TESTIMONIALS
AWARDS
"There are huge advantages in using comic books [in schools], a medium that can compress and elongate time, and present emotional landscapes in an experiential way without driving the reader to distracton. And now we have manga, hugely popular amongst young people, being used for the same purpose by publishers such as SelfMadeHero."
"...a manga series gives more room for thought than practically any other form except for the novel."
- David Kendall, Leading Visual Literacies Consultant (April 2009)
"The Manga Shakespeare series flies off the library shelves"
- The Bookseller (May 2009) Read More
"My teenage son's not a great reader by any means but he does like Manga animation - and I've often found him engrossed in your versions of Hamlet and Richard III ... either in his room or the
back of the car on a long journey.
I was amazed & extremely surprised at how much he was taken by your version of Romeo & Juliet - which he was studying at school at the time (GCSE level) - and without it I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have received such a high Eng.Lit grade.
I definitely think your novels have helped open up the world of Shakespeare to him.
Many thanks. Keep up the good work."
- Mr Hall, Leeds.
"What truly shines in this work... is the superlative visualization by newcomer Mustashrik. Working in stark white and inky black, he has created a spare but intense landscape that mirrors the emotions of the characters, and combines a sense of dreamlike isolation with a minimal backdrop that suggests a stage on which the drama is normally enacted. Using shadow, he has managed to make the assassination simultaneously graphic yet subtle, and by alternating tight focus and long shots, and using a thick brush to exemplify expressions, he has fittingly crafted a visual tour de force of Mark Anthony’s speech. Especially for the more artistically minded, this is a raw, striking, and powerful introduction to Shakespeare."
- Booklist Magazine, published by the American Library Association.
"If I have my way comics will play their part in the literacy debate. My son has no interest in English at school, but has devoured three Manga Shakespeare graphic novels, plus the graphic novel of Kafka's The Trial."
– Ian Rankin (quoted in The Bookseller)
"the Manga Shakespeare series offers a variety of fast-moving anime takes on the jewels of Eng Lit"
- The Independent 'Best Graphic Novels of 2008' feature (December 2008)
"Manga is the most popular form of graphic novels among the young, with a generation of British youth weaned on watching animation from Japan and reading manga."
- The Bookseller (November 2008)
"Young people wanted a comic culture of their own...that wasn’t what their parents were reading. They wanted something that was different and special.’"
– Paul Gravett The List (August 2008)
Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) » read more
– Paul Gravett.com (August 2008)
Recommended Reading: Learning and Teaching Scotland
The Globe's Children’s Book Recommendation Panel
Manga Shakespeare: 25 Essential Manga, NEO magazine
EDUCATIONALISTS
'Perfect for upper primaries, as well as older readers too... the story has all the elements to excite the imaginations of youngsters'
'the visual setting is redolent of a Japanese warrior culture, which is an absolutely dovetailed match... as if actually created as a manga.'
'The style of illustartion is of strong lines and idealised figures with variable frame patterns and sizes and it fully conveys both the powerful and the unleashedpowers. This concept of Macbeth is an extremely powerful staging.'
'This whole series is developing into a very useful resource as it has such resonancy with youngsters'
- School Librarian Magazine (Winter 2008)
“This series, with its impression of fast-paced action, could draw younger readers (Key Stage 2 and upwards) into the world of the plays and give them some taste of the language”
– NATE Classroom Magazine (August 2008)
“the Manga Shakespeare series... is abridged, but this should not be seen as problematic, given the exceptional support the series offers readers in understanding the narratives and language of the plays. Varied angles, pacing and page layout create a great deal of interest and support and direct the reader.”
– Dr Mel Gibson, National Teaching Fellow and visual literacy expert
“Huge congratulations ... you've done a brilliant job in a very short space of time... I now use a range of SelfMadeHero texts from Shakespeare to Kafka in my teaching at university, and there is a palpable sense of excitement in the classes as students encounter classics that speak to them in their own idiom. I hope you go from strength to strength!”
– Ariel Kahn, Lecturer, Roehampton University
“A revolutionary approach to English teaching... creative and inspiring.”
– Head of English,
Blackfen School for Girls, London
“Watch out! SelfMadeHero’s Manga Shakespeare books are seriously good. Students are reading them for pleasure!”
– Anne Walker, School Librarian, Leeds
“As soon as the kids hear the word manga, they become enthusiastic and Shakespeare becomes ‘fun’ again.”
– L. O'Hanlon, English Teacher, Year 7, Liverpool
“It’s great to see Shakespeare become cool again, by taking these timeless dramas and placing them in fresh, relevant contexts that will excite and challenge modern readers. Welcome to the 21st century, Will.”
– Gavin Lees, Secondary English Network Leader, Livingstone
“These books... have a very strong appeal. They have a number of different uses with students...
from the widest possible range of backgrounds and abilities.”
– Jenny Smith, Teacher, Greig City Academy, London
“Manga’s edgy cool is the perfect companion to Shakespeare’s grand themes. Shakespeare’s words may be intimidating at first, but what those words mean remains true to this day – these sharply drawn, intelligent versions will show you why. Glorious.”
– Etc., Educational Magazine
“SelfMadeHero has been breaking ground in literature education, making Shakespeare more accessible in the classroom and showing teachers how to use visual literacy to aid in their pupils’ understanding.”
– British Council, Sunitha Janamohanan
“The books very successfully combine the spirit of manga and Shakespeare. They are visually very stimulating and easy to pick up.
They break down barriers while retaining the original words of Shakespeare.”
– The Reading Agency,
Ruth Harrison