From the ever-popular “Almost Stranger Than Fiction” Department comes news that scientists have discovered a species of tobacco plant-eating caterpillar that “smokes” to ward off potential predators. No, really.
The Blog of the LCSNA
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The Blog of the LCSNA
Classic Betty Boop Cartoon Betty In Blunderland
What better way to start the new year than with a classic 1930’s Alice-themed cartoon? Here is Betty Boop as Alice, in a “Blunderland” that only Max Fleischer could have dreamed up. If you haven’t seen this in a while, or if (gasp!) you’ve never seen it, sit back and enjoy! (If the video doesn’t display below, try reloading this page.)
Contrariwise CD Release Party This Friday January 10th
In a recent post I noted the release of a new CD by alternative band Daniel Hales, and the frost heaves, called Contrariwise: Music From Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Daniel wants to let everyone know that this Friday, January 10th at 6:30pm in Massachusetts, they will be holding their official CD launch party.
You can read more about the event, including details and ticket pricing, on this Facebook page.
And you can watch a live performance compilation clip they made for “The Walrus and the Carpenter” right here (if the video doesn’t appear, try reloading this page in your browser):
Final Day of David Delamare Kickstarter Campaign for Deluxe Alice Book
As noted in