As far as an adaptation of Beowulf or its characters in English, the Classics Illustrated line of comics that started in 1941 would seem to have been a natural fit, but the publisher that exposed so many young readers to the exploits of Ivanhoe and other heroic characters for the first time either did not see the marketability of the story in comic format, did not get around to doing one, or was beaten to publication by a competitor. Whichever the reason, another early appearance of the character and story in comic format in English appeared in Store Comics' Conquest in 1953 and was reprinted in its entirety in 1955 by the Eastern Color Printing in its Famous Funnies line. (My thanks to comic artist/writer/historian Scott Shaw for tracking down an image of the 1953 edition.)
The entire comic is a fairly odd compilation of fictional and historical figures, typical of the anthology comics of the era. In it, one finds an amalgamation of narrative stories and Ripley’s-style biographies of heroic figures (both human and animal) such as Madeleine de Vercheres, Balto, and Elizabeth Blackwell that today would read like a poor version of Spark Notes. On the cover, which features more well-known historical figures, including Richard the Lionhearted, Beowolf stands off to the left side, shirtless and wearing fur shorts. He is separated from all of the characters and is portrayed as being physically smaller than the cover’s three central images. The use of fur shorts and boots as a wardrobe is not all that out of place for the character, and later adaptations will dress him in similar attire, but as used here they imply that the character is prehistoric, especially in relation to the artistic license used as the story starts with a splash page which features Beowolf wrestling a dinosaur. The dinosaur, later identified as being Grendel, is eventually defeated after being thrown against a wall and, now unconscious, is thrown into the sea where he is destined to “go down to Neptune’s locker.” A kind reviewer might say that the writer might have been trying to combine elements of the hero’s first and final battles, but that would be a far stretch. Clearly, the writer (not listed, which is typical for comics of the era) either had no concept of the differences between cultural mythologies, which may not have been so glaring except for the fact that there are frequent references to Beowolf being Norse, or was trying to make the story approachable to readers who would have had little background in Norse mythology. As we will see, this story will not be the only one that combines myths from various cultures, so it would be unfair to automatically assume either option, but the later stories that incorporate other mythic characters (Dracula, etc.) tend to do so in such a way that there is no doubt by the reader that the goal is not to limit Beowulf to a specific era, but rather to incorporate the idea of a Beowulf as a more generalized adventure hero. This story is set up to show the character to be an actual historical being, and perhaps this is the biggest problem. Other variations from the original poem include Hrothgar in a lesser role, demoted to the status of prince, and the writer’s description of Beowolf’s strength and his endearing personality: he can uproot trees, defeat wolf packs, crush rocks, jump over large distances, and is apparently nurturing towards the very young. Looking at the cover, there is a possible clue as to why the story was so different (or at least less violent) in content from the original source material: the then-new Comics Code Authority approval stamp. With the CCA’s disdain for any story that was too frightening or violent, we can speculate as to whether or not the liberties taken in presenting the story were made to make it marketable (i.e. censor-approved) or if the regulations made any difference and the creators simply did not think their readers would notice or care. Clearly, this comic was put together to be suitable for all audiences, which at the time meant an audience of pre- and young adolescents. |