Gulliver’s Travels (1726) by Jonathan Swift is a classic that is rarely appreciated beyond its adventure roots. Swift’s satire pokes fun at politics, science, technology, philosophy and basic human nature. It is a deep book worthy of re-reading many times. When you first encounter it, perhaps as a child, it is a fun adventure story, much like a fairy tale. Most likely you stopped reading it after the second portion, that of the giants of Brobdingnag, where Gulliver reverses roles after his visit to Lilliput. The third section pokes fun at the Royal Society and its fascination with Science. The last and most philosophical portion features the Houyhnhnm, intelligent horses. That section gave us the word “Yahoo” to describe a course and unintelligent person.
Now it should be no surprise that most films, television shows and comics about Gulliver usually don’t get much past the adventure elements. The George Pal movie features stunning (for the time) effects with giant and small people together on the screen. (All the fun bits, like Gulliver putting out the castle fire by urinating on it, are removed for younger folks.) More modern versions have usually only featured the first half of the book, such as the 2010 Jack Black vehicle.
Comics have adapted the story from the Golden Age on, with Gilberton and their Classics Illustrated #16 starting things off in June 1949. Marvel did a splendid job with Marvel Classic Comics #6 Gulliver’s Travels (1976) The E. R. Cruz artwork is always welcome. Many European comics have adapted the story, with Bastei Verlag of Germany turning Gulliver into something of a superhero. Heavy Metal and other adult comics have also exploited the possibilities of the story.
The comics cover usually focus on specific scenes from the book: Gulliver tied up, Gulliver pulling the ships, and big and small people together. DC Comics have used the “Gulliver being tied” theme for their own versions of the story. Edgar Rice Burroughs borrowed the idea for his Tarzan and the Ant Men (1924). Tarzan gets to be both a giant and a tiny person in the novel.
Gulliver Tied Up
Gulliver Pulling the Ships
Big and Small People Together
Tarzan and the Ant Men
