Showing posts with label fairy tale retelling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fairy tale retelling. Show all posts

Sunday, October 18, 2020

Coming Soon: A Virtual Fairy Tale Salon with Timeless Tales Editor Tahlia Kirk

Written by Tahlia Kirk



Tahlia Kirk Bohemian
Spend an evening chatting about your favorite fairy tale at the Storied Imaginarium's virtual fairy tale salon on November 6 (Nov 7 for Australia).

We're evoking the elegant Parisian salon of 17th century France, when wealthy women hosted gatherings in their living rooms to discuss literature and write stories. One of the most popular parlor games played at these salons was to retell classic folktales. Storytellers would use fanciful language of fairy tales to slyly slip rebellious commentary on aristocratic culture past the court's censors. I hope to share some of my favorite counter-culture tales with you and talk about what makes a retelling resonate. While this is more of a meeting-of-minds than a formal writing workshop, I think all fans of the magical and whimsical will enjoy our time together. 

Seats are limited, so sign up now to save your spot!

(Pic is my envisioning of the type of outfit one might wear to a modern literary salon 😅)

Saturday, August 3, 2019

Graphic Adaptation of "Snow, Glass, Apples" Has A Feral Magic (Preview!)

Lies and half-truths fall like snow, covering the things that I remember, the things I saw. A landscape, unrecognizable after a snowfall; that is what she has made of my life. - Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman
A graphic novel adaptation of Snow, Glass, Apples is nearing release, and the more we see, the more of artist Colleen Doran's work on this project, the more excited we are. But note - this is not your mother's Snow White...

Readers will know our Editor has a soft spot for Snow White, and may also know Neil Gaiman's Snow, Glass, Apples is one of her favorite retellings, (the audio recording is particularly memorable) so has had this pre-ordered since it was announced. If you're not familiar with Gaiman's retelling you might want to know 'blood' is key in this version.
Synopsis: Terrified of her monstrous stepdaughter and determined to repel the creature and save her kingdom, a not-so-evil queen desperately tries to stop a happily ever after that was never supposed to be. Stopping ever after, however, is no small task…
'Dark beginnings'
Here's what you need to know about the new graphic novel:

Colleen Doran took inspiration from (Neil Gaiman would say 'channeled') Irish Arts & Crafts genius Harry Clarke, famous for both his illustrations and his stained glass, to style her adaptation. Harry Clarke's work is both very 'fairy tale' (beautiful!) and at the same time feral. (A quick google search for Harry Clarke images will show you what we mean.) Doran's images do more than provide visuals for Gaiman's story and true to Clarke's style, we get an additional subtext layering the story - one that doesn't shy away from the darker themes Gaiman explores.

If you're wondering, "Just how dark could it be, really?" Gaiman's retelling is one of the most memorable "revisionings" of Snow White to date, complete with flipping the script on who should be terrified of whom, and combines it with a hard-left into Anne Rice territory. (And yes, "V is for Vampire". Did we mention this is not for kids?)
'Passion'
The graphic novel includes an afterword by artist Doran, in which she provides a few in-progress sketches and gives some information on how she created the artwork. We are intrigued - it looks especially time-consuming - not just from a decorative point-of-view but also the work of including different design motifs and "visual subtext" that adds it's own layer of the story.
'A lonely soul'
Here are some excerpts from a very interesting and poetic advanced-preview review by Arpad Okay for DoomRocket:
If Snow, Glass, Apples was once a children’s tale, the art is its connection to those storybook roots. The look is the close of the fairy tale age, as suited for temple walls or stained glass as it is for a golden-bound board book. The story is suitable for neither, full of sex, suffering, and psychedelics. When the forests were wild and old things still dwelled there. 
Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran have turned Snow White inside out, adding other folk tale traditions, the European Christian fetish for suffering idols, and a splash of V for Vendetta self-reliance. It’s a raunchy, debauched, Grand Guignol take on a Grimm story. 
...Doran’s adaptation has unearthed something within Gaiman’s short story that has elevated it to more than it was before. Snow, Glass, Apples is a mixture of comics tradition—showing what was written—and the picturebook tradition of framing what was written in the iconography it inspires. Doran has pulled an illustrated encyclopedia out of the cultural roots of Gaiman’s dreams and Grimm’s world.
'Hunger'
We recommend reading the whole review HERE. The review definitely reads as being written by someone who is still emerging from the dream haze one can get caught in when immersed in Snow, Glass, Apples.

