The Glass Scientists is a young adult webcomic by Sage Cotugno (published as S.H. Cotugno), published both in-print and online. Set in the Victorian era, it is inspired by the Gothic novel The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The comic follows a world after the infamous Dr. Frankenstein's death, as a group of "rogue scientists" and socialite Jekyll tries to pull themselves out of disrepute.
| The Glass Scientists | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Author(s) | Sage Cotugno |
| Illustrator(s) | Sage Cotugno, Julia Elliott, Lucy Xue, Tiina Purin[1] |
| Website | https://www.theglassscientists.com |
| Launch date | 2015 |
| Publisher(s) | Self-published online; Penguin Random House in-print |
Plot edit
The comic is set in London in the Victorian era filled with magic and supernatural monsters. Thirty years since the death of the infamous Dr. Frankenstein, the citizens are still fearful of the supernatural, threatening the arcane scientists who resides in London. One socialite and scientist Henry Jekyll has founded an organization called Society for Arcane Science, where a group of "rogue scientists" could continue their work in secret. They and Jekyll hopes to improve their reputation and allow arcane science to flourish under public eye. However, after a failed experiment on himself, Jekyll has come to live in the same body with a chaotic version of himself, who calls himself Hyde.
Publication edit
After first releasing the comic online in 2015, Sage Cotugno writes and draws the series.[2] They are a California Institute of the Arts graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in character animation.[3] In a 2022 auction, publisher Penguin Random House bought the right to publish the comic as a graphic novel.[3] Its Razorbill division released the print edition in October 3, 2023,[4] edited by Chris Hernandez.[5]
Reception edit
A critic in Kirkus Reviews said that the first volume makes "interesting narrative promises" to be fulfilled by the next volume.[4] The School Library Journal commented the series combines the genres historical and science fiction.[6] Science fiction website Gizmodo praised the dialogue, saying that while it is "charming", it also has the "undertone of nasty things left unspoken".[7] Literary magazine Booklist said "the gothic atmosphere is in fun contrast to the cartoonish figures and action."[8]
References edit
- ^ Cotugno, Sage. "About". The Glass Scientists. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ Cotugno, S. H. (2023-10-02). "Mad Science for the Modern Reader, a guest post by S. H. Cotugno". Teen Librarian Toolbox. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ a b Johnston, Rich (2022-03-15). "Sabrina Cotugno Auctions Glass Scientists Webcomic For Six Figures". Bleeding Cool. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ a b "The Glass Scientists". Kirkus Reviews. August 11, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2024.
- ^ Ramirez, Amanda (September 26, 2023). "Four Questions for S.H. Cotugno". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ Abdul, Alicia (November 1, 2023). "The Glass Scientists". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ Davis, Lauren (2015-08-19). "In This Webcomic, Dr. Jekyll Tries to Make Mad Science a Respectable Profession". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2024-03-11.
- ^ "The Glass Scientists, v. 1". Booklist Online.