Aardman animator brings the Irish myth of Cú Chulainn to comics

News
By published

The classic Irish myth of the Hound of Ulster comes to life in comics

Hound
(Image credit: Paul J. Bolger (Dark Horse Comics))

The classic Irish myth of the Hound of Ulster is being adapted and modernized in the new original graphic novel Hound. The story mixes magic, violence, and a heaping dose of comedy and irony - all set on spectacular Irish landscapes drawn by Paul J. Bolger, a film animator and storyboard artist who's worked on everything from Shaun the Sheep and Loving Vincent to the live-action/animation hybrid Cool World.

Hound is drawn and co-written by Bolger, alongside Barry Devlin, who wrote the film A Man of No Importance and the documentary U2: Making of Rattle & Hum. Dee Cunniffe is onboard as the colorist.

(Image credit: Paul J. Bolger (Dark Horse Comics))

Set in 50 BCE, Hound follows Setanta, the young ward of the war goddess Morrigan. Originally pressed into service to stir wars after a long period of peace in Ireland, Setanta at first does that by killing the demon-hound of Cullan, which earns him the name Cú Cullan - the Hound of Cullan. But as he grows older, Cú Cullan realizes the immense power he has (and darkness) and decides to lay it all down to become a farmer. Enflamed by this rebellious act, Morrigan begins a full-on invasion of Ireland which Cú Cullan is the only one able to lead a resistance against.

"Hound is a stunning example of comics storytelling being used to reinvigorate ancient legends for a modern audience," says writer/director Tom Moore in the announcement, who did similarly with his hit film the Secret of the Kells.

Hound goes on sale on March 9, 2022.

Here are our recommended best digital comics readers. 

CATEGORIES
Chris Arrant
Chris Arrant

Chris Arrant covered comic book news for Newsarama from 2003 to 2022 (and as editor/senior editor from 2015 to 2022) and has also written for USA Today, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Publisher's Weekly, Marvel Entertainment, TOKYOPOP, AdHouse Books, Cartoon Brew, Bleeding Cool, Comic Shop News, and CBR. He is the author of the book Modern: Masters Cliff Chiang, co-authored Art of Spider-Man Classic, and contributed to Dark Horse/Bedside Press' anthology Pros and (Comic) Cons. He has acted as a judge for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the Harvey Awards, and the Stan Lee Awards. Chris is a member of the American Library Association's Graphic Novel & Comics Round Table. (He/him)