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Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor
On a fantastic island populated by unusual animals, a pirate captain finds a trustworthy companion in the little "Yellow Creature."
48 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1939
269 people want to read
About the author
Mervyn Peake
106 books1,132 followersMervyn Laurence Peake was an English modernist writer, artist, poet and illustrator. He is best known for what are usually referred to as the Gormenghast books, though the Titus books would be more accurate: the three works that exist were the beginning of what Peake conceived as a lengthy cycle, following his protagonist Titus Groan from cradle to grave, but Peake's untimely death prevented completion of the cycle, which is now commonly but erroneously referred to as a trilogy. They are sometimes compared to the work of his older contemporary J.R.R. Tolkien, but his surreal fiction was influenced by his early love for Charles Dickens and Robert Louis Stevenson rather than Tolkien's studies of mythology and philology.
Peake also wrote poetry and literary nonsense in verse form, short stories for adults and children ("Letters from a Lost Uncle"), stage and radio plays, and Mr Pye, a relatively tightly-structured novel in which God implicitly mocks the evangelical pretensions and cosy world-view of the eponymous hero.
Peake first made his reputation as a painter and illustrator during the 1930s and 1940s, when he lived in London, and he was commissioned to produce portraits of well-known people. A collection of these drawings is still in the possession of his family. Although he gained little popular success in his lifetime, his work was highly respected by his peers, and his friends included Dylan Thomas and Graham Greene. His works are now included in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and the Imperial War Museum.
Peake also wrote poetry and literary nonsense in verse form, short stories for adults and children ("Letters from a Lost Uncle"), stage and radio plays, and Mr Pye, a relatively tightly-structured novel in which God implicitly mocks the evangelical pretensions and cosy world-view of the eponymous hero.
Peake first made his reputation as a painter and illustrator during the 1930s and 1940s, when he lived in London, and he was commissioned to produce portraits of well-known people. A collection of these drawings is still in the possession of his family. Although he gained little popular success in his lifetime, his work was highly respected by his peers, and his friends included Dylan Thomas and Graham Greene. His works are now included in the collections of the National Portrait Gallery and the Imperial War Museum.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 29, 2017
A delightful children's book, handwritten and illustrated by Mervyn Peake, though like all really good children's books, it can also be enjoyed by adults.
This book reflects Peake's lifelong love of pirates and islands, though it's really a simple story of friendship, fun and adventure. The Captain and his mate, Smear, bond partly over a shared joy of reading. One surprise is the lack of a peg-leg, given that Barquentine (in Gormenghast, which I reviewed HERE) and the eponymous Lost Uncle (my review HERE) both have one.
The publication date means there are hints of colonialism, but in context, I have no problem with that.
Fantastical
The opening strikes a change from the traditional "Once upon a time", yet somehow has a fairytale familiarity, enhanced by its illustration:
"Far beyond the jungles and the burning deserts lay the bright blue ocean that stretched forever in all directions. There were little green islands with undiscovered edges, and whales swam around them in this sort of way."
There is a panoply of fantastical creatures, with suitably exotic names, including the lonely Mousterashe, croaking Hunchabil, lazy Guggaflop, melancholy Saggerdroop, loathsome Squirmarins, along with the prosaically named, Yellow Creature (male in pronoun, but not exactly masculine).
Illustrations
The pictures are a pen and ink. Many are black and white; others use just a few solid colours (it was first published in 1939).
There is a general air of Heath Robinson, the carvings on the ship resemble caricatures of ancient Greek statues, and there’s a large wave echoing Hukusi’s famous one (but rolling the other way, and with a ship atop).
There is a wealth of detail in the lines, shading and stippling. This is especially true of details: tattoos, body hair, fabric, plants, sea creatures, and patched repairs of people(!), clothes and ship. Adults may notice some rather phallic stylising of noses, fingers, and a banana.
Sexuality and gender fluidity?
