Stories for the Season: Fire & Ice

Here's a story that most of you won't know. It's actually a full length 'ice-ballet' devised by world champion skaters Jayne Torvill & Christopher Dean and Australia's most famous contemporary choreographer Graeme Murphy.

It's called "Fire & Ice" and has gorgeous sets, costumes and scenery for both the Fire land and the Ice land (in which most of the story takes place) as well as a lot of inventive and beautiful choreography. While it isn't specifically about Christmas it definitely has that seasonal feel- music included. I don't think it was out of convenience or by coincidence that saw this film originally have a Christmas release.I'm positive I've read fairy tales similar to this (Japanese? Russian?) but time is against me to research this properly. If you know of any tales please do add a comment with the title and/or link.

Here's a story description of "Fire & Ice" from Wikipedia:

Fire and Ice is a full length company piece creating narrative ballet on ice. Set between the Planet of Fire and the Planet of Ice, it tells of a love story between a Prince of Fire and a Princess of Ice. It is a full set piece with visual designs and effects depicting different locations on the two planets and telling the story.

The piece opens with Dean performing actually ballet within the catacombs of the Plant of Fire, while seeing Torvill in the blue flames of their alter. Upon diving in he finds himself upon her planet. He meets her, and after taking some time to adapt to her planet, they fall in love. She gets called away to a Royal Ceremony but she rejoins him later. The following morning they are discovered and a violent attack is carried out on the Fire Prince by her own people. She pleads with her father to have mercy on him but he banishes her from his sight and the Fire Prince is left trapped in a prison of ice. Later the Ice Princess sneaks back to him and melts the ice with all her strength, leaving her close to death. The Fire Prince revives her and they are together once more. Meanwhile the Prince’s own people have witnessed his fate in the flames and have arrived on the Planet of Ice. A war breaks out which ends in the death of both the Prince’s and Princess’s fathers. Devastated and alone, they find each other once more and grieve. As time heals their wounds and their love endures a distant archway appears, touring over the icy mountains. We watch them make their journey towards the arch and finally enter and make their break for freedom and a new life together.

Torvill and Dean devised Fire and Ice in Australia with Graeme Murphy, sold it to LWT (London Weekend Television – part of ITV). It was written by Tom Gutteridge and Carl Davis and rehearsed and filmed in Germany ready for its UK television premier in Christmas 1986.

You can find out more about the production HERE and occasionally DVDs surface like the one below and become available to own (yay!). I gather it's also available on the 'Dancing On Ice' DVD from 2006.Some lovely person put up the whole ice-ballet on YouTube (in 19 very short parts - between 30 seconds and 5 minutes each) and I've made a playlist so you can press "go" and watch them all automatically play in order. Just press play.

Enjoy!

Stories for the Season: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardobe

I know this isn't exactly classed as a fairy tale but the Narnia tales and creatures blended completely with the many fairy tales I read as a child, as I know they did many others, so I feel I can mention C.S. Lewis' Narnia stories here (Yes, I was one of those kids who excitedly- and a little tentatively -checked the back of each new wardrobe I was brave enough to open.)The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is completely centered on Christmas: when Lucy enters Narnia and meets Mr. Tumnus the faun for the first time, he's sneaking around with packages when he really shouldn't be, according to the White Witch's commands (Snow Queen anyone? Complete with sleigh and nasty dwarf). The White Witch has taken over Narnia, plunging the land into a perpetual Winter - without Christmas! The appearance of Santa later in the story is key to showing the tide is turning for good (and he gives awesome presents so the kids can help kick the White Witch's butt!). We're finally able to see Christmas celebrated, hope revive and the season begin to turn to Spring.The recent film from 2005 was/is stunning and makes for uplifting viewing during a holiday season. The book stands alone though and the movie shouldn't take the place of reading the movie - do both!

I found this amazing promotion for a Christmas party after the release - I'll leave you to read it, to see what I mean. (Click to enlarge.)How could you NOT have a good time at such an event?

