"The Curse of Maleficent" by Elizabeth Rudnick (Illustrations by Nicholas Kole)

The Curse of Maleficent by Nicholas Kole

The release of Disney's Maleficent is looming and we're starting to see pre-orders of various products available, including a novelization of the movie (also by Disney publishing veteran Elizabeth Rudnick) and a YA tie-in.

The YA version, however, is extra special. It has unique illustrations by Nicholas Kole throughout and a seriously beautiful cover. The image above (click to see the huge, desktop-worthy size) is the wrap-around version of the artwork (minus any text etc) and is stunning. It looks similar to Corey Godney's work, which equals a good thing in my book!

Here's the blurb:

Mr. Kole with his & Ms. Rudnick's book

Aurora has always enjoyed her simple life. She loves to explore the beautiful woods surrounding her quaint cottage. She even likes living with her bumbling yet well-meaning aunts. But when Aurora discovers a dark secret about her past, her whole world turns upside down. Will she be able to save herself from an imminent curse?  

This beautiful novel filled with whimsical illustrations tells Aurora's story in the upcoming Disney film, Maleficent.

From Mr. Kole's deviantArt page:

This is the unadorned full cover art for a book I just finished illustrating for Disney: The Curse of Maleficent, a tie-in YA novel for the upcoming movie! The book is up for pre-order on Amazon, and will be out at the end of the month. The final hardcover has 25 full-color interior illustrations that I'll be sharing some of as well.

Just gone live, you can now pre-order the book through Amazon HERE.

Advertising: Waking Sleeping Beauty.. With Coffee

If you were in any doubt, Sleeping Beauty is definitely gearing up to be the fairy tale du jour (after The Wizard of Oz). We have more books coming out (some Disney, some not, some novels, some art books... I want them all..! Ahem), clothing lines, parodies and advertising. The only thing I'm surprised at is that I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty in Oz... (but talk about potential: poppy field, RED poppies..! But I digress..)

Sleeping Beauty has been used to good effect for advertising a lot in the past, of course, but this new commercial, released a couple of days ago in Australia, is beautifully shot and gives a sense of an ordinary-people fairy tale without overdoing it. (Ok, so maybe everyone is a little TOO good looking, but you know what I mean.)

M&C Saatchi Executive Creative Director Ben Welsh (of Moccona Coffee Australia) said, “It's great to do some good old fashioned story telling, particularly when you can capture the authenticity of character and place like this. Thank you Rena (the marketing director in charge of the campaign). (Source)

The marketing campaign took on some romantic research before going down this path: apparently the simple-but-thoughtful (and unselfish) gestures are waaaay more romantic than flowers, shoes, chocolate or even diamonds... so this commercial sets out to make that point.

A nice touch? The whole commercial was shot in Rome to show Moccona's European heritage, although research helped make that choice too. (You can read about that HERE.)

There's a 30 second and a 45 second TV spot as well as a full 60 second once for theaters. Here's the 45 second one, which I'm choosing over the 1 minute version, since it seems clearer in the storytelling. (You can see the full minute version HERE.)

Take a look:

I concur with this mentality. (Besides, if you try to kiss me while I'm really asleep, you're likely to inadvertently get a black eye. Just FYI.)

Now if only people wouldn't try to talk to me until I'd actually drunk my first cup... ;)

L is for Little Mermaid... (Pensuasion's A-Z Fairy Tale series)

Continuing the A-Z fairy tale theme daily blogging challenge, S.L. Hennessy of Pensuasion brings us a little meditation on Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid today.

If you're catching up, start HERE for my introduction, then go by Pensuasion to catch up where you can continue reading "L is for Little Mermaid" HERE. And if you do, let her know you stopped by.

"Maleficent" Limited Edition Collection by Hot Topic & Disney - Online Pre-sale Starts TOMORROW (get it while it's hot)

SPECIAL ONLINE PRE-SALE BEGINS TOMORROW!
APRIL 15, 2014 AT HOTTOPIC.COM
(Not in stores until May 13th)

You have to admit - the match is pretty much perfect: Disney + Hot Topic for Maleficent? Total WIN. Hot Topic has a tradition of helping us show our darker side (without freaking out the neighborhood) and this collection does that, with an extra edge. Tell me you can't see a young, modern Maleficent wearing these...

Without further ado, here's the collection and official press release (please click on images, including theLook book spreads, to see them full size):

HOT TOPIC INTRODUCES FASHION COLLECTION INSPIRED BY DISNEY’S “MALEFICENT” 

Hot Topic has unveiled a limited-edition collection of apparel inspired by Disney’s “Maleficent.” The collection will be available exclusively at Hot Topic stores and online starting in May, with a pre-sale beginning on HOTTOPIC.COM April 15.  

