Frank Beddor Continues to Fight The Looking Glass Wars
Frank Beddor has donned several different hats during his career – actor, producer, stuntman and even freestyle skier – but his ability to create a universe where a royal bodyguard protects his charge with a very special hat has earned him scores of devoted fans.
Beddor’s The Looking Glass Wars trilogy of New York Times best selling novels captivated Lewis Carroll fanatics in another unique interpretation of Alice’s classic tumble through Wonderland. In his trilogy, Alice is really Alyss, a Princess originally hailing from Wonderland who is lost in our world and found by author Charles Dodgson (aka Carroll). Dodgson, so captivated by Alyss’ stories of her world, turns them into his now famous work, albeit with a few major details changed.
The producer of 1998’s There’s Something About Mary, Beddor transforms Carroll’s askew universe into a more grown-up, harrowing tale of wars, card soldiers and imagination as weapons. The success and appreciation of The Looking Glass Wars led him to create three graphic novel spin-offs featuring Alyss’ bodyguard Hatter Mattigan, a stoic officer whose skill with a blade is unrivaled in their kingdom. Renowned comic book artist Ben Templesmith illustrated the first volume, released in 2008, while the second and third (released this past October) has relative newcomer Sami Makkonen on artist duties. I spoke with Beddor about the latest graphic novel release in the series, his approach to writing comics and his ever-expanding Wonderland universe.
Head on over to Newsarama to read the interview.
Great interview. I read the original Hatter M comics when I first read the Looking Glass Wars novels. I haven't gone back to follow-up and read the full length graphic novels that have come since. I keep meaning to do so…thanks for the reminder. :)