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Lon Chaney Speaks
A stunning graphic debut: the life of the legendary silent-film actor Lon Chaney (the original Phantom of the Opera and Hunchback of Notre Dame ), as imagined by an artist whose work recalls the style and skill of early-era New Yorker cartoonists.
From the artist: "'No one will ever love me!' I believe it was this near-universal fear that makes Lon Chaney's characters continue to resonate with us today. On their surface, most of them are distinctly unlikeable: they are monsters, outcasts, criminals. But through his unique magic, Chaney makes them empathetic. He pioneered the craft of makeup artist long before that term ever existed, and he used his expertise to hide himself from public view--what if nobody loved him?"
PART OF THE PANTHEON GRAPHIC LIBRARY
From the artist: "'No one will ever love me!' I believe it was this near-universal fear that makes Lon Chaney's characters continue to resonate with us today. On their surface, most of them are distinctly unlikeable: they are monsters, outcasts, criminals. But through his unique magic, Chaney makes them empathetic. He pioneered the craft of makeup artist long before that term ever existed, and he used his expertise to hide himself from public view--what if nobody loved him?"
PART OF THE PANTHEON GRAPHIC LIBRARY
160 pages, Hardcover
First published October 6, 2020
3 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
December 16, 2020
When I picked this up from the library, I didn't realize it was a non-fiction about Lon Chaney's life. I'm glad it wasn't what I thought it was. I ended up reading this in one sitting. This was intriguing, endearing, and sweet, but not without sadness, because, let's face it, real life is messy. For those who don't know, Lon Chaney was a silent film star, known as The Man of a Thousand Faces, due to his ability to completely morph into the character he was playing. I loved reading about some of the different movies he was in, and the different roles he played. The art controlled the tone, using monochromatic watercolors, and was drawn in a vintage comic/cartoon style, adding to its charm. I feel like I learned a lot reading this, including that who I thought was Lon Chaney was actually Lon Chaney Jr., his son. I would love to binge watch some of his films if I could get my hands on them, but in the meantime, reading this will have to do.
November 15, 2020
A somewhat dry graphic novel about a pioneer in Old Hollywood. I really enjoyed the art style that was monochrome and had a vintage flare to it, which added to the authenticity of the graphic novel’s time.
I also appreciated how the author called out the racism in Hollywood’s depictions of minorities, which Lon took part in and had to be addressed... but, I do wish the author touched upon the way disabilities were shone under a negative light in Lon’s roles because the films he took part in heavily relied on disfigurement through the use of makeup and costumes.
CW: ableism, bullying, alcoholism, suicide attempt, racism in Hollywood
I also appreciated how the author called out the racism in Hollywood’s depictions of minorities, which Lon took part in and had to be addressed... but, I do wish the author touched upon the way disabilities were shone under a negative light in Lon’s roles because the films he took part in heavily relied on disfigurement through the use of makeup and costumes.
CW: ableism, bullying, alcoholism, suicide attempt, racism in Hollywood
August 2, 2020
Lon Chaney lived a very private life so Dorian extrapolates in some places and recaps his movies to fill this out. Chaney was a fascinating man, willing to endure incredible discomfort for many of his roles. The art was very cartoonish but it kind of works.
Received a review copy from Pantheon Books and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
Received a review copy from Pantheon Books and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.
May 1, 2020
What do you do when you want to create a biographical graphic novel of someone who was fiercely private, someone of whom little is known?
This seems to be the central problem this book runs into. You could of course make all kinds of things up, try to fill the holes, but then biography quickly becomes fiction.
The compromise the author comes to is retelling the plot of several of Lon Chaney's movies. And it actually is quite charming to start out with, a single page showing Chaney in the role, and a short summary of the film's plot. But then the author starts using several pages for Chaney's more famous movies, and it kind of feels like filler. I didn't really see how retelling these movies helped to tell the story of Lon Chaney, the man.
The art is kind of whimsical, cartoonish at times, and it works well (although some of Chaney's more frightening characters come off more funny than frightening in this style).
(Received an ARC through Netgalley)
This seems to be the central problem this book runs into. You could of course make all kinds of things up, try to fill the holes, but then biography quickly becomes fiction.
The compromise the author comes to is retelling the plot of several of Lon Chaney's movies. And it actually is quite charming to start out with, a single page showing Chaney in the role, and a short summary of the film's plot. But then the author starts using several pages for Chaney's more famous movies, and it kind of feels like filler. I didn't really see how retelling these movies helped to tell the story of Lon Chaney, the man.
