The Mythmakers

From New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator John Hendrix comes The Mythmakers, a graphic novel biography of two literary lions—C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien—following the remarkable story of their friendship and creative fellowship, and how each came to write their masterworks.

Through narrative and comic panels, Hendrix chronicles Lewis and Tolkien’s near-idyllic childhoods, then moves on to both men’s horrific experiences in the trenches of World War I, their first meeting at Oxford in 1929, and the events surrounding World War II. He reveals the shared story of their friendship, with all its ups and downs, which gave them confidence to explore beyond academic concerns. Fantasy wasn’t considered suitable for adult reading but the domain of children; however, this friendship shaped major story and theme ideas, changing their views on the potential of mythology and faith.

The Mythmakers also highlights the camaraderie and importance of the social/literary circle known as the Inklings, detailing how the friendship of these two great men both fractured and mended. Hendrix concludes by describing how the writings of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien re-enchanted the 20th century after two World Wars. Intended for scholars, adults, and young people, these two tweedy academics altered storytelling’s course and embraced the concept that fantasy writing for an adult audience was an accepted form of literature.

The format resembles The Faithful Spy: prose interspersed with images and narrative comics. The narration often consists of conversations between a knowledgeable wizard and a comical lion. Through these engaging exchanges, they explain some of the bigger ideas in an approachable and entertaining manner. The story features “gateways” that lead readers to the back matter, where themes such as the evolution of myth/fantasy or the art of world-building are discussed in greater depth. This device keeps the main story flowing quickly and smoothly for readers uninterested in the more academic ideas behind the narrative.

Among the ideas covered in the narrative and back matter are:

• Tolkien’s world-building
• The “Theology of Creation” linking their faith to their writings
• The meaning of real friendship
• Notions of modernity and mythology
• The value of fantasy
• The power of a creative community
• An exploration of the different kinds of storytelling in Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, both relying on “the Myth” as a storytelling device, but differing in their use of allegory vs. symbolism
• The creative differences of Lewis and Tolkien: the high standards of Tolkien’s fiction and the faster and more immediate approach of Lewis’s
• Logos vs. Mythos: Lewis created from images, Tolkien created from language
• The mixing of mythologies

Also included are an author’s note, endnotes, bibliography, and index.