A Raw Icelandic "Beast" with Much Beauty

"Once upon a time, there was a hero, although she didn't know it yet. Her name was Bell. And she was destined to confront a Beast..."

There's a new film in the making which promises a very different take on Beauty and the Beast, journeying back to the fairy tale's roots and delving into the Mythic, in a way we haven't yet seen. It's titled, simply, Beast, but the movie promises to be anything but simple.

The Icelandic setting and all-Icelandic cast, along with "The Mountain", (aka Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson) from HBO's Game Of Thrones, ratchet the epic factor up more than a few notches, as does the edginess of the Viking-esque time period of 'the year 800'. 

This is Bell is on a feminine hero's journey, one which would give Theseus a run for his money, so it's no coincidence that the mythic story of one of Theseus' great challenges, defeating the Minotaur at the center of the labyrinth, was a foundation for this movie.

Director Max Gold says:

"When Beast is released, fans can expect to see a darker, Icelandic take on the fairy tale that they’ve come to know and love--told from a feminine perspective.  

"A masculine hero’s journey usually involves the hero leaving home then conquering and/or killing his way through a series of obstacles. But a feminine hero’s journey happens in a different style. For example, Scheherazade tells stories to save her own life. Persephone empathizes with her captor in the underworld to earn some time above ground. The Theseus/Minotaur myth (lots of similarities to Beast) is actually also a more feminine version of the hero’s journey even though Theseus is male. For example, Theseus leverages his enemy’s size and strength to his own advantage. Or when facing Medusa, Theseus literally “reflects” in his shield to find her whereabouts. These are feminine means, which makes sense because Theseus’s father is Poseidon, god of the sea.  

"There’s this new buzz phrase, “strong female protagonist.” Most of the time “strong” just means “put a weapon in the female protagonist’s hand.” That does not make a strong female protagonist, it just makes a female protagonist who carries a weapon. In Beast, the story is told from Bell’s perspective and she uses her own courage and cunning to find her way. She is a deeply flawed character but is also willful. You will find out whether her strong will is enough when she comes face to face with her darker side. And yes, at some point she does also wield a badass sword!"

Apart from showcasing a selection of beautiful visuals here, the best way I could think to introduce you to the film is via a couple of their development films. First "Princess" Bell then Bell the Hero. If you don't have time to watch any of the videos, I still strongly suggest you take a look at the last 30 seconds or so of Bell the Hero (at the 1min35sec mark). It's amazing.Take a look:

While the film is definitely a "darker take" on the Beauty and the Beast tale, it's clear from corresponding with Max Gold, and getting peeks behind the scenes here and there, that every scene, including the bloodier ones, are all there with a purpose.

"Violence is a necessary part of a fairy tale; it always points to the death of potential consciousness that befalls those who don't pay attention. Our Beast is a hoard of energy that saps the land and causes the famine. Without this as an antagonist, the stakes of Bell's journey would be inauthentic.

“Bell’s psychological journey inward is as much a focus as her harrowing quest through the Icelandic wilderness. Bell is fleeing a brutal past; she is contending with a lot of inner demons. She is a deeply flawed character and we don’t shy away from putting those flaws up on screen, but she is also extremely willful. Her will and courage ultimately carry her through.”

From references of The Poetic Edda and Icelandic Sagas, along with nods to Jung and David L. Hart's "The Water of Life: Spiritual Renewal in the Fairy Tale" and labyrinthian metaphors, both with regard to the inner psyche and the forbidding Icelandic wildlands, this Beauty and the Beast retelling has some serious foundation to build it's story on. The attention to storytelling detail is also clear in every frame with both beautiful photography and specific framing that tells a story of its own (a quick look at the embedded videos will have you amazed that such an icy wasteland can be so very stunning!). 

When you see this it's easy to recognize how important the awareness of the Land is in the movie as well. A sense of story grows out of it, just like it does for the Icelandic people, so it made sense when I learned that Max Gold had more than a passing appreciation for it as well.

"One of the patterns I began to notice in Icelandic folklore was that everything ties back to the land. The evil wizards who turn the sand black, or the elves who come from the lava rocks--all of them emerge from and return to the landscape. They are land spirits, or for the more objective they are anthropomorphisms. Take a drive through Westfjörds and when you come back tell me that you didn’t see faces in the rock staring back at you. There is a deep respect for and connection with the land in Icelandic cultural heritage, something akin to that of the original Americans before the Europeans unfortunately wiped them out.  

