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Corpse Talk
Corpse Talk: Ground-Breaking Women
Discover the incredible stories of women throughout history in this hilarious graphic novel that brings the dead famous to life.
Welcome to Corpse Talk, the chat show with a difference - all of the guests are dead! Meet your host, comic book artist Adam Murphy, as he interviews eighteen ground-breaking women throughout history. Have you ever heard of Khutulun, the wrestling princess from Mongolia? Wondered about Jane Austen's love life? Or asked how Harriet Tubman managed to escape from slavery and help so many others do the same? This graphic novel answers all of your questions about the lives of these significant historical figures, from their amazing achievements to their personal lives.
Bold and expressive illustrations by Adam and Lisa Murphy bring historical events to life, literally, while humorous text makes learning history fun. Full page illustrations give more detail on the bigger picture behind the women's stories, with special features including a timeline of women's rights, a fact sheet on Chinese junks used by pirates, and a map of a Jamaican settlement created by escaped slaves.
Whether you're a fan of these amazing women or just love a good story, this graphic novel will not fail to inspire you and make you laugh.
Welcome to Corpse Talk, the chat show with a difference - all of the guests are dead! Meet your host, comic book artist Adam Murphy, as he interviews eighteen ground-breaking women throughout history. Have you ever heard of Khutulun, the wrestling princess from Mongolia? Wondered about Jane Austen's love life? Or asked how Harriet Tubman managed to escape from slavery and help so many others do the same? This graphic novel answers all of your questions about the lives of these significant historical figures, from their amazing achievements to their personal lives.
Bold and expressive illustrations by Adam and Lisa Murphy bring historical events to life, literally, while humorous text makes learning history fun. Full page illustrations give more detail on the bigger picture behind the women's stories, with special features including a timeline of women's rights, a fact sheet on Chinese junks used by pirates, and a map of a Jamaican settlement created by escaped slaves.
Whether you're a fan of these amazing women or just love a good story, this graphic novel will not fail to inspire you and make you laugh.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2018
58 people want to read
About the author
Adam Murphy
24 books6 followersAdam Murphy is an award-winning comics artist, writer and illustrator.
He brings history and folklore to life for readers of all ages through humour, extensive research and an ongoing curiosity about what makes people tick.
He is the co-creator (with wife and creative partner Lisa Murphy) of the comics series CorpseTalk, which originally appeared in The Phoenix, a weekly kids' comics magazine in the UK. CorpseTalk has since been collected and published as an ongoing series of books which have twice been nominated for the Blue Peter Book Awards (the first comic book ever to do so).
His other co-created comics series Lost Tales (also with Lisa) has also been nominated for a Blue Peter Book Award, and was the winner of the British Comics Awards Young People's category in 2016.
He holds a graduate degree in Computer Graphics from DePaul University, and a bachelors in Human Sciences from Oxford.
He lives and works in Glasgow, UK with his wife Lisa and their son.
He brings history and folklore to life for readers of all ages through humour, extensive research and an ongoing curiosity about what makes people tick.
He is the co-creator (with wife and creative partner Lisa Murphy) of the comics series CorpseTalk, which originally appeared in The Phoenix, a weekly kids' comics magazine in the UK. CorpseTalk has since been collected and published as an ongoing series of books which have twice been nominated for the Blue Peter Book Awards (the first comic book ever to do so).
His other co-created comics series Lost Tales (also with Lisa) has also been nominated for a Blue Peter Book Award, and was the winner of the British Comics Awards Young People's category in 2016.
He holds a graduate degree in Computer Graphics from DePaul University, and a bachelors in Human Sciences from Oxford.
He lives and works in Glasgow, UK with his wife Lisa and their son.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 7, 2021
Another graphic history series for kids that doesn't quite measure up to Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales. The format might be part of the issue: each historical figure's biography is portrayed as a talk show where the author interviews the historical figure's corpse. Kids might find it funny at first, but there's actually surprisingly little dead body-related humor and the format doesn't really lend itself to a clear retelling of the person's life.
Still, the Murphy's picked some unique women to "interview," including queens, swashbucklers, suffragettes, and aviators that kids might not have heard of. Each interview is followed by a discussion of some topic relevant to the interviewee's life. When the interviewee is a well-known figure, like Jane Austen, the book loses some luster. I didn't need a retelling of Pride & Prejudice, thank you.
Still, the Murphy's picked some unique women to "interview," including queens, swashbucklers, suffragettes, and aviators that kids might not have heard of. Each interview is followed by a discussion of some topic relevant to the interviewee's life. When the interviewee is a well-known figure, like Jane Austen, the book loses some luster. I didn't need a retelling of Pride & Prejudice, thank you.
January 31, 2021
This was a fun and informative book for kids that adults (like me!) could also learn plenty from. It takes the format of a chat show host interviewing various "corpses" ie historical figures and then includes the character teaching about something interesting they were famous for. There is a mixture of well known women from history - eg Elizabeth I, Jane Austen, Harriet Tubman, Anne Frank - and lesser known - eg Khutulun, Julie D'Aubigny, Ching Shih. Along the way, you can learn about all sorts of things from how to charlston, to how a person becomes a saint, to how a biplane works.