The art is kind of whimsical, cartoonish at times, and it works well (although some of Chaney's more frightening characters come off more funny than frightening in this style).
(Received an ARC through Netgalley)
August 5, 2024
This is a biography of silent movie star Lon Chaney, the Man of a Thousand Face. Pat Dorian's art didn't grab me right away but I was a big fan by the end of it. I knew little tidbits here and there from my fascination with monsters when I was a kid but most of it was new to me. It was a very interesting read but a little on the short side.
November 4, 2020
PDF showed the Epilogue at 27% on my Kindle Fire. Chaotic unconsecutive pages displayed before then. Cannot tell what the hell is going on, sentences spread over three pages? Do not order this PDF. Other PDFs have worked as intended. Not this one.
July 16, 2020
A heavy fictionalized biography of a great early film star who was as uncompromising in how he approached roles as he was in his personal life. The art is very soft, curvy, and cartoonish, which stands a bit at odds with the noirish feel of the narrative. Interesting look at early film history and a man that wanted to leave it all on screen.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 17, 2020
This dramatized biography of Lon Chaney is fairly good when it lingers on his life, like how his silent acting was influenced by communicating with his deaf parents. But throughout the book, little synopses of his films are inserted, and they seem to keep getting longer and longer, turning into full-blown adaptations, based seemingly on how awful and boring the film was. This may be due to the fact that Chaney was a very private person and so the author didn't have a lot of source material to work with, but as the film footage increased my interest in this book decreased.
October 17, 2020
Lon Chaney once said, "My whole career has been devoted to keeping people from knowing me." On account of that, many people did not know the man behind the thousand faces. In the silent film era, Hollywood entrusted the screen to charming, handsome men to dominate theaters. Chaney, a big star in his own right, took a different direction from heartthrob Hollywood. He gravitated toward roles that portrayed him as something other than normal. Much like Johnny Depp of my generation, he sought out to change his appearance in roles that ranged from pirates to gangstas to vampires. He was dubbed, "The Man of a Thousand Faces."
Much of his success could be because of his upbringing. As a child of deaf parents, he learned sign language and facial expressions to communicate. This graphic novel briefly touches upon his upbringing and how even his first wife cringed when she discovered his parents were deaf-thinking their unborn child could inherit it and that it equaled to being dumb. A weakness. He went on to prove that wrong.
I also learned about the pain he went through for his roles. In his move THE PENALTY, he played a man with amputated legs. He had to basically bend his legs back and stuff his knees into buckets during filming. In THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, he wore a 70-pound pack on his back. It was amazing to read how much he loved his work and what he was willing to sacrifice for it.
LON CHANEY SPEAKS also touches upon Lon's aversion to fame, and how he hated interviews and publicity. He would much rather stay behind the scenes or behind his masks. I could relate to that. He was such a private man that nobody knew his life, his history, or even how many movies he'd actually starred in. I loved getting to know the man behind the mask. I remember watching HUNCHBACK in high school, and although I did not know his name, I knew the actor who played Quasimodo was pure genius. If he hadn't died of lung cancer, how far would his career have gone? He was just getting started, and with Hollywood jumping into a new era, I'm sure he would have thrived.
What I loved about this novel were the scenes that cut into the story that portrayed Lon acting in his movies. it was a superb way to honor his career. Pat Dorian does an excellent job of sprinkling on both sides of his lives, his heartache, and also his joy. It was a pleasure to be able to read and review this book and I look forward to whatever Pat does in the future.
Thank you, Pantheon, for entrusting my review on this wonderful book.
Much of his success could be because of his upbringing. As a child of deaf parents, he learned sign language and facial expressions to communicate. This graphic novel briefly touches upon his upbringing and how even his first wife cringed when she discovered his parents were deaf-thinking their unborn child could inherit it and that it equaled to being dumb. A weakness. He went on to prove that wrong.
I also learned about the pain he went through for his roles. In his move THE PENALTY, he played a man with amputated legs. He had to basically bend his legs back and stuff his knees into buckets during filming. In THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, he wore a 70-pound pack on his back. It was amazing to read how much he loved his work and what he was willing to sacrifice for it.
