Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel
Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel
Written by: Anina Bennett
Illustrated by: Paul Guinan
Published by: Abrams Image (October 1, 2009)
Page Count: 168
Where to buy:
Amazon
PowellsPublishers Comments:
Meet Boilerplate, the world’s first robot soldier—not in a present-day military lab or a science-fiction movie, but in the past, during one of the most fascinating periods of U.S. history.
About the Authors:
Paul Guinan and Anina Bennett have been collaborating on comics and graphic novels since 1989, including the Eisner Award–nominated science-fiction comic series Heartbreakers. Paul is an artist and writer whose clients include the History Channel and the Cartoon Network. Anina is a writer and editor who has worked with Dark Horse Comics and international publisher Egmont. They live in Portland, Oregon.
Hello Ghouls and Boils,
At SNS we receive a lot of material to review – from books to films, from music to art and even documentaries. We have featured many independent production companies and small presses. It has been a pleasure to share these things with people who may not have found them otherwise. One day, as I was preparing some material for SNS I received a message in my inbox on facebook about a book titled Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel. The description intrigued me, but I wasn’t sure if it would fit in here… after some investigation I decided this was something I had to share. The website alone was genius. I was excited to get a look at the book. I immediately sent artist Paul Guinan a message and requested a review copy. Below are my thoughts on this strange tale, as well as an interview with the creators. Enjoy my fiends!
Abstrusely,
Sarah L. Gerhardt
Every critic hopes for the day that a small portion of greatness crosses their desks. This is no small portion, my fiends. This is the whole kit and kaboodle! When I cracked open Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel for the fist time, I was blown away. I have not felt this way about an illustrated book since the first time I laid eyes on Bernie Wrightson’s Frankenstein. Though the subject matter is drastically different – they are both pieces that were made with love, by people who are insanely talented. Every time I open Boilerplate it brings a smile to my face.
This illustrated book is not easily pinned to a genre. It is a healthy mix of Science Fiction, Steampunk and History. We follow Boilerplate, the first robot soldier – designed by Professor Campion in 1893, through his adventures in war and in peace. We see him battle along side Teddy Roosevelt, we witness rubbing elbows with folks like Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla and so much more.
This book is rich with history, gently woven with fiction and endlessly fascinating. I have read through it a couple of times and I am still picking up on new things. The period style graphics, the photos, the paintings… they are all done with such attention to detail that it is hard to tell what is physically real and what is illusion. The research that went into this book must have meant many sleepless nights for this talented husband-wife team.
Final Thoughts:
Boilerplate: History’s Mechanical Marvel is stunning, spellbinding and nothing short of brilliant. It is something I will read over and over and over. I cannot say enough about this book. It gets my highest praises and my highest recommendations. By hook or by crook, you MUST own this book. If you like Science Fiction, Strange Tales, Steampunk, Robots, the Victorian Era, History or if you simply like to smile – this book is for you. I give it a 5 out of 5 — heck this is my website, I give Boilerplate a 6 out of 5!
Please be sure to listen to my interview with Paul and Anina for some fascinating insight into the book and the making of.