"Casting the film entirely Icelandic maintains an integrity of place that bleeds through the screen. Rather than rely on special effects, my visual team emphasizes the stunning landscape to catapult the audience head-on into this magic world. 

"My friend Helga introduced me to the Icelandic landscape painter called Kjarval. Kjarval was responsible for re-introducing the landscape to the Icelandic people by way of his paintings. 
Between Kjarval’s paintings and the folklore, the unique and rustic world inhabited by Beast and Bell comes to life. All of that said: not once did we “use” the landscape. Everyone on my team had a running joke: “the landscape used us.” My friend Max was carrying a 4x4 floppy up a hill and he actually blew away in the wind. Henry had to grab him and pull him back down!" 

This video below is slightly longer at over 3 minutes but you get to see a lot of that 'mythic foundation building' I keep referencing. 

Now that you know the context of the film and have seen an exploration of visuals and scenes, I'd like to add the trailer for you to view too. Just be warned: the trailer begins with some violence, which can be a shock if it's the first thing you're seeing. If any form of violence or gore bothers you, just don't watch the first 11 seconds. The rest is worth watching and at times breathtakingly stunning, I promise. (I do recommend you don't have kids around though - this is not for children.):

I've spent quite a bit of time looking into Beast and am more and more impressed the more I learn. The only trouble is that there isn't a guarantee it will be finished... yet. Despite the formidable talent and crew they have on board, this film is still an Indie project and is relying on crowd funding and support to get the picture done.

I'm not the only one who believes this film promises and excellent standard though. Beast was recently named a Kickstarter "Staff Pick" and they're more than half way to their goal. I'm sort of astonished that the monetary goal is so low, considering how high they have the bar set for production but they've already proven they can do a lot with a little. I'd dearly love to see this film complete and we've got just one week to help them make this possible.

This project will only be funded if at least $20,000 is pledged by Tue, Apr 7 2015 1:36 PM PDT. (As of this posting just over $13,000 has been pledged - only $7,000 to go!)

Being a Kickstarter, there are some really great incentives and rewards for helping out with donations. You can donate as little as a dollar or a few dollars and get some extra promotion yourself, and starting at the $30 mark you can receive a high res copy of the film yourself (isn't that close to what you'd pay for a Blu-ray these days anyway?)

The approach to this film is the sort of storytelling we want to see - exploring tales we love in a new ways with intelligence, reverence and excellence. Please consider joining me in supporting Beast. Even a small amount can make a huge difference.


BEAST: A DARKER RE-IMAGINING OF “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.”
SET ENTIRELY IN ICELAND.
Blind Hummingbird Productions
Beast stars Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, aka THE MOUNTAIN from HBO’s Game of
Thrones alongside a completely Icelandic cast.
Bell is played by newcomer Berta Andrea and Beast is played by Icelandic model Ingi
Hrafn. The film is shot by Cannes-showcased cinematographer, Ed Wu. Production
Designer: Haisu Wang (Steven Spielberg’s THE PACIFIC) Costume Designer: Ella
Reynis (GAME OF THRONES.)
Beast is written and directed by Max Gold, whose previous credits include the Golden
Globe-nominated Arbitrage (2012). Gold’s commercials, short films and video art
installations have received numerous accolades and international festival attention.
Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/maxgold/beast-a-live-action-feature-
film-of-beauty-and-the
Trailer (official site): www.beast-iceland.com
Blind Hummingbird Productions: www.blindhummingbird.com
Twitter: @Beast_movie , @blindhummingbrd
Facebook: facebook.com/BEASTIceland , facebook.com/blindhummingbird

Additional sources: HERE, HERE, & the official website HERE

Australian Fairy Tale Society Inaugural Conference Program 2014 (& a preview of amazing Aussies working in fairy tales!)

The Forbidden Chamber' by Spike Deane (2013)

examines tales like those of Bluebeard and Fitcher's bird

where a terrible secret lies behind a forbidden door.