The “Maleficent” fashion collection is inspired by the feature film, which is the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty.” The film, in theaters on May 30, reveals the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart and drove her to curse the baby, Aurora, only to later realize that the child may hold the key to peace in the land. The collection is dark and mysterious like Maleficent herself.  

“There is so much we instantly loved about ‘Maleficent’ – the complex story behind this beloved villain, the breathtaking scenery and the striking costumes,” said Cindy Levitt, SVP, Merchandising and Marketing at Hot Topic. “We just knew we had to design a dark and edgy collection – because it’s exactly the kind of fashion our customers love.”  

The “Maleficent” fashion collection includes nine pieces. Seven are black, designed in striking fashion silhouettes, and feature distinctive details, including faux leather accents, lace trim, skull hardware and a Maleficent charm. The collection also includes two Aurora-inspired pieces.

                      

 Corset Hi-lo dress: $ 52.50 

                      

 Hi-lo Waistcoat: $44.50 

 High-Collar Dress: $54.50

(Note: Collar can be worn up or down.)

 Button-Front Coat Dress: $54.50 

(Note: wear as a dress or Summer coat)

 Corset Top: $46.50 

(Note: Zippered front)

 Asymmetrical Crow Feather Top: $32.50 

                     

 Wing Hooded Cape: $49.50 

                     
                            Pink Aurora Lace Top: $29.50        White Aurora Bell-Sleeved Dress: $49.50

In addition to this fashion collection, Hot Topic will offer a wide range of new and classic Maleficent apparel and accessories, including tees, dresses, jewelry and more. 

And now that you've seen the lovely official pics, here are some of mine (please excuse the lack of pro-quality!):

       

 

I asked specifically and yes, any leather details are faux leather and the collection overall is eco-friendly as best the designers and marketing team could confirm; none of Maleficent's creature friends, (or foes), were harmed in the making of this collection, to the best of their knowledge. That equals an extra thumbs up from me and should earn some fae approval as well.

I have an on-the-spot-with-camera-phone video interview that SVP of Merchandising and Marketing, Cindy Levitt, kindly granted me to share with you, however, I'm having serious upload difficulties at present! In the interest of timeliness for the pre-sale, I'm going to work on that later tonight (hopefully) and set this post live without it for now. (Wish me luck!)

After the official interview about the collection (and once we both relaxed with the camera off), we got to talking about different fairy tales, their allure and staying power, even as we grow older, and why such old stories still seem important. This was probably one of the best things about the preview for me. My impression was that talking this way about fairy tales, backed up the mentality the designers used to approach the Maleficent fashion designs. Essentially, they aimed to tap into that feeling and power that the character of Maleficent evokes and people are so drawn to, and still make it relevant to their customers today. It looks to me like they succeeded. It's one of the reasons I'm so happy to take time to share the collection with you, as it truly is a manifestation of people thinking about how fairy tales affect people, then designing something to add to the experience in their daily lives (that people will be more than happy to pay for). 

My sincere thanks to Ms. Levitt, Dara Meas and the team at Hot Topic and Disney for inviting me to the preview. I'm looking forward to seeing where this new way of working takes the Hot Topic/Disney collaboration!

"Maleficent" Limited Edition Collection from Hot Topic & Disney, Special OUAB Preview!

Tomorrow is the online pre-sale launch of the limited edition Maleficent collection from Disney and Hot Topic. Two things surprised me: how gorgeous it looked with elegant lines and serious attention to all the small details (it's really made made) and yet it was still relatively affordable!

The images posted here are a "pre-preview" of the collection which I will be sharing all of the lovely images from later today.

I've been given the opportunity to let my readers know early so you guys can get in and order before they sell out (because they almost certainly well, and with the buzz it's generating, if any of the collection make it to stores, they won't be there long).

HOT TOPIC INTRODUCES FASHION COLLECTION INSPIRED BY DISNEY’S “MALEFICENT” 

Hot Topic has unveiled a limited-edition collection of apparel inspired by Disney’s “Maleficent.” The collection will be available exclusively at Hot Topic stores and online starting in May, with a pre-sale beginning on HOTTOPIC.COM April 15.  

The “Maleficent” fashion collection is inspired by the feature film, which is the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty.” The film, in theaters on May 30, reveals the events that hardened Maleficent’s heart and drove her to curse the baby, Aurora, only to later realize that the child may hold the key to peace in the land. The collection is dark and mysterious like Maleficent herself. 

