{"id":18895,"date":"2018-08-28T08:00:01","date_gmt":"2018-08-28T08:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/?p=18895"},"modified":"2018-08-27T16:22:16","modified_gmt":"2018-08-27T16:22:16","slug":"corpse-talk-queens-kings-and-other-royal-rotters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/2018\/08\/28\/corpse-talk-queens-kings-and-other-royal-rotters\/","title":{"rendered":"Corpse Talk: Queens & Kings and Other Royal Rotters"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\" \"\"
\nBy Adam & Lisa Murphy <\/strong>(David Fickling Books)
\nISBN: 978-1-78845-032-4<\/p>\n

The educational power of comic strips has been long understood and acknowledged: if you can make the material memorably enjoyable, there is nothing that can’t be better taught with pictures. The obverse is also true: comics can make any topic or subject come alive\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 or at least – as here – outrageously, informatively undead\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

The fabulous and effective conceit in Corpse Talk<\/strong> is that your scribbling, cartooning host Adam Murphy (ably abetted off-camera by Lisa Murphy) tracks down (or rather digs up) famous personages from the past: all serially exhumed for a chatty, cheeky This Was Your Life<\/strong> talk-show interview that – in Reithian terms – simultaneously \u00e2\u20ac\u0153elucidates, educates and entertains\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. It also often grosses one out, which is no bad thing for either a kids’ comic or a learning experience\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Another splendid album release culled from the annals of The Phoenix <\/strong>(courtesy of those fine saviours of weekly comics at David Fickling Books), this regally-themed recollection is dedicated to not-so-private audiences with a succession of famous, infamous and utterly unforgettable royal rogues and rapscallions in what would almost certainly not be their own words\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Catching up in order of date of demise, our fact-loving host begins these candid cartoon conferences by digging the dirt with ‘Ramesses II: Pharaoh of Egypt 1303 BCE – 1213 BCE’<\/em>, who preferred to be called ‘Ramesses the Great’<\/em>. Our intrepid interviewer incisively traces the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153accomplishments\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and gift for self-promotion of the dusty legend.<\/p>\n

As always, each balmy biography is accompanied by a side feature examining a key aspect of their lives such as here with ‘How to Make a Mummy’<\/em> scrupulously and systematically revealing the secrets of interring the definitely departed, after which we refocus on the ancient orient to quiz ‘Qin Shi Huang Di: Chinese Emperor 259 BCE 210 BCE’ <\/em>on his reign and once more sifts truth from centuries of post-mortem PR briefings.<\/p>\n

Backing up the inquiry ‘The Emperor’s Tomb’<\/em> details the layout of the vast City of Death<\/em> Qin was buried in, as well as the Palace of Shadows<\/em> and its terracotta army and the treasures it guarded\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

‘Cleopatra: Pharaoh of Egypt 69 BCE – 30 BCE’<\/em> then outlines her incredible life, whilst ‘Barging In’<\/em> examines her astounding gold sea-craft and how it brought her to the attention of back-up lover\/sponsor Mark Anthony<\/em>.<\/p>\n

A thankfully thoroughly sanitised account of the sordid exploits of ‘Nero: Roman Emperor 37-68’<\/em> is backed up by an exploration of one of his feasts in ‘Caf\u00c3\u00a9 Nero’<\/em>, after which ‘Justinian II: Byzantine Emperor 669-711’<\/em> explains how his guile and determination enabled him to rule, lose, recapture and retake control of the mighty late Roman Empire. The impenetrable defences of 8th<\/sup> century Constantinople are then dissected in ‘The Walled City’<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

As well as a bit about burned cakes, ‘Alfred the Great: King of Wessex 849-6899’<\/em> reveals the remarkable military and civilising feats of the learning-obsessed ruler and expands the knowledge base by defining the fractured kingdoms of ‘The Dark Island’<\/em> of Britain at the time.<\/p>\n

The Norman conquest is unpicked from the (one-eyed) view of the losing contender in ‘Harold Godwinson: English King 1022-1066’<\/em> accompanied by an extended look at the historical source document in ‘<\/em>Born on the Bayeaux’<\/em> whilst the first English civil war is remembered by formable Angevin matriarch ‘Empress Matilda: English Queen 1102-1167’<\/em>. This is followed by a detailed deconstruction of the sturdy castle defensive system in ‘<\/em>The Old Bailey’<\/em>.<\/p>\n