By the way, Christian Birmingham illustrated a version of the book and is a must-see. As much as I love the movie, I prefer the old illustrations to read with, however this book is an exception to the rule. The link is HERE (I haven't seen this version with the black and white cover, which is lovely. The version linked to is the colored one I've seen in stores.)

Stories for the Season: The Fir Tree

I have a lot of these stories I still want to highlight for you (and it's still not a 'complete' collection by any means) so please forgive me if the rest of these Stories for the Season posts are on the brief side!

The Fir Tree is a Christmas story by Hans Christian Andersen and is unusual in that it's told from the perspective of the discontented fir tree who wishes to become the grandest thing there is (a Christmas tree) and gets his wish - at a price. You can read it HERE.

Just in time for Christmas is a new comic book adaptation of the tale (cover pictured at the head of the post) and it's getting good reviews.

Here's an excerpt from one:

The Fir-Tree is Lilli Carré's sometimes enchanting graphic interpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic Christmas tale.

... This is a fine adaptation of a beloved, abeit bottom shelf Yuletide narrative, but Carré squeezes the drama out ad infinitum. (The ShamWow® guy would be proud.)

... The lesson that the tree learns at the end is slightly cruel and aligns well with Andersen's slightly dark storytelling (the original The Little Mermaid.) Even though the plot is extremely slim, Carré has a masterful grasp of the clear line style and imbues a lovely watercolor palette into the mix.

You can read the whole review HERE.

Illustration for Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales
Jiri Trnka 1959

I want to point out that this tale always brings to mind the "Friends" TV series Christmas episode* where Phoebe is very concerned that all the not-so-great-looking Christmas trees for sale, achieve their 'Christmas destiny'. The scene with the resolution of this plotline is particularly heart-warming. :)

* Season 3 Ep 10 "The One Where Rachel Quits" - available to see in 2 parts on YouTube HERE and HERE

Ashes and Diamonds—Santa, Cinderella & Bert (Article)

I came across this interesting blog entry which looks at the magic of Christmas and uses fairy tale examples to explain the ideas. I think you'll find it interesting.

Here's an excerpt:

Of all the ways that presents and good things might come into one’s life, the chimney would, at first glance, be a bad plan—dirty, likely to be filled with fire, narrow and uninviting. A chimney is where we turn wood into smoke, and what exits by way of the chimney is of the least value to humans—soot, ash and greenhouse gas. Ashes to ashes and dust to dust, the burned down remains of the hearth’s fire would seem to be the end of the road, and yet they mark the scene of a new beginning.

The blogger, Bruce from Privilege of Parenting, then goes on to discuss Cinderella, Bert from Mary Poppins and Rumpelstiltskin and how we often find worth, in things and in people, in the unlikeliest of places, including the ordinary dirt - and dirty faces - of home.

You can read the rest of the article HERE.

Stories for the Season: The Gingerbread Man/Boy/Baby

You wouldn't normally add "The Gingerbread Man" to a list of Christmas fairy tales but at a time when it's customary to build gingerbread houses and eat gingerbread cookies it's a story that easily comes to mind. To top it off, there's one author/illustrator who will confirm that this is, indeed, a story for Christmas. The much-beloved Jan Brett found a way to combine the story with the season in her book "The Gingerbread Baby"*.It's full of snow, Christmas colors and sprinkled throughout with Christmas motifs (these illustrations are packed with details!), though it isn't specifically a Christmas book (I did notice copies of Ms. Brett's book had made it to the 'children's holiday books' stand at the bookstore this year though!). While it essentially remains the traditional story of The Gingerbread Man, Ms. Brett's version has a twist children, in particular, love: the little boy outwits the gingerbread baby (and all the grownups) by baking a gingerbread house and luring the baby into it. The very last page has a flap you lift where you can see the baby safe, happy and snug in his new house, while the rest of his pursuers are left none the wiser, staring at a pile of crumbs in the snow.It's not the story with the excellent warning that the original is, of course, (I do prefer the Gingerbread Man being gulped down in one bite by the fox) but it's a sweet (pardon the pun) twist - especially when the other most current and recurring image of the gingerbread man is the version forever under threat of losing a limb (or head) from the Shrek movies. (Of course, that makes me think of a dark updating/retelling for a Christmas-thriller... but I digress.)Jan Brett was onto something and she knows it. The book is still in print, in hardcover, after ten years and Ms. Brett has catered to her enthusiastic children (and Mama) fans by making a ton of Gingerbread Baby activities available at her website. She was kind enough to put up all the links via her blog at the end of November HERE. There are bookmarks you can print out (shown in this post), cards to print & send, t-shirts to make, gingerbread houses to decorate and, of course, instructions (for paper) and recipes (for baking) for your own gingerbread houses and babies/men.You can get your own copy of the book HERE and there's also a board book available now too.

