Curated by Michael Cuffe of Warholian, the 'Animation Reimagined' exhibition will bring together many animated classic icons - both past and modern-day - "fantastically recreated in new paintings and from new perspectives". While there are more than just fairy tale characters, we're focusing on those that are most closely linked to our favorite subject here. (We've included a list at the end of the post with all the other cartoon characters we've been able to discover - and identify - to date.)
Official poster, featuring a reimagining of Dumbo (artist unknown)
Cuffe has asked all artists to bring a bit of realism into their paintings and works. We will see these animated classics re-imagined in a way we’ve never seen before, from a unique artistic viewpoint.
It's always interesting to see what sort of spin artists will put on animated icons, especially fairy tales. These paintings and sculptures belong in the 'fine art' realm, though at a glance it may be easy to dismiss some of these as 'professional fan art'. They all, however, share the intent to bring some realism - and real-world consideration - to their interpretations of flat cartoons and animated characters. The idea is to take them beyond the realm of the "safe" screen and have them "intrude" on ours, creating a response in the viewer. From the selection we've been able to find scattered around social media corners, the achievement is quite impressive. We hope to see more/better quality images, once the show is opened to the public today (Saturday, April 14, 2018) and the Gallery puts the collection online.
In the meantime, enjoy! (We've included artist's titles, comments, and statements where they were available.)
Alice In Wonderland (2018) - Brianna Angelakis
"Frozen in Time" - Ania Tomicka
“The Young Goddess Artemis” - Richard J Oliver I went to the source of what I believe inspired the character of a well known Disney’s Animation. For a while I’ve been wanting to make a painting based on DIANA (Roman Goddess) or ARTEMIS (Greek Goddess) of Hunting and nature. After some research the similarities between these Goddess’ and the princess character Merida were uncanny so I drew my inspiration from the mythical daughter of Zeus.
"Bibbedi bobbidi boo" (Cinderella) - Anne Angelshaug As a child I adored the story of Cinderella, but rewatching it as an adult it conjured very different thoughts and feelings. Thoughts of abuse, apathy and delusion.... sorry I took it to a dark place, but it just seemed right...
The Little Mermaid - Meredith Marsone "This (is a close-up of) a painting of The Little Mermaid just after the point of her transformation, still underwater, but human now and so in imminent danger in the place she used to call home."
Sleeping Beauty - Sheri DeBow
“Guardian” - Lena Danya The Little Mermaid Meets Marlin and Dory from Finding Nemo
Sometimes Ups Outnumber the Downs - Jessica Dalva "My sculpture based on Disney’s Robin Hood."
"The Strands the Bind" - Stephanie Pui Mun Law (The Fox and the Hound)
There are many more cartoon classics reimagined, of course, these are just the most fairy tale related of those revealed (whether in close-up or as finished pieces). Others include Mickey Mouse, Felix the Cat, Sponge Bob, The Aristocats, Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas, Lady and the Tramp, Frankenweenie, Pink Panther, Coco, Jessica Rabbit, Betty Boop, Toy Story, Gumby, Sailor Moon, Bambi, She-Ra and more.
The exhibition is free to the public and opens today, Saturday April 14, 2018, at The Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco.
Exhibition Dates: April 14–May 4, 2018
Opening Reception: April 14, 2018 6 pm–9 pm
Featuring the artwork of Adam Hunter Caldwell, Alec Huxley, Amanda Banker, Amy Mastrine, Ania Tomicka, Anne Angelshaug, Aunia Kahn, Brianna Angelakis, Carly Janine Mazur, Catherine Moore, Chris Leib, Christina Ridgeway, Daniel J Valadez, David Natale, Glenn Arthur, Hanna Jaeun, Hikari Shimoda, Jacyln Alderete, Jessica Dalva, Joshua Coffy, Julie Filipenko, Kathrin Longhurst, Lee Harvey Roswell, Leegan Koo, Leilani Bustamante, Luke Allsbrook, Marcos LaFarga, Marie Larkin, Marjolein Caljouw, Mark Bryan, Meredith Marsone, Michael Cuffe, Nathalia Suellen, Nick Stathopoulos, Olga Esther, Rachael Bridge, Rachel Silva, Raúl Guerra, Rene Cuvos, Rich Pellegrino, Richard Ahnert, Richard J Oliver, Robert Bowen, Sarah McCloskey, Sheri DeBow, Simona Candini, Stephanie Law, Steve Javiel, Susannah Martin, Susanne Apgar, Sybiline , and Zelyss.
