Image Comics Bring Jill Thompson’s ‘Scary Godmother’ Back To Print With The Complete Compendium Edition

by Richard Bruton

Out of print no longer, Jill Thompson‘s Scary Godmother returns from Image as a complete, compendium trade paperback edition this October.

Perfectly timed for the spooky season, Image Comics is bringing Thomspon’s multiple Eisner Award winning all-ages spooktacular, Scary Godmother, back in print as a collects every story and includes brand new tales compendium edition.

Thompson had this to say: ‘I’m so happy that Scary Godmother is back in print! I’m overwhelmed with the love it gets from fans young and old all year round, so it’s perfect that she’ll be back as a nostalgic hug for fans who grew up watching her as well as a brand new treat for new readers!’

It’s a spooky Halloweeny treat for so many fans that first appeared all the way back in 1997. But over the years fans young and old have rediscovered the series and spread the word about something that’s just a joyous Halloween treat. There was even a couple of (admittedly so-so) animated films – Scary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular and Scary Godmother: The Revenge of Jimmy.)

Well, thanks to Image, there’s a fine chance to explore the world of Scary Godmother, the strange and eccentric fairy-witch, as we all head back to the Frightside to revisit the title character and her friends Mr. Pettibone, Bug-A-Boo, Hannah, Orson, Max and Ruby the Vampires, Harry the Werewolf, and more.

I loved them from the off and young Molly adored them all as they were read to her, and the original hardbacks still sit, pride of place, on her bookshelves – these truly are gorgeously gothic children’s books are equally suited for young and old ghouls.

The Scary Godmother is a kind, witchy type in a black tutu with purple and green striped stockings and a mass of red hair who lives on the Frightside, just beyond our world and home to Halloween monsters and all manner of things that go bump in the night. There’s Scary Godmother’s ghostly cat Boozle, Mr Pettibone the skeleton and best of all Bug-A-Boo; three-time Champion Monster Under the Bed, whose job is to scare kids, not eat them, and he’s the best at what he does.

In the very first book we’re introduced to this endearing cast of spooky characters and meet Hannah – the little girl who’s about to discover how much fun having a scary Halloween can be. At first she’s very scared of being out with the older kids for the first time and is tricked by her older cousin Jimmy into visiting the neighbourhood haunted house. He wants her to get scared and go home, leaving them free to get candy without being slowed up by Hannah. Once inside the house she’s befriended by Scary Godmother and her monstrous friends and manages to turn the tables on Jimmy.

Following that we have The Revenge of Jimmy, with Hannah’s cousin Jimmy living in mortal fear of Halloween after his experiences the year before. Using perfect childish logic he decides his only hope is to sabotage this year’s festivities. Over the course of his nefarious deeds he becomes more and more like the monsters he’s trying to avoid but is rescued in the end by Scary Godmother as he too realises that Halloween isn’t nearly as scary as it seems.

And subsequent volumes, The Mystery Date and The Boo Flu, and more, tell their delightful stories with a warmth and joy that will have both old and young thoroughly enchanted. Jill Thompson not only writes a brilliant all ages book, but has the artistic skill to transform some very terrifying monsters into wonderful, almost cuddly best friends for both little Hannah and whoever is reading the book. Her fully painted artwork throughout the book is simply sumptuous, colourful, fun stuff, full of the feel of the season – deep reds and browns of nature contrasting with the otherworldly purples and blacks of Scary Godmother’s world.

And this new compendium features not just every single Scary Godmother story but has Thompson returning with new tales – perfect Halloweeny fun for all! So what are you waiting for? All of you have got someone special you can buy this for.