Houdini: The Handcuff King

AUTHOR: Lutes, Jason

ARTIST: Nick Bertozzi (illustrator)

PUBLISHER: Hyperion Paperbacks for Children

FIRST BOOK PUBLICATION: 2007

Publication History

The writer of Houdini: The Handcuff King is Jason Lutes, who is a cartoonist from Seattle, a winner of multiple Harvey and Ignatz Awards, and the author of the acclaimed Jar of Fools, released in 1997 by Black Eye Books. He developed the thumbnail sketches for Houdini: The Handcuff King in his role as an instructor at the Center for Cartoon Studies in White River Junction, Vermont, which was established in 2005, and is the only college-level training program of its kind in the United States and concentrates on the creation and marketing of comics and graphic novels.

Illustrator Nick Bertozzi, from New York, considers Lutes to be one of his favorite cartoonists. Once Lutes’s pacing and imagery of the book were in place, Bertozzi was hired by James Strum to flesh out the art in the penciling stage, along with inking, gray-toning, and lettering in the book. While Bertozzi already had a graphic novel in process, Houdini: The Handcuff King took precedence, especially since he was working under a cartoonist of such high esteem.

In early 2005, Hyperion Books announced in Publishers Weekly its plans to partner with the Center for Cartoon Studies to publish a series of graphic novels for younger readers. This partnership was conceived after the exchange of ideas between Brenda Bowen, vice president and editor-in-chief of Hyperion Books for Young Readers, and many artists she had met during the 2004 Comic-Con International: San Diego. James Strum produced the books with acclaimed cartoonists and students from the comics program; he also acted as series editor. In April, 2007, Houdini: The Handcuff King became the first book in the series to be published. Due to popular demand, a paperback edition was released in July, 2008. The second book in the series, Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow by Sturm and Rich Tomasso was released in December, 2007. The series produces two graphic biographical installments a year.

Plot

World famous escape artist, Harry Houdini is chronicled through this biographical sketch of his famous jump from the Harvard Bridge into the Charles River, in May, 1908. This work provides an “eyewitness” account of a single event in history while being entertaining and educational to middle school and adult readers.

The story begins with Harry in his room at the Charles Hotel in Boston as he times himself picking a lock, while his wife, Bess, is nearby. The two of them practice kissing each other as Bess passes the lock pick to Harry. Harry then leaves his room at 6:00 a.m. to go over his final preparations for the stunt he is to perform later that morning. While running to the bridge, he greets men he has compensated to pay him homage at the event. Harry then meets his assistants at the Charles River and has an unfriendly exchange of words with the police officer on duty. While the police will not allow Harry to make a practice jump from the bridge, he does so anyway.

Upon his return to the hotel, Harry is hounded by the press. He brags about his success to the reporter who is interviewing him and reveals that he has studied every form of entrapment and how to extricate himself, while giving credit to his wife for his fame. During the interview, Harry is appalled by the interviewer’s mockery, and he retreats to his room, sulking.

Bess comforts Harry and gives him the reassurance and emotional support he needs to prepare mentally for his death-defying jump. He then meets up with Mr. Beatty, his newly hired man, and exits the hotel to greet the waiting photographers and spectators. When Harry enters his jumping-off point on the bridge, the men he compensated earlier bow and tip their hats to him. Harry then interacts with the crowd and exhibits himself as the police search him for keys and lock picks. The police then bind him with handcuffs and shackles.

Meanwhile, Bess is getting ready to meet up with Harry. As she enters the hotel lobby, she is mobbed by the press; Mr. Beatty protects her and escorts her to a taxi. When she arrives at the bridge, she is stopped by police and told she is unable to get through the crowd of spectators. One officer asks for proof that she is really Harry’s wife, and she produces her marriage license from her purse. It is critical that she meets up with Harry, as the success of his stunt depends on her presence.

While Harry is on a podium ready to jump, he is greeted by Bess. The two of them exchange kisses (and the lock pick) as the crowd cheers. Harry then takes his dive into the nearly freezing river as one of his assistants keeps time. After one minute and nineteen seconds, Harry emerges from the water unbound, and the crowds go wild.

Characters

•Harry Houdini, the protagonist, is the famous escape artist, who is strong and muscular and believes pompously that he can escape any sort of snare. He thinks that he is better than the local police and that they should allow him to do whatever he pleases. He is obsessed with fame and popularity, which he feeds off.

•Bess is Harry’s beloved wife and is a fashionable woman in her early twenties. She and Harry have a close bond, and her adoration for him is obvious. She sticks up for him whenever he is criticized, and he believes he would be nothing without her. She is always smirking at people who think Harry is a fraud. She is later escorted to Harry’s jump and kisses him good luck.

•Seven Bowing Bystanders are the men whom Harry pays to give homage to him prior to his jump. They are seen later in the story tipping their hats and bowing to Harry as he makes his entrance to his bridge jump. Each man places a letter of Harry’s last name on their balding scalps to spell out “H-O-U-D-I-N-I.”

•Officer Hogan is the first Boston police officer to guard the Harvard Bridge in the morning of Harry’s jump. This plump man is also responsible for examining Harry’s body seconds before his jump for any contraptions. He is certain that his handcuffs are the best and does not want criminals to believe they can escape from them. He is against Harry making a practice jump.

•Mr. Kukol is one of Harry’s personal assistants and is responsible for checking the temperature of the Charles River; he reports that it is just shy of being frozen.

•Mr. Vickery is another of Harry’s personal assistants. He is responsible for timing Harry’s escape from the Charles River. He is present when Harry is making his practice jump in the morning.