LON CHANEY SPEAKS also touches upon Lon's aversion to fame, and how he hated interviews and publicity. He would much rather stay behind the scenes or behind his masks. I could relate to that. He was such a private man that nobody knew his life, his history, or even how many movies he'd actually starred in. I loved getting to know the man behind the mask. I remember watching HUNCHBACK in high school, and although I did not know his name, I knew the actor who played Quasimodo was pure genius. If he hadn't died of lung cancer, how far would his career have gone? He was just getting started, and with Hollywood jumping into a new era, I'm sure he would have thrived.
What I loved about this novel were the scenes that cut into the story that portrayed Lon acting in his movies. it was a superb way to honor his career. Pat Dorian does an excellent job of sprinkling on both sides of his lives, his heartache, and also his joy. It was a pleasure to be able to read and review this book and I look forward to whatever Pat does in the future.
Thank you, Pantheon, for entrusting my review on this wonderful book.
June 28, 2021
Interesting biography of an actor who I knew very little about, besides his terrifying visage appearing in the 1920's Phantom of the Opera. Unfortunately, no one, including the author, seems to know very much about Lon Chaney, so the book spends more time recapping the plots of Chaney's films than outlining his life. Knowing little about films from the 20s, I was intrigued, but it all felt like a distraction from Chaney's life story.
A boon to the book: the art. Pat Dorian's work reminds me strongly of Seth's (see: Clyde Fans) - the art is basically pure cartoon; beautifully shaded, with excellent emotions. Exactly how you'd want to illustrate "the man with 1,000 faces." I just wish Lon Chaney Speaks offered more about the man or his times, not just the movies he starred in.
A boon to the book: the art. Pat Dorian's work reminds me strongly of Seth's (see: Clyde Fans) - the art is basically pure cartoon; beautifully shaded, with excellent emotions. Exactly how you'd want to illustrate "the man with 1,000 faces." I just wish Lon Chaney Speaks offered more about the man or his times, not just the movies he starred in.
March 25, 2021
Superficial and not engaging. Barely enough interest to finish.
September 10, 2025
I tend to be a big fan of historical and biographical graphic nonfiction as a genre/format. I think it's a great way to learn new things without having that feeling of being thrown in the deep end. I'm also a bit of a film nerd, both in terms of watching movies and learning about film history. I have a big soft spot for the silent era. I've actually been saying for years that I wish there were graphic nonfiction works out there about film history because I'd love to learn more and love learning in this format, and I think film history is uniquely suited to a visual format. I especially have felt that way about early film history, since silent film is a purely visual medium and it feels appropriate to learn about it in a purely visual way. I hadn't found anything like that though. Until now. In a strange coincidence, I've actually come across three at once, but this is the first one I'm getting to.
Full disclosure: I have watched some Lon Chaney (and very much enjoyed what I've seen), but I really haven't seen much of his work, although it features heavily on my to watch list. I knew very little about Lon Chaney's personal life or even his career beyond a list of titles and the little I have watched (although I think his performance in The Unknown is brilliant). I wanted to note this because this is a slim volume of about 160 pages, so those who are more knowledgeable about his life and work may find this less informative than I did.
Now onto my thoughts. I loved this. Lon Chaney Speaks is a great introduction to his life and work that covers a lot of the known details (he was a deeply private person who endeavored to keep his personal life personal). It looks at his early years as the child of deaf parents, his introduction to performance, his earlier stage career, and his introduction to film work as an extra and minor character actor. It also covers his turbulent first marriage and his more peaceful second marriage. It delves deeper into his career as a headlining actor known for his ability to shapeshift onscreen, the Man of a Thousand Faces, a skill he perfected on stage and in minor parts and carried on throughout his career doing his own makeup and costuming to create dramatically changed personas. The story features information about several of his biggest roles, sometimes by sharing a description and some poster-style images, other times by recreating the film across several pages, summarizing the events of notable works such as the Phantom of the Opera, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the Unholy Three, styled in a different colour palate from the portions detailing his personal life. The art style emulates a classic cartooning style, which really helps to emphasise the time period and suits the book incredibly well.
Lon Chaney Speaks is the exact kind of silent film history graphic nonfiction I was looking for. It makes for a great introduction to a man who was an incredible talent and something of an enigma. I'm very glad I got the chance to read this, and I'm looking forward to exploring more silent film history through graphic nonfiction (and I honestly hope that I'm eventually able to find more than just the two that I already have lined up).
Content notes: depicts the ableism and yellowface that were unfortunately common in the silent film era, depicts an abusive spouse with mental illness and substance abuse issues, suicide attempt off page but significant to part of the story.
