Dragman

A delightfully witty and exciting graphic novel by one of Britain’s favourite artists

Great graphic novel this. A superhero like none you've seen before. Thrilling but also packs an emotional punch.

Fans of Steven Appleby’s brilliant cartoons know already of their unique energy… All the same, his first long-form graphic novel, Dragman, will surely bring him massed armies of new admirers. Funny, sweet and emotionally true, it doesn’t so much tip toe on to fraught cultural territory as dance wildly across it. In this sense, at least, it has the added virtue of being at once both wildly transgressive and powerfully reassuring… Appleby has torn up all the rules, and not only those that dictate, at this point in the 21st century, that a person’s identity must be clearly labelled, pinned down like some dead butterfly… It’s all marvellous fun.

One of the many pleasures of Steven Appleby’s debut graphic novel Dragman is the way it finds a way to refresh the superhero narrative; to use it to discuss masculinity and, in particular, transvestism... Appleby is a cartoonist who is both a capable storyteller and has funny bones… A welcome addition to editorial cartooning in the UK.

Both a lively romp and a touching book about coming to terms with yourself, with juicy villains and a funny, likable supporting cast.

Super heroes don't come more super than Steven Appleby's transvestite hero, Dragman. Also known as Dolly Marie, Dragman's struggle against evil Black Mist is apocalyptic, neurotic, tender and very funny – and brilliantly drawn in Appleby's nimble, nubbly line.

Very amiable in a jovial Quentin Blake sort of way. It’s funny…but its complexity tells you that there is a capable story teller behind the scenes spinning all sorts of plates to fashion a narrative that feels timely and also useful… [Dragman] is a lot of fun with its heart firmly in the right place.

Steven Appleby is one of Britain's leading cartoonists… But in Dragman…he has created something personal… An entertaining thriller.

A masterclass in shining an absurdist light on themes ranging from greed and self-doubt to the meaning of life.

Both a lively romp and a touching book about coming to terms with yourself.

Steven Appleby is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Britain. A dual citizen of the UK and Canada, Appleby has published over 20 books, had many exhibitions of paintings and collaborated on a musical play, Crocs In Frocks, staged in Camberwell and at the ICA, London in 2006. His work has also appeared on album covers, most notably on Trompe le Monde by the Pixies. His strip Loomus can currently be seen in the Guardian.

'A superhero like none you've seen before. Thrilling' IAN RANKIN 
 
*A GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR* 
 
A delightfully witty and exciting graphic novel by one of Britain's favourite artists 
 
Dragman tells the story of August Crimp, a man who has superpowers when he puts on women's clothes. August loves wearing a dress but is deeply ashamed of his compulsion and terrified of rejection should it ever come out. So he tells no one. Not even his wife. But then one day a little girl falls from the rooftop cafe at the Art Museum and August has no choice but to fly and save her - an event witnessed by hundreds of people. 
 
And August Crimp's life is never the same again. 
 
Dragman is Steven Appleby's first long-form graphic thriller. Inspired by the superhero comics he read as a child and informed by his own secret life as a transvestite, Steven Appleby has created a multi-layered, tightly plotted, cleverly structured novel with a compulsive forward drive in which August battles greed, evil and his own self-doubt in a fight to save himself, his marriage - and the human soul. A real page-turner, Dragman brims with humanity, subtlety and wit - plus plenty of Steven Appleby's oblique and absurdly imaginative musings on 'what is life really all about?' 
 
Fans of Steven Appleby's unmistakable drawing style, as seen in his many books and in comic strips such as Captain Star (NME, Observer), Small Birds Singing (The Times), and Loomus (Guardian), will not be disappointed.

Steven Appleby

Rachel Atkins

Ewan Bailey

Rosalind Paul

Nigel Betts

Paul McCrink

A BBC Radio 4 Sitcom

All twelve episodes of the absurdist series based on Steven Appleby’s comic strip – plus a Christmas Special'No one is more talented or original' Richard Ingrams, SpectatorCartoonist Steven Appleby asks where reality ends and fantasy begins, as he gives us his distinctly abnormal insights into everyday life. In these two series, he takes a look at a few of life’s fundamental topics, including Love, Death, Science, Truth and Oceanography.From seeking romance when his wife elopes with the electric kettle to searching for the hidden meaning of life, said to be written on a sausage, he takes us on a personal journey through his memories, experiences, dreams and fantasies to reveal his own idiosyncratic version of normality.Along the way, he discovers that his kids are actually alien tourists visiting Earth on a rowdy package holiday; signs a pact with the Devil to to reverse the ageing process (and look more like Richard Burton), undergoes surgery to explore his brain’s inner workings; and proves once and for all that dinosaurs could read, write and ride bicycles. But will his attempts to tell the absolute truth prove to be a less-than-wise career move?Also included is a festive special episode, Steven Appleby’s Normal Christmas, in which Steven meets Santa and learns that Christmas isn’t just about receiving...Paul McCrink and Mark Perry star as Steven, with Steven Appleby as himself and Rachel Atkins, Ewan Bailey, Nigel Betts and Rosalind Paul as the figments of his imagination.CreditsWritten by Steven ApplebyCover drawing by Steven ApplebyProduced by Toby SwiftStarring Paul McCrink and Mark Perry as Steven and featuring Rachel Atkins, Ewan Bailey, Nigel Betts, Rosalind Paul and Steven ApplebyFirst broadcast on BBC Radio 4, 8 August-12 September 2001 (Series 1), 19 February-26 March 2003 (Series 2), 23 December 2004 (Steven Appleby’s Normal Christmas)© 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2024 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd.

Steven Appleby

Books by Steven Appleby

Follow penguin

Follow ladybird

Follow puffin

Sign up to the Penguin newsletter