June 29, 2021
An interesting premise peppered with questionable facts and badass heroines.
September 2, 2024
Short little biographies of some very impressive women.
I really enjoy having books from this series on hand to read a few pages at a time between other books. I've read all the ones my local library has, but they're missing a couple, so I'm going to put in a purchase request to see if they'll fill the gaps in their collection.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents:
• Hatshepsut: Pharaoh, 1507-1458 BCE
• Hypatia: Mathematician & Philosopher, 360s-415
• Irene of Athens: Empress of Byzantium, 752-803
• Khutulun: Wrestling Princess, 1260s-1300s
• Joan of Arc: Saint, 1412-1431
• Elizabeth I: Queen of England, 1533-1603
• Julie d'Aubigny: Swashbucker, 1670-1707
• Granny Nanny: Resistance Fighter, 1686-1755
• Jane Austen: Novelist, 1775-1817
• Ching Shih: Pirate Queen, 1775-1844
• Princess Caraboo: Con Artist, 1791-1864
• Harriet Tubman: Abolitionist, 1822-1913
• Emily Davison: Suffragette, 1872-1913
• Nellie Bly: Journalist, 1864-1922
• Amy Johnson: Aviator, 1903-1941
• Anne Frank: Diarist, 1929-1945
• Josephine Baker: Entertainer, 1906-1975
• Glossary
I really enjoy having books from this series on hand to read a few pages at a time between other books. I've read all the ones my local library has, but they're missing a couple, so I'm going to put in a purchase request to see if they'll fill the gaps in their collection.
FOR REFERENCE:
Contents:
• Hatshepsut: Pharaoh, 1507-1458 BCE
• Hypatia: Mathematician & Philosopher, 360s-415
• Irene of Athens: Empress of Byzantium, 752-803
• Khutulun: Wrestling Princess, 1260s-1300s
• Joan of Arc: Saint, 1412-1431
• Elizabeth I: Queen of England, 1533-1603
• Julie d'Aubigny: Swashbucker, 1670-1707
• Granny Nanny: Resistance Fighter, 1686-1755
• Jane Austen: Novelist, 1775-1817
• Ching Shih: Pirate Queen, 1775-1844
• Princess Caraboo: Con Artist, 1791-1864
• Harriet Tubman: Abolitionist, 1822-1913
• Emily Davison: Suffragette, 1872-1913
• Nellie Bly: Journalist, 1864-1922
• Amy Johnson: Aviator, 1903-1941
• Anne Frank: Diarist, 1929-1945
• Josephine Baker: Entertainer, 1906-1975
• Glossary
March 18, 2018
If you’re not familiar with the Corpse Talk format by now, here’s a brief introduction. Cartoonified Adam Murphy digs up the bodies of notable, and sometimes obscure, historical figures and then proceeds to interview them about their life’s achievements in the manner of a chat show. Common assumptions are often overturned, fascinating details revealed and much hilarity abounds. All great, nothing bad.
This latest volume focuses entirely on women, from the mighty presence of Queen Elizabeth I to the utterly strange tale of Princess Caraboo, covering all walks of life and accomplishments. The book opens with Hatshepsut, the earliest known female ruler of Egypt, and yet despite this we no very little about her, and the reason why is laid bare across the pages (worth reading for this snippet alone). There’s also the savage swordswoman Julie D’Aubigney, Ching Shih the pirate queen and Nellie Bly, an investigative journalist who pioneered the profession for women. Nearly all of the interviews share a common thread of women having to stand their ground to be accepted for what they were aspired to be, and often those decisions changed preconceived ideas, attitudes and understandings. But equally there are some real tragedies here, unjust and unfair scenarios and genuine hardship, but the fact we can read about them, understand them and remember them then something good has come from it all.
Adam and Lisa Murphy’s skill here is to find the not so obvious nuggets of interest buried alongside the bodies of the deceased, so you may feel you know someone from history but chances are you weren’t aware of what the topic of the interview will be about. And when that topic strays into a major discovery or significant historical moment, there follows a bonus spread that explores and expands upon that detail to further enrich your understanding. And it’s all lovingly done, without condescending tone or dumbing down, but in an articulate and humorous manner.
You genuinely can be any age to enjoy this. Packed full of interesting facts and new discoveries for the reader this is a thoroughly entertaining and informative book. Here’s hoping they dig up another one soon.
This latest volume focuses entirely on women, from the mighty presence of Queen Elizabeth I to the utterly strange tale of Princess Caraboo, covering all walks of life and accomplishments. The book opens with Hatshepsut, the earliest known female ruler of Egypt, and yet despite this we no very little about her, and the reason why is laid bare across the pages (worth reading for this snippet alone). There’s also the savage swordswoman Julie D’Aubigney, Ching Shih the pirate queen and Nellie Bly, an investigative journalist who pioneered the profession for women. Nearly all of the interviews share a common thread of women having to stand their ground to be accepted for what they were aspired to be, and often those decisions changed preconceived ideas, attitudes and understandings. But equally there are some real tragedies here, unjust and unfair scenarios and genuine hardship, but the fact we can read about them, understand them and remember them then something good has come from it all.