Full disclosure: I have watched some Lon Chaney (and very much enjoyed what I've seen), but I really haven't seen much of his work, although it features heavily on my to watch list. I knew very little about Lon Chaney's personal life or even his career beyond a list of titles and the little I have watched (although I think his performance in The Unknown is brilliant). I wanted to note this because this is a slim volume of about 160 pages, so those who are more knowledgeable about his life and work may find this less informative than I did.
Now onto my thoughts. I loved this. Lon Chaney Speaks is a great introduction to his life and work that covers a lot of the known details (he was a deeply private person who endeavored to keep his personal life personal). It looks at his early years as the child of deaf parents, his introduction to performance, his earlier stage career, and his introduction to film work as an extra and minor character actor. It also covers his turbulent first marriage and his more peaceful second marriage. It delves deeper into his career as a headlining actor known for his ability to shapeshift onscreen, the Man of a Thousand Faces, a skill he perfected on stage and in minor parts and carried on throughout his career doing his own makeup and costuming to create dramatically changed personas. The story features information about several of his biggest roles, sometimes by sharing a description and some poster-style images, other times by recreating the film across several pages, summarizing the events of notable works such as the Phantom of the Opera, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, and the Unholy Three, styled in a different colour palate from the portions detailing his personal life. The art style emulates a classic cartooning style, which really helps to emphasise the time period and suits the book incredibly well.
Lon Chaney Speaks is the exact kind of silent film history graphic nonfiction I was looking for. It makes for a great introduction to a man who was an incredible talent and something of an enigma. I'm very glad I got the chance to read this, and I'm looking forward to exploring more silent film history through graphic nonfiction (and I honestly hope that I'm eventually able to find more than just the two that I already have lined up).
Content notes: depicts the ableism and yellowface that were unfortunately common in the silent film era, depicts an abusive spouse with mental illness and substance abuse issues, suicide attempt off page but significant to part of the story.
February 24, 2023
Meet the man of 1000 Faces: Lon Chaney.
Lon Chaney (if you don't know the name) became a legendary movie actor during the Silent Era of Cinema, revolutionizing the industry through creative makeup and prosthetics. Hollywood movies didn't really have Makeup artists during the early films, and Chaney helped change that.
Chaney's life was FAR from perfect. He was a heavy smoker. His first wife was an alcoholic.
He became so dedicated to his craft, that it would literally torture him physically. Chaney initially was a struggling actor who would do literally anything to make a buck. When he found out that he could use his theatrical background and makeup to fit the needs of casting directors, that's exactly what he did. However, it was not without extreme pain.
Check out many of the films that Chaney did that revolutionized Hollywood makeup and prosthetics. From his Gangster films to becoming a contortionist (which he actually WAS NOT), to his iconic characters of literature (Quasimodo in Hunchback of Notre Dame, where he was literally whipped), or the skeletal face of the Phantom of the Opera in the Horror industry.
His story and films are a unique part and backstory of Hollywood History, told through old-timey comic strip art and text by Pat Dorian.
Mildly off topic, I was obsessed with Chaney (and his son, Lon Chaney, Jr. who would become the infamous Wolfman) and his craft in makeup. I have Chaney to thank for my tiny bit of love for the magic of moviemaking and makeup. Thank you Mr. Chaney.
Lon Chaney (if you don't know the name) became a legendary movie actor during the Silent Era of Cinema, revolutionizing the industry through creative makeup and prosthetics. Hollywood movies didn't really have Makeup artists during the early films, and Chaney helped change that.
Chaney's life was FAR from perfect. He was a heavy smoker. His first wife was an alcoholic.
He became so dedicated to his craft, that it would literally torture him physically. Chaney initially was a struggling actor who would do literally anything to make a buck. When he found out that he could use his theatrical background and makeup to fit the needs of casting directors, that's exactly what he did. However, it was not without extreme pain.
Check out many of the films that Chaney did that revolutionized Hollywood makeup and prosthetics. From his Gangster films to becoming a contortionist (which he actually WAS NOT), to his iconic characters of literature (Quasimodo in Hunchback of Notre Dame, where he was literally whipped), or the skeletal face of the Phantom of the Opera in the Horror industry.
His story and films are a unique part and backstory of Hollywood History, told through old-timey comic strip art and text by Pat Dorian.
Mildly off topic, I was obsessed with Chaney (and his son, Lon Chaney, Jr. who would become the infamous Wolfman) and his craft in makeup. I have Chaney to thank for my tiny bit of love for the magic of moviemaking and makeup. Thank you Mr. Chaney.