You remember I had an interview with the design team on Friday (and showed you the horns they gave me afterward)? I'll be posting that video later today so you can hear us chat about the collection and a little about fairy tales too.

Stay tuned folks: I'll be posting a lot of eye candy in just a few hours...

Aaaand here's the OUABlog OUAT Forum (Just in Time to Discuss Last Night's Episode)

Next up on the Once Upon A Blog Forums for fairy tale folk: the OUABlog OUAT forum! (Heh.)

If you haven't been following recently, as you can see from the banner above, the Wicked Witch of the West has taken over the second half of this season and, at this point, we're kind of grateful she did. Overall, the Oz factor is a plus.

Since I wasn't on such a huge learning curve this time around in creating a forum, I took a little extra time to start off some topic threads and pose some questions, getting ready for you all to talk about Sunday night's episode "Bleeding Through".

I know it's always hard to be first on the scene but we'd love to see what you have to say. I know there are a ton of OUAT fans among my readers and now's a chance to show your love, share your wishes and express your "if only!" bugaboos.

Here's the link: OUABlog OUAT Forum and you should see a OUAT Forum tab at the top of the page, under the header, that you can access any time. 

And here's what it looks like at time of writing... again with some extra text and arrows to show you around.

What are you waiting for?

Let's chat!

Pensuasion Takes on Fairy Tales for the A to Z Blogging Challenge (Which Means More Daily Fairy Tale Fodder For Us!)

S.L. Hennessy, writer of the informative, encouraging and entertaining writing blog Pensuasion is writing about fairy tales every day for 26 days. It's a daily blogging challenge she's taken on, in which the blogger chooses their own theme to post on and, lucky for us, she chose fairy tales. I really enjoy her writing. She obviously enjoys the tales and researches and writes enough to inform without overwhelming but also enough to give her unique perspective on the tales for those of us already in the know. It's been a lovely daily check-in point and she's very kindly given me permission to repost a preview/teaser of her writing every day remaining during the challenge. Thank you Ms. Hennessy (and yay for us)!

So first, let me catch you up, since I didn't find her until day 'H' and it's now day 'K'... I'm posting her ABC's with a screen cap 'teaser' so you can get a taste. Each ABC title links to her original post for that letter/entry so you can keep reading.

A is for AUTHORS.

(A for Hans Christian Andersen, B for Brothers Grimm and C for Charles Perrault...)

B is for BEAUTY and the BEAST.

C is for CINDERELLA.

D is for DISNEY.

E is for ENCHANTED.

F is for FABLES.

G is for GRIMM.

H is for HANSEL and GRETEL.

I is for ICE MAIDEN.

J is for JACK and the GIANTS.

and today (actually yesterday, Saturday)...

K is for KINGDOMS.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing where she goes with her fairy tale alphabet. Click on the mini-bio below to find out more about this writer and check out her blog.

And now I feel like I should make an A-Z fairy tale list of my own...

Welcome to the Debut of OUABlog Fairy Tale Forums (Don't worry the OUAT one is coming...) Let's Chat!

Since I had such a good response (especially via email) to the idea of a chat room/forum for TV series and more that...

Ta da!

Welcome to the launch of Once Upon A Blog Forums for fairy tale folk.

First up is a fan and viewer forum for NBC's GRIMM, fairy tale community edition, but I'll be adding a forum for each of the major active series or movie sensations of the season as we go along. (In the list so far: OUAT, Maleficent movie, Cinderella movie, Into The Woods movie... Ever After High?? General Forum for Fairy Tale Films?? Suggestions welcome.)

There's a bunch of topics set-up to get you going and all are welcome to join in. Active and lively discussion is encouraged! I only ask that you use common sense and courtesy in posting (additional guidelines are posted below the forum box but they're about the same as every other forum you've seen - no surprises).

Here's the link >>>> OUABlog GRIMM Forum and you should see a GRIMM Forum tab at the top of the page, under the header, that you can access any time.

And here's what it looks like in it's brand new baby forum... with some extra text and arrows to show you around.

To answer your question, yes I will be participating in discussions fairly regularly. I have a lot I'd love to discuss that I don't feel is appropriate to be creating whole posts on, so please, come, join in, chat with me and let me know your thoughts! We have a lot to talk about. *claps hands - can't wait!*

See you on the forums!

Shh! It's A Maleficent Collection Sneak Peek! (OUAB Gets A Hot Topic/Disney Collaboration Preview)

Yes, I have new horns!*

They are from the lovely people at Hot Topic who I had the privilege of spending time with today (Friday, April 11), previewing their new, limited edition, fashion collection collaboration with Disney, inspired by, you guessed it, Maleficent.