The lack of women reflects the plot and setting, but there is a gay subtext, or would be if the yellow creature was unambiguously male. In appearance, the yellow creature isn't, but the text uses he/him pronouns. It's subtle and ahead of its time: a subtext that will go over the heads of small children and shouldn't be an issue for anyone anyway. This aspect is the theme of an exhibition at the Kunstmuseum in Luzern, 28.10.2017 07.01.2018 (details here).
Most cowboy stories and many pirate ones have similar, tacit, themes, which is why Brokeback Mountain was startling (as mentioned in my review, HERE).
"The British author and draftsman Mervyn Peake (1911-1968) created a figure with Yellow Creature already in 1939, which in every drawing between woman and man, animal and man 'changiert' and while still faithful above all remains faithful to itself. Yellow Creature is therefore the title for the group exhibition, which focuses on the relationship between gender and genres."
Short and charming. And a little bit adult if you want it to be.
All My Peake Reviews
Note that this is unrelated to Mr Slaughterboard, which is a longer, nastier (a more violent and tyrannical pirate captain), less illustrated story of a bibliophile, and is included in "Peake's Progress" (my review HERE).
All my Peake/Gormenghast reviews (including biographies/memoirs and books about his art) are on a shelf,
HERE.
June 7, 2013
Return to the Pink Island
Down on the docks, I felt the pull
Of my first sailing trip abroad.
"Hear ye, my mates, from Istanbul,"
Said fearless Captain Slaughterboard
(I ask, what kind of name is that?)
"My ship, it’s called the Black Tiger"
(That's no name for a pussy cat!),
"I need fifty men inside her."
En route, we heard a husky voice,
Above the clamour of the band,
Billy Bottle, one of the boys:
"Hey, I've spotted a pink island."
Then we noticed all these creatures
Whose clothing was preposterous.
"Who are these inhabitants
So remote from the Bosphorus?"
Lined up on the sandy beaches,
They didn’t seem so devilish,
While they sat on purple turtles
And ate their crimson jellyfish.
If you think we’ve got funny names
Or ones that shouldn’t be allowed,
Then you should hear just what they’re called:
Balleroon, Dignipomp the proud.
There's more live beneath the summit:
Dreadful Hunchabil, Saggerdroop,
The Sleeka, his son, the Plummet
(A portly cook like Peter Poop).
Guggaflop is very lazy,
That’s not to mention Mousterashe,
Who claims Squirmarins are crazy,
Though motivated still by cash.
Well, the Captain was the fondest
Of a little yellow creature.
He took him to our pirate ship
And showed him every feature.
But the Captain yearned to return
With the creature to his home land,
Where he hoped there was much to learn
And they both could walk, hand in hand.
So later when we dropped anchor
Off this pink island you don’t know,
The two strode down the sloping deck,
While shouting wildly, "Yo-ho! Yo-ho!"
Down on the docks, I felt the pull
Of my first sailing trip abroad.
"Hear ye, my mates, from Istanbul,"
Said fearless Captain Slaughterboard
(I ask, what kind of name is that?)
"My ship, it’s called the Black Tiger"
(That's no name for a pussy cat!),
"I need fifty men inside her."
En route, we heard a husky voice,
Above the clamour of the band,
Billy Bottle, one of the boys:
"Hey, I've spotted a pink island."
Then we noticed all these creatures
Whose clothing was preposterous.
"Who are these inhabitants
So remote from the Bosphorus?"
Lined up on the sandy beaches,
They didn’t seem so devilish,
While they sat on purple turtles
And ate their crimson jellyfish.
If you think we’ve got funny names
Or ones that shouldn’t be allowed,
Then you should hear just what they’re called:
Balleroon, Dignipomp the proud.
There's more live beneath the summit:
Dreadful Hunchabil, Saggerdroop,
The Sleeka, his son, the Plummet
(A portly cook like Peter Poop).
Guggaflop is very lazy,
That’s not to mention Mousterashe,
Who claims Squirmarins are crazy,
Though motivated still by cash.