October 25, 2020
Dubbed a Man with a Thousand faces, Lon Chaney was a legend of silent cinema and yet his notoriously private approach to fame didn’t leave a lot of biographical information behind, after his tragically early death at just 47. Using what is known and furnishing the facts with early era cartoon style art the author here put together a comprehensive version of Chaney’s life as if told by the late star himself. From an early childhood, Chaney seemed destined to become an entertainer and so he did, from theater and vaudeville to, eventually, movies, and later cinematic fame. Using his natural talent, charisma and a superb knowledge of stage make up, he has transformed himself time and again to disappear into one legendary role after another. And it appears that after a tragic early marriage, he eventually went on to find a happy personal life also, one he was so smartly very private about. Even created a cinematic dynasty with his son continuing in his acting footsteps with a Jr. at the end of the name. All in all seems like a good and accomplished life, albeit not a very long one. In fact, his latest picture was his first talkie and he did five voices in it. A transition not many silent era stars were able to make, so who knows what his career might have been like and how many more transformation he would have had up his sleeve. So yeah…an interesting life makes for an interesting read. The art didn’t do much for me, seemed too…primitive somehow. Fitting in a way, chronologically and stylistically, but so…I dunno…silly. Best way to think of it is charmingly dated, maybe, just like an old silent movie. Very quick read too. Recommended, especially for cinema buffs.
April 3, 2024
Lon Chaney was a brilliant actor. He was born to deaf parents so he learned to communicate in pantomime from birth, which helped him on the silent screen. He lived a short but powerful life. This book illustrates moments in his life with short synopses of some of his films mixed in. If you’re familiar with Chaney’s work, these descriptions can be tedious, though seeing the artists’ renderings of these scenes is worthwhile. Interestingly though Chaney had a haggard face, Dorian chose to depict him as youthful and generic in this book.
I hope young people find this book and get inspired to watch some of the films. To a fan, it is pleasant reading but not terribly emotional or memorable.
I hope young people find this book and get inspired to watch some of the films. To a fan, it is pleasant reading but not terribly emotional or memorable.
October 23, 2022
Lon Cheney seems like he was an interesting character, and I sort of liked the single-page outlines of some of the movies he was in, which had pretty wacky plots. A guy pretends to have no arms, has arms, and has an extra thumb, then gets caught murdering someone, but they only see the extra thumb, THEN the guy who pretended to have no arms chops off his arms so he won't be a murder suspect. That's some Grade A nonsense.
October 11, 2020
Really nice fictionalized biography of silent star Lon Chaney (not to be confused, as I initially did, with Jr, aka Wolfman). The artwork is simple and effective, and occasionally quite beautiful. The story is nice, dramatic without going overboard, and Chaney's life was an interesting one.
September 4, 2022
A very enjoyable and brisk read that reveals some pros and cons about Lon Chaney as a man: of course, much of it is a bit guesswork, so it's important to take it for that. I loved the artwork style and the narrative and learning more about his movies. I think that's the big drive here: reminding the world that Lon Chaney was amazing.
November 17, 2020
Old Hollywood is filled with fascinating stories. It was fun to learn a little more about the man of a thousand faces.
December 7, 2020
I feel like the style is too cutesy for the subject matter and I wish it had gone a bit more into detail, but I understand Chaney’s life isn’t too public. Overall, pretty interesting read.
January 13, 2021
3.5 I knew nothing about Lon Chaney when I started reading and this was a fun, interesting and quick-to-read graphic novel. Now I want to watch at least one or two of his movies.
Read
January 20, 2021Succinct and gorgeously rendered.
February 22, 2021
Loved the era art and the mythic figure of Lon Chaney thusly portrayed.
A fan (tho' have never seen a film!) because of B. Selznick's Boy of a thousand faces read many times to kids in the library.
A fan (tho' have never seen a film!) because of B. Selznick's Boy of a thousand faces read many times to kids in the library.
April 11, 2024
Enjoyable read, I love the early era of film so when I saw this book I checked it out. Though I’ve only seen one of Chaney’s films, Oliver Twist. I did want to watch more of these after reading the book.
