“Les Funerailles de Blanche Neige” - Sculpture Collaboration

“Les funerailles de Blanche Neige” collaboration by Lacombe & Martinez

This doll is a very special collaboration by Benjamin Lacombe and doll maker Julien Martinez based on Mr. Lacombe's Blanche Neige designs from his beautifully illustrated picture book. It's currently in a gallery showing with other works by Lacombe and other doll collaborations with Mr. Martinez in Paris. Lacombe calls it his most personal work and exhibition to date.

From Mr. Lacombe's blog:

It is called "Memories", like my souvenirs. Memories also served to define the mortuary photographs, the last memories of the dead in the early twentieth century.

In the first room, we can then see about twenty of these pieces there, made expressly for this exhibition, they are shorthand with curtains, bells and even a stained glass window!  In the other room will be made forty illustrations from my recent books (Rossignol, Snow White, The Herbarium of the Fairies and Notre Dame de Paris), as an echo. 

Madame Butterfly collaboration by Lacombe & Martinez

Working on this show helped me understand many things about me, about the origin of certain graphics and thematic obsessions.

You will also find all 5 volumes in collaboration with the great Julian Martinez , one presented together for the first time! It was a lot of work started long time ago. It was better because each of 5 dolls need sixty hours of work!

There's a lot more information on the exhibition HERE, along with the address and contact details for the show. 

You can see many more of Julien Martinez's doll sculptures HERE.

Here's the illustration of Blanche Neige/Snow White in her coffin from the book as comparison. You can see what a beautiful job they've both done for this exhibition. My only wish is that the doll had a lighter background like in the illustration but perhaps it fits better with the tone of the show which seems rather somber and reflective.

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David Petersen Illustrates Muppets & Fairy Tales

Don't you just love Miss Piggy as the Evil Queen? She could definitely take on Regina from OUAT!

I know the Muppet fairy tale comics have been out for a while but I thought the artwork by David Petersen, creator of the award-winning Mouse Guard graphic novels, was worth a revisit. Not only is he a phenomenal illustrator he's been back in "fairy tale news" with his latest project, illustrating some old fairy tale affiliates we recognize and tackling some lesser known tales too.

I am, of course, talking about the new Jim Henson's The Storyteller graphic novel anthology. (And yes, this is on my  fairy tale wishlist too - which, admittedly, is actually a lot longer than the one on Heidi's blog!) Mr. Petersen was the artist behind the lovely cover/promo-poster artwork and he also illustrates The Tinderbox in the anthology (another of my favorite stories!).

Here's an excerpt of what he says about this project, from his BLOG:

I was lucky enough to be asked by the folks at Archaia to do a pinup for their Jim Henson's The Storyteller Anthology Graphic Novel.(This also marks the 3rd Henson property I have been fortunate enough to have done pinup/cover/promotional artwork for Archaia!) The show did a wonderful job of transitioning between the Storyteller character and his dog and the story he was telling. The characters from the tale would appear in the reflections of water in bowls, on the sides of decorative steins, and in the painting over the hearth. I focused much of my attention to a way I thought I could capture that transition idea in a single pinup.

The story I started with was called The Tinderbox by Hans Christian Andersen. The story starts with a soldier who, on the request of a old witch-like woman, climbs down the trunk of a hollow tree to a cavern where three giant dogs guarding piles of treasure dwelled, as well as a magic tinderbox capable of controlling the beasts. I only roughed-in these parts in my sketch and focused more on trying to get the linkess of John Hurt as the Storyteller and his Henson-furred dog. I scanned the sketches from my sketchbook and resized the elements (adjusting how close the Storyteller and his dog are sitting, where they sit in the frame, etc.) I also tinted the pencil work different colors to help me visualize what lines belong to which character or the window.

You can read more about his process and other projects HERE and below is the finished illustration of The Tinderbox that he shows some working steps for in his blog:

I'd love to see a panel with the Storyteller's dog meeting the three dogs with eyes like saucers. :D

I was so excited to pick up Jim Henson's The Storyteller book when it first came out. Although it doesn't approach the charm of the gorgeously puppeteered and animated TV series the collection is worth making a special spot on your bookshelf for. The comics, while having their own challenges in keeping the spirit of the series, once again pick up lesser known tales with a variety of illustrators and writers. While I'm picky about comics (I love the idea and much of the artwork but rarely find them truly readable) I can't wait to add this set (in hardcover if possible!) to my library when I can.

And, as promised, here are some of his beautiful cover pieces for the Muppet Fairy Tale comics:

I love Kermit as Peter Pan! It works really well.

I think this is from the King Arthur ones but it reminded me of Sleeping Beauty so I had to include it. :)

 

 

 

LOTS of info on the Muppet Snow White comic series HERE with behind-the-scenes insights on story and adapting the muppets to the characters and much more. You can also see additional illustrations for King Arthur and Robin Hood HERE and there's an additional illustration with Janice as Lady of the Lake HERE.

Since we're talking Muppets, as a completely silly segue I had to include a couple of the "Muppet Saga" posters recently released.

 

 

LOL! Now this is a version of Twilight I would like to see! :D

Fairy Tale Holiday Viewing Gifts From ABC & NBC

 

 
You should already be aware that ABC is offering free viewing over the holiday break of ALL of the full Once Upon A Time episodes - first to most recent via their website.  

BUT did you also know you can watch FULL EPISODES FOR FREE WITH CAST AND CREATOR COMMENTARIES as well?

(Woo-hoo!)

Not to be left out of the party, NBC has joined the spirit of giving and is also offering free holiday season-to-date catch-up viewings - again, first to most recent - of ALL the full Grimm episodes during the break too.

Yay!

While there are no commentaries per episode for Grimm as for Once (boo-hoo!) BUT there are many video interviews of the cast and behind-the-scenes production, writing and actor preparation for many of the stories that have been available all along, as well as some nice additional fairy tale, creature feature and real life parallel stories info on the site too.

So if you haven't had the chance to explore the site yet, the holiday break is a good time to indulge.

Here are the episode titles for both shows to date:

(If you click on the show title you'll be taken to where you can view the episodes for free during the holiday season/winter break period. If you click on "synopsis per episode" underneath you'll be taken to a longer list for each show, including completed episodes due to air with synopsis for each episode included.)

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Once Upon A Time

(Synopsis per Episode HERE)

Ep 1 - Pilot

 Ep 2 - The Thing You Love Most

Ep 3 - Snow Falls

Ep 4 - The Price of Gold

Ep 5 - That Still Small Voice

Ep 6 - The Shepherd

 

Ep 7 - The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter

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Grimm: 

(Synopsis per Episode HERE)

Ep 1 - Pilot

Ep 2 - Bears Will Be Bears

Ep 3 - Beeware

Ep 4 - Lonelyhearts

Ep 5 - Danse Macabre

Ep 6 - The Three Bad Wolves

Ep 7 - Let Your Hair Down

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

I'm psyched with the opportunity to catch up and do a little closer viewing and analysis of both shows (and oh heck - just enjoy them all again)! I just hope I can get me some time blocks to indulge at least a little before the opportunity passes... (which I'm guessing will be the week that the shows start airing again - Sunday January 8th for Once & Friday January 13th for Grimm).

Happy holiday viewing!

"Lost Girl" Coming to Syfy

There are even more fairy tale based creatures coming to TV but the premise for these ones is quite different to anything we've seen yet, despite that the series has been described as a fairy tale/crime drama.

The name of the series is Lost Girl and it's coming to Syfy in the US on January 16, 2012.

Lost Girl caught my eye when it premiered in Canada with all the surprisingly good reviews it received - as in, the critics were surprised they liked it, as was everyone else. Initially, the series hit my radar because of the urban fantasy connection (a genre I read and write a lot of) but it took very little digging to uncover the fairy tale connection.

Ready for the premise? (Note: If you find yourself rolling your eyes at it, keep reading as I know exactly how you feel!)

Raised by human parents, Bo had no reason to believe she was anything other than the girl next door -- until she "drained" her first boyfriend to death. She then discovers she is one of the Fae, creatures of legend and folklore, who pass as humans while feeding off them in secret, as they have for millennia. Bo herself is a Succubus, a supernatural seductress who feeds off sexual energy. She is faced with choosing an allegiance between the Dark or Light Fae clans. Bo decides to take the middle path between humans and the Fae while embarking on a personal mission to unlock the secrets of her origin, protecting humans along the way.

I must admit, when I first read the premise I rolled my eyes. Despite the fact I read a lot of urban fantasy I'm picky about anything to do with Fae or faeries and anything to do with succubi I tend to gloss over. What made me look twice in this case though, was a girl who was fighting her heritage, not wanting to lose her humanness, even as she learns to use her very non-human powers for good.

While I'm not really interested in Succubi (or Incubi) I am fascinated by Rusalki, fox women and La Belle Dame Sans Merci, something which, from the extended descriptions, this character has a lot in common with. But there's even more fairy tale connection than that. You can already tell Lost Girl has a lot of "dark fae" in the mythology/world so we can expect lots of mythological creatures (expect sirens, wolf-people and banshees among others) but there's also Morrigan ('The" Morrigan, if I understand correctly) who is described as the leader of the Dark Fae, while Baba Yaga makes an appearance in a second season episode title Mirror, Mirror. This episode is described as not only being quite true to the fairy tale character of Baba Yaga but also has different fairy tale elements to it (eg Snow White, Hansel & Gretel) as well. If you want more details, but with spoilers, you can read this blog entry HERE.

The folklore creature aspect is going to be a lot of fun. They even have a glossary ready to go (A-Z!) with this description:

The Fae represent the reality behind many of the myths and the folklore of global cultures including Irish, Native American, African and Chinese. Read on to discover a lineup of legendary creatures you'll be meeting during Bo's adventures in the world of the Fae.

Click to read the "FaeQ" HERE. (Seriously - don't you want to give the series a chance just because of this? FAQ/FAeQ - heh.)

I have a feeling the creators were trying to tap into the vampire trend (as you may be able to tell from the Showcase promo posters - sheesh!) and catch some of those viewers and fans but it turns out they were also tapping into the current fairy tale zeitgeist (gotta love that word!) that is all the rage at present. It's likely to interest fans of Buffy, Angel & Underworld with the paranormal PI angle too.

The first two seasons have already aired in Canada, garnering excellent reviews and a solid fan base and should make a good fit for US viewers whose current post-vampire-shifting-to-reworked/darker-fairy-tales focus is still building momentum.

I'm hoping it lives up to the reviews and delivers a layered urban fantasy rich with folklore and fae that isn't cheesy. I guess we'll find out in January!

You can read more info on the series and the characters (with pictures) HERE  and the Syfy home page for Lost Girl is HERE.

Article: Making Fairy Tales Realistic With Fables Creator Bill WIllingham

Fables Issue 1 Cover

"All of the folklore and fairy tale characters from the stories you know so well, Cinderella, Prince Charming, Snow White, the Big Bad Wolf...are still alive today, living in our world, after having been chased out of their own very magical worlds by the vast armies of a wicked conqueror known only to them as The Adversary," explains series author Bill Willingham of the initial premise. "Now, these refugees have banded together in an underground community in New York City."

 Since I've just posted on Bill Willingham's Fables  - the premise of which I've included above in the creator's own words - I thought it'd be interesting to look back on his approach to fairy tales and how he adds his own dose of realism (before Once or Grimm appeared).

This article is from io9.com in June this year to coincide with the release of the anthology Happily Ever After which Mr. Willingham wrote the introduction to, and has a lot to say on Mr. Willingham's thoughts about fairy tales and about writing based on them.

K: Why do you feel that fairy tales continue to be popular through the years?

  W: One, because they belong to everyone, and not just everyone in terms of group or national ownership, which is a silly notion, but every single individual who wants to do something with them, or simply read along, or watch along, as someone else does something new and wonderful with the material.

Two, because fairytales are powerful...

(you can continue reading HERE).

I like that Mr. Willigham has a self-imposed rule on how he uses tales too, to keep a solid grounding:

...The original tale of each character I use happened just the way the old tale states it. Then I work on what's happened since then, and how I can justify the changes I make in the character, in reasonable story terms. Now there is some wiggle room there, since many of these old stories have multiple versions, and so I can pick the version that works best for my plans, and still remain true to the governing rule.

 Check the images below for a quick summary of how the Fables story started (or at least where Bill Willingham starts writing his version of the characters).

 You can read the whole article on how Mr. Willingham writes reality into fairy tales, as well as a little more on the anthology HERE.

Between the Pages: Video Discussion on Fairy Tale TV, Movies & Fables

With all the recent fascination in fairy tales being updated and twisted, Bill Willingham's Fables have come up in discussion since day one of the Once & Grimm TV premieres, the concern being that his long popular idea has been "ripped off" (with special finger pointing at the Once Upon A Time producers).

Bill Willingham himself met with the Once Upon A Time producers to sort out any misunderstandings (a meeting which went very well) and has assured fans in a self-interview/essay that there is no "rip off" in progress but instead more of a "fairy tales in the zeitgeist" situation. You can read all about it in this article HERE from earlier in the month which has the "self-interview" and a more recent one HERE in which the Once creators are interviewed on their view of the meeting (this is the one The SurLaLune Blog linked to this week).

I have to post an excerpt because no matter what gripes and niggles I have about anything based on fairy tales, this is my main feeling too. Mr. Willingham asked himself this (and I'm posting the "general" answer part, though he gets more specific in the article):

"Do you like (the ABC series) Once?" 

I like anything that raises the awareness of fairy tales and folklore as the raw stuff from which some of our best stories are being told today. The mercenary part of me hopes that every single fan of "Once" will also check out "Fables." Remember, stories aren't automatically in competition with each other. If I like Batman, it doesn't mean I have to dislike Captain America. I'd hate for "Fables" to be the only fairy tale-based story out there. If that were the case, I'd have nothing to read or watch for pleasure in this genre I love. I want more of what I want. Snacks are nice, but a feast is better.

Not all fans are so accepting of this trend though, particularly comic book enthusiasts, despite Mr. Willingham's plea to fans to back-off with the accusations:

As grateful as I am to discover so many loyal Fables readers, willing to man the barricades, to help protect a story they love; as much as it moves me to realize I’ve been part in creating something that clearly moves you, affecting your lives in ways only a good story, well-told can, I think it’s time to lay off.

Some of the fan responses haven't been nice at all, calling Mr. Willingham a "coward" (among other things!) but I think it's clear that despite it all, Fables is very likely to attract a whole new slew of fans because of Once. (Maybe that's the fan-plan after all. :D ) As far as I can tell Mr. Willingham hasn't responded to these comments and personally, I don't think he should have to. I think he said it all incredibly well in his interview/essay.

This leads me up to today's actual post topic (apparently I had more preamble in me than planned!) which is a new web show called "Between the Pages". It discusses issues going on in the comic book world with a guest and right now, fairy tales are the hot topic. This week they discuss everything from comics to TV series to the variety of movies coming out based on fairy tales. Take a look:



What do you think? Do you agree with their assessments for the TV series? How about their movie success (or lack of) predictions?

While we're on the topic of comparisons, I thought I'd throw this is in for some extra fun. Here is a "pre-Once" article from October which pits Disney characters against their Fables counterparts to see who wins. Here's the idea:

The idea of fairytale characters exiled into the real world appeals to readers because of their familiarity with the characters -- or at least the kid-friendly version from Disney. But how would the Vertigo revamps stack up against their all-ages counterparts? We've asked Invincible Super-Blogger Chris Sims to put some of our favorite Fables against their Disney counterparts for a head-to-head comparison to find out!

It's a recommended read and should leave you smiling. :) Check it out HERE.