Here it is folks! The first conference program for the AFTS! You should be able to see why we're so excited about this (and why I dearly wish I could be in Oz for it, but can't) and this is just the beginning. Conference number one, and just for one (packed!) day but this is how we get going - like gangbusters! ;)

Click to enlarge program for easy reading

And more news: the AFTS just became incorporated! (That's a big deal and makes the whole society legitimate and in keeping with governmental guidelines, enabling proper collection, procedures and protection of future work.)

Expect to see a little showcasing of Australians working in and/or with fairy tales in the coming couple of weeks (many of whom you will probably already know). Here's one; a soon-to-be-released book by Australian author Juliet Marillier which will be Book One of the Blackthorn and Grim series, an adult fantasy novel with mystery and fairy tale elements:

At the head of the post is a small preview of some amazing work by Australian glass artist Spike Deane, who's work is inspired by, rooted in and represents fairy tales. I can't wait to show you her work! It's inspiring and unique. Having the impact of seeing images of her work online only makes me wonder how much more powerful these pieces must be in person. Hopefully one day I will be privileged enough to see them.

In the meantime, the AFTS is close to getting the funds they need to get the society off on the right foot and fund the basics of the first conference, but not quite.

They still need to raise just under $500 in only seven days, which may not seem like much to some but will make all the difference to what the AFTS can do in the immediate future, and how steadily they can start their work.

A personal request: If you enjoy this blog, love fairy tales and want to support the preservation of tales, their collection and in encouraging artists of all kinds to continue their work and create with fairy tales, please consider pledging a little. Just a few people contributing the minimum will get us most, if not all, of the way home.

(Don't forget there are rewards available too! Certificates, complimentary AFTS founding memberships [you'll get an official card and everything], limited edition AFTS mugs, fairy tale bookmarks by artist Regan Kubecek, a professional storytelling CD... lots of lovely things!)

Thank you!

And stay tuned for more news on the amazing work

and creativity happening in fairy tales down under, to be posted during the inaugural conference week.

;)

Your Fairy Tale News Hound Is Now A Card Carrying Founding Member of the AFTS!

It's official!

It has been a week teetering on insanity (exactly how many days can one go without sleep?) but I've nearly made it to the end and will be able to bring you daily news again shortly... (after I catch 40 winks!)

Very quickly, an exciting bit of my news that arrived by mail box this week: I am now, officially, a card-carrying founding member of the AFTS (Australian Fairy Tale Society)! *does backflip* *imagines she's doing a backflip while pouring a celebratory glass of wine*

Australia is rich with many (many!) authors who work with fairy tales, fairy tale artists and filmmakers and those using innovative approaches to fairy tale scholarship. You might be surprised how many names you already know, but didn't realize hark from Oz! (I'm aiming to highlight some of these people around the time of the inaugural conference taking place on June 9th.)

The AFTS is brand new and needs support to help get things running, with the intent that their work will not only benefit Australians working in fairy tales, but will also be of use to scholars, students, artists and enthusiasts all over the world.

To this end, AFTS has a crowd-funding campaign with the option to become a founding member at the same time as well (no Australian citizenship required).They (we!) are now a little over half-way funded in the modest goal of $2000. If regular Once Upon A Blog readers donated just the minimum, we'd easily meet the goal and fill the kitty!

Please consider donating to help this important - and much needed - society, start it's daunting work in earnest. Every little bit helps.

Here is a little summary of the AFTS' objectives:

The objectives of the Australian Fairy Tale Society as set out in our extremely new constitution are:  

To investigate, appreciate and perform fairy tales within the Australian context through: 

• Collecting original Australian fairy tales, fairy tale adaptations, interpretations, and criticism, through research within existing collections and in the field. 

• Organising and cataloguing this fairy tale collection meaningfully for maximum accessibility by Australian and international researchers, folklorists, educators and creatives. 

• Analysing this fairy tale collection according to evolving manifestations of Australian cultural identity  

• Communicating this investigation through: interpersonal discussions (conferences and small groups); the publication of written articles; digital resources (websites, social media, teleconferencing)  

• Building a community of interest across Australia, (academics, folklorists, performers) in national and local groups, which can communicate with like-minded communities internationally.  

• Promoting Australian fairy tale retellings in all forms 

• Encouraging the creation of new fairy tale works (literary, visual, musical and performative). 

