cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/1659628

I’ve previously mentioned the runaway success of the Good Omens graphic novel adaptation and that has got people thinking about Discworld:

Good Omens’ Kickstarter has broken all records for comics on the platform and shows that Terry Pratchett’s Discworld is due a rebirth. Discworld is beloved by millions, and despite a spotty history with adaptations, Good Omens shows that it can and should be given the opportunity to flourish.

Discworld has had comic adaptations before, including The Color of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Guards! Guards! and Mort. However, these adaptations start at the beginning of Discworld canon, which is significantly weaker than mid and later novels, leaning more heavily into outright fantasy parody than the dense and inviting world that quickly forms. The Discworld books are broken up into both one-off adventures and series following unconnected main characters, most famously the upright Watch Commander Vimes, the powerful and petty witch Granny Weatherwax, and Death, who has a cameo in almost every Discworld novel. At the same time, Discworld’s settings evolve as the stories progress, with the city of Ankh-Morpork undergoing social and technological evolution. This kind of true growth and progress is perfect for a serial comic story, as is the ensemble way in which Pratchett structures each book’s cast.

One of the major disadvantages with adapting Pratchett’s Discworld novels for screen - as seen in pretty much every TV-movie and series - is the huge budget needed to create living, breathing locations shaped by an army of colorful characters, including trolls, werewolves, and orangutans. However, this is far less of an issue in comics, where talented artists can realize Pratchett’s vision without breaking the bank. At the same time, Discworld is famous for its witty dialog and strong narrative voice - elements which comics can bring across, especially by drawing on devices like caption boxes and thought balloons.

  • Taleya
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    1 year ago

    Problem is, Good Omens works because those invested are invested and had the power and balls to tell the corporate suits to go fuck off (see: infamous response to Agnes woodcut suggestion). As one of the original authors was directly scripting, it also meant any modifications/ expansions came in the same spirita and voice as the original.

    This is a very rare occurence. Most adaptations cherry pick random shit, hand it off to jobbing writers with no knowledge of the source material and then fuck it all up. See: The Watch.