It seems Chaney was a pretty private person. So there was probably not a lot to make a bio comic out of. The comic feels like the author took a Wikipedia biography about him and made a comic out of those details. It was still enjoyable, I liked the first person POV for the biography. Made it feel very intimate like Chaney himself was actually telling the story. But alas there’s not much here, I ko’ed this comic in one go. It was pretty short and fast paced. You don’t really get much info about Chaney’s life, just that he was a master of makeup and that he disliked fame. I’ve read one or two actor biography comics, kinda the same way rags to riches formula I’ve seen before. It’s a passable comic, it’s a nice little read but it just feels very light. And alot of the comic is tangents about movies he was in. They just summarize the movies story. Which is odd. People who haven’t seen the movies will have the film ruined for them. So they won’t wanna check them out. I skipped through these. The parts going over Chaney doing each role and getting into the makeup and costume was really interesting. And the phantom of the opera scene with the reveal of his face was really cool. There’s a scene in the beginning from his childhood and I wonder if that actually happened. A lot of scenes I don’t know if they’re fictional or fact. I guess on par for bio stories. But the comic does feel more intimate and personal than just looking up his biography.
An odd comic, but I think it does show that Chaney was an actor worth remembering. The end is kinda odd, mostly consisting of film summary tangents, and then Chaney’s dead. I don’t know why but they don’t even show the filming event that apparently caused his death.
I like the art, it’s simple and very cartoony but it’s charming and works well.
I’d like to check out more of this author’s comics, so I guess that’s saying something.
I’d say if you’re interested in 20’s films go ahead and give this a read.
It seems Chaney was a pretty private person. So there was probably not a lot to make a bio comic out of. The comic feels like the author took a Wikipedia biography about him and made a comic out of those details. It was still enjoyable, I liked the first person POV for the biography. Made it feel very intimate like Chaney himself was actually telling the story. But alas there’s not much here, I ko’ed this comic in one go. It was pretty short and fast paced. You don’t really get much info about Chaney’s life, just that he was a master of makeup and that he disliked fame. I’ve read one or two actor biography comics, kinda the same way rags to riches formula I’ve seen before. It’s a passable comic, it’s a nice little read but it just feels very light. And alot of the comic is tangents about movies he was in. They just summarize the movies story. Which is odd. People who haven’t seen the movies will have the film ruined for them. So they won’t wanna check them out. I skipped through these. The parts going over Chaney doing each role and getting into the makeup and costume was really interesting. And the phantom of the opera scene with the reveal of his face was really cool. There’s a scene in the beginning from his childhood and I wonder if that actually happened. A lot of scenes I don’t know if they’re fictional or fact. I guess on par for bio stories. But the comic does feel more intimate and personal than just looking up his biography.
An odd comic, but I think it does show that Chaney was an actor worth remembering. The end is kinda odd, mostly consisting of film summary tangents, and then Chaney’s dead. I don’t know why but they don’t even show the filming event that apparently caused his death.
I like the art, it’s simple and very cartoony but it’s charming and works well.
I’d like to check out more of this author’s comics, so I guess that’s saying something.
I’d say if you’re interested in 20’s films go ahead and give this a read.
December 19, 2023
Congrats to Pat Dorian for his first published cgraphic novel, and it's a pretty good one. The title is a reference to Lon Chaney's being a silent film star, only have spoken in his last film, obviously a talky. Chaney was the Hunchback of Notre Dame, he was the Phantom of the Opera, known as the Man with a Thousand Faces because of his ability (and hos own makeup and a series of invented costumes) to morph into any character.
Method acting? Chaney was a notoriously private person, and told the industry, "Between films, there is no Lon Chaney." He just wanted to be known for his roles. The trouble with the privacy is that there is very little known about him. So Dorian tells us what he knows, using Chaney as first person speaker (which he would have never chosen to do), calling his work fiction, which is true, filling in gaps. He was a greatly admired and successful actor, and generous in helping people out, but as Dorian points out, when his first wife became an alcoholic and suicidal and he divorced her, he never allowed her to see their son (whom he also neglected for a time as he forged ahead with his career).
So that part of it is good, that the bio doesn't deify him. But the problem with making a book length biography and not knowing much about Chaney, Dorian fills in more than half of the book with recounts of his most iconic film roles, which would have pleased Chaney, since he didn't want to be known as Chaney! But for those of us wanting to know Chaney. . .
The artwork owes something to Golden Age comics and a touch of work from Seth's nostalgic illustration.
