Those who’d protest can rest assured that the change does nothing more than provide a new point-of-view, shifting from Blackwood’s typically first person perspective, to the reader’s identification with two capable and rugged young women. Notably, Carson has changed the sexes of the protagonists, a bold move that shouldn’t matter, but may have purists ready to revolt. Carson trimmed Blackwood’s descriptive detail to the essentials, and eliminated much of the repetitive nature of the novella, which simply wouldn’t work as a short form comic where pacing is paramount. Out of necessity, Carson has taken liberties with structure, streamlining the story for easier translation to a visual medium. The presence of the two woman has provoked the old gods who preside over the region, and the willows protect the thin barrier separating our world from theirs. Rising waters and sharp winds threaten their camp, but the biggest menace comes from the willows themselves, mysterious plant life possessed of a malevolent nature. Despite warnings from the Hungarian locals, they shelter on one of the river’s many small islands, isolated in swamplands dominated by multitudinous willow-bushes. The Willows introduces a pair of explorers-Opal, an aristocratic adventurer, and her seasoned companion, the pragmatic Hala “the Swede”-on a journey down the mighty Danube River. Their update augments Blackwood’s magnetic prose with exquisite imagery, robust characters, and a deep reverence for the source material. Carson teamed with extraordinary artist Sam Ford, whose mesmerizing illustrations have graced album covers for The Mountain Goats, Agalloch, and Carson’s own Witch Mountain. Multifaceted creator Nathan Carson’s graphic adaptation of The Willows, Blackwood’s most popular story (and Lovecraft’s personal favorite), is a wonderful opportunity to make Blackwood a household name, using an accessible comic format to invite modern readers who may have missed out on the author’s mastery over strange and unnerving subject matter. Despite their plentiful virtues, Blackwood’s tales have been somewhat overlooked as an avenue for adaptation, with infrequent dips into Blackwood’s formidable catalog, mostly as television and radio plays, some dating back far enough to be narrated by Blackwood himself (he died in 1951). As one of horror fiction’s preeminent contributors, his chilling works have influenced many of the world’s best fantasy writers, and astounded readers with a sublime melding of paralyzing suspense, mysticism, and otherworldly terror. Lovecraft, but Britain’s great supernaturalist holds a significant place in the pantheon of weird literature. Algernon Blackwood’s The Willows by Nathan CarsonĪlgernon Blackwood’s name doesn’t permeate today’s pop culture landscape like his contemporary (and admirer) H.P.
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