Adam and Lisa Murphy’s skill here is to find the not so obvious nuggets of interest buried alongside the bodies of the deceased, so you may feel you know someone from history but chances are you weren’t aware of what the topic of the interview will be about. And when that topic strays into a major discovery or significant historical moment, there follows a bonus spread that explores and expands upon that detail to further enrich your understanding. And it’s all lovingly done, without condescending tone or dumbing down, but in an articulate and humorous manner.
You genuinely can be any age to enjoy this. Packed full of interesting facts and new discoveries for the reader this is a thoroughly entertaining and informative book. Here’s hoping they dig up another one soon.
Read
November 29, 2020Join your host (and author) Adam Murphy in a talk show starring the corpses of astonishing women throughout history. Each star receives a two-page spread following the style of a typical talk show (including with the standard puns and bad jokes) before another spread or two detailing an element of their time or life, such as the layout of the building Anne Frank lived in, an overview of Mongolian wrestling moves, or an explanation of the golden ratio. Features 17 women from an Egyptian pharaoh to empresses, queens, pirates, con artists, and more.
This was fun! I enjoyed the unique approach to a collection of short biographies (and putting this in graphic novel format makes it all the more interesting). While some women were well known, others were not, making this a more engaging read. I'm excited to explore other books in the same series.
This was fun! I enjoyed the unique approach to a collection of short biographies (and putting this in graphic novel format makes it all the more interesting). While some women were well known, others were not, making this a more engaging read. I'm excited to explore other books in the same series.
August 21, 2021
80%
History comes to life as each ground-breaking woman's corpse is interviewed about her life. It was educational and well-researched, and my only complaint is that I wish it would go into a tad more depth: each woman got about 3 full pages, and considering this is a graphic novel, that's not a whole lot of room to put a whole life's story into.
I especially liked that at the end of each segment there was a sort of summary of something relevant to the woman's life. For example, at the end of Joan of Arc's segment it talks about what it takes to become a saint (a lot more than I thought, really), and at the end of Ching Shih's segment it goes into some detail of the ships of her era.
History comes to life as each ground-breaking woman's corpse is interviewed about her life. It was educational and well-researched, and my only complaint is that I wish it would go into a tad more depth: each woman got about 3 full pages, and considering this is a graphic novel, that's not a whole lot of room to put a whole life's story into.
I especially liked that at the end of each segment there was a sort of summary of something relevant to the woman's life. For example, at the end of Joan of Arc's segment it talks about what it takes to become a saint (a lot more than I thought, really), and at the end of Ching Shih's segment it goes into some detail of the ships of her era.
February 27, 2019
Another corker from the Corpse Talk series, this one focusing on some incredible Women from History.
I love these books, they cover some people you know well but you still learn something new about them but my favourite thing is being introduced to some new (I mean lesser known) people from history and hearing their INCREDIBLE stories. My personal favourites in this one being Julie D'Abigny; Granny Nanny and Chig Shih.
I can't rave enough about these books, they are just fantastic!
I love these books, they cover some people you know well but you still learn something new about them but my favourite thing is being introduced to some new (I mean lesser known) people from history and hearing their INCREDIBLE stories. My personal favourites in this one being Julie D'Abigny; Granny Nanny and Chig Shih.
I can't rave enough about these books, they are just fantastic!
June 29, 2021
Interesting concept, not executed as well as I'd hoped. The talk show format is fun in terms of giving the women their voices in a way, but makes it wordy and awkward where we don't have enough information about the person to answer the questions. Not as funny as expected either. Not bad, but I think there are better options.
Read
March 14, 2021 استخدم الكاتب اللغة الدارجة لتعبر الضيفات عن أنفسهن بخفة دم و لغة ساخرة مما جعل قراءة الكتاب ممتعة وجذابة للفئة العمرية المستهدفة.
للمراجعة الكاملة:
https://wp.me/paMrp9-Dg
للمراجعة الكاملة:
https://wp.me/paMrp9-Dg
Want to read
August 26, 2021Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
July 2, 2022
My favorite in the series so far. Learned a lot about some amazing women throughout history and how far we still have to go.
November 1, 2022
I loved the humorous storytelling and I learned a lot along the way. I got hooked and ended up reading other books from this author, they are all so much fun!
May 14, 2023
Informative
Enjoyed most the story of Khutulun the wrestling princess
Enjoyed most the story of Khutulun the wrestling princess
November 7, 2023
I think “cheeky” says it all! Lots of fun!
Grades 5 and up.
Grades 5 and up.
January 22, 2024
(DNF - pg 40)
February 15, 2024
very well written. Love the format. Looking forward to reading more of this series.
June 27, 2021
Lots of fascinating information and stories I'd never heard of. Unfortunately, it was hard to follow the flow of some of the spreads and some of the information was jarringly incomplete or inaccurate.
October 18, 2021
Book 30. A graphic novel (I’m doing book club with some of my kids) about famous women through history. He’s interviewing their dead bodies. 🤓📚 #tsrecommendations #tsreadinglist2021
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews