Have you ever wanted to see yourself immortalized in the pages of a comic book? Now might be your chance! Writer and artist Kev Sutherland is launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund his latest graphic novel based on Romeo and Juliet. Contributors to the campaign can earn rewards ranging from a signed copy of the book or personalized drawing, to appearing in the comic itself as a guest at Capulet’s party where the two lovers first meet!
Kev Sutherland is no stranger to comic books or Shakespeare, having worked on projects with Marvel and Doctor Who, and adapting several Shakespeare classics like Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream into graphic novels. He began adapting Shakespeare in 2020 with Findlay Macbeth, which features Macbeth as a struggling salesman in 1970s Scotland. His more recent projects are geared towards younger readers between the ages of 7 and 12—the group he describes as “the biggest comic-reading audience.” Sutherland says his version of Romeo and Juliet with a “comic twist” is ideal for fans of Dogman and Bunny vs Monkey. He adds that Shakespeare provides plenty of fodder for comedy in the original text, saying, “I find the text of [Romeo and Juliet], and most of [Shakespeare’s] plays, have way more deliberate comedy than many directors allow for. So I lean into the comedy, while not straying from the drama.” On his Kickstarter campaign he shares, “My dream is that younger readers will read my Shakespeare books and then, when they finally see the plays on stage, they'll say ‘oh, it's like Kev's book, but not so much fun!’”
While students don’t typically encounter Shakespeare on an academic level until middle or high school, an earlier introduction to these classic tales can be a great jumping-off point for later analysis. A 9th-grader who remembers key plot points from Romeo and Juliet due to having read a graphic novel like Sutherland’s at a younger age has a distinct advantage over the student who knows nothing of the play. While myShakespeare offers comprehensive, multimedia textbook versions of six plays for older readers, elementary-level adaptations like Sutherland’s can provide a fun foundation for future learning.
Kev Sutherland has generously shared an early look at this project with myShakespeare. You can check out the early stages of this hilarious graphic novel below, and don’t forget to donate to his Kickstarter to ensure this project gets made…and maybe even be a part of it!
