ERNIE COLON INTERVIEW in SCARCE 77 (2011) Part 12: CLASSIC ADAPTATIONS in Boy's Life

• ME:What is the origin of your numerous adaptation works for Boy's Life Magazine ? Is it over now ?

ERNIE: Seymour Reit--the creator of Casper the Friendly Ghost--adapted the classic stories. They were fun to do and it was just wonderful to work with this lovely man.

• Who choose witch adaptation subject you would work on ? Is there any classic you would like to adapt ?

Boy's Life made the choices.

• Seeing the final producted pages on those classic adaptations, you don't seem to have been at all frightened by the « weight » of adapting a classic in only 16p. Your panel layout is not crowded with tiny panels and your style seems lovely loose and free, at his peek. Any thought on that ?

Thanks. They were just such great material--I dove in and had a good time.

• Those adaptations have been collected in nice hardcover/softcover editions, aimed at schools libray/teachers. I know you have a high point of view of the comics french/european market but this kind of contribution (graphic adaptation of classics novels) would have never entered a school in France. Do you feel proud for opening to a wider audience with this and your others recent projects ?

Sure. We all crave a wide audience. Anne Frank is being used in schools and is in my local library. (A particular point of pride since I practically live in that library.)

• Louisa Colon was your colorist on your Treasure Island adaptation. Are there other people from the Colon family ready to follow your steps ?

Luisa is primarily a writer. She's been published in several mags, including New York Magazine. Becky is studying art at Cornell University.

TO BE CONTINUED...