* The story can be read/told calling the 'gingerbread baby' a 'gingerbread man' too if you prefer.

New Fairy Tales Magazine: Issue 4 Now Live

Issue 4 of New Fairy Tales Magazine is now available HERE for downloading!

(Actually, it's been available for about three weeks now but I'm behind on finishing my draft posts - sorry Claire!)

This issue has a new format (i.e. even more gorgeous than before) and awesome prizes to win in a competition that will help children in need. (More about that in a bit.)

If you don't know about this wonderful online magazine, treat yourself and download it (for free). The high quality of the new, original fairy tales editor Claire Massey* chooses and the artists she works with for each issue have to be seen/read to be believed. I have a feeling Claire is actually on the hunt for the next H.C. Andersen or Dickens, with a devious plan to be the one who discovers them first and prints the next generation's favorite new fairy tales!The PDFs are gorgeously presented and a true pleasure to browse and read. Personally, I'm hoping that one day all the issues will be available in hard copy form. They would be an awesome collection to keep and display.

You can see in this post some examples of the art included in this issue. New art includes papercuts by one of my favorite papercut artists, Oona Patterson, and a silhouette by the amazing Cate Simmons (a.k.a. SteeringForNorth on Flickr), whose work I never tire of featuring. The lovely color illustration is by Samantha Davey, URL unknown sorry!And about that competition, through which you also help a child at Derian House Children's Hospice (the charity New Fairy Tales supports): by simply making a donation to the extremely worthwhile charity, Derian House, lucky UK readers will be in the running to win a creature from the Curiosity Cabinet called the "New Fairy Tale Nymph". But international (including US) donators have an awesome opportunity too. Oona Patterson's papercut fairy tale book "Ream" (this has been on my 'MUST get' list ever since I first saw example pages). You need to go HERE and follow the instructions to be sure you donate in the correct manner to be entered.

The magazine continues to be awesome (Issue 4 definitely lives up to the awesomeness), Derian House is money well-donated and the bonus prizes qualify as total awesome-alerts. Go treat yourself and download some awesome for free. And if you've been blessed enough to give a little back, do that too. The awesome factor just might triple itself in your favor.As always, story or art submissions for the next issue are welcome from anyone but please check the guidelines HERE before doing so. The next deadline is April 15, 2010.

*Claire Massey is also the author/blogger at The Fairy Tale Cupboard - although a fairly new blog, it's already proven to be an important resource for fairy tale enthusiasts and students alike. You can find it HERE. She's currently featuring Queens of Snow and Ice.

Grimmer Tales: A Wicked Collection of Happily Never After Stories

There's a new book out (released December 9, 2009) of fairy tale retellings in which the stories are told in comics with a rather grim version of a funny bone.

The author/illustrator is Erik Bergstrom and the reviews are using phrases like "homicidal whimsy" and "joyfully morbid masterpiece" so this won't be everyone's cup of tea.
From Cory Doctorow at BoingBoing:

The book consists of a series of extremely nasty comic-strips telling the aftermath of the classic folkloric fairy tales. For example, one running gag has Pinnocchio telling polite social lies in panel 1, while panel 2 depicts his sprouted nose gouging out the eye of some innocent (i.e., "Cute baby! -- stab").