Pixar's latest short, Bao is set to release alongside Incredibles 2 on June 15, 2018. The 8-minute short film (Pixar's longest to date) is written and directed by, Domee Shi, (Pixar's first Female-directed Short Film) and focuses on the ups and downs of the parent-child relationship through the colorful, rich, and tasty lens of the Chinese immigrant community in Canada. The official short film synopsis reads:
An empty-nesting Chinese mom gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life. But she must come to terms with the bittersweet revelation that nothing stays cute and small forever.
In seeing the short preview, we cannot help but be reminded of Momotaro Peach Boy andThumbelina (especially with the "another chance at Motherhood line there), but also Tom Thumb and Kaguya-Hime! The idea of precious little children (as in teeny, thumb-sized, etc) having to grow up and all the difficulties that come with that (especially from the parent's point of view) seem to be echoed here. We're looking forward to the rest!
You can see the 30 second preview below:
In a recent EW interview, director Domee Shi noted, "Often times it felt like my mom would treat me like a precious little dumpling, wanting to make sure I was safe, that I didn’t go out late, all that stuff", Shi tells EW. "I just wanted to create this magical, modern-day fairy tale, kind of like a Chinese Gingerbread Man story. The word ‘bao’ actually means two things in Chinese: Said one way, it means steamed bun. Said another, it means something precious. A treasure.”
Bao will premiere on April 21, 2018 at the Tribeca Film Festival.
I won't forget you. Thank you for the stories, Isao Takahata. (Tribute art by Trungles)
We were very sad to learn of the passing of Animation Master Isao Takahata today (Thursday, April 5, 2018).
May your spirit be free and have peace Takahata-sensei*.
Takahata was best known for his heart wrenching, and beautiful film Grave of the Fireflies, and of course, the Oscar-nominated The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, though many of his other films (eg. My Neighbors the Yamadas**, Only Yesterday, Pom Poko) prove him worthy of the title of Animation Master as well.
Our Fairy Tale News Hound, Gypsy, was introduced to his (and Miyazaki's) work at a very young age without even realizing it, through the TV series Heidi - A Girl of the Alps, while she was in Latin America. Takahata was the director, as well as a storyboard artist for the series. He eventually made a Heidi movie too, though the series holds a dear place to Gypsy as the beginnings of that magic Ghibli touch can be seen even then.
After Heidi and some other early films, Takahata became the co-founder of the beloved Studio Ghibli, always pushing the medium of animation as an art form and defying tradition as a true artist does - something clearly present in Princess Kaguya.
"I want to make sure that we don’t forget the great power of paintings drawn by lines on paper to stir our imaginations and memories." (Isao Takahata 2015)
Takahata also had revolutionary ideas about his Princess Kaguya too, something which we will be eternally grateful for in portraying this complex view of the Japanese princess of legend:
An adaptation of a Japanese folk tale about a mysterious princess discovered in a glowing bamboo tree, the Oscar-nominated film follows the princess as she struggles to free herself from both the demeaning customs of a patriarchal society, and the insatiable men who want to control her.
“I have sought to refrain from projecting onto the young girls who are my main characters any wishful thinking from the male point of view about how women should behave,” Takahata tells us via email. “I also like to put myself in a women’s position as much as I can and think about things. Despite being a man, I love vibrant women, not only to fall in love with, but as friends and human beings.” And Princess Kaguya is certainly a human being. Not only does she cheekily relish the opportunity to set the men vying for her hand in marriage impossible challenges, but she hates the way men talk about her behind her back at her naming ceremony, and her emotions suddenly rush to the surface.
Takahata uses the scrappy visual style to reflect these emotions in a way that wouldn't be possible in a more traditional animated film. “Rather than paintings that declare ‘I am the real thing’,” he says of his choice of style, “I prefer paintings that say ‘As you can see, I am not the real thing, but please use me as a means to imagine or remember in a vivid way the real thing that is behind me’.”
