"Goldie & Bear" Debuts September 12 via Digital Distribution, Cable to Follow (Maria Tatar Is Series Consultant)

We're about to have a new, fairy tale focused, series for kids from Disney! And it's not about using Disney properties or 're-booting' old franchises; this is all about getting the fairy tales kids USED to know so well, back into circulation and back into our lives. (I know!! *much cheering and fist pumping*)

For the skeptics among us (which previously included me), I should mention straight away that one of our Grand Dames of fairy tale study and research, Maria Tatar, has been on board with the series as a consultant from it's development and continues on with the series in this capacity to help keep things - and the fairy tales - on track. (*more cheering, whooping added*)

Here's a quote from Development Executive Nancy Kanter (via Variety) about why they're doing this at all:

“We are trying to keep these classic stories, and classic characters, in kids’ minds,” said Nancy Kanter, executive vice president of original programming and general manager of Disney Junior Worldwide. "With school systems placing more emphasis on math, science and analysis of documents, perhaps there’s less room for Tom Thumb and Hansel and Gretel? “We thought it was really important that kids still had a touchstone to these time-honored tales,” she added.

I can't tell you how encouraging it is to hear that. While I believe there's more to it than just "wouldn't it be nice to keep some of that heritage alive", it's a wonderful start. I vote thumbs up!

They're also kicking this off via the vehicle kids are using most these days: apps, online access and games. While series TV via Disney Channel and Disney Junior on cable (and possibly other providers) will follow in November, the idea is to get the series into the hands of kids where they're most likely to find it for themselves first.

From the press release: 

Disney Junior will debut the first six episodes of fairytale-inspired "Goldie & Bear" on the popular WATCH Disney Junior platforms, beginning Saturday, September 12, with one new episode premiering on the WATCH Disney Junior app and WATCH Disney Junior.com each Monday from September 21 through October 12. Set in the magical world of Fairy Tale Forest, the animated series for kids age 2-7 reunites Goldie and Bear, after the renowned porridge incident featured in "Goldilocks and The Three Bears." The series premieres in November on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.

Reflecting Disney's deep roots in storytelling that resonates across generations, "Goldie & Bear" captures the timeless appeal of sharing stories through fairy tales, folk tales and nursery rhymes. Each episode features two 11-minute stories that showcase the new, unexpected friendship between Goldie and Bear as they seek out fun and adventure along with their friends and neighbors, all of whom are drawn from beloved storybook characters. Whether it's helping the Big Bad Wolf learn to consider others before blowing down their houses, helping Jack and Jill get up that hill, or rescuing accident-prone Humpty Dumpty after his great fall, Goldie and Bear enjoy living in a fairytale world filled with real-life situations, humorous mishaps and heartfelt moments.  

Beginning where the classic tales leave off, "Goldie & Bear" celebrates the distinct personalities of Goldie, Bear and their quirky pals, and encourages children to develop their own enchanting friendships. The series is populated with a diverse cast of storybook characters who model friendship, community, respect for individuality, resilience in the face of adversity and compassion for others, and is meant to spark conversations among kids and parents about the narratives and morals highlighted by Goldie and Bear's unlikely friendship and their comedic interactions in Fairy Tale Forest.  

Maria Tatar, chair of Harvard University's program in Folklore and Mythology and series consultant, advising on storytelling, fairy tales and folklore, said, "When we are stumped, a story often provides the answer - not in the form of a one-liner but in a conversation about the things that mattered to us in the tale." DisneyJunior.com and WATCH Disney Junior will roll out a suite of more than 20 "Goldie & Bear" micro-games throughout the fall, with the first six debuting with the series.  Housed in a storybook containing an interactive map of Fairy Tale Forest, each game centers on a classic fairy tale or nursery rhyme character. 

"Goldie & Bear" stars Natalie Lander ("The Middle") as Goldie and Georgie Kidder ("Star Wars: The Clone Wars") as Bear. Recurring guest stars include Lesley Nicol ("Downton Abbey") as Fairy Godmother, Isabella Day ("Cristela") as little witch Rosita, Debby Ryan ("Jessie") as Thumbelina and Miles Brown and Marsai Martin ("black-ish") as Jack & Jill.  "Goldie & Bear" was developed for television and is co-executive produced by Jorge Aguirre ("Giants Beware!" graphic novel series); Chris Gilligan ("Frankenweenie") is executive producer and director; Joe Ansolabehere ("Recess") is story editor and Rob Cantor (from the band Tally Hall) is songwriter. 

