Three-Panel Plays, part 16

The Three-Panel Plays are into the Ts now. If anyone ever asks you "which letter is most likely to start the title of a Shakespeare play?" the answer is T - assuming you're counting The Two Noble Kinsmen, of course. Otherwise it's H, with all the Henries. 

That's the basic gist of The Tempest. I'm very sorry that I cut out Caliban, but (a) I didn't have the space for him, and (b) I don't know how to draw Calibans. 

Confession: Out of the 37 Shakespeare plays that I have seen (I stupidly missed the Stratford Festival's production of The Two Noble Kinsmen back in 2002) I would have to say that Timon of Athens is probably my least favorite. This is probably because I am a feckless, shallow youth more interested in the joys of the world than in a bitter study of a man's descent into miserable misanthropy, but hey, to each their own. 

Next up on Friday, we hurtle on towards the end with Titus Andronicus (that's a fun one, believe you me) and Troilus and Cressida!

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Three-Panel Plays, part 15

It's all about love in today's installment of Three-Panel Plays! 

Poor old Mercutio and Tybalt didn't make the cut. GET IT? "CUT"? HAHAHAHAH.... sorry, it's a Monday morning, that's the best I can do.

See how I managed to distill all the controversy surrounding varying feminist/misogynist interpretations of The Taming of the Shrew by adding a question mark to the last panel? That's efficiency for you. It says: "Draw your own conclusions, because I'm too lazy to do so."

Stop by again on Wednesday when I'll be taking a look at The Tempest and Timon of Athens! If you've always wanted to know what happens in Timon of Athens, but you've never seen a production (because it's hardly every performed) and you've got better things to do than actually read the play, or even the Wikipedia summary, you'll want to see this.

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Three-Panel Plays, part 14

A double-dose of history in today's Three-Panel Plays!

Richard II got the full Tickle Brain treatment last year. You can see all my Richard II material, including a scene-by-scene stick-figure version of the entire play, here.

Remember: Richard III is not the sequel to Richard II. In between the two are seven different Henry plays. So the final score is Henry 7, Richard 2. Henry wins on aggregate!

Join us again on Monday, when we will be taking a look at two very different romances, with Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew!

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Three-Panel Plays, part 13

Another Wednesday, another set of Three-Panel Plays. Today, a tragedy and a... OK, nobody really knows what Pericles is supposed to be. Comedy, romance, problem-play. Take your pick.

I'm not a huge fan of Othello, but Emilia is easily one of my favorite characters in the canon. In every performance that I've seen, Emilia has always been positively electric in the final scene, calling out Othello for being an idiot and Iago for being a total scumbag. "Villainy, villainy, villainy! I think upon it, I think. I smell it. O villainy!" You go, Emilia. 

I was lucky enough to see a production of Pericles at the Stratford Festival, which remains the only time I have see the play. It was a totally confusing mish-mash of melodrama and scene changes, but it was also quite a lot of fun. I'll have to track down the BBC TV production and take another look at it. 

Tune in again on Friday, when we'll have a brace of Richards, with the second and third of that name showing up. 

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Three-Panel Plays, part 12

Up to a full dozen of Three-Panel Plays now, with two more comedies.

I am well aware of my limitations as an artist, but I'm still unfathomably pleased with how Bottom eventually turned out. I went through several stick-figure donkey-head drafts, with most of them looking like a demented rabbit or particularly ill-favored rat. 

I've previously taken issue with Claudio in this strip. I mean, OK, you can't really blame a guy for being a gullible idiot, but that hardly excuses his behavior at the wedding. 

Check back on Wednesday, when I'll be reducing Othello and the ever-popular Pericles, Prince of Tyre to their barest elements!

See all Three-Panel Plays here!