This collection of illustrated poems is a selection of folk, fantasy and science fiction stories. These comics are short tales from lives lived, a saint, an opera singer, a lonely ghost and a cautionary tale. They take inspiration from the folklore of Britain as well as a science fiction and fantasy tradition. Each story has been taken from a poem by HA Thorpe and illustrated by Sarah Peploe. This is the first time they have been collected together. Henry’s poems take inspiration from folk tales, science fiction and fantasy whilst eliciting emotional responses from fear and loneliness to pride and arrogance. This collection takes us from the darkest depths of space to secrets in Anglo Saxon barrow treasures. It takes us to a Victorian vaudeville theatre show and ruined abbey, introducing us to their vengeful ghostly inhabitants. These ghosts are vengeful, lonely, and curious, a product of the time that they are remembering. A sumptuous feast of words and pictures. Enriched by Sarah Peploe’s opulent, dramatic graphics, the stories told by these poems leap from the page. By turns hilarious and poignant, the words paint pictures of past splendour, past sins, and the need to pay attention to the ‘now’. A majestic pamphlet to read and to behold. Encore! Rose Drew, February 2021 Alternately whimsical and haunting, this collection presents an enchanting dance between Sarah Peploe’s luminously macabre artwork and the timelessly powerful incantations of wordsmith Henry Arthur Thorpe. This little book of magic is the perfect antidote to drudgery and equally an excellent diversion for one’s pet demons. An utter delight.
Izzy Jones, 2021