I was sent a little sneak-peek of the synopsis for the premiere which I have been given permission to share:

The premiere episode "Big Bear/Birthday Chair" will go live on the WATCH Disney Junior app and WATCH Disney Junior.com on Saturday September 12th. In the episode, when Bear eats one of Jack’s magic beans so he can be a bigger bear, he and Goldie must find a way to reverse the magic after he learns being big isn’t as fun as he thought.  Then, when Goldie forgets Bear’s birthday gift, she has to quickly find the most perfect present for her best friend. 

And here's a little preview:

Normally I might make a note just to check in with a series like this (like I did for The 7D) but with Maria Tatar consulting on the series since it's early development, and continuing on with the show in this capacity, I'm going to make a point of watching it when I can.

It should also be noted that, Jorge Aguirre, creator of the wonderful graphic novel series Giants Beware, developed this series and is co-executive producer as well, so they're all points in favor of the series as far as I'm concerned.

I'm always a little hesitant to jump on board with CG series as many of them look so similar they can begin to blend together but perhaps a unique signature style will become more obvious and the show will look more instantly appealing when we see more variety of situations and characters.

Even with my reservations about the design style, the acting, animation and writing glimpses we have been given look very promising.

Fairy tale bonus of the day:

Goldilocks has been lurking around Disney for some time. There was supposed to be an animated short released back in 1936, but it never got beyond the development stage. From Disney Wikia:

The Three Bears (or Goldie Locks and Three Bears) is an unproduced animated short that was to have been released in 1936. It is a proposed Silly Symphony of the well-known children's story. Model sheets prove that Goldilockswas planned to look like, and possibly be voiced by, Shirley Temple. Papa Bear was modeled after W.C. Fields. Another version of this short as a Mickey, Donaldand Goofy cartoon would have had Mickey, Donald and Goofy casted in the roles of the Three Bears which was approached to the story after the prosed Silly Symphony failed to materialize.

D23 News: Live Action "The Jungle Book" Update

Reporting belatedly, I'm afraid, but it can't be helped at the moment. Above is the new poster unveiled at D23 and while it is beautiful, my first impression was that Bagheera had a human face CGI'd onto his panther one. I've quickly discovered this is because of the lighting (you can see that it's not human at all in the close-up below) but now I can't un-see that...

Here's a round up of news tidbits regarding Jon Favreau's live action "The Jungle Book" remake for Disney, with the best news being that the reveals, though not so highly anticipated, brought a standing ovation and have created a strong expectation of goodness (classic with some darker Kipling resonances) for the movie being released next year. I'm so pleased to hear there will be much more of Kipling's original story vibes in there (though I would have been even more excited to hear that more storylines - or even characters like Kotik and Rikki Tikki Tavi - of Kipling's classic had made it in, but, baby steps are also good. You can read the original online HERE.)

As with other fan exclusives shown at D23 (at which all cell phones and cameras were confiscated on entering), the rest of us won't get to see what attendees did for some time yet but 2016 is rapidly drawing closer so I'm guessing the Christmas season promos will give us more to look at.

Here are the trailer details from The Grill:

Development art from Favreau's version

Director Jon Favreau unveiled the first trailer for Disney’s “The Jungle Book” and brought stars Lupita Nyong'o, Ben Kingsley and newcomer Neel Sethi onstage at Saturday’s D23 Fan Expo in Anaheim. 

Sethi plays the film’s young hero Mowgli, while Kingsley plays Bagheera the Panther and Nyong’o plays Raksha the Wolf. Favreau played up the eye-popping visual spectacle of the film, saying that “The best CGI is the CGI that disappears.” 

...The trailer opens with the smoky voice of Scarlett Johansson‘s Kaa the Python talking about the Red Flower, which brings “warmth, light and destruction.” 

Bagheera finds Mowgli and we’re told that “the jungle is no longer safe. I’ll return him to where he belongs.” 

We see Idris Elba‘s killer tiger Shere Khan stalking Mowgli through the outback in a thrilling sequence that ends with him jumping off a cliff, after which he’s discovered by Bill Murray‘s Baloo the Bear. Baloo tells Mowgli to “relax” and that “there’s no need to get worked up.” Then he sings the classic Disney song “Bare Necessities,” a song about “the good life,” though Mowgli confesses he doesn’t know what a song is. 

“Everyone’s got a song,” Baloo assures him. 