• Analysing this fairy tale collection according to evolving manifestations of Australian cultural identity  

• Communicating this investigation through: interpersonal discussions (conferences and small groups); the publication of written articles; digital resources (websites, social media, teleconferencing)  

• Building a community of interest across Australia, (academics, folklorists, performers) in national and local groups, which can communicate with like-minded communities internationally.  

• Promoting Australian fairy tale retellings in all forms 

• Encouraging the creation of new fairy tale works (literary, visual, musical and performative).

The status of the crowd-funding campaign on May 22, 2014

Interview With A Leg! I mean "The Leg". (Actually it's the creator of "The Leg", aka Van Jensen, which is still pretty awesome.)

By now you should have heard, from many places, all about this curious-and-awesome Mexican folklore based graphic novel of The Leg: The Remarkable Reappearance of Santa Anna’s Disembodied Limb. 

If you missed my post from a week ago (when a special Kickstarter was launched on Cinco de Mayo to get it printed), you can catch up HERE. If nothing else, be sure to check out the trailer. It is made of awesome! (Folkloric treasure trove!)

Creator and word wrangler, Van Jensen, whom you will know from his amazing three volumes of Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer!, kindly found time to answer a bunch of questions on folktales and more (we even talked spaghetti) and allowed us a closer look into the story and the folklore that's woven through The Leg.

***********************************************************

Hi Van! Thank you so much for agreeing to let us behind the curtain a little and scratch your brain about your latest project. What with Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer! getting a new multi-volume release, a new graphic novel and a Kickstarter that's jumping along in leaps and bounds (huzzah!) among regular work and other projects you have brewing, we know you're a busy man! 

Van Jensen at work

So first of all, your hero is possibly the most unusual hero ever written. How on earth were you inspired to give life to an amputated limb?
This all goes back to a Mexican History class I took as an undergrad, and the professor randomly mentioned the anecdote of Santa Anna losing his leg in the Pastry War and then giving it a full military funeral. Later, the people exhumed the leg to protest Santa Anna. I have no idea why, but that story struck me as fascinating, and I kept thinking about it for years. At some point, it morphed into this question: What if the leg was still alive? What would it do? Where would it be? 

Santa Anna's wooden leg, Illinois

So, this is a true(ish?) legend that you've given additional (zombie-like) life to. I need to know: have you been to Springfield, Illinois to see the real Leg? (And how 'ish" is this LEG-end anyway?)
As far as I know, that fake leg is the real deal. There's been a lot of fascination over the years with Santa Anna's fake leg, especially in Texas given the Alamo connection, and then the King of the Hill episode. I haven't seen the leg in Springfield, but perhaps a road trip is in order! 

So this wasn't just the Van way to get on the zombie train?
It's funny, but I never thought of this as a zombie story. I don't know why, but it just didn't dawn on me. Maybe it was my subconscious! 

What is it about Mexican lore and folklore that fascinates you? 

Starting with that class I took, it was really the realization that, despite the nearness of Mexico, I knew very little of its history. And it has a fascinating, bizarre, violent history, complete with a wealth of folklore and fairy tales. Some of the folklore especially has a lot of European influence, but even then, these familiar stories have a new spin on them. And then there are crazy native legends, like the story of the Witch Wife.  

I worked a lot of that into this book, but there's so much more that I wanted to include but couldn't.  

Your hero has an unusual sidekick (ahem) for a spaghetti Western with a folkloric twist: a little girl named Ana. Can you tell us about her? How did she come to be, why is she so important and why does she get so attached to this leg?
Ana is a young girl who was separated from her parents and is stuck in an orphanage. She believes she's destined for greatness, because her lineage traces back to Santa Anna. But what she doesn't realize is that Santa Anna was famously promiscuous, and so her connection to him is a source of dishonor, if anything. Then she discovers the Leg, and they help each other as they strive to reach Mexico City and save the president from assassins. 

Ana is a voice of innocence, and it is through her that we see the Leg's personality emerge. She humanizes him, allowing him to connect with a literal part of his legacy. There's also a kind of Calvin and Hobbes aspect to their relationship, which was just a lot of fun to write. 