While you enjoy the previews and "sneaky-peeks", as Colleen herself called them, here's a final note about the work that she posted on ADistantSoil, back in January:
Doran's first work (highschool!) "Holy Grail"
in style of Harry Clarke (click to enlarge)
I’m working in a style I’ve adapted from long study of the work of Irish Arts and Crafts Movement illustrator and stained glass creator Harry Clarke. I’ve admired his work since discovering it as a teenager. I mistook his drawings for those of Aubrey Beardsley, whom I also admire, though Clarke is far more macabre and had a longer career. Like Beardsley, he died young. Clarke passed away at age 41 after an amazingly prolific career. 
I’ve referenced a few of his drawings in the images for Neil’s book. 
Please be advised, this is a dark, mature fantasy: not for children at all. 
This highly decorative style and romantic approach suits me, and I enjoy everything about doing this book and this look. All of the drawings are by hand, and the colors are digital. I think I’d like to have a go at another work in this style.
'Taking the apple'
You can view a "live-draw video" by Colleen HERE, made while she works on Snow, Glass, Apples, in which she discusses cartoonist Rosie O'Neill, creator of the Kewpies. It's about 50 minutes long but very worth it if you're interested in Colleens' work or the importance of forgotten female cartoonist pioneers like O'Neill.

More sneaky peeks below (some of the work is in-progress):
One last note on ore-orders (which are an immense help to both Colleen and Neil): if you have access to a local comic book store you can pre-order for the earlier Comic Book store release date of August 7th, 2019 (you lucky ducks!), otherwise you can pre-order through Amazon, who is releasing it on August 20th, 2019 (and if you don't hear from us that day, you can assume its because we are caught up n the Doran-Gaiman world of Snow, Glass, Apples.

SOURCES REFERENCED:

Sunday, February 24, 2019

Stop-Motion Animation: A Creaky Artist's Studio and a Little Clay Girl "On the Other Side of the Woods"

A small clay girl is lost in a creaky artist's studio, meets a wolf... and it's exactly as "fairy tale" as it sounds.

Gypsy shared this on Twitter the other day and we realized we had never posted it on OUABlog, which we should have. It's possibly our favorite stop-motion animated fairy tale short film.
"On the Other Side of the Woods" is "a beautifully realized stop-motion fairy tale about a small clay girl lost in a creaky painter’s studio."* It's a tale of art retelling a folktale, using the fourth-wall of an artist's space, commenting on itself & its story. Created, shot and directed by Estonian director Anu-Laura Tuttelberg (with animator Olga Bulgakova), it's the sort of film that stays with you and continues to delight, long after seeing it. It's not only beautifully done but it comments so well on the art of storytelling, on fairy tales, and on those who tell them & the resulting new tale variations.
It's short, sweet and beautifully shot.
Take a look:
One of the beautiful things about this film is that the deceptively simple presentation gives the viewer lots of room to consider different things it could be commenting on: the confusion, naïveté, and vulnerability of childhood; the artist's process and the life the creation has separate from its maker; the monsters of wolves and also of time; the nostalgia and inevitable passing of childhood; seeing our stories in our creations; the wilds of the creative process and the struggle to make a work that survives it; the contrast versus the interconnectedness of fantasy and reality; the different paths retelling an old tale can take...

