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Kate
Unregistered User
(7/29/01 10:46:05 am)
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STILL off-topic, truly sorry
Terri,
The madness/limblessness book: YES, I am absolutely 'still' considering submissions! I am really in the nascent stages of compiling a list of works for inclusion, and drafting a brief introduction/proposal. Won't submit through my agent until September at the earliest. I would love to include you in it so very much. And will definitely look at Carolyn Dunn's deer woman tales for possible inclusion as well, thank you for the suggestion. I can give you my home mailing address somehow, if you want to send me something . . .
Again, it really does matter to me to have your admiration for the collection. Not least because I've noticed in a few recently published books on fairy tales, with rather thorough bibliographies, its omission. So any reminder that it has a use is very welcome. (Hope that doesn't sound like sour grapes--but I do feel that there were some missed opportunities on the publisher's part to get it broader notice--because much of the work in it is truly original and useful! I think.)
Sorry all to be off-topic here. I guess that's what private email addresses are for . . .
Kate
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Terri
Unregistered User
(7/29/01 10:45:46 pm)
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last off-topic note
Kate -- I've started a new topic, "The Business of Fairy Tales," to answer your last post. It will be good to have a place for folks to talk about things like this -- publishing news, problems, works in progress, etc. See you there!
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Gregor9
Registered User
(8/7/01 7:08:52 am)
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Off-topic, redux
Geez, I am the slow learner, Kate.
I didn't realize you were the editor of "Mirror Mirror on the Wall."
It's a great collection of essays, which I've by now read up down and sideways. I'm glad Terri promotes it, because it was this board that introduced me to it, and it's certainly proven useful on the book I'm currently writing. And she's right to do so, because it IS so good.
Greg
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Kate
Unregistered User
(8/15/01 9:03:57 am)
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Another late reply
Greg,
How dare you not know who I -- no, wait! How dare you APOLOGIZE for not knowing I edited Mirror, Mirror. Please, don't be silly. I am no one. I am just this odd little person writing odd little books that use fairy tales, who happened upon a decent idea for a collection some late night struggling with my novel, and some amazing writers actually agreed to contribute to it, and I achingly, terrifiedly, creaked out my introduction . . . And here, on this board, I try to say as little as possible because you all know so much and my contributions can't possibly shed any new light so no WONDER you didn't "know" I was Mirror, Mirror's editor!
So. Sorry for the delay for that reply to your note. I should say I was amazed when I found out "who" many of the people on this board are . . . and continue to be amazed as new people crop up. How lucky I feel to have found it.
Best,
Kate
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Charles Vess
Unregistered User
(8/15/01 9:24:09 am)
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Fairy tales in comics, oh yes...
Well so much for my intention of further lurking...
Now this is a subject VERY near and dear to my heart.
I just read and enjoyed the article that seems to have started this thread. When you begin to talk of comics and fairy tales you get into a life long obsession of mine. There have been all sorts of comic stories that have tread into this territory, using bits and pieces from the boiling stew of the fairy tale pot but here are several of my favorites.
The splendid fairy tale architecture peopled with giants, princesses and dragons of Winsor McKay's LITTLE NEMO IN SLUMBERLAND newspaper strip that ran full page in newspapers for a dozen years in the early 1900's.
MR. TWEE DEEDLE by Johnny Gruelle, another Sunday supplement comic strip that ran for some 10 years (approx: 1910 to 1920) that developed the uniquely American flavored fairy tale atmosphere that the author of RAGGEDY ANN AND ANDY was famous for.
In the 1940's Walt Kelly (pre Pogo) developed a comic series for Dell Comics called FAIRY TALE PARADE. The series ran over the next ten years for a dozen or so issues. Originally all of the stories (each issue was a fat, 64 pages) were scripted by Kelly. As the years went by there were more and more artists/writers contributing to this comic with tales that were either straight adaptations of everything from well known European fairy tales to Sinbad and further east or even the occasional original story. The art in this comic ranges from very good to rather poor but the story selection is always interesting. At the same time as this series the same company was publishing a RAGGEDY ANN AND ANDY comic (not by J. Gruelle) which in its early issues were epic adventures featuring fairy tale tropes quite prominently.