We're told the Leg has to save Mexico; a tall order for anyone, let alone a lone leg with nothing but a boot and a kid to help him! What is the Leg's greatest threat? (Other than centuries of toe cheese?)
Ha! Well, as the story begins, the Leg discovers that there is a plot to kill the president of Mexico, and he takes it upon himself to save the day. Along the way, there are some major threats he'll have to face. But at its core, this is a story of discovery, and the Leg learns that his greatest enemy is himself. Santa Anna was renowned for his ego, and the Leg must overcome that part of himself to win the day. 

The story is full of references to legends and tales and I was continually delighted to discover what you'd woven in, in each chapter. Without wanting to spoil any surprises, can you tell us what have been your favorite folkloric elements that you've woven into the narrative? 
The lost tribe of northwest Mexico were a lot of fun. There's this legend of shape shifters living atop a mountain, and I HAD to include them. There's also some witchcraft, and the details of the spell came from an actual Mexican healing spell I tracked down. 

Are there legends, superstitions, tales or creatures you still wish you'd been able to work into the story? (Do tell!)
Oh, yeah, tons! I actively avoided La Llorona, although it is a really cool story, it's just overly common. The first draft of the script included the Pedro Urdemales trickster character, but I had to cut that to save space. It's a really fun legend though. 

If you could have one aspect of 'Other' from The Leg be real for a whole day, what would it be?
The talking crow would be fun to have hanging around. I always imagined that crows had a lot to say, although maybe I'd regret it. 

Are there any things you included in the way of "folkloric Easter eggs" that readers who know their legends and tales should keep their eyes peeled for? (eg I'm thinking of a particular house-on-one-leg design myself and I noticed an eagle that keeps appearing. Is this a reference to the Mexican fairy tale The Greenish Bird?)
The house-on-a-leg for sure! The eagle is a reference to Santa Anna mostly--that was his nickname. There are some teases throughout as to the identity of the crow, which ultimately is revealed. There are a few other references, especially ones worked in by Jose into the art. One that's kept pretty subtle is the Judas statue, which references a pretty weird piece of Mexican tradition of detonating statues of Judas. 

How did you get yourself in "the Mexican mood" to write this (Art? Music? Tequila? Continuous re-runs of Once Upon A Time in Mexico?) and were their references or resources you kept close?
I'm such a boring writer. I don't listen to music or drink. Pretty much, I just lock myself in a room and get to work. But I did read a lot about Mexican history and folklore. There are a ton of great books, but I remember Judas at the Jockey Club as being one of the best. It's been eight years since I wrote this story, so my memory is a little foggy! 

Fast forward to finding the perfect artist for The Leg in Jose Pimienta: how did you find him and how did you pitch your story? (And how did you decide how far to take the design to make the boot emote without turning it into a version of the Hogwarts Sorting Hat?)
It was at Comic-Con in 2011. A friend introduced us, and Jose was looking for something to draw. I didn't have anything, but then I told him about The Leg on a whim. At that point, I'd given up on ever publishing it because it was so weird. But Jose really perked up, and he told me that he grew up in Mexico, and he wanted to read the script. So I sent it to him, and he responded right away asking to illustrate it. The whole thing seemed kismet, so I readily agreed. 

Jose did an amazing job with the book. It's so incredibly hard to get emotion out of a boot, but he nailed it. I can't say enough about him. He's been a dream to work with, and I'm thrilled to finally share his art with everyone. 

So, let's do a quick check on what people can expect from your graphic novel: 

- Sentient zombie leg?  Check. 

- Ghosts?  Check (we see one in the first chapter, which you can preview HERE) 

- Walking skeletons?  Check. 

- Magic?  Check. 

- WItches/bruja?  Check. 

- Frida references?  And Diego! 

- "Santas"? (Not the belly full of jelly guy, Saints)  Check. 

- Spaghetti?  Yep. 

- How about gunfights?  Lots! 

- Nuns?  Indeed. 

- Puns?  Of course! 

- Chupacabras?  Hmm. Sort of.  

Do you think we'll be seeing more of the world and characters from The Leg in future stories?
There's certainly room to do more with it. Part of that depends on how the Kickstarter campaign does. It's a project that I almost certainly will never make money on, but I do love the book and the characters. And I love working with Jose. If people want to see more, they can help by supporting the Kickstarter and helping spread the word! 

