In our humble opinion, Rick Geary is one of cartooning’s unsung treasures. We’re unabashed fans of his series of TREASURY OF VICTORIAN MURDER books, which retells famed murders with all the detail of SNAPPED but all the artistry of a great artist. You can check out the series at Geary’s NBM homepage. Geary has just stepped into the 20th Century with THE LINDBERGH CHILD, a retelling of the kidnapping of the infant son of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, a crime which turned into one of the greatest media circuses of the day.
Like all of Geary’s books, this one is highly recommended, and if you click on the above link, you can even see a preview. Topnotch stuff.
I’m with you on this one Heidi! I’ve read every one of Rick Geary’s biographical books, and loved each one. These are fantastic!
Lindbergh killed his own kid. He accidentally stepped on the child while leaving his home after a bitter fight with his wife, whom he was planning to divorce. To cover up the crime and preserve the rep of a nation hero, the divorce was called off and the innocent immigrant Hauptmann was framed. Even though the prosecution couldn’t even place Hauptmann at the Lindbergh home at the time of the death, the rabid foreigner-hating mob gave him the death penalty anyway. Yes, ol’ Charlie boy was indeed “Lucky” Lindy!
– Expert Ed
I’m new to Rick Geary’s non-fiction stuff, having just read The Borden Tragedy last week. It was great, plus I live only a few towns away from Fall River, MA. I’ll definitely be reading more of his Victorian Murder stuff!
(on a side note, I have a fond memory – that I hope is actually true – of reading Geary’s Classics Illustrated version of Wuthering Heights).
Regarding Lindberg, I seem to recall some recent investigation to the effect that Charlie had a former wife or mistress living at his house who was mentally unbalanced and the suspicion is that she killed the baby out of jealousy but to avoid a scandal the kidnapping was concocted. When Hauptman (who knew nothing of this) concocted a ransom scam it was tailor made to divert suspicion, but he had nothing to do with any murder.
Sing it! I love Rick Geary. I picked up The Case of Madeleine Smith the last time I was in NYC…so excellent. There’s something about the tone of these books that is creepy and yet avoids prurience…and the artwork is expressive and so crisp. Love!
I’ve loved Rick Geary’s work for years. I’ve always hoped that he would one day adapt Olaf Stapledon’s book, “Odd John”.
Geary also did Great Expectations and The Invisible Man for Papercutz’ Classics Illustrated. Great stuff.
Geary is a treasure. I make sure to buy everything he does.
John Platt, you took the words out of my mouth! :) Mr. Geary *is* a treasure, and I learn something new about art and storytelling each time I read his work.
I’ve got all of Geary’s Treasury of Victorian Murder and now the Lindbergh book which begins his Treasury of XXth Century Murder. I booktalked the Lizzie Borden book at an alternative high school, along with some other graphic novels and other not-so-traditional library materials. And I have the original First/Berkeley Classics Illustrated books Geary did, that I purchased when they were originally purchased. Yeah, I’m a Geary fan, all right.