Once Upon A Blog was also invited to interview the design team and so, amid props from the movie (that Disney wouldn't let me photograph for all the usual legal reasons, although I am allowed to describe them... so more on those later), I got to talk fairy tales with people who have designed a modern fashion collection that aims to exude an aura of fairy tales with teeth. Boy did they succeed!

The collection is seriously gorgeous - lots of black on black textures with elegant lines and a dark-magic edge, inspired by Maleficent's costumes and props. (There are a couple of light and pretty Aurora-inspired pieces too.) I can't wait to show you - and I will very soon!

I was able to interview one of the design team (using a camera phone) and will be bringing you that video soon, along with lots of lovely collection pics. I got to talk Sleeping Beauty, the popularity of conflicted fairy tale characters and, of course, the upcoming movie, with the Hot Topic team and will share that with you too. (It's been an exciting day!)

I also get to share with you the exclusive online pre-order date, (APRIL 15!! - Mark your calendars!), which happens about three weeks before it goes into stores, and I'm so very glad I can because, honestly, once images start getting around, I don't think there will be much of the limited edition collection left for the stores.

More on this really soon but I just couldn't wait to share a teensy bit. In the meantime, some of the new Maleficent accessories, along with their in-store classic Maleficent casual wear can be found HERE.

Stay tuned!

*Note: I have not been paid for this endorsement. The horns were given to invited guests as a thank you for taking time to consider helping promote the collection on their own terms and came with the press release kit we received on entering. They also had strawberries, other yummy-looking fruit and iced lemon water but pictures of those aren't nearly as exciting.

"Frozen" (Sub)Fandoms Transform Elsa Into The New "Girl On Fire"

Fan made poster by nickart

Note: Yes, I was going to include this in my list of back-up articles but realized I'd referred to this in my previous post on Frozen and thought it deserved it's own slot, considering the amount of information and the linkage I wanted to include. As such, though, the first line links to the main article that has a really nice summary of the meme and it's popularity.

Frozen fan art and sequel speculation leads to trend of portraying Elsa as a fiery or Phoenix-like queen and the new 'Girl On Fire'.

It was inevitable that someone would head down this path but it's proven to be a "hotter trend' (groan) than expected. 

I'm sure the popularity of Katniss in her flame dress (from Hunger Games/ Catching Fire) and Daenerys, Mother of Dragons (from Game of Thrones) have helped the idea along but there's no doubt people just love this idea. 

I like the speculations of the phoenix-like character (who has a lot of similarities to Cinderella if you read them) and the This Could Have Been Frozen POC Tumblr crowd are loving this too, showing ethnic, asian and desert-homed version of Elsa. Some of it is silly and fun. Some of it seriously works.

Over the last few weeks, fans have spontaneously evolved a thriving sub-fandom around an alternate universe (AU) version of Elsa, the tormented snow queen, in which she has the ability to control the element of fire instead of ice. Replacing her austere blue and white color palette for every possible shade of red, the fandom has churned out fanart, song lyrics, GIF sets, and fanfiction devoted to the fiery queen. 

Do a Tumblr search for "Frozen fire" or "Elsa fire" and you'll be amazed at just how much there is on this theme. People have redone Let It Go as Let 'Em Burn, complete with altered animation & animated fire footage... (it's very well done from lyrics to animation but the singing is a bit hard on the ears, so consider yourself warned). There's even a nouveau-style fire queen t-shirt.

I find it really interesting that it's my home country, Australia, that has really cottoned on to this meme. While we do get snow in a few places, many Aussies haven't experienced snow and ice on the sort of scale Frozen shows but we're extremely familiar with sunburn and fire.. 

From a dedicated Aussie Tumblr:

“Mimis are fairy-like beings of Arnhem Land in the folklore of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia.
They are described as having extremely thin and elongated bodies, so thin as to be in danger of breaking in case of a high wind. To avoid this, they usually spend most of their time living in rock crevices. They are said to have taught the Aborigines of Australia how to hunt, prepare kangaroo meat and use fire. They are like humans but they live in a different dimension.”

— also because Mimis. They’re the closest thing this country has to the trolls in Frozen.

I must admit, ever since seeing the amazing animation of the flame-Esmerelda in Hunchback of Notre Dame, I have really loved the idea of a fire elemental or phoenix-like character. 

There's so much potential to play with art on such a theme: lava castles, phoenix birds, dragons, all those scary-but-real fire phenomenons of nature...

Fantasia 2000 did a jaw-dropping job of transforming Mt. St. Helen's into a Firebird but it's not quite the same as a character with a story arc, conflict and various motivations. 

What do you think? Would you like to see a fairy tale fire heroine (or hero)?