Apparitions of East Anglia – Review
Bit of a different review today, since Apparitions of East Anglia isn’t strictly a comic book. The latest from Chris Spalton (The Eelman Chronicles) is an illustrated and photographic compilation of folkloric tales from the East Anglian region. And I love it.
Apparitions of East Anglia catalogues an assortment of local myths and legends, some dating back to the Middle Ages and beyond, that are by turns chilling and comical (The Beaver Bishop of Babingley being my favourite of the latter). Some stories, such as that of the legendary Black Shuck or the Wild Hunt, have folkloric roots that extend in to many other areas and cultures. Others are definitely local to East Anglia, like the Toadmen, or the Ludham Worm. All capture the imagination though, especially if you were ever the kind of child Chris describes in his introduction. Hanging out telling spooky stories in dark dens/haylofts/graveyards (was that just me and my friends?).
Speaking of that introduction, it’s brilliantly, evocatively written. It makes me so happy to see someone making an effort to bring together these stories, cementing these oral traditions in a more permanent form before they are lost, cos we just don’t tell stories the way we used to any more.
Inside the book
Each tale is accompanied by an illustration by Chris in his inimitable style. That was one of the things I loved most about the Eelman comics, and it works so well here.
The illustrations fit perfectly with the tone of the book. Some of the stories are further enhanced by photographs of the areas where the stories originated from.
I’m a sucker for this kind of thing. I’ve spent more hours than I care to count in various Dungeon attractions and on ghost/history walks. Anything that sends me down a rabbit hole of wanting to find out more about whatever I just read is a winner in my book. And this didn’t just do that. The photographic sections made me want to go off and explore an area of my own country I’ve never really given much thought to before (sorry Chris). Definitely going to be reading more about all of these tales if I can!
Where to buy
Apparitions of East Anglia is available to purchase direct from Chris via gumroad (for the bargain price of a tenner for over 120 pages!). It’s also available from Amazon or on Kindle.