The Crusades are represented rival legends made real. First up is the admirable and noble ‘Saladin: Sultan of Egypt and Syria 1137-1193’<\/em>, who is bolstered by a catalogue of Moslem contributions to global civilisation in ‘<\/em>Gifts of Genius’<\/em>, after which the unhappy truth about ‘Richard the Lionheart: English King 1157-1199’<\/em> is laid bare. After debunking centuries of self-aggrandising myths ‘<\/em>The Siege of Acre’<\/em> then traces one of the crusaders’ few actual heroic exploits\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

‘Moctezuma II: Aztec Emperor 1456-1520’<\/em> relates how his timidity and sense of self-preservation contributed to the destruction of his dominions at the hands of the conquistadores before ‘Temple of Doom’<\/em> takes us into the deepest inner workings of the bloodstained ziggurats dedicated to human sacrifice on an industrial scale\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

The most complex and contentious period in British history is taken apart by the royals at the heart of it all when ‘Henry VIII: English King 1491-1547’<\/em> tries to give us his spin on events leading to the reformation and – following ‘<\/em>Full Tilt – a History of Jousting’<\/em> – ‘The Six Wives of Henry VIII’ <\/em>– consecutively Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536)<\/em>, Anne Boleyn (1507-1536)<\/em>, Jane Seymour (1508-1537)<\/em>, Anne of Cleves (1525-1557)<\/em>, Catherine Howard (1523-1542)<\/em> and Catherine Parr (1512-1548)<\/em> – offer their side of the arguments and events.<\/p>\n

Their revelations are augmented by a breakdown of the duties of a Queen’s faithful attendants in ‘<\/em>The Waiting Game’<\/em>.<\/p>\n

‘Charles II: English King 1630-1685’<\/em> relates how he came to power following the Second Civil War and backs up the personal reveries with ‘<\/em>A Memoir on Monarchy’ <\/em>running down the changing role of rulers, before we cross the channel to hear how it all went wrong for France’s final female autocrat in ‘Marie Antoinette: French Queen 1755-1793’<\/em>. Her fall from grace is abutted by a chilling lesson on the guillotine in ‘<\/em>Decapitation Stations’<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Contemporary cousin ‘Catherine the Great: Russian Empress 1729-1796’<\/em> managed to run things largely her own way, but as back-up ‘<\/em>Tsars in their Eyes’<\/em> shows, was plagued by a constant stream of pretenders, all claiming to be true, proper, better qualified and, yes, male contenders for her throne.<\/p>\n

South African rebel and strategic genius ‘Shaka Zulu: Zulu King 1787-1828’<\/em>, recounts how he literally created a mighty nation from nothing whilst ‘<\/em>The Battle of Isandlwana’<\/em> covers how his innovations were used to humiliate the overwhelmingly powerful British Army before the procession of pomp and circumstance closes with ‘Queen Victoria: English Queen 1819-1901’<\/em>, accompanied by a phenomenally absorbing family tree, branching out and into every royal bloodline in Europe: a true ‘<\/em>Game of Thrones’<\/em>\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6<\/p>\n

Clever, cheeky, outrageously funny and formidably factual throughout, Corpse Talk <\/strong>unyieldingly tackles history’s more tendentious moments whilst personalising the great, the grim and the good for coming generations.<\/p>\n

It is also a fabulously fun read no parent or kid could possibly resist. Don’t take my word for it though, just ask any reader, royal-watcher or republican in waiting\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6
\nText and illustrations \u00c2\u00a9 Adam & Lisa Murphy 2018. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n

Corpse Talk: Queens & Kings <\/strong>will be released on 6th<\/sup> September 2018 and is available for pre-order now. Time to start thinking of Christmas Presents yet\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Adam & Lisa Murphy (David Fickling Books) ISBN: 978-1-78845-032-4 The educational power of comic strips has been long understood and acknowledged: if you can make the material memorably enjoyable, there is nothing that can’t be better taught with pictures. The obverse is also true: comics can make any topic or subject come alive\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6 or … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “Corpse Talk: Queens & Kings and Other Royal Rotters”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[42,102,122,125,97],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18895","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-of-british","category-fantasy","category-historical","category-humour","category-kids-all-ages"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4AFj-4UL","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18895","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18895"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18895\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18895"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18895"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comicsreview.co.uk\/nowreadthis\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18895"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}