Well, the Captain was the fondest
Of a little yellow creature.
He took him to our pirate ship
And showed him every feature.
But the Captain yearned to return
With the creature to his home land,
Where he hoped there was much to learn
And they both could walk, hand in hand.
So later when we dropped anchor
Off this pink island you don’t know,
The two strode down the sloping deck,
While shouting wildly, "Yo-ho! Yo-ho!"
May 8, 2017
"As a young man in the 1930s, my father, Mervyn Peake, visited Sark, one of the Channel Islands, with the idea of living a bohemian life free from the pressures of modern society. Soon after the Second World War, he returned with his wife, Maeve, and their two sons, Sabastian and myself, Fabian. A daughter, Clare, was born on the island in 1949. At the time, Sark was an isolated place, and living conditions were simple. Water had to be hand pumped, lighting was by means of paraffin lamps; and apart from tractors, no motorized vehicles were allowed on the island. Our parents had provided us with an idyllic early childhood, and we were swept along in the wash of my father's colossal spirit of adventure.
"Each Sunday in his study, a large room with an open fire, my father would make drawings for my brother and me. Typically, these were of pirates, comical animals, and monstrous scenes in pen and ink, watercolor, or pencil, which we collected in special books. These drawings were clearly from the same imagination that created the eccentric characters of Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor.
"In this beautiful new edition, my father's book has been produced as it was intended. No details have been spared, and the idiosyncracies of his original idea have been properly realized."
London, March 2001
In many ways this is a children's tale of rehabilitation. The dread pirate Slaughterboard gives up his thieving and killing after going to the Pink Island and forming a relationship with the Yellow Creature. (see cover art above) The artwork is fantastic in the original meaning of that word. The story is more whimsical than comprehensible, but the resolution of this tale should satisfy most readers of all ages.
I big shout out to Cecily for pointing me in this direction and convincing me that there was a world beyond Titus from Mervyn Peake. (Cecily's review contains a number of representative pictures that I found difficult to import.)
"Each Sunday in his study, a large room with an open fire, my father would make drawings for my brother and me. Typically, these were of pirates, comical animals, and monstrous scenes in pen and ink, watercolor, or pencil, which we collected in special books. These drawings were clearly from the same imagination that created the eccentric characters of Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor.
"In this beautiful new edition, my father's book has been produced as it was intended. No details have been spared, and the idiosyncracies of his original idea have been properly realized."
London, March 2001
In many ways this is a children's tale of rehabilitation. The dread pirate Slaughterboard gives up his thieving and killing after going to the Pink Island and forming a relationship with the Yellow Creature. (see cover art above) The artwork is fantastic in the original meaning of that word. The story is more whimsical than comprehensible, but the resolution of this tale should satisfy most readers of all ages.
I big shout out to Cecily for pointing me in this direction and convincing me that there was a world beyond Titus from Mervyn Peake. (Cecily's review contains a number of representative pictures that I found difficult to import.)
February 17, 2011
A bloodthirsty pirate and his horrific and deformed crew spend their days dealing death until they find an uncharted island populated by diverse purple creatures. The captain becomes obsessed with the sole Yellow Creature. This weird story made even weirder by the outre illustrations of Mervyn Peake. The text is also handwritten by Peake.
An interesting but brief end note by one of Peake's sons says that he made it up for his kids during the years they lived in primitive conditions in the Channel Islands.
An interesting but brief end note by one of Peake's sons says that he made it up for his kids during the years they lived in primitive conditions in the Channel Islands.
November 29, 2020
Captain Slaughterboard Drops Anchor has been a firm favourite since I delightedly found a second-hand 1977 copy back in the '90s. Great find though it was, that edition was in a small format that compressed the lines in Peake's illustrations, dropping detail and, where colour was added, it was a vivid but disappointingly flat, orange-yellow only:
Finally, I've decide to upgrade to the large format Walker Books edition of 2001 - what a revelation! The delicacy and intricate shading and hatching of Peake's pen are now clearly visible and, whilst the colours, where used, are still flat, they are colours: plural! Pastel shades of green, blue and pink abound, earth colours for (most of) the pirates, purple and lilac for the strange creatures of the island and, of course, bright yellow for the Yellow Creature!
