd totally substitute just reading this again.
2025: Annual reread. I love this adaptation.
2025: Annual reread. I love this adaptation.
June 28, 2018
I love everything about Dickens' A Christmas Carol and I thoroughly enjoy revisiting the story in adaptations. I was initially intrigued by the history beyond this piece but, upon reading it, it didn't come off as that special. I thought the illustrations were great and, as usual, I relished the original Dickens text included, but there wasn't really any twist that made this more than an illustrated version of the story. Particularly because it had a different title, I was expecting a different angle.
The historical explanation in the back was interesting in itself but it also made clear to me that the final product I was reading had very little to do with that history. This isn't Harvey Kurtzman's work. He had an idea to adapt A Christmas Carol into a graphic novel. This was unique at the time but hardly so today. His original sketches, shown in the back, weren't anything special. Nothing here made me believe that the people who actually made this couldn't have done it entirely on their own, without Kurtzman's source material.
In any case, gets 3 stars because I just enjoyed re-reading the story!
The historical explanation in the back was interesting in itself but it also made clear to me that the final product I was reading had very little to do with that history. This isn't Harvey Kurtzman's work. He had an idea to adapt A Christmas Carol into a graphic novel. This was unique at the time but hardly so today. His original sketches, shown in the back, weren't anything special. Nothing here made me believe that the people who actually made this couldn't have done it entirely on their own, without Kurtzman's source material.
In any case, gets 3 stars because I just enjoyed re-reading the story!
December 24, 2018
A beautifully-rendered retelling of A Christmas Carol with artwork that’s true to Kurtzman’s style and faithful to Dickens with a few outstanding flourishes.
There’s real emotion in these panels and some great symbolic moments that render Scrooge’s desperation and isolation to perfection.
The comics-style encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Present’s ignorance and want, represented here in a single figure, is stark and frightening.
Scrooge’s eventual joy is also created in wonderful panels.
Some familiar moments may not be treated as expected, but in other instances aspects of the novella not fully developed in other adaptations get full-blown renderings. That includes the broad travels with the Ghost of Christmas Present.
This is a great retelling for fans of the original story, a must for Kurtzman aficionados and a true graphic novel for comics fans. I bought it on sale so it was a perfect holiday choice.
There’s real emotion in these panels and some great symbolic moments that render Scrooge’s desperation and isolation to perfection.
The comics-style encounter with the Ghost of Christmas Present’s ignorance and want, represented here in a single figure, is stark and frightening.
Scrooge’s eventual joy is also created in wonderful panels.
Some familiar moments may not be treated as expected, but in other instances aspects of the novella not fully developed in other adaptations get full-blown renderings. That includes the broad travels with the Ghost of Christmas Present.
This is a great retelling for fans of the original story, a must for Kurtzman aficionados and a true graphic novel for comics fans. I bought it on sale so it was a perfect holiday choice.
December 9, 2020
A Christmas classic revived as a graphic novel thanks to the efforts of one MAD man and those that helped.
With concepts and art from Harvey Kurtzman, Marley's Ghost (which I thought was going to be a story about the ghost of Ebenezer's friend facing his own trials before fulfilling his own role in the original story considering the title) was more of a concept in a time when no one would seriously consider creating a real serious graphic novel for which adults could enjoy.
Now over 50 years later the graphic adaption of the classic Charles Dicken's Christmas Carol has come to light with the help of others creating a great read for anyone that needs a little help remembering that the creature known as man can be a giving and kind spirit to even when it seems like the whole world is collapsing around us. I hope all of you are doing well as the 2020 year draws to its conclusion and may the holiday season be a time of joy to you all after this less then cheerful year. :)
With concepts and art from Harvey Kurtzman, Marley's Ghost (which I thought was going to be a story about the ghost of Ebenezer's friend facing his own trials before fulfilling his own role in the original story considering the title) was more of a concept in a time when no one would seriously consider creating a real serious graphic novel for which adults could enjoy.