“My intent was to have the viewers be there at the moment when the sketches were being drawn and to have them share in the emotions,” he continues. “I want to make sure that we don't forget the great power of paintings drawn by lines on paper to stir our imaginations and memories.”
(Interview with Takahata by DazedDigital, during promotion for The Academy Awards, 2015)
We know Takahata still had many plans for projects and stories he wished to tell on film and look forward to seeing what those ideas were, when the family feels able to release them. Even without reaching their final form of a finished film, we know there is still wonder to discover, as seen through his eyes and mind. (He told reporters in 2016 he had a few he was working on simultaneously.)
His love of the history, cultures and tales of Japan always came through in his work and he will be sorely missed, not only in his home country, but in the world over.
Takahata reportedly had some heart issues recently, but even with the wealth of his artistry, his many amazing and multi-award winning films, and his work having been recognized globally, his passing is too soon, especially for a storyteller.
He was only 82 and will be greatly missed.
“Why must fireflies die so young?” — Grave of the Fireflies
(Isao Takahata 1935-2018)
*Here we are using the Japanese honorific 'sensei', to denote the respect we have for him as artist, teacher and recognized expert in his field of storytelling and animation filmmaking.
** In Takahata's 1999 film, My Neighbors the Yamadas, the birth of the Yamada’s second child, Nonoko, is rendered as a scene from the classic story of the Princess Kaguya, who was found in a bamboo stalk. Princess Kaguya was released in Japan in 2013.
Glen Keane with his early character drawings of the film's "spunky protagonist"
Note: Karlan Tam's series of paintings for 'The Jade Rabbit of the Moon', shown throughout this post (with credits added below each), are NOT related to the animation project. We're spotlighting them since they give a lovely visual overview of one of the story variations. Enjoy!
Though it's not clear whichversion of the Chinese tale, 'Lady of the Moon', inspired the new film-to-be Over The Moon (to be directed by the well-loved Disney veteran*), there's a good chance there will be a rabbit - or hare - in the story. There are a number of versions of the Lady of the Moon folktale, some of which have the rabbit, with its jade mortar and pestle, as the central character, rather than a colorful detail. The Moon Rabbit, or Jade Hare, legend is widely spread through much of Asia, not just China, and even has a mid-Autumn festival based on it.
From The Jade Rabbit of the Moon series by Karlan Tam
We recommend visiting HERE to check out the variations on the Moon Rabbit. The article has simple, clear summaries with bonus images to give you an overview.
From The Jade Rabbit of the Moon series by Karlan Tam
But back to Glen Keane's new project. The animated film, 'Over The Moon' is described as:
"...a musical adventure feature film about a girl who builds a rocket ship and blasts off to the moon in hopes of meeting a legendary Moon Goddess."
Keane, sounding very enthusiastic about the project, had this to say:
“I am powerfully drawn to characters who believe the impossible is possible. ‘Over the Moon’ has just such a heroine as its centerpiece. The compelling script by Audrey Wells has tremendous heart and humor that called to me and I had to respond. I’m honored to bring this story to life alongside my producer Gennie Rim. We are both looking forward to creating a wonderful film and partnership with Melissa Cobb at Netflix and Peilin Chou at Pearl Studio.”
Keane’s early drawings of the main character, Fei Fei
Pearl Studio looks to be one to keep an eye on. Here are some details from Slashfilm that will interest fairy tale and folklore people too:
The film will be an intriguing first test for Pearl Studio, which is mostly known for its work co-producing Kung Fu Panda 3. The burgeoning studio has yet to produce its own full-length feature, but it has several films planned aside from Over the Moon, including the Yeti-themed Everest and The Monkey King. With the hole left by Studio Ghibli, Pearl Studio is one of the many animation studios tussling for its top spot. And by collaborating with Keane, they’ve just raised their profile significantly.