Method acting? Chaney was a notoriously private person, and told the industry, "Between films, there is no Lon Chaney." He just wanted to be known for his roles. The trouble with the privacy is that there is very little known about him. So Dorian tells us what he knows, using Chaney as first person speaker (which he would have never chosen to do), calling his work fiction, which is true, filling in gaps. He was a greatly admired and successful actor, and generous in helping people out, but as Dorian points out, when his first wife became an alcoholic and suicidal and he divorced her, he never allowed her to see their son (whom he also neglected for a time as he forged ahead with his career).
So that part of it is good, that the bio doesn't deify him. But the problem with making a book length biography and not knowing much about Chaney, Dorian fills in more than half of the book with recounts of his most iconic film roles, which would have pleased Chaney, since he didn't want to be known as Chaney! But for those of us wanting to know Chaney. . .
The artwork owes something to Golden Age comics and a touch of work from Seth's nostalgic illustration.
May 31, 2020
For anyone even vaguely interested in the history of Hollywood, this graphic novel is manna from heaven. It's also a quite eye-opening biography of someone who conveyed the heart of the monster, whether it be Quasimodo, the Phantom of the Opera, or copious crims-needing-redemption, in silent cinema. Yes, the looks at the films he made here are insufferably melodramatic, taking in carnies, jealousy, and the heightened emotion of backstage at the circus, but the man's life itself is riveting. This version of his own story – for we don't have much in the way of a proper biography or words from the horse's mouth to go on – starts with him being bullied due to both his parents being deaf (there's that affinity with the outsider writ large on page one), and carries on through marriage to a drunk, when all he could afford was his own chain-smoking habits, to success, which never stopped him caring for others. I wasn't sure about the retro style here, all Saturday supplement swoops and characterisation, but it's on a level of subtlety with his movies and does show an attractive charm itself by the finish. If it's true that we can't be sure about the man's early life and thoughts when not working, then the level of depth here is probably a perfect amount for his biography – and this, for all its possible guess-work, and perhaps imbalance with the amount of film summary we get, ended up being right up my street. Four and a half stars.
May 16, 2020
I loved this graphic biography of Lon Chaney. Most of us know who Lon Cheney was, even if just from the movie Hunchback of Notre Dame, but few know his life story. I know all I knew was he was an amazing special effects makeup artist before there was such a title.
I also was aware of his son, who very successfully followed in his footsteps, Lon Cheney, Jr.-best known for his movie “The Wolfman”.
I was not aware Cheney’s parents were both deaf and mute nor that he was bullied over it. It seems an odd thing to get beat up for, but people are crazy...that’s one thing that has never changed.
It was interesting to learn of his early years in vaudeville and more of his personal life. He was very private so little was printed of his life at the time.
The art was excellent in this graphic novel. Though I don’t think the artist captured what Chaney looked like, I also don't think he tried to. The creations of Chaney were on point, you recognized the characters Chaney played even if you had no idea what the movie was.
This is Dorian’s debut graphic novel and it’s a hit. I will keep his name in mind when looking for other graphics like this. Definitely worth your time to read this, and learn a little about the Hollywood stars of yesteryear.
I received this book free from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and Netgalley for my honest, unbiased review.
I also was aware of his son, who very successfully followed in his footsteps, Lon Cheney, Jr.-best known for his movie “The Wolfman”.
I was not aware Cheney’s parents were both deaf and mute nor that he was bullied over it. It seems an odd thing to get beat up for, but people are crazy...that’s one thing that has never changed.
It was interesting to learn of his early years in vaudeville and more of his personal life. He was very private so little was printed of his life at the time.
The art was excellent in this graphic novel. Though I don’t think the artist captured what Chaney looked like, I also don't think he tried to. The creations of Chaney were on point, you recognized the characters Chaney played even if you had no idea what the movie was.
This is Dorian’s debut graphic novel and it’s a hit. I will keep his name in mind when looking for other graphics like this. Definitely worth your time to read this, and learn a little about the Hollywood stars of yesteryear.
I received this book free from Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group and Netgalley for my honest, unbiased review.
April 6, 2021
The parents of Lon Chaney were both deaf. He learned sign language. He started out doing vaudeville and theater. When his first wife attempted suicide unsuccessfully, it did cause Lon to look into doing film. Lon Chaney became a well know actor in silent films. He was well known for his characters that were tortured, often grotesque and afflicted. He did makeup for the films before there was any makeup artists. He was so good at makeup, he became known as “the man of a thousand faces.”