I've always suspected that the tattoo of the woman on Charlie Choke's left arm was Peake's wife, Maeve Gilmore, now I can read the name beneath the portrait to confirm that it is: a romantically humorous touch.
What's it about? The illustrations, really. They are absolutely integral to the book, which has little in the way of plot or narrative. Such as it is, it's a slight tale of the pirates discovering an island full of strange creatures, one of which becomes the object of the Captain Slaughterboard's rather obsessional affection, with whom he eventually decides to settle down and "drop anchor". Despite the lack of any deep story, the book is made vibrant and full of humorous energy by the fantastic quality of Peake's illustrations.
Finally, I've decide to upgrade to the large format Walker Books edition of 2001 - what a revelation! The delicacy and intricate shading and hatching of Peake's pen are now clearly visible and, whilst the colours, where used, are still flat, they are colours: plural! Pastel shades of green, blue and pink abound, earth colours for (most of) the pirates, purple and lilac for the strange creatures of the island and, of course, bright yellow for the Yellow Creature!
I've always suspected that the tattoo of the woman on Charlie Choke's left arm was Peake's wife, Maeve Gilmore, now I can read the name beneath the portrait to confirm that it is: a romantically humorous touch.
What's it about? The illustrations, really. They are absolutely integral to the book, which has little in the way of plot or narrative. Such as it is, it's a slight tale of the pirates discovering an island full of strange creatures, one of which becomes the object of the Captain Slaughterboard's rather obsessional affection, with whom he eventually decides to settle down and "drop anchor". Despite the lack of any deep story, the book is made vibrant and full of humorous energy by the fantastic quality of Peake's illustrations.
August 16, 2022
Originally written in 1939 when, according to Mervyn Peake's son Fabian in his introduction the whole edition was destroyed in a wartime bombing, this 70th anniversary edition of Mervyn's first book brings back to life Captain Slaughterboard and his motley crew.
That crew consists of the huge Billy Bottle, who knocks the ashes out of his pipe out without bending, Jonas Joints who is something of an acrobat, Timothy Twitch who is most elegant in battle as he poses with his limp left hand, Charlie Choke who was covered in blue tattoos and Peter Poop who had a cork nose.
Captain Slaughterboard himself is a quirky character, too, and it is he who spots a pink island that interests him so much he orders the crew to make haste to it. As they approach the Captain sees through his telescope some 'preposterous creatures', one of which he declares that he wants to catch.
They row and finally wade to the shore and a creature 'as bright as butter' is spotted. The crew members catch the little yellow fellow and escort him to the Captain. YC (Yellow Creature) as the Captain names him is unique on the island for all the other strange creatures that are spotted are purple. And they are the Balleroon, the Dignipomp, the Lonely Mousterashe, the Hunchabil, the Guggaflop, the Saggerdroop and two loathsome Squirmarns. And all of them have characteristics.
There was also a Sleeka and his son and a Plummet both of whom lived in the sea.
A series of odd adventures begin when YC gets on board the ship and the Captain is fascinated by him as they sail away. Eventually all the other pirates were killed and Captain and YC return to the island, 'Yo-ho', the only words he had learned was YC's reaction.
Once on the island the Captain declares, 'Ahoy, Yellow Creature! I'm staying here for good.' YC is 'frantic with joy' and shouts 'Yo-ho' 50 times! Thereafter Captain and YC live a bizarre but happy life in this very quirky story, which is brilliantly illustrated throughout.