From The Jade Rabbit of the Moon series by Karlan Tam
“We are thrilled to partner with the brilliant Glen Keane, one of the most creative and visionary directors working in animation, and the team at Pearl Studio on the magical Over the Moon,” said Netflix’s Melissa Cobb. “Full of imagination and adventure, and set against a visually stunning backdrop that only Keane and writer Audrey Wells and their teams could create, we know Over the Moon will fascinate and inspire our Netflix members around the world.”
From The Jade Rabbit of the Moon series by Karlan Tam
From The Jade Rabbit of the Moon series by Karlan Tam
Color us intrigued!
Over The Moon will be released in 2020 theatrically in China and around the world by Netflix.
*Glen Keane is most known for creating the title characters of Disney animated classic films The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Aladdin,Tarzan and Rapunzel in Tangled.
If you're a regular reader of the blog, chances are high you saw posts on this fairy tale-based film, as it was doing the world circuit and winning awards and acclaim. (Rather than repeat most of the information you can find posts HERE and HERE, the second of which specifically discusses sharing this movie with kids.) For those unable to get to a screening/showing, it will be released in the US and Canada on February 20th, 2018. More technical details are available HERE, as well as information on the cast and crew.
It is worth noting that this is not considered an 'adult film' by the creators. In fact, it was made with the intention of having children view it. That doesn't mean audiences in the US and Canada will subscribe to this idea, but it is worth noting from a retelling perspective as well as being created through the lens of a (primarily) non-English-speaking-cultural perspective.
Bonus features include:
The Making of The Girl Without Hands
Interview with Sébastien Laudenbach
Short films by Sébastien Laudenbach
Theatrical trailer
A captivating tale of survival, The Girl Without Hands tells the story of a young woman who is sold to the devil in return for a river of gold. She is so pure of heart that she is able to elude him, but not before losing her hands. So begins her long journey towards the light … but in spite of her resilience and the new protection of a handsome prince’s estate, the devil devises a plan of his own. (Animation World Network)
Here's some lavish praise for the film from various places:
BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL!
A fascinating graphic dream... a work that continues to reinvent itself before our eyes!
-Telerama
EXQUISITE!
A haunting minimalist fairytale for all ages!
-The Hollywood Reporter
MARVELOUS! BEAUTIFUL!
Condenses all of life’s cruelty and sublime grandeur into a striking hand-drawn vision!"
-Le Monde
And here's the trailer again, in case you missed it:
A thought-provoking video was posted this morning on YouTube and we felt it so important, we decided to do a full post, rather than just retweeting. (Video is embedded below.)
This interesting - and wonderful - analysis of the iconic 1950's Cinderella, couldn't have come at a more opportune time. And it might just make you pull out the movie for a re-run too, because, yes, it's that empowering.
By the way - important to note here, is that it mentions that even the Disney Company itself, now considers the Cinderella animated movie as passive, and not the best role-model for girls, with the title character relying on others to be rescued.
Yet, from the video:
But the criticisms (of the film) usually focus on our culture's shared interpretation of Cinderella, not what the character actually says and does in the film.
And yes, ironically, that conversation has been largely influenced by Disney's own marketing!
Critics of the movie probably feel they're espousing girl power by attacking the damaging idea that a happy ending equals a handsome prince. But counterintuitively, the tendency to dismiss Cinderella might actually be a little sexist.
Perhaps there was more thought - possibly even respect - put into the movie than anyone has realized. From this video analysis, it would suggest so, or at least that the fairy tale source variants it drew on had enough substance there to subliminally affect - for the better - how Cinderella was portrayed (credit was given to Perrault as the source, but other variants were looked at during research in early stages of development as well).
KenAnderson - development for Disney's Cinderella (1950)
For the 'timely' context - and why this conversation is important to have right now - (since this post will quickly go to the archive and found later, when the world is, hopefully, different), we are in the midst of a deluge of accusations against many figures in positions of power, citing sexual misconduct, abuse and rape. These allegations are being made by people in the wake of the Weinstein accusations, who have finally felt able to come forward and be heard (though for many this is not the first time they are telling their stories).