This graphic novel is introduced as an imaginary biography as Lon was a very private person. Milestones of his life are shown in black and white illustrations. The graphic novel does honor to his life and film career. I was always a fan of Lon Chaney as I had a chance to see some of his silent films that he did. I will never forget how well he portrayed the characters of the phantom of the film “Phantom of the opera.” It’s excellent written and illustrated imagined biography of him. This is a book for everyone!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
This graphic novel is introduced as an imaginary biography as Lon was a very private person. Milestones of his life are shown in black and white illustrations. The graphic novel does honor to his life and film career. I was always a fan of Lon Chaney as I had a chance to see some of his silent films that he did. I will never forget how well he portrayed the characters of the phantom of the film “Phantom of the opera.” It’s excellent written and illustrated imagined biography of him. This is a book for everyone!
Disclaimer: I received an arc of this book from the author/publisher from Netgalley. I wasn’t obligated to write a favorable review or any review at all. The opinions expressed are strictly my own.
July 27, 2021
[Imagine if you will, a netgalley disclaimer]
This brief look into the life of the elusive, private Lon Chaney was an alright start. The art was a little cartoonier than I would have expected for the subject, but it wasn't bad. The story touched on the highlights of his life, revolving around the public information we know about his work.
One of the things that I liked about this book is that it explored the social standards for the time and explored them in a thoughtful, sensitive way. In particular, Chaney's work in western and yellow face films is put into context, but not excused away. The author also doesn't smooth out Chaney's edges around his first wife's problems --he leaves that public, unhappy relationship in its raw state of discomfort.
I wish that this book had bridged the father-son work aspects a little better. Creighton (better known as Lon Chaney Jr.) carried on his father's style in acting and portraying many faces during the heyday of Universal's monster films. Seeing that connection between the Man With 1000 Faces and Monster Man (or Wolf Man as we more often see) would have been a nice bridge and carry on in the story. In the end, the story ends suddenly and sadly with Chaney's somewhat premature death.
This brief look into the life of the elusive, private Lon Chaney was an alright start. The art was a little cartoonier than I would have expected for the subject, but it wasn't bad. The story touched on the highlights of his life, revolving around the public information we know about his work.
One of the things that I liked about this book is that it explored the social standards for the time and explored them in a thoughtful, sensitive way. In particular, Chaney's work in western and yellow face films is put into context, but not excused away. The author also doesn't smooth out Chaney's edges around his first wife's problems --he leaves that public, unhappy relationship in its raw state of discomfort.
I wish that this book had bridged the father-son work aspects a little better. Creighton (better known as Lon Chaney Jr.) carried on his father's style in acting and portraying many faces during the heyday of Universal's monster films. Seeing that connection between the Man With 1000 Faces and Monster Man (or Wolf Man as we more often see) would have been a nice bridge and carry on in the story. In the end, the story ends suddenly and sadly with Chaney's somewhat premature death.
February 4, 2025
I have been waiting to read this since 2021. The art was beautiful and I loved the nod to vintage cartoon art. It felt really special to “hear” Lon talk about his life, like an exclusive interview.
However, I was very, very shocked that it did not delve into Lon’s death. I’m surprised that it did not, at the very least, show that the whole cinematic world paused upon learning of his passing. When you look into Lon and his life, it’s very apparent that when his death was announced, pretty much the entire world but particularly on production lots and offices, the environment was silent and solemn. Lon was very important to film and his passing knocked the wind out of everyone. And the manner in which he passed, how he secretly sought treatment, was actually getting better, but suddenly and unexpectedly died, I just truly am shocked this was not included in this graphic novel!
Additionally, it felt like Lon was painted out to be a heartless man in terms of custody of his son. But in reality, he was setting hard boundaries. She wasn’t a safe person for a child to be around.
Those things aside, this was a wonderful read and I know I will revisit it often.
However, I was very, very shocked that it did not delve into Lon’s death. I’m surprised that it did not, at the very least, show that the whole cinematic world paused upon learning of his passing. When you look into Lon and his life, it’s very apparent that when his death was announced, pretty much the entire world but particularly on production lots and offices, the environment was silent and solemn. Lon was very important to film and his passing knocked the wind out of everyone. And the manner in which he passed, how he secretly sought treatment, was actually getting better, but suddenly and unexpectedly died, I just truly am shocked this was not included in this graphic novel!
Additionally, it felt like Lon was painted out to be a heartless man in terms of custody of his son. But in reality, he was setting hard boundaries. She wasn’t a safe person for a child to be around.
Those things aside, this was a wonderful read and I know I will revisit it often.
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