As the trailer nears its end, we see Shere Khan warning Mowgli that “if you come back, I’ll be waiting,” then the footage concludes with Christopher Walken‘s orangutan King Louie saying “I am the king!” — which brought the house down. 

... The footage, which was stunning and full of wonder, earned a standing ovation...

New star, Neel Sethi, handles his first public appearance very well.

And a very short video via Yahoo Movies is worth taking a peek at as Jon Favreau speaks about the classic comedic animation classic versus Kipling and his approach on trying to find the balance of both.

“A lot of liberty was taken in tone in the ’67 animated film, because the source material was much darker,” Favreau tells Yahoo Movies during a chat at D23. However, Favreau felt a deep connection to the original Disney movie, particularly regarding the music, the tone, and “the playfulness of the characters.” So in creating new version, Favreau drew on both the book and the cartoon. “I tried to pick out the aspects [of the 1967 movie] that I found most memorable and that I connected with the most, and made sure that we protected those as we explored the combination of those things,” (Favreau) explains.

Overall, this definitely sounds like it beats the first Disney live action remake by leaps and bounds, but will it be worth seeing in the theater? What do you think?

Bonus of the day:

Mondo posters is well known for their artistic alternative versions of movie posters and The Jungle Book has a couple done through them. The one below though is particularly lovely, hailing both classic book and future live action film beautifully. The artist is Brandon Holt.

Timeless Tales Magazine Cover Contest Cancellation

A special message from the editor of Timeless Tales, Tahlia Merrill Kirk:

Creative projects are all about throwing new ideas onto a wall and seeing what sticks. Which means that sometimes that idea you thought was brilliant and destined for success ends up sliding into a mushy pile on the floor.

That’s pretty much what happened with the Timeless Tales cover contest. It was a total shot in the dark and the shot missed its mark. We had the contest open for nearly a month and got a grand total of TWO entries. This is obviously not enough to be considered a proper contest.

I seriously considered letting our failure slide under the radar while privately emailing the artists an explanation, but then I saw a series of blog posts by Wil Wheaton* (links at the bottom of this post).

Wil is the creator of several webseries I follow closely. He’s one of those really down-to-earth people who I’ve never met, but have a ton of respect for his accomplishments. His summer has been full of professional frustrations this summer and isn’t afraid to share them with his fans.  His honesty made me appreciate all his hard work even more than before. So I’m hoping that I can follow in his footsteps here.

I suspect that the contest’s failure is related to my lack of knowledge about the illustrating community. Possibly, my budget was too small, but I also didn’t have a clue where to promote the contest beyond our own social media. If anyone has suggestions for what I could’ve done better, I’d love to hear them so I can learn from this experience.

I’d like to thank Terry Fischer  (www.TerryAFischer.com) and Scott Klase for being the kind souls who sent in their work. Terry's is on the left and Scott's is on the right:

The good news is that our story submissions are as strong as ever and I have some great ideas for issue #6 that I’ll be announcing later on this year (pretty sure we’re finally going to be adding poetry!) For this upcoming issue, I’ve hired my graphic artist friend who designed our logo (www.dreambrella.com). In the words of a famous fish:

*http://wilwheaton.net/2015/06/tabletop-kingdom-builder-and-screwing-up-the-rules/

http://wilwheaton.net/2015/06/critical-failure/

http://wilwheaton.net/2015/08/tabletop-submission-criteria/

Disney Parodies Snow White & Other Fairy Tales in "Wish Upon A Coin"

Once of the best things coming out of the various Disney animation studios at the moment are the new generation Mickey Mouse Cartoon - Disney Shorts. The original spirit of Mickey is there, along with some needed sweetness (which Mickey has been known for since the parks opened) and it's one of the best uses of excellent comedic timing that Disney has ever done with Mickey Mouse (I cannot watch the old Mickey shorts - their comedy timing is awful and irritates the heck out of me).

One of their newest Mickey shorts, however, is a bit of a surprise. I wasn't initially surprised to see a send-up of Snow White and parodying different aspects, but I was with some of the paths it went down! Despite the borderline issues it may have, it's still one of the better parodies I've seen and still manages to be sweet in the end.

Take a look:

Not quite what you expected but still rather satisfying and funny-sweet, no?

What's MOST interesting to me, though, is the commentary on how the Disney studio currently regards fairy tales and fairy tale tropes, including their own versions. It's a good barometer for telling you where the studio is at today, sensibility-wise, as well as current pop-culture, since the "arm" that produces these shorts is rather separated from the TV series studio and the feature animation studio. To help mark these little (or not so little) things, I'm adding a hashtag: #FTBarometerCheckpoint (and if I get time/remember will add the tag to older posts that are a good pop-culture and societal "pulse check" with regard society's current thoughts and views on fairy tales).