As the backlash continues, with people scoffing at the stories, even sometimes attacking those abused, we feel it's important to keep explaining, that reporting abuse, standing up to abuse, is very, very difficult. It's not overstating it to say "silence has equaled survival" for many, many people, on many levels, including physical safety. No one owes anyone their stories - or the details, or names. #metoo It is the first time, the pervasiveness of this abuse is clear and the victims are not being dismissed. So many are coming forward now, precisely because there is safety in numbers, but never underestimate just how hard that is to do. It changes everything and affects not only the individuals but their families too.
Fairy tales are full of women who have been abused and people are drawn to different tales, not only because they sometimes see themselves in those characters, but also because they find hope in those stories too. The recent Disney/Branagh live-action action Cinderella, though not perfect, took care to more clearly show feminine strength at work in an abusive situation, making people take a second look at the Cinderella fairy tale, as well as the classic animated film it was based on, and garnering an appreciation for it that has been largely lacking for the past few generations.
This awesome video analysis that highlights the strength of that 1950's Cinderella, is wonderful to watch - clear, beautiful and explaining the points with clips. It's a little longer than your usual internet clips, at 13-ish minutes, but highly recommended (you won't be bored).
There are two specific sections for which we have taken the time to transcribe the narrative so that the observations/ interpretation won't be lost, should the video link ever not work.
The first excerpt, analysing the Fairy Godmother appearing, is new to us with regard to the Disney Cinderella movies (both of them), though in some of the Cinderella variants from around the world, this manifestation of the Fairy Godmother as Cinderella's 'wish', that is, a maternal figure of help and guidance, is more clear. Although we don't believe this was the intent of the filmmakers to show this (based on our longtime research, though, to be clear, we are not experts on the making of this film) it makes a wonderful sense and feels like one of those wonderful subconscious ideas that were included. Perrault, who was the writer to first include the fairy godmother, does not appear to have added the magical figure for this intention, but we are rather tickled that, using this interpretation, Disney's version is the one that links this idea back to many other versions of Cinderella.
We also love that this is another example of amplifying the potential of things - that transformation (of things and people) is possible because of what already existed.
Cinderella's inner strength and tireless imagination manifest physically as the Fairy Godmother. It's when she believes she's hit rock bottom that her Fairy Godmother materializes, and the reprise of "A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes" tells us that she is the embodiment of Cinderella's dreaming or her heart's wish. When she needs it most, Cinderella has willed a loving maternal figure into existence. Since she has no real family, the fairy represents her determination to mother herself.
The Fairy Godmother's magic work through imagination, creativity, and resourcefulness -- all qualities that Cinderella relies on for her survival, as that represent her true powers. Each magical transformation finds hidden potential in what Cinderella already has. A pumpkin becomes the carriage, the mice become horses, and Cinderella's horse, who assumes he'll pull the carriage, becomes the coachman.
Gus's transformation especially symbolizes how imagination can help us overcome our oppressors. When he's transformed into a horse, he's finally able to escape Lucifer's clutches.
This second transcription, looking at Bruno, the dog, being paralleled with Cinderella isn't a new thought, so much as it possibly the most succinct example we've ever heard of a victim juggling the ever-present issues of needing to sometimes to be passive for the purpose of survival, versus taking action.
Cinderella demonstrates that real kindness is active, not passive. Rescuing her friends in this oppressive household is brave and heroic... When Gus gets stuck in a mousetrap, we see that Cinderella is quick to help those who can't help themselves. And she's spirited -- she doesn't hesitate to tease her friends -- or stand up for herself in her interactions with Lucifer. These interactions are important to show us that Cinderella's not a pushover. She knows when she's being treated unfairly, and, when she can object, she does. But there's a distinction between this and someone who represents a truly grave threat to her safety. When Cinderella tells Bruno to stop dreaming of chasing Lucifer, it's because disobeying Lady Tremaine's orders could result in losing his home. She knows that Bruno's situation could become parallel to her own, and she's been forced to value practicality over justice in order to survive. Near the end we see a return to this parallel between Cinderella and Bruno. At this critical moment, Cinderella decides that Bruno should disobey orders, despite the dangers, because they have a real opportunity to escape.
To be able to recognize that moment, and then act, is strong indeed.
Artist unknown - created for Disney's Cinderella (1950)
Note: (Emphasis in bold on transcripts added by us.)