That crew consists of the huge Billy Bottle, who knocks the ashes out of his pipe out without bending, Jonas Joints who is something of an acrobat, Timothy Twitch who is most elegant in battle as he poses with his limp left hand, Charlie Choke who was covered in blue tattoos and Peter Poop who had a cork nose.
Captain Slaughterboard himself is a quirky character, too, and it is he who spots a pink island that interests him so much he orders the crew to make haste to it. As they approach the Captain sees through his telescope some 'preposterous creatures', one of which he declares that he wants to catch.
They row and finally wade to the shore and a creature 'as bright as butter' is spotted. The crew members catch the little yellow fellow and escort him to the Captain. YC (Yellow Creature) as the Captain names him is unique on the island for all the other strange creatures that are spotted are purple. And they are the Balleroon, the Dignipomp, the Lonely Mousterashe, the Hunchabil, the Guggaflop, the Saggerdroop and two loathsome Squirmarns. And all of them have characteristics.
There was also a Sleeka and his son and a Plummet both of whom lived in the sea.
A series of odd adventures begin when YC gets on board the ship and the Captain is fascinated by him as they sail away. Eventually all the other pirates were killed and Captain and YC return to the island, 'Yo-ho', the only words he had learned was YC's reaction.
Once on the island the Captain declares, 'Ahoy, Yellow Creature! I'm staying here for good.' YC is 'frantic with joy' and shouts 'Yo-ho' 50 times! Thereafter Captain and YC live a bizarre but happy life in this very quirky story, which is brilliantly illustrated throughout.
September 14, 2024
mervyn peake's whacky mind
July 16, 2008
A murderous captain and his brutal crew sail the seas doing nefarious deeds. They come upon an island filled with strange creatures. One in particular catches the captain's eye and is taken on board. Before he knows it, the creature has taught the captain how to relax and renounce his pirating ways.
An odd story, especially for children, but then it was written in 1939 when kids' books were not held to such PC standards. I understand that the story is not as bloody as originally planned, actually. I found it amusing. The illustrations are fantastic and the message, to stop and smell the roses (as it were), is really pretty great for kids to hear.
I've also read that there was some debate as to the sex of the creature, hints of homosexuality or chauvanism, etc. I found I didn't really care what the gender of the creature was and there were no sexual undertones for me. There are no women in the story, but then it's a pirate tale and there are usually few ladies in those anyway.
An odd story, especially for children, but then it was written in 1939 when kids' books were not held to such PC standards. I understand that the story is not as bloody as originally planned, actually. I found it amusing. The illustrations are fantastic and the message, to stop and smell the roses (as it were), is really pretty great for kids to hear.
I've also read that there was some debate as to the sex of the creature, hints of homosexuality or chauvanism, etc. I found I didn't really care what the gender of the creature was and there were no sexual undertones for me. There are no women in the story, but then it's a pirate tale and there are usually few ladies in those anyway.
February 12, 2022
As childish as warranted and as adult as the reader wants.
March 25, 2013
What an odd children's book... yet, oddly wonderful with amazing artwork.
Only an unrestrained imagination like Peake's could conjure something with this blend of weirdness and charm, while still being suitable for children.
Only an unrestrained imagination like Peake's could conjure something with this blend of weirdness and charm, while still being suitable for children.
December 25, 2016
The first book from Mervyn Peake and a glorious look into the imagination of a 29 year old writer and illustrator. I had no idea that Peake was an illustrator but his work here is excellent and shows exactly why he has gone on to illustrate Alice in Wonderland and Treasure Island for his characters are richly drawn and the world of Captain Slaughterboard is as odd as Wonderland itself.