With the graphic novel complete but not yet published, you currently have a Kickstarter campaign to get it printed and into our grubby hands as you and Jose originally envisioned. With 21 days to go (as of May 13) and almost 75% (of $10 000 needed) funded to date, how has it been for you both to see the response?
It's been totally overwhelming. This is an overtly non-commercial book, but the response has been very strong. I think that says a lot about the quality of the art, and that there are readers out there who want intensely weird stuff. Which works for me, because that's what I like to write! 

I was thrilled to hear about the stretch-goal of creating a Spanish-language version of The Leg. Can you tell us more about that (or tease us with some other stretch goal ideas you have bubbling)?
If we hit $15,000, we'll give a free Spanish-language PDF to all backers who pledge at least at the $8 level. We really want to get to that point, so all support in getting the word out helps! Beyond that, we plan to do some upgrades at higher levels, potentially doing a hardcover instead of paperback. And there are some artists who would love to contribute pin-up pages, so that's something that we'll offer. 

Are you up for a rapid-fire word-showdown?Let's do it!

Would you rather: 

Talking animal or a talking object?Animal. 

Flying carpet or broom?Carpet. I'm scared of heights, and a broom doesn't seem very secure! 

Have a corpse bride or bruja wife?Bruja? Yikes. 

Giants or trolls?Giants. 

Face La Llorona or El CuCuy?CuCuy. At least it's pure evil. 

Bet on The Leg or Pinocchio VS in a showdown?Clearly, they would only team up against undead monsters. But if they had to fight, I bet the Leg would kick butt. 

And lastly, because we're dying to know:What are the most creative leg pun/s to date that have tickled your funny bone?
I love ALL leg puns. The more the merrier! Someone the other day asked me if I'd considered calling it "The Leg of Extraordinary Gentlemen." Just delightfully terrible.

Thanks so much Van! We wish you every success and not only hope you meet your initial goal but stretch it far enough to get the Spanish edition made as well!

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Here's the lowdown: You rarely see such a great combination of storytelling and images, let alone one that includes folklore, legend and history. It's also entertaining as heck, not to mention very juicy fodder for folklore and fairy tale people. There aren't many graphic novels that can keep my attention beginning to end in one sitting but I became completely absorbed in reading The Leg. The layout, art and excellent use of words flows very much like an oral storytelling and the story itself is everything it promises to be. Spring boarded from recorded history it has that unique Mexican mix of politics and art, gunslingers and family, religion and superstition all coexisting in a harsh landscape. At the same time, the fact that it's chock-full of Mexican folklore and legend references and tales, and all without seeming cramped, is a complete delight. An excellent introduction to Mexican folklore and more for ages 15(ish)+, via a fantastic (in both senses of the word) story. Apart from the fact that I can't yet put it on a bookshelf (c'mon Kickstarter funders!) I can't think of a reason I wouldn't recommend it.

         Here's who we can blame, er credit, for this strange-awesomeness.

Words: Van Jensen, co-creator of PINOCCHIO, VAMPIRE SLAYER  (Top Shelf Productions) and writer of GREEN LANTERN CORPS and THE FLASH (DC Comics). Van is also an award-winning journalist based in Atlanta. This is his first self-published work. Follow him on Twitter.

Art: Jose Pimienta, a native of Mexico and the co-creator of A FRIENDLY GAME and an artist on several successful Kickstarter-funded comics anthologies. Follow him on Twitter. 

Colors & Letters: Matthew Petz, artist of the webcomic WAR OF THE WOODS and colorist of several comics and graphic novels. Follow him on Twitter. 

Design: J. Chris Campbell, maestro of WIDE AWAKE PRESS.

Please do go check out Van & Jose's KICKSTARTER HERE and consider helping put some fantastic (& fun - and gorgeously illustrated) Mexican folklore into people's hands. 

"The Leg": The New Mexican Folklore Inspired Graphic Novel with A Kick! (& Happy Cinco de Mayo!)

From the brilliant (some might say twisted) mind of Van Jensen, creator of "Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer!", comes:

"The Leg: The Remarkable Reappearance of Santa Anna’s Disembodied Limb"

And, get this, today Mr. Jensen launched a Kickstarter (I know!) to help take this (really wow - seriously, it's amazing) completed graphic novel from a limited-edition-of-one, to print for us all.

You did know there's this thing about disembodied legs in Mexican folklore and legend, right? And this is where the weird fun begins!

