4 Illustrated Books Film Fans Will Appreciate
Most people would know Shrek from the 2001 Dreamworks animated film series. The story of the belligerent green ogre and his band of misfits has made an indelible mark in our cultural imagination with its satirical retelling of classic fairytale tropes.
But what some may not know is that the origin of the green ogre goes a little further back. The film series Shrek was based on a fantasy comedy picture book Shrek!, written by William Steig. Published in 1990, the original picture book features illustrations reminiscent of beloved characters by famous cartoonist and children’s writer Quentin Blake.
Film adaptions like Shrek are popular these days. The extensive universes of Marvel and DC comics have spawned film franchises that flood streaming subscriptions and theatres worldwide. Other illustrated book adaptations offer alternative genres that provide a change from the usual superhero plots of saving the world. Riverdale for one, puts a dark twist on the original Archie comics with its murder-mystery storyline while iconic manga series such as Akira and Ghost in the Shell have also been successfully adapted into full-length animated films.
With the launch of library@orchard’s new illustrated collection on 9 October 2023, you’ll have access to a wide selection of titles such as graphic novels, picture books and illustrated compendiums. Not sure where to start? Here are four books we’ve picked out just for you.
1. Persepolis — Marjane Satrapi
Twenty years since its publication, Persepolis remains a timeless masterpiece offering us a glimpse into Iran’s turbulent political climate and history. This autobiography charts author Satrapi’s trajectory into a resilient young woman increasingly disillusioned with her country’s state of affairs. Once governed by punk slogans and liberal ideologies from her childhood, Satrapi wrangles with the hypocrisies and contradictions of the new theocracy.
Religion, identity, feminism and neo-colonialism all converge in this vivid bildungsroman and Satrapi adeptly condenses these complex issues into black and white comic panels through bold, understated linework. This tour de force of a graphic memoir has since been adapted into an award-winning animated film.
Get the book here: Physical copy, eBook
Watch the film here: DVD
2. Ghost World — Daniel Clowes
Fresh out of high school in the 1990s, Enid Coleslaw and Rebecca Dopplemeyer are best friends on the precipice of change. They spend their days in their nondescript suburban American town doling out snarky remarks of the town’s oddballs and absurdities, vehemently criticising pop culture or anything remotely mainstream. With Enid’s plans to move away for college, tensions between the two wax and wane, colouring their encounters with the townsfolk.
Clowes’ cult classic remains relevant to this day and age, as a raw and subversive tribute to the alienating worlds teenagers inhabit, and the spectre of teenage angst. Adapted into a 2001 black comedy starring Thora Birch as Enid and Scarlett Johansson as Rebecca, Ghost World leaves readers pining for more authentic, off-kilter portrayals of adolescence.
Get the book here: Physical copy
Watch the film here: DVD
3. The Lost Thing — Shaun Tan
A boy notices the minuscule and the forgotten — first bottle caps and now a strange creature perched on a faraway shore between beachgoers. This half-crab half-industrial boiler, or The Lost Thing, draws pity from its rescuer, and soon, it’s up to the boy to help it find its place in the world. From housing it in his shed to bringing it to the Department of Odds and Ends, the wayward journey of the boy and his new mechanical companion form the crux of Tan’s tender steampunk fantasy.
Despite its preternatural creatures, The Lost Thing emerges as a whimsical tale underscoring the subtext of belonging in an indifferent world. Dystopian landscapes and surrealist creatures in Tan’s work have been adapted into an Academy Award-winning short film.
Get the book here: Physical copy
4. Shuna’s Journey — Hayao Miyazaki
Before founding Studio Ghibli, the acclaimed animation director Hayao Miyazaki wrote and illustrated a one-volume watercolour-illustrated graphic novel. Originally published in 1983, Shuna’s Journey is an antecedental piece to Miyazaki’s seminal films incorporating magic-realism. Loosely inspired by a Tibetan folktale The Prince Who Became a Dog, the illustrated book traces the journey of a prince of a small valley who sets out to find the golden grain in the land of the god-men.
Despite not making the cut for the silver screen, Shuna’s Journey is a brief but captivating introduction to Miyazaki’s distinguished motifs on film: surreal landscapes, mythical creatures and strong-willed heroines. Those who have watched his films may find that Shuna bears striking similarities to the titular protagonist of Nausicaa the Valley of the Wind and Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke, especially with his elk-like mount or yakul.
Get the book here: Physical copy
All books featured in this article can be found in library@orchard’s new illustrated collection. From 9 October 2023, the collection is available for browsing and borrowing on level 4, next to shelf 32. Along with our illustrated books, we also have zines made by our very own library users on display.
Keep up to date with library@orchard’s illustration-related programmes by checking out our GoLibrary collection.
Text by
Elizabeth Ang
National Library Board