The story itself is quite simple in which Slaughterboard, coming to the end of his pirating days, stumbles across a creature who is also out of sorts upon the island it inhabits. Together both find a companionship which takes them on great adventures and also shows Slaughterboard the true meaning of contentment. Although, as expected with Peake, the work is well written, it is the rich and beguiling illustrations which make the book. The oddity and nonsensical nature of the island's inhabitants reminded me very much of the excellent The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear
The story itself is quite simple in which Slaughterboard, coming to the end of his pirating days, stumbles across a creature who is also out of sorts upon the island it inhabits. Together both find a companionship which takes them on great adventures and also shows Slaughterboard the true meaning of contentment. Although, as expected with Peake, the work is well written, it is the rich and beguiling illustrations which make the book. The oddity and nonsensical nature of the island's inhabitants reminded me very much of the excellent The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear
November 15, 2012
We LOVE this book in our house. Out of print, perhaps? It was written way back in 1939, by the author of the very dark and gothic Gormenghast trilogy, but this is a book of a very different kind. He wrote it based on stories he used to tell his kids, I believe. The best thing about this book is the art, which is an incredibly detailed style of cross-hatching and pointillism. We discover something new on each page every time we read it. The story is good, but one has to overlook the outdated undercurrent of colonialist privilege and questionable undertones that are present in the narrative.
May 5, 2021
An odd little story from the 1930s about the friendship between a pirate and a little yellow creature from an island that he explores. IMO, most readers will either love it or detest it. I can see from reading the reviews on goodreads that both this book and author/illustrator Mervyn Peake have a following.
February 18, 2018
Fantastical, wildly creative and colourful illustrations paired with a charming story make for a children's classic. Highly recommended.
November 23, 2012
Funny, quirky story book about a ruthless pirate and his equally blood-thirsty and quirky crew, as they wander the seas, encountering various odd islands and having the occasional massacre.
Then on one island Slaughterboard comes to is populated by numerous odd, mythical creatures and he meets the yellow imp, who becomes his best friend and makes him see the error of his ways.
Fun, fantastical, bloodthirsty, clever and, in an odd way, kind of sweet.
Then on one island Slaughterboard comes to is populated by numerous odd, mythical creatures and he meets the yellow imp, who becomes his best friend and makes him see the error of his ways.
Fun, fantastical, bloodthirsty, clever and, in an odd way, kind of sweet.
November 7, 2014
Best book ever
March 10, 2024
What a strange fantastical journey, my youngest and I read this before bed and thoroughly enjoyed it, especially poking around the illustrations to find little details in the backgrounds, and curiosities in the characters costumes.
I had tried to locate a paper copy for a hot minute, but realizing only a major university nearby had it in an archive, we instead opted for the scanned copy on archive.org (on the big screen). It worked great, highly recommended if you like the weirdness that Seuss brings.
I had tried to locate a paper copy for a hot minute, but realizing only a major university nearby had it in an archive, we instead opted for the scanned copy on archive.org (on the big screen). It worked great, highly recommended if you like the weirdness that Seuss brings.
February 9, 2020
I couldn’t stop reading it even though I think I will have nightmares later....so really well done even though I hated it more than most things I’ve ever read? Hiding it so that my children never find it.
September 2, 2017
I like the drawings but that was a little too random for me. Also even as a child i think i would be annoyed that most of the characters disappear from the story half-way through.
August 21, 2018
It's incredibly old fashioned (because it is) and just feels lame.
December 14, 2019
Wonderful story added to fabulous cartoon illustrations from the famous poet/artist Mervin Peak. This is collected from his stories told to his children at bedtime.
February 24, 2025
A rather ridiculous and silly story but still entertaining and I enjoyed it. Peake did both the words and illustrations, which are fun.
Read
September 18, 2013Pirates and monsters! What could be better? Originally published in 1939, this picture book by the author of the Gormenghast Trilogy has wonderfully grotesque illustrations that will appeal to a certain sort of child (or adult)—though some parents may be put off by the pipe smoking and rum bottles included in some illustrations. –Dave
August 19, 2011
This is a fun, but quite strange story. The narrative has a very unusual font and the illustrations are humorous, with interesting details. We enjoyed reading this story together.
wish-list
March 6, 2014Channel Islands>Sark
recommended by Esther-on-Semester
recommended by Esther-on-Semester
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