Hound of the Baskervilles Graphic Novel Reborn as Pop-Up Book

When I found out someone had done a Hound of the Baskervilles pop-up book, I had to get one. (A common reaction, as everyone I’ve shown it to has gone out and ordered one for themselves — since I’ve been showing it to other Sherlock Holmes fans.)

I thought it would be fun, but I didn’t expect such impressive spreads. (The pop-ups were done by David Hancock.) There are only seven, but they’re well-chosen, from the hound on the moors to a hansom cab. (That cab page has some kind of design flaw, though, as it’s prone to tear as you open it.)

I kept thinking I’d seen that cover before, though. And so I had — I’d seen it on a graphic novel version for my SherlockComics.com website. It had been released in 2020, adapted by Claire Bampton with the art done by Anthony Williams.

That explains the unique format here, with fold-out comic spreads on either side of the pop-ups. They carry the majority of the storytelling. And they’re oddly arranged — on the right side, you’re supposed to fold out the flap and read the inside before you read the outer flap, the one that you see first. They’ve been rewritten and rearranged slightly from the previous publication, but the majority of the art is the same.

However, just reading this, rushed as the storytelling is, is a lot of fun. I’m glad to have it to play with.