“I didn't want to separate the two worlds,” says Tuttleberg, “but to make them fit together instead. I wanted to unify them all into one world and atmosphere. The black and white photography is very graphic and I like that kind of character of a visual, plus I started my studies in art with photography, with black and white analog photography and I find it beautiful and intriguing.” (source)
The description - and appreciation - below of the film, while focusing on the materials used, shows yet another aspect of this lovely film. This is from the Dragonframe website (Dragonframe is the industry-standard software used for stop-motion film):
Directed by Anu-Laura Tuttleberg, “On the Other Side of the Woods” is the story of a little girl made of clay who awakens and brings everything she touches to life. The films aesthetic is special because of its unique use of materials for its sets and puppets. The textures are extremely satisfying to watch. Wet clay becomes hardened, pools of water evaporate and replenish, and light slides across every scene . Shot using only natural lighting, both time and the animators touch are very present throughout the piece. “On the Other Side of the Woods” is a great example of what is so special about stop motion. It is a true labor of love and an enchanting and thoughtful film.
We love how the materials for each set and character are very specific and form part of the commentary on, not just the characters but the story itself, as well as being a commentary on the artistic process. Director Anu-Laura Tuttelberg writes:
"“Teisel pool metsa” / On the Other Side of the Woods is a poetic fairytale shot in an old house in the centre of my hometown Tallinn. The atelier where the story takes place used to be the working space for a famous Estonian painter Ants Laikmaa and is now giving inspiration for my works. The film studies different materials for puppet making and sets using such contrasting materials as wood and clay to bring out the differences in the film characters.  
The materials for puppets were chosen to express their characteristics. The girl for example is made of moist clay to express her dynamic and free personality. She is always flowing along with any event that she comes across in life. I used real clay for making her, and asked the animator to move the surface of her body in every frame so that it is visible that she is made of soft wet clay. The technique was quite time consuming as the clay deforms easily while animating and I had to make a new puppet for each shot.
The film is shot with natural light which makes the viewer aware of the stop motion technique and also shows the passing of time in the film."
If you think about the character of Little Red Riding Hood as you read the above description. doesn't it feel like subtext for this classic fairy tale character?

There's so much contained in this little gem!

And now, ever since seeing this film, we fully expect to stumble across other little characters living out their artistically-fairy tale lives in other busy ateliers, don't you?

* Quoted from a review by This Is Colossal
- Additional source: Anu-Laura Tuttleberg portfolio -https://anulaura.com/on-the-others-side-of-the-woods/

Saturday, August 11, 2018

Review of "The Hawkman", a Retelling of Grimm's "Bearskin"


“In France and Germany, the protagonist is a veteran, starving for lack of work after the war; in Italy, he is a woodsman, wounded by an accident inherent in his profession.  In Spain, he is a pirate, shipwrecked after a poorly deliberated decision. In all places, he is a man who has lost his faith in God, and makes no secret of his apostasy.”

– Miss Eva Williams, “The Hawkman.”

After finishing Jane Rosenberg LaForge’s The Hawkman, I find myself still enamored by her lyrical prose, sifting through words to determine if what I read had really been written. Surely an ending so powerful could not exist?  Of course, it does.

As a retelling of the lesser known Grimm story Bearskin, here’s a quick summary of the fairy tale for those not already familiar: A desperate man makes a pact with the devil. If he can avoid bathing or praying for seven years and sleeps in a bearskin, then the devil will give him limitless wealth. Instead of the disaster you’d expect from such a bargain, the man’s kindness and generosity ultimately win him a bride and, once the seven years are up, they live happily ever after...except for the bride’s two sisters. Since they originally shunned our hero, they are later so full of regret that they kill themselves, netting the devil two souls and making him feel like the winner of the arrangement. Basically, it’s a monstrous bridegroom story, but steps away from tradition by using the man’s perspective instead of the woman’s.  