Additional note on coins and wishing: it's interesting to me that throwing coins into a well or fountain remains such a strong superstition and/or tradition and has been adopted the world over. It's a direct link to folklore and belief in local deities and fae, as well as various tales and isn't hidden by much commercialism or "watering down" as other traditions and superstitions have received over the centuries. Interestingly, it's not fear motivated, like many superstitions are, nor is it truly greed oriented but more of a petition for additional luck to the powers that be. There's a little article HERE if you'd like to read more. I couldn't finish without mentioning Britain's amazing "wishing trees" (more pics and history at this link HERE) in which people have, over centuries (!), pushed coins into the bark for luck and good health.

 

Ask Baba Yaga: How Do I Break Out Of My Hermit Shell?

Baba Yaga's Hut by Alyssa Davis

Confession: I kind of like being a hermit. Mostly. Once I gave in to the fact that my nature is to be generally drained by people, even those I truly love, and even when I've had a great time with them, I grew to greatly appreciate my alone time and revel in the space to think, research, write and create. But I can't be a hermit all the time and there are sometimes I find it frustrating too. I love working in theater and that necessitates an outgoing personality, at least some of the time, so it can be tricky to find that balance of building up enough energy to throw myself into performing or teaching, and make sure I have adequate re-energizing time afterward. There are those times, too, especially when things get rough, that you can be gone from normal social circles so long, it feels really difficult to re-enter. I almost didn't want to read the answer to this question, my shell is precious to me!, but was encouraged and relieved by what Baba Yaga had to say.

Here's today's question and answer (via poet and oracle Taisia Kitaiskaia* of The Hairpin):

(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

"...nibble on a green thing"! Ha - yes! And the picture of Baba Yaga's hut that I fortuitously chose for this post, before looking at the question, is perfect. That's exactly what it feels like when you perform, or teaching goes really well or people become inspired to create or do better in being with you! And it's a huge relief to know you don't have to go and do that performance the whole time either. (Notice there is no audience above to watch either - it's a private-revelry thing.) No breaking! But I can bend a little. :)

What do you think of Baba Yaga's advice?

Want to ask Baba Yaga a question of your own?

You can!

There's now an email address where you can send your questions

directly to Baba Yaga herself.

AskBabaYaga AT gmail DOT com

To encourage Baba Yaga to continue imparting her no-bones-about-it wisdom (ok, there may be some gristle in there... bones too), I suggest we not to leave her box empty... 

Thank you Baba Yaga (& Taisia).

* Taisia Kitaiskaia is a poet, writer, and Michener Center for Writers fellow. Born in Russia and raised in America, she's had her poems and translations published in Narrative Magazine, Poetry International, and others.

Northlore Series Open Call for Submissions!

We just recently posted a review by OUABlog reviewer, Leena Naidoo, HERE, for the first volume in this series, "Folklore" and now an exciting opportunity from Nordland Publishing has arisen.

Here's the announcement from the official website:

Open Call for the Northlore Series 

  

We are pleased to announce the second open call of the series: Myth. 

We are looking for short stories between 3-8000 words and Poetry of any length.
This collection will contain the secret history of the Norse gods.
“Over a period of 400 years, Christianity came to the Scandinavians, sometimes at the point of a sword.  

Slowly it spread, until only small pockets of the old religion persisted. 

The gods of the North understood their time had come. They withdrew from the world, disappearing into the realm of myth. 

But they did not die. This is their story.” 

Three books, three themes, one vision: Northlore.

 

Before you submit your work, please be sure to follow the publication guidelines.

D23 News: Live Action "Beauty and the Beast" Update

"Love Blooms in Winter" - Beauty and the Beast
by Heather Theurer

The image above doesn't strictly have anything to do with the upcoming movie, or the movie news, BUT it is a fairly new print, created this year, inspired by Disney's Beauty and the Beast, by the amazing oil painter Heather Theurer.  She does the most incredible interpretations of Disney characters I my have ever seen (we have a few of her other paintings you can see HERE). The reason I love these so much is not just because of the gorgeous and classical technique, but that they send you right back to the original stories. How perfect is that? It's one of the reasons I couldn't resist showing you full since since it almost fits in the blog. (!)