•Mr. Smith is the newspaper reporter who interviews Harry at the Charles Hotel during breakfast. Harry finds him to be bothersome and feels the reporter has little respect for him. After the interview, he is seen making a call to his editor. He waits for Bess to enter the hotel lobby on her way to Harry’s jump and harasses her. Mr. Beatty stops him, and he gets thrown into the street.

•Mr. Collins is Harry’s most trusted man. Harry introduces him to Mr. Beatty. He is responsible for running the stop clock while Harry is submerged. He is seen as a bold and competent man.

•Mr. Daniel Beatty, a.k.a. the New Man, is a skilled detective and a robust man and is Harry’s newest hired man. He is responsible for protecting Bess when Mr. Smith harasses her. He punches Mr. Smith and keeps him in a headlock as Bess proceeds to her taxi. He misses Harry’s jump, as he was busy protecting Bess and stopping Mr. Smith.

•Police Officer Fields greets Harry outside the Charles Hotel on his way to the Boston Bridge. He escorts Harry through the crowd of spectators and secures him with regulation handcuffs. He examines Harry after he has been handcuffed and shackled.

•Officer Hemphill is responsible for offering Officer Fields the handcuffs Harry will use during his jump.

•Mr. Gustavson is another of Harry’s hired men. He sits in a rowboat on the Charles River and waits for Harry to emerge from the water. He then rows Harry back to shore.

Artistic Style

Bertozzi’s black-and-white line drawings are clear and not overly detailed. Depth and color is added to the illustrations with grayish-blue shading. The boldness in the artwork in the foreground of many panels effectively depicts various emotions seen throughout the plot, such as nervousness and excitement. Speech bubbles are consistently placed at the top of each panel, allowing for easy reading flow, and the caption writing is consistent in size. The illustrations mimic the time period and setting of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1908, while the drawing style is consistent throughout and maintains the mood.

The open and airy page layout contributes to the clear organization of the work as seen through appropriately sized panel sequencing and surrounding white space. A majority of the panel transitions feature action-to-action progressions, such as when Houdini is picking locks. Subject-to-subject panel transitions are also apparent, as when Houdini is underwater picking his locks while his assistants and the crowd are waiting.

A number of wordless panels are used throughout the story and help to progress the plot. Some wordless panels are placed between panels with speech bubbles to depict characters’ facial emotions. Visual clues in the panels also extend the plot, as when Bess is pushing her way through the crowd to get to Harry prior to his bridge jump. More than a dozen pages contain wordless panels, which provide clues to readers throughout the book.

Themes

Houdini: The Handcuff King is notable for setting the trend for graphic novel biographies of famous individuals. Throughout the book, Harry displays his arrogance and egoism as an insecure man obsessed with fame. This attitude is displayed through his conversations and displayed emotions. His competitive streak is shown through his obsession with improving his tricks and tactics.

Harry researches and studies ways to extricate himself from handcuffs, straight jackets, and sealed containers and continually proves his abilities. The combination of his work ethic, ego, and skill creates a legendary, inimitable character.

Harry has a passionate and loving relationship with his wife, Bess, who acts as his supporter. Throughout the book, she is shown as his equal partner. She follows him wherever he goes. She is always on his mind, which is made apparent in the book through thought bubbles.

Impact

Houdini: The Handcuff King was the first published collaboration between the Center for Cartoon Studies and Hyperion Books. It was also the first book to portray Harry Houdini in graphic novel format. It set the precedent for other titles in the series, such as Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow; Thoreau at Walden (2008), by John Porcellino; and Amelia Earhart: This Broad Ocean (2010), by Sarah Stewart Taylor and Ben Towle. The series allows students at the Center to work on and gain experience in publishing graphic novels. These titles set the bar for graphic biographies.

An introduction to the book is provided by Glen David Gold, who is the author of Carter Beats the Devil (2001). He gives a thorough background history on Houdini’s life. The book ends with panel discussions highlighted with thumbnails of images from the story with detailed explanations, historical facts, and light commentary. These discussions allow for additional reader insight and provide an avenue for classroom studies. These attributes, as well as a bibliography and short author and artist backgrounds, are included in the other titles in the series. Each book introduction is written by a prominent person in a field related to the title.

The series publication has set the standard for quality graphic biographies, which has resulted in other publishers following suit. After its publication, Houdini: The Handcuff King was named a 2008 Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Great Graphic Novel for Teens. Hyperion has also produced a discussion guide for Houdini: The Handcuff King.

In 2010, Bertozzi’s artwork was featured at the “Monsters and Miracles: A Journey Through Jewish Picture Books” show at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The art show then traveled to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts, where it was on display through January, 2011.

Further Reading

Burns, Jason M. Hat Trick (2010).

Gaiman, Neil. The Books of Magic (1993).

Lutes, Jason. Jar of Fools: A Picture Story (2003).

Naifeh, Ted. Courtney Crumin series (2003-2009).

Rocks, Misako. Biker Girl (2006).

Bibliography

Baxter, Kathleen. “We’re Just Wild About Harry: Master Magician Harry Houdini Still Fascinates and Mystifies Kids of All Ages.” School Library Journal, April, 2010, p. 21.

Milliken, Joe. “Just Like Magic: The Center for Cartoon Studies Publishes Its First Graphic Novel.” Vermont Guardian, April 27, 2007. http://www.vermontguardian.com/culture/042007/CartoonStudies.shtml.

Reed, Calvin. “More Comics from Disney—Duh.” Publishers Weekly 252, no. 9 (February 28, 2005).