These running gags are pretty funny, but the really standout moments are the longer strips, especially the "What a Witch" strip, in which two witches standing over a cauldron extol the virtues of Kiddee Flakes, which are much more convenient for kidnapped-child-fattening than candy-houses. This is good, wicked humor at its finest -- if you loved Fractured Fairy Tales...

The link for more information is HERE.

And the Winner of "The Pursuit of Happiness" Giveaway Is...

... (drum roll please)....

Aubrey Z.!!!

Congratulations Aubrey!
Your prize is being prepped for shipping as I type.
A sincere thank you to London Particulars for making this giveaway possible.
NOTE: Although Aubrey's name is cannily similar (ok, the same) as The Professor's, Aubrey swears she is no relation (that she knows of) to the aforementioned character - nor to his cat Happiness, though she does admit to having happiness of her own as a result of winning this contest. Aubrey's winning email entry was chosen by random.org and had nothing to do with her name. We can only put it down to 'destiny' (which may be the name of Aubrey's future cat - or not)... :)

Stories for the Season: The Elves & the Shoemaker

"The Elves and the Shoemaker"
Retold from The Brothers Grimm and Illustrated by Jim LaMarche

The story of "The Elves and the Shoemaker" by the Grimm Brothers takes place around Christmas and used to be much more well known than it is now.

Here's the fairly straight retelling from Golden Books (plus an annoying cuckoo that kids seem to love), which includes at least some nods to the Christmas aspect:


I found a lovely trio of illustrations by Steve Morrison which succinctly tell the story in just three panels.You can see more of Mr. Morrison's lovely work HERE. (He's currently showing pen-and-ink style illustrations he's done of A Christmas Carol.)

Strangely, there don't seem to be a lot of similar tales across cultures but I wanted to point out that one of them "The Hand With the Knife" is now available to read online HERE. The similarity lies in the good hearted being helped by an elf but there's no thankfulness or Christmas in sight.

I also found a panel from an apparent book in progress and there's a familiar visitor to the Shoemaker's shop in this one...You can find more by artist Kasia Dudziuk (a.k.a. Kasiacreations on deviantArt) HERE. She's done illustrations for a number of other fairy tales too.

We also have The Muppets to thank for keeping fairy tales in the public consciousness. Muppet Classic Theater which is both out of print and has never been released on DVD (!) retells six fairy tales in true muppet style, "The Elves and the Shoemaker" being one of them. (The other five are: Rumpelstiltskin, King Midas & the Golden Touch, The Emperor's New Clothes, The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Three Little Pigs.)

The clip below starts from the beginning of this story rather than the beginning of the overall presentation so it appears as though you're starting in the middle of something, but you're not missing anything important from the tale.

Enjoy!

Stories for the Season: Prep & Landing

You could definitely argue that the story and traditions surrounding Santa are a modern-day folktale so I think it's appropriate to draw your attention to a new featurette (about 25 minutes) now available online from Disney.

It aired on ABC on December 8th but now you can watch it ('with limited commercial interruption') in HD online.Now: I've known about this for a while and the promo posters and artwork I saw didn't interest me at all BUT I finally saw this yesterday and found this short to be very sweet, full of heart, (lots of great and gentle humor that doesn't try to be too clever (most of the time) and doesn't veer TOO much into the 'self-referential' realm, very Christmas-sy (nodding to more Christmas traditions than you may realize we include in our Holiday celebrations) and, overall, possibly one of the best things to come out of Disney features in a decade.So take a look. It's free to view HERE (and I strongly suggest full screen so you can properly enjoy it).

I'm including a preview below, just in case ABC takes it offline (I know they're planning to air it yearly from now on, so in all likelihood it will disappear sometime soon). It doesn't quite give the sweet feeling that the actual short manages to capture but it explains the premise (not necessary to know to enjoy the short by the way). If you just watch this promo/making of and it still doesn't appeal, give the short a go anyway. I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe you will be too. :)