Anyway - onto the news most people want to learn, an update on the live action version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast:

Unfortunately, there really isn't much to see (image wise on the web) and the information is more gleanings and teasers than anything else, possibly because principal filming isn't quite done yet, and this is a movie that even then will need a LOT of CGI and special effects to pull off that "Disney magic". However, here's the little we have to share:

Fans of Emma Watson and the Disney Classic, “Beauty and the Beast”, will be delighted to learn that the first look of the movie has been revealed.  (Edit FTNH: Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the rest of us will get to see what D23 attendees did anytime soon but I'm sure we'll be getting a poster teaser at least in the near future.) At Disney’s D3 held on August 15, fans received a sneak-preview of Watson leaving her mark as the book-lover, Belle, on-screen. As reported by MTV, the clip from the movie showed Belle gracefully walking down the stairs in her trademark yellow gown. (source: HERE)

***

Though nearly done filming, there wasn't any complete footage shown from this one -- save for a shot of Emma Watson as Belle in her now infamous gold dress, coming down the stairs to dance with the Beast. Let us just say that she looked GORGEOUS and seeing that moment brought to life brings chills.

In some behind-the-scenes footage shown, we got a look at the village set, which looks almost exactly like it did in the animated film. Belle is seen in her blue and white dress as well, while Gaston (Luke Evans) can be seen singing and dancing around a bar in his famous red costume and long ponytail. Sorry, nothing with the Beast in it just yet.

The crowd was told that the final film will include two new songs from Alan Menken.

"Beauty and the Beast" won't roar into theaters until 2017. (source: HERE)

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BWW message board poster jacobsnchz14 shared:

I'm here at the expo and everything I've seen from BATB looks stunning, including Emma in the dress. They also showed the title treatment artwork which reminds me of Into The Woods' mixed with the original one with the Beauty in nice type with an eroded Beast. The crowds went wild for it. The set, visuals, costumes, etc. were beautiful. No footage of the objects or the beast.Can't wait for everyone to see the footage we saw! Plus, we were treated to a video of Luke Evans and Josh Gad singing a few bars of "Gaston". (source: HERE)

There is also part of the video message from Emma Watson to D23 fans, which you can see HERE. Unfortunately, the video finished before we get a look at anything we really want to see...

***

Art shown at D23
with prints available for purchase

Cyclops Print Works Print #8: She Really is a Funny Girl by Mark Englert
Size: 12”x36”
Technique: Serigraph | 9 Colors
Edition size: Limited Edition of 275
Features: Hand-Numbered | Varnish Finish |Authenticity Seal
Price: $60
Printed by: Eclipse Workshop
Officially Licensed by Disney

FULL DESCRIPTION (of the sizzle reel) by (D23 attendee) ahundredteas:

Belle in the forest

• Quick shot of Belle in the forest before she ends up at the Beast’s castle
• It’s dark and blue (reminded me a lot of “Into the Woods”) and you can see snow on the ground.

• Belle is in a cloak so we can’t see what her outfit is. I’m 95% sure that the cloak is navy blue but with how blue the shot was I can’t be 100% sure.
• She looks FREAKED OUT but not hysterical.

Belle on the stairs in the Iconic Yellow Dress

• Quick shot of Belle stepping down the stairs.
• Staircase is gold and whimsical, very similar to Cinderella’s carriage from the latest “Cinderella” movie.

• The yellow dress is more of a sheer fabric than the heavy material in the cartoon version. The skirt is less full. Still stunning. Top looks similar to “Once Upon A Time” Belle’s yellow dress but not as poofy.

Belle looking up

• Last shot is Belle in the yellow dress looking up at (I’m assuming) the Beast.
• She looks like she’s kneeling or in a deep curtsy.

(Source: HERE)

***

And that's about all we've gleaned to date. But it is exciting. It would appear that the live action movie is going to follow the look of the animated film fairly closely from random reports here and there about the glimpses given from the "infamous gold dress" to the village and castle so that should keep Disney Beauty and the Beast fans pretty happy.

So that's about it for now, though you might be seeing an image or two floating around the internet saying "this is the first looks!" It's not. They're excellently done fan made images and we've had the main one on OUABlog before but I hadn't seen this fan made poster below, which is wonderfully creative and shows Emma Watson in more of a designer-type gown than the animated movie princess dress, which is very tasteful.

Fairy tale bonus of the day:

At D23, ABCs Once Upon A Time also did a Beauty and the Beast reveal, featuring the famous enchanted (Disney) rose in the very first episode of the upcoming season.

You can see the teaser screen grabs below: