Following the success of The Storyteller: Witches in 2014, publisher Archaia released four more Storyteller tales, with a new theme: Dragons. The trade paperback collecting all four tales is now available, and is a wonderful medium for keeping the Storyteller and his tales alive for new generations.
Like Witches, Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Dragons collects tales from different countries, each written and illustrated by a different team.
First, from a Blackfoot folktale combined with come Cherokee and Lakota mythology, comes “Son of the Serpent”, with script by Fabian Rangel Jr. and story and art by Daniel Bayliss. Of all the stories, this is the most vividly colorful, and in my opinion, has the most natural and dynamic action. Oftentimes, it can be easy for character-centric readers (like me) to skim through battle scenes, but Bayliss and Rangel create a really solid structure that keeps readers invested for 100% of the story.
The second tale, “The Worm of Lambton”, was adapted by Nathan Pride from English folklore and illustrated with a style designed to “mimic Medieval-style tapestry images”, as a way to pay tribute to the real-life Lambton family and the curse supposedly laid on their male descendents. Colored by Cassie Kelly in slightly muted earth tones, suiting the Medieval setting quite well, reminiscent of Trina Schart Hyman’s illustrations for Margaret Hodges’ retelling of St. George and the Dragon.
Hannah Christenson writes and illustrates the next story, “Albina”, adapted from an East Slavic epic poem. While the original story focuses on a hero and his loyal companion, Christenson decides to gender bend the story and make our hero a heroine. However, neither the character traits nor the interactions with allies and enemies are altered, making this a really refreshing role for a woman in a fairytale. Christenson’s art varies drastically from the Storyteller by his fire- a gorgeous painterly style- to the actual story, which is closer to traditional storybook illustrations. Both are incredibly detailed – a real feast for the eyes- and beautifully colored.
Finally, the Japanese legend of Yofune-Nushi finds a new voice in “Samurai’s Sacrifice”, with story and art by Jorge Corona and colors by Jen Hickman. This is one of the most carefully crafted in terms of the hero’s journey and the growth of the heroine, Tokoyo as she searches for her exiled father and struggles with her feelings of anger and shame. The character and background designs all pay tribute to traditional Japanese designs, but are more blatantly cartoonish- less Samurai Jack and more Mulan. This does not detract from the story, as it allows for more expressionistic reader experience.
All of the authors mention, in their brief notes before the stories, how much Jim Henson’s The Storyteller impacted their childhoods and their creative growth. This collection really is one of the greatest ways to share the worlds of The Storyteller with new audiences, and I highly recommend it for any fan of Jim Henson, folktales, and/or dragons (obviously).
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