LaForge’s novel sets this fairy tale during World War I. Michael is an Irish prisoner of war who has been held in German work camps for years. He is finally coming out the other side, but is a broken shell of a man. He falls into himself, withdrawing from a society that shuns him, until he builds the persona of the Hawkman around himself.  When he first meets Miss Eva Williams, he is more beast than human. She brings him back to her cottage in Bridgetonne, England in hopes of helping him heal. Eva is a professor, an American, a writer, and a believer in the fantastical. Much like the bride from the fairy tale, when she sees the Hawkman, she is able to see the man beneath the creature.

What draws you in - aside from the lyricism of the writing itself - is the idea that this story starts with a death. Though, when you think about it, aren’t the greatest love stories those that are actually tragedies in disguise? Whether it be the lovers themselves, or the villain, or even a friend, we find that love and death are often inextricably entwined. This story’s death forces the reader to backpedal and unpack while gripping our seat the entire time. We hope that maybe things will change or that all is not what it seems.  But, of course, it is.

As the story progresses, its layers are slowly peeled back. The town of Bridgetonne takes on a life of its own, as described by the Hawkman’s first encounter with it:

“Bridgetonne was not without other misfits: old maids who, in an earlier time, might have been mistaken for witches, and bachelors who, likewise, would have been called out as warlocks.  But by no means was the village haunted.”

It soon becomes clear that there is more than one transformation in this novel. The town itself shifts from loathing the Hawkman and fearing his presence--even writing him off as a degenerate due to his heritage and situation--to respecting him and taking him in so that he will always have a home. Of course, as the original fairy tale suggests, the devil does indeed take two souls for himself.  For, even though each person the Hawkman touches is changed, there is always one who will be against him. And as he changes into something more man than not, it is as if his transformation causes a change within Miss Williams. She slowly shifts from caretaker, to friend, to lover, and finally to something more in the end.

This novel is a story of love and of overcoming social norms. It is a story of magical realism, of hope and loss, and a story of overcoming trauma. All this is wrapped tightly into a ball and leveled out into a complete journey filled with pain and joy. But, most importantly, it is a story about two people from different backgrounds finding themselves being pieced together until they fit like perfectly aligned puzzle pieces. And when you zoom out to see how these two pieces connect with the other interlocking elements inside the novel, you’ll see how they form a work of art. Much like a painting, this novel rewards those who take the time to contemplate its brush strokes and hold onto its memory even when you walk away.

For fans of beautifully written fairy tales where the language bleeds magic onto the pages like Naomi Novik’s Uprooted and those who enjoy a heartbreaking story about war and the consequences it has on the human soul, The Hawkman will be sure to capture and enrapture, and, when it is done, leave you craving more.



Laura Lavelle is a writer from Queens, New York, working in the genres of fantasy, horror, and science fiction with young and new adult themes.  She studied English at Queens College where she won a Silverstein-Peiser award in Fiction before graduating with her bachelor’s degree. However, when she’s not writing she can be found curled up with a book and a cat, hoping that something magical will happen.








Sunday, June 24, 2018

Timeless Tales Releases Snow White Story Collection


The wait is over! Timeless Tales Magazine is proud to present eleven transformative twists on Snow White. From darkly haunting to funny and fluffy, there's something for everyone in this issue. Read the entire collection HERE



Something new we're trying out this time is the inclusion of a custom Spotify playlist to accompany your reading experience. Think of it as a mixtape of music inspired by all the stories and poems. I'd really love feedback on whether our readers love this feature or are indifferent because it's something we could incorporate into future collections if it's popular enough. 



Here are a few highlights showcasing how our writers reinvented this famous fairy tale:



  • "The Mirrors and the Poison" - A mystery based on actual historical events. Readers are transported to the court of Versailles in 17th Century France. Did the Sun King’s mistress poison her younger rival at court?
  • “Blanche” - In this modernization, a struggling single mom loves her daughter fiercely, but the rest of the world can only see her mistakes. 
  • "The Fairest" - After years of suffering her stepmother's abuse, there's a new fairest in the land. Snow is determined to protect him (yes, him!), but how far will she go to keep him safe?
  • "The Mug & Spoon" - Every year, dozens of nobles try to awaken the sleeping princess at remote Mug & Spoon tavern. Little do they know that the entire town is involved in an elaborate scheme to marry the local girls off to rich husbands. 
And MANY more delightful stories await you in this issue. In case you need more incentive to check it out, here's a sneak peek at some of the covers:










Well, what are you waiting for? Snow White awaits! Let us know which is your favorite! 

