In the 62 years since Charlie Bucket acquired a life-altering Golden Ticket into Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, his fantastical journey has been shared by multiple generations of young readers. Originally published in 1964 by Alfred A. Knopf in the U.S., Roald Dahl’s Charlieand the Chocolate Factory has been translated into 60 languages, amassing more than 50 million copies in print across North America alone. On April 6, Viking Books for Young Readers will bring the classic into a new format with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The Graphic Novel, adapted by Insha Fitzpatrick and illustrated in full color by Kitt Thomas. Designed by art director Kristin Boyle, the book’s cover is unveiled here for the first time.
Boyle also supervised the novel’s interior design, working with senior designer Danielle Ceccolini, and was gratified to be part of this new chapter for what she described as “a favorite novel from my childhood. Having the opportunity to be part of reinventing the story’s world and characters was a dream come true.”
With announced first printings of 50,000 copies in hardcover and 150,000 in paperback, this is the first Dahl novel released by Viking in graphic novel format. The adaptation is published in conjunction with the Roald Dahl Story Company, the home of iconic Dahl stories and characters, which was acquired by Netflix in 2021.
“Viking works hand-in-hand with the Roald Dahl Story Company to bring the author’s stories to new generations,” said executive editor Dana Leydig. “While Viking took the lead on editorial and design for this graphic novel and played a large part in bringing the creators to the project, we work as a team, making decisions together. Dahl’s stories are beloved and our goal is to provide as many ways to enjoy them as possible,” she continued. “By offering his work in more visually driven formats, we’re breaking open the reading experience and making his stories even more accessible.”
Though Fitzpatrick and Thomas both have numerous graphic novel credits to their names, this is their first book together. Leydig explained that their complementary talents made them a strong creative team. “There’s a rhythm and movement to Insha’s writing,” she said. “Her adaptation of Charlie is extraordinary in that it effortlessly translates Dahl’s imaginative spirit, joy, and humor to a new format, while updating them for a new generation of readers.”
The pairing of Fitzpatrick’s voice and Thomas’s art, which “achieves even the subtlest emotion in characters’ expressions,” Leydig said, “makes this edition a unique way to dive into Dahl’s timeless story.”
In a statement, each of the collaborators expressed gratitude for the chance to adapt Dahl’s novel into graphic format—and shared their wishes for what readers will take from the book. “It was such a rare treat to adapt one of my favorite books from childhood into a graphic novel, and I’m more than honored to have found the Golden Ticket to do so,” Fitzpatrick said. “I want readers to see events through Charlie’s eyes and to appreciate what all of it means to him. I hope they embrace that, despite hardship, being kind, hopeful, and unapologetically you will truly bring you all the magnificent gifts you were meant to have.”
Calling the adaptation of Charlie and the ChocolateFactory “an extraordinary project to work on,” Thomas noted, “Insha laid all the groundwork that allowed me to bring this story to life with my pen, and I couldn’t be more proud to share this work with the world. Dahl’s novel has stood the test of time through its whimsy and heartening message for readers, young and old alike. I hope readers of this graphic novel enjoy stepping into Willy Wonka’s delightful, curious world just as Charlie does.”
In Leydig’s estimation, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory lends itself to graphic novel adaptation. “The graphic novel leaves room for imagination and exploration,” she told PW. “It provides all the visual splendor you’d expect from a Dahl novel and opens the door for so much more. Dahl wrote about fulfilling dreams, bending reality, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible—and getting to see that rendered on the page in an explosion of color is a wonder to behold.”