Now over 50 years later the graphic adaption of the classic Charles Dicken's Christmas Carol has come to light with the help of others creating a great read for anyone that needs a little help remembering that the creature known as man can be a giving and kind spirit to even when it seems like the whole world is collapsing around us. I hope all of you are doing well as the 2020 year draws to its conclusion and may the holiday season be a time of joy to you all after this less then cheerful year. :)
February 15, 2019
Harvey Kurtzman has wanted to do a graphic novel of Dickens' A Christmas Carol since long before there was such a thing as a "graphic novel" was ever a consideration.
Finally, the time was right, and we can enjoy this amazing piece of work. We should all know the story of Scrooge and his redemption, right? When I started this book, I didn't know it was based on A Christmas Carol but quickly glommed on to this face. I are smart sometimes.
So, story aside (which is pretty darn good), the artwork was beautiful. The interpretations of the three ghosts was quite original. [of course, I forget things, so maybe it's not original, but they are definitely distinct in character and appearance.] This was a wondrous tale to behold.
Well worth reading and highly recommended.
Finally, the time was right, and we can enjoy this amazing piece of work. We should all know the story of Scrooge and his redemption, right? When I started this book, I didn't know it was based on A Christmas Carol but quickly glommed on to this face. I are smart sometimes.
So, story aside (which is pretty darn good), the artwork was beautiful. The interpretations of the three ghosts was quite original. [of course, I forget things, so maybe it's not original, but they are definitely distinct in character and appearance.] This was a wondrous tale to behold.
Well worth reading and highly recommended.
October 12, 2022
Read this off Amazon's Kindle freebie list using Comixology, and it's an acceptable interpretation of A Christmas Carol, with some nice touches.
The Ghost of Xmas Future being a smouldering shroud is a nice touch, but it doesn't add much in terms of new ideas that haven't been explored in the existing umpteen cinematic or animated adaptations of the story.
It's good that this long lived dream project finally came to fruition, some 40-50 years after inception, and if you wanted a comic version, then it's more than sufficient.
The Ghost of Xmas Future being a smouldering shroud is a nice touch, but it doesn't add much in terms of new ideas that haven't been explored in the existing umpteen cinematic or animated adaptations of the story.
It's good that this long lived dream project finally came to fruition, some 40-50 years after inception, and if you wanted a comic version, then it's more than sufficient.
January 1, 2025
An avid fan of this story
This is a beloved story of mine. Every year I immerse myself in this story. Whether it be Dickens's written story, movies, TV adaptations, radio plays, etc.., I found this Graphic novel In the previews magazine for comics and immediately purchased it, I was not disappointed. If you enjoy this story of redemption like I do this is a must-read and share with your friends and family each Christmas season or when you need a reminder of how we should be towards our fellow man rather than how we are in our day to day life.
This is a beloved story of mine. Every year I immerse myself in this story. Whether it be Dickens's written story, movies, TV adaptations, radio plays, etc.., I found this Graphic novel In the previews magazine for comics and immediately purchased it, I was not disappointed. If you enjoy this story of redemption like I do this is a must-read and share with your friends and family each Christmas season or when you need a reminder of how we should be towards our fellow man rather than how we are in our day to day life.
December 25, 2017
A Christmas Carol is my most read book. I read it or part of it every Christmas. This graphic novel version is brilliant.
Harvey Kurtzman is a legend for me because of his work on my favourite comic of my youth, Mad magazine. It’s sad that he never got Marley’s Ghost published until after his death.
He has captured Dickens novel brilliantly and Scrooge is superbly done.
Christmas isn’t Christmas without A Christmas Carol and this is a new way to enjoy it.
Harvey Kurtzman is a legend for me because of his work on my favourite comic of my youth, Mad magazine. It’s sad that he never got Marley’s Ghost published until after his death.
He has captured Dickens novel brilliantly and Scrooge is superbly done.
Christmas isn’t Christmas without A Christmas Carol and this is a new way to enjoy it.
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