Saturday, May 19, 2018

Editor Rejects Her Own Story (Timeless Tales Magazine)



Written by Tahlia Merrill Kirk (Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine)


A couple weeks ago, I wrote a guest blog post over at JL Writers about all the challenges writers face when retelling Snow White. It basically summarized the biggest problems I've run into while reading submissions for our upcoming issue. But let's be honest: It's easy to spot weaknesses in a story--it's a whole different ball game having to actually write a retelling that avoids these pitfalls.

In the interest of keeping myself humble, I dusted off an old Snow White retelling that I wrote 10 years ago when I was a freshman in college. My initial thought before re-reading it was that I would insert it into our 5-year Anniversary issue as a bonus story, but now I'm not so sure. It's a perfectly nice story--a Snow White/Psyche & Cupid crossover, in fact. But it has enough problems that I can't just pop it into the magazine without revising it first.

So I thought I'd pretend that this is a story I received in my submissions inbox and use it as an example of how I analyze a retelling. Feel free to play along and leave comments with your own feedback or suggestions on how I should revise it! 

Note: I apologize that the resolution on these images isn't crystal clear. I spent two days fighting with my computer and this was the best I could manage. If you'd rather read it as a high res PDF, here's a link.

 



 



Alright, still with us? So if I received this story in my inbox, I would probably give it a 7 out of 10 rating, which means it would be guaranteed a second read later down the line. 8's and 9's are my "Almost Definitely Yes" pile and 6's and 7's are my "Right on the Edge" pile. When I circle back to it, I'd spend a lot of time agonizing over whether the pros outweigh the cons. Do I have a clear idea about how to explain the changes I would want made to the writer? Are those changes likely to be welcomed by the writer or will it take their story in a direction they might be unhappy about? How does this story fit with the others I want to accept? Does it have a similar tone/setting/perspective from what I've already accepted or does it fill an obvious gap? Let's imagine that my conclusion is to reject this story. Despite all the notes I've made, this is all that makes it into my rejection letter:


Dear Tahlia,
Thank you for submitting your ​Snow White ​retelling to Timeless Tales. After reading it and carefully considering, we will not be publishing it. However, I really enjoyed your unique premise (Psyche is my favorite Greek myth!). Although your writing style is strong, I felt like your protagonist Vanessa was underdeveloped and the romance was mostly told from Eros' perspective. I wanted to see more of her personality and agency come through.

Best of luck to you finding a home for it elsewhere and thank you so much for sending it our way. We certainly encourage you to submit for our next issue.

Our next theme is still TBD, but we often decide themes by letting our readers vote. To be notified when polls open for our next theme, subscribe to our newsletter via our homepage.​The newsletter will also send you occasional Timeless Tales updates and information about submission window​s​.
Thank you so much!
          ​Tahlia Merrill Kirk
         Editor of Timeless Tales Magazine
         www.timelesstalesmagazine.com


And that's how it's done, folks. Now you know why it takes me fricken' forever to go through my submission pile every issue. The time I'll spend jotting down notes on each submission varies, but this level of detail isn't unheard of when I'm feeling conflicted about a story.

Do you agree with my assessment? Am I being too hard on myself? Not hard enough? Did I miss something? Only time will tell if I end up finding a way to revise this story (I have a few ideas rattling around). Be sure to check the Table of Contents when you read our Snow White issue (coming soon!). Even if I don't, though, I promise the ten pieces we're publishing are all AMAZING and will blow your mind with their twists on this fairy tale.