Note: Before you go any further I have to warn you: read a little and you are drawn in. At this point, I am totally hooked on this story! (I need more!*headdesk*) Woven in among the colorful and forbidding landscapes of both setting and story, you'll find a sentient disembodied leg, desert shamans, a giant, a wizard, a little girl (named Ana... one 'n'), possibly magical birds, vengeful skeletons, a lot of grit, a lot of humor, a bruja, tales upon tales and so much more...

Once upon a time in Mexico—more specifically, in the 1880s during the Pastry War—President Santa Anna lost his left leg when it was struck by French cannon fire. Santa Anna gave his missing limb a full military funeral (true story!). But when the Mexican people rebelled against Santa Anna (because he did insanely vain things like giving his limb a military funeral) and threw him out of office, protesters exhumed his leg, dragged it through the streets and cast it aside (also a true story!). It hasn’t been seen again…until now! 

Our story is set in 1938, when the Leg has reappeared, clad in a tall leather boot. When the Leg learns of a new threat against Mexico, it embarks on an epic journey across the country, battling with villains both modern and magical in its quest to save the country and redeem Santa Anna’s tarnished legacy. 

Will the Leg succeed in its quest? The answer lies inside THE LEG: The Remarkable Reappearance of Santa Anna's Disembodied Limb.

From Bleeding Cool (because they do a great job of nailing the flavor of this work in just a couple of sentences):

The Leg features the disembodied leg of Santa Anna adventuring through 1930s Mexico. It’s a weird pastiche of fairy tales, Spaghetti Westerns and Mexican history featuring art by Jose Pimienta, who grew up in Mexico.

1938 Mexico, a century after Santa Anna lost his left leg in battle against French invaders. Now, mysteriously, the Leg has returned, and it discovers a new threat against its beloved country. As the Leg ventures across Mexico, it will encounter the strangest elements of Mexican folklore and history, and it will come face to face with its own turbulent legacy. A pastiche of Robert Rodriguez’ Mexico trilogy and the surrealist paintings of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, THE LEG is an intensely original spin on the Spaghetti Western genre.

Launching today on Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that marks Mexico’s military triumph over France, the book is completely completed and money is being raised to cover the print bill.

Here's the Kickstarter video (which is also one of the most pleasing book trailers I have seen in ages):

I was exceptionally pleased to discover that one of the stretch goals for this Kickstarter include a Spanish Language edition of the graphic novel, which I feel is only right, and very important to help make happen.

The story, helped by the beautiful visuals, feels very Mexican with an amazing blend of political strife and grasping for power alongside a stubbornly surviving people, whose common sense and religious beliefs live side by side with their abounding superstitions and (possibly real) legends.

Inspired by random bits of folklore uttered by a professor in a Mexican history class, and ultimately illustrated by acclaimed artist and Mexican native, Jose Pimienta, The Leg shows a deep love of Latino culture, a fascination of the 'Other' and betrays a writer infused by tales and wonder.

Once Upon A Blog will be interviewing Mr. Jensen later this week to find out more about the mind and method behind The Leg, but today is launch day and besides, you need a little Mexico-folkloric in your life on Cinco de Mayo, don't you?

Start by checking out the first chapter - in full glorious color - of The Leg, which you can download directly from HERE then please consider helping the Kickstarter along, because the ultimate question we have to know is: will The Leg save Mexico?

The Australian Fairy Tale Society Awakens After a Hundred Year Sleep!

AFTS logo by Regan Kubecek

The world has a new Fairy Tale Society. In Australia! (Woot!!) *fistpump*

It's called, coincidentally, the Australian Fairy Tale Society. (The temporary online home, until the official launch in June, is HERE.)

Welcome to the world AFTS!

But the creation of this society is really a continuation of work that began one hundred (ish) years ago...

"One hundred years ago (or thereabouts) the eminent folklorist and fairy tale collector Joseph Jacobs might have been Australia’s answer to the Brothers Grimm. Jacobs was born, raised and university educated in Sydney but he moved to England in the late 19th Century to gather and publish fairy tales there. Meanwhile our rich tapestry of tales grew, yet there was no comprehensive endeavour to collect, analyse and preserve Australian fairy tales... until now."

