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Jim Henson's Tale of Sand by Chris Robinson, Ramón Pérez, Stephen Christy, Jerry Juhl, Jim Henson
emmalinegc's review against another edition
3.0
I think I would have preferred to see this as a (short?) film as it was intended to be a screenplay, but reading the introduction and learning more about Jim Henson's creative side and how much more than puppets he was interested was fascinating, and really made me want to look into more of his works. I just felt like the lack of dialogue and narration didn't work very well for the transfer to it being a graphic novel, although it was very well drawn.
willjf's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
5.0
albertico66's review against another edition
5.0
This book makes me jealous of the kind of imagination one man, Jim Henson, had --- AMAZING.
mpclemens's review against another edition
3.0
A trippy, self-referential story that never relents, though it feels like it contains weirdness for weirdness' sake. The story is very much a product of its times, and the connection to the sci-fi TV classic The Prisoner is perhaps more than coincidental.
lannthacker's review against another edition
3.0
While the illustrations were beautiful and the story delightfully dreamy (much like a Terry Gilliam film), there were several confusing sequences which detracted from my overall enjoyment. I would love to see this made into a movie, however, and enjoyed the chance to see some "new" work from Jim Henson.
90sinmyheart's review against another edition
3.0
Weird as hell and IS THAT A STUDEBAKER. SOMEONE TELL ME WHETHER THAT WAS A STUDEBAKER.
libreroaming's review against another edition
4.0
Tale of Sand is the graphic novel adaptation of a screenplay by Muppet-creator, Jim Henson. It's mostly billed as an homage to the late, great visionary and it shows the mark of Henson's dreamy and surrealist conceits.
The strongest thing about the graphic novel is the artistry brought by Ramón Pérez. His character designs are a perfect blend of almost Warner Brothers extension cartoony with some grounded realistic anatomy and sense of balance. The expressions and scenes carry this largely wordless journey and, although there are scenes you can tell were always meant for film, he adapts them in a way that feels organic to this adaptation. For example, the prospector-like person who never stops talking having his background chatter spill out of the word balloon, or the juxtaposition of some unrelated scenes to represent the chaotic pellmell of the chase scenes.
Henson, when at his best, would have delivered a rich and memorable world surrounding this story, but the script is not his strongest work. It delivers the visuals but lacks a certain heart in his characters' reasons (or even a concrete lack of reasons), and while you are interested in seeing how the journey progresses, you are not invested in discovering the hows and whys of what's going on. And when all the goings on end, you're not quite sure what happened. It's still engaging, but if the art wasn't a gorgeous as Ramón Pérez's, the readability would be severely hampered.
Definitely a read for Henson fans and those who enjoy trippy post-modern concepts. Definitely read for Ramón Pérez's beautiful artwork. But I think most readers who are looking for a dreamlike story with surrealist elements might be disappointed in Tale of Sand's unsustainable influence, which delights while you're in the middle of it, but seems to slip through your mind once you put it down.
The strongest thing about the graphic novel is the artistry brought by Ramón Pérez. His character designs are a perfect blend of almost Warner Brothers extension cartoony with some grounded realistic anatomy and sense of balance. The expressions and scenes carry this largely wordless journey and, although there are scenes you can tell were always meant for film, he adapts them in a way that feels organic to this adaptation. For example, the prospector-like person who never stops talking having his background chatter spill out of the word balloon, or the juxtaposition of some unrelated scenes to represent the chaotic pellmell of the chase scenes.
Henson, when at his best, would have delivered a rich and memorable world surrounding this story, but the script is not his strongest work. It delivers the visuals but lacks a certain heart in his characters' reasons (or even a concrete lack of reasons), and while you are interested in seeing how the journey progresses, you are not invested in discovering the hows and whys of what's going on. And when all the goings on end, you're not quite sure what happened. It's still engaging, but if the art wasn't a gorgeous as Ramón Pérez's, the readability would be severely hampered.
Definitely a read for Henson fans and those who enjoy trippy post-modern concepts. Definitely read for Ramón Pérez's beautiful artwork. But I think most readers who are looking for a dreamlike story with surrealist elements might be disappointed in Tale of Sand's unsustainable influence, which delights while you're in the middle of it, but seems to slip through your mind once you put it down.
jennitheghost's review against another edition
5.0
I don't usually add comics to this site but I wanted to add this one to remember it well. I love Jim Henson and the joy he's given to my life, and this comic is no exception! I would have loved to see it become the movie he envisioned. It's silly and whimsical and I love every bit of it