Fast forward a few years...
There is a contemporary graphic novel collection by Katsuhiro Ottomo (AKIRA) that are retellings of various traditional fairy stories (SLEEPING BEAUTY, HANSEL AND GRETLE), some more modern fantasies (WIZARD OF OZ, ALICE IN WONDERLAND) as well as the Christ story from a decidedly Japanese viewpoint. The short tales range from humorous to horrific to almost, outright blasphemy.
Most interesting indeed.
You mentioned CASTLE WAITING, THE BIG BOOK OF GRIMM and Neil Gaiman's work in comics, but what about his THE DREAM HUNTERS (a reworking of a Japanese folk tale)? Although I didn't care for some of the cold post-modern disdain that several of the contributors brought to Spiegleman's LITTLE LIT (And I would put that down to those contributors only experience with fairy tales having come from Disney animation) it was a handsome looking collection and I hope there will be more of the same. But what about BONE (a melding of LORD OF THE RINGS and Warner Brothers cartoons)?
Anyway, that's all for now. I look forward to talking some more about this...
Charles
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Kate
Unregistered User
(8/15/01 11:24:44 am)
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Thank you!
Charles Vess,
Thank you so much for listing those wonderful titles! I adore all of them too. My grandfather gave me an original print, in fact, from (early) FAIRY TALE PARADE. And McKay is simply great.
I'm so glad you weighed in with these.
THE DREAM HUNTERS is a fabulous book.
Just writing to say yes, yes.
Kate
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Kate
Unregistered User
(8/15/01 11:27:30 am)
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And,
I don't have time to wade through the whole string here, but I'm sure your own work has been mentioned? (If you are the Charles Vess of 'Little Red Riding Hood,' 'Midsummer Night's Dream,' etc.)?
Sorry for these shoddy, shorthanded postings today.
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Charles Vess
Unregistered User
(8/15/01 12:07:04 pm)
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That's me, alright.
(If you are the Charles Vess of 'Little Red Riding Hood,''Midsummer Night's Dream,' etc.)?
Yes, that's me (hmmm, and STARDUST too).
After much hard searching I completed the entire run of FAIRY TALE PARADE last year as well as many of the early RAGGEDY ANN AND ANDY comics.
Great board, I'll be visiting it often.
Charles
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Gail
Unregistered User
(8/16/01 6:22:42 am)
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hello Charles
Thanks Charles and I agree with your title suggestions. This is what happened when I tried to write an article about the reworkings of fairytales in fantasy books for young adults -- and now I have completed two volumes! I have just started scratching the surface and appreciate recommendations for the growing list. Bone is one of the graphic novels that I "teach" in my young adult literature class, along with "Usagi Yojimbo" which this board discussed some time in the past. I have just purchased a rerelease of an old gem -- Harvey Kurtzman's (of Mad fame) _The Grasshopper and the Ant_ The element that fascinates me most of all at this time is the fushion of the "reawakening" of interest in the traditional tales in popular culture and particularly in the comic book format. MY interest in comic books is that it is the closest literary form to oral storytelling.
On a personal note--just want to tell you that I am an avid collector of your work -- just as I am an avid collector of Arthur Rackham's. One of my favourite incorporations of the magic world of folkloreis _The Amazing Spiderman: Spirits of the Earth_
Gail
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Kate
Unregistered User
(8/16/01 10:14:27 am)
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Spiderman: Spirits of the Earth
Gail, Charles Vess,
I teach that one in my Enchantment Lit class--the students love it (they're art college students). They get really excited when they see that the class reading list includes Spiderman, of course . . .
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Gail
Unregistered User
(8/16/01 11:55:42 am)
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lucky students
Kate, I am now wondering what other texts you use in that class. What fun! Gail
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