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Steve Skidmore, Author
Steve Barlow, Author
Martin Bustamante, Illustrator
Series: Classics in Graphics
Imprint: Franklin Watts
Publication date: June 11, 2026
Category: Classic fiction
ISBN: 9781445198835
Homer’s The Odyssey like you’ve never seen it – or read it – before! Classics in Graphics: The Odyssey has been adapted into a graphic novel by expert authors, Steve Skidmore and Steve Barlow, with illustrations by Martin Bustamante. Readers join our hero, Odysseus, as his epic journey swirls across the page, dodging sea monsters, one-eyed giants and greedy humans before it’s too late …
This series has inclusion at its heart, flinging wide the doors of literature for all to enter and understand. With dyslexia-friendly design for readers aged 10+; inclusive art so anyone can relate to iconic roles; snappy simplified text; introductory material to set the scene; heaps of material at the back, looking at the work’s themes, language, publication, a timeline of relevant history, and more!
Classics available: Macbeth, The Tempest, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Twelfth Night, King Lear, The Merchant of Venice, Frankenstein, Dracula, A Christmas Carol, Hound of the Baskervilles, The Odyssey.
Praise for Classics in Graphics: “[…] an excellent job converting challenging language and literary themes to make it very inclusive, smoothing ease of understanding dialogue, plot, and narration without dumbing it down.” – EricWilliamson, leagueofcomicgeeks.com
Steve Skidmore writes with Steve Barlow. Together they are Britain’s most popular comedy writing and performing double act for young people. Not surprisingly, they are known as The 2 Steves!
The 2 Steves met over twenty years ago when they were both teaching in Nottingham. Since then they have written over 160 books together. They have also acted as series editors on numerous reading programmes for several major publishing houses.
The 2 Steves are in great demand for author visits to schools, colleges and libraries across the world. They also undertake INSET events and make regular appearances at Literary Festivals.
Steve Skidmore is shorter than Steve Barlow and less hairy. He was born in Birstall near Leicester in England. After managing to pass some exams at school, he went on to Nottingham University to supposedly read English, but spent most of his time playing sport and doing a variety of summer jobs including counting pastry pie lids (yes, really).
He trained as a teacher of Drama, English and Film studies, before teaming up with Steve Barlow to become a full time author.
He lives in Leicester and is a great rugby fan (he supports Leicester Tigers – “Come on you Tiiiiigeeeers!”).
As 50% of the Two Steves, Steve Barlow has written over 160 books with Steve Skidmore since their first published work appeared in 1988. Born in Crewe, he was educated at Crewe Grammar School, Warwick University and Nottingham University before a varied career in teaching, acting, stage management and puppetry. He worked in a village school in Botswana for four years before returning to the UK and working with Steve Skidmore. The Two Steves tour extensively in the UK and overseas, and are frequent visitors to book festivals including Edinburgh and Hay. Their work for Hachette includes the highly popular I Hero and Crime Team choose-your-adventure books, and their I Horror series is raising the short hairs at the back of readers’ necks with Orchard Books.
Martin Bustamante is an Argentinian illustrator and painter. He has shown a talent for drawing since age 3, inspired by films like Star Wars and books like Harold Foster’s Prince Valiant. Through these films, Martin discovered new worlds full of colours, shapes and environments. This sparked his passion for drawing and painting, which continues to this day. As a professional illustrator, he has worked for publishers and magazines in Argentina, the U.S and Europe.