To help make the organization the best possible resource for the collection and preservation of Australia fairy tales and to support current and new work, the new Australian Fairy Tale Society launched a crowd funding project on Monday April 28 to help them get off the ground.

As well as collecting folklore, the AFTS national website* will promote current events, share fairy tale news, inspire new works, and encourage a strong network of fairy tale lovers across the land. The society will hold annual conferences and encourage discussion groups to form across the country. (*To be launched at the conference.)

by Regan Kubecek

With a crowd funding project that launched on Monday April 28, an inaugural conference on Monday 9th June, and a new national website, the Australian Fairy Tale Society (AFTS) has broken the
spell."

But they don't just want your monetary help. They looking to launch an active and ongoing collection of fairy tales in Australia:

Does Grandma tell a bawdy version of Little Red Riding Hood? Did Cinderella make her way into your childhood rhyming games? Know any good Beauty and the Beast jokes? We're searching for Australian fairy tale folklore for our new collection.

Take a look at the video to see more about the new Australian Fairy Tale Society and what they (we!) hope to do with the support of contributors (and, like most crowd-funded projects, there are some great gifts and perks, according to your donation amount - see website for details HERE).

Being a long way from home myself, I am keeping my fingers crossed that there will be a way for supporters afar to participate or spectate but nothing has been confirmed as yet. If this changes and the conference participants (or attendees) jump on Twitter, Skype or Facebook for any panel or presentation (and I get a heads up) I will definitely let you know ASAP so you can plan your live participation with the time differences etc.

Here are some event details confirmed to date (more details on papers & panels below the poster):

• Best selling and award-winning author Kate Forsyth will present her paper 'Rapunzel in the Antipodes' and be on our discussion panel looking at 'Cultural Editing: How some fairy tales get lost in the woods'.
• Sarah Gibson - Jungian analyst, creator of Re-enchantment and the Fairy Tales Re-imagined Symposiums - will address the 'Ways of Interpreting Fairy Tales', with a focus on Australian visual artists.
• Rebecca-Anne Do Rozario, who researches and teaches fairy tale, children's and fantasy literature at Monash University in Melbourne, will break open the definition of fairy tale in her exploration of 'Baroque in Oz: From Giambattista Basile to Shaun Tan'.
• Belinda Calderone, who runs the Monash Fairy Tale Salon and is completing her PhD on motherhood in fairy tales, will present her paper 'Strange Lands: The transportation of European fairy tales into the Australian landscape'.
• Jo Henwood, storyteller and co-founder of the AFTS, will tell 'An Australian Thumbelina' replete with "dingoes, wombats, echidnas and lorikeets" at the June conference.

• 

  Vasilisa Fair by Regan Kubecek

  Jenni Cargill-Strong - storyteller, singer, and founder of The Storytree Company - will share her research on the Little Red Riding Hood tale on our discussion panel looking at 'Cultural Editing: How some fairy tales get lost in the woods'.
• Griffith University Honours student Sophie MacNeill will complete our discussion panel looking at 'Cultural Editing: How some fairy tales get lost in the woods' with her extensive knowledge of Snow White.
• Storyteller and researcher, Tobias Eccles, will look at a common thread weaving through locally collected tales in his paper 'Stealing from the Sky, Stealing from the Underworld: The heroic thief in Australian fairy tales'.
• Danielle Wood, who is working on her second collection of original fairy tales, will present a reading of her latest book 'Mothers Grimm' at the conference.
• Robyn Floyd will be presenting her paper 'Constructing Australian Fantasy from a Grimm Perspective: Olga Ernst' followed by a storytelling performance of one of Olga's stories.

There will also be some fairy tale artists and writers present for panels, meet and greets and signings of their works and books.

If you're not in Australia, but still want to show your support for this new (and huge!) fairy tale endeavor, please feel free to contact the lovely and very friendly duo who got AFTS off the ground, Reilly McCarron and Jo Henwood, either via the AFTS Facebook page HERE or the crowd funder site HERE.

Although I dearly wish I could be there in person, I will most definitely be there in spirit. 

Note: all the art shown is, as credited below the images, by Aussie illustrator Regan Kubecek, who both created the AFTS logo and is the (unofficial at this time) AFTS artist. Ms. Kubecek also recently created a set of fairy tale illustrations which you can see HERE.