A to Z Challenge: B is for The Blue Dwarf

A-Z Challenge again for the letter B. The penny dreadful I'm featuring today is called The Blue Dwarf by Lady Esther Hope, pseud (E. Harrison, 1861). 

 "The Blue Dwarf"

Last year, the New York Public Library wrote a post about penny dreadfuls where this story and character among others, was mentioned. "The Blue Dwarf features Richard Turpin, a famous 18th-century highwayman who was fictionalized in many penny dreadfuls like Black Bess, or a Knight of the Road."  I learned that the Blue Dwarf is also known as "Sapathwa," a character associated with the League of Extrodinary Gentleman. How cool is that? When you first read about this bizarre character, it's a bit fascinating. But when you find he's one of the top characters from the late 1800, being compared to others like Gwynplain (a.k.a. The Joker) Alice from Alice and Wonderland or even Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray, it makes this little guy seem a whole lot bigger, huh? (Read more about other comic characters of his time via ComicVine.) The Dwarf is said to be a nobleman in disguise and that he partners with another known penny dreadful character, Dick Turpin.

Where can I get a copy of The Blue Dwarf?

Thanks to the NYPL, I found my ecopy of the story at HathiTrust,   And if you click here, you can read the story online there too!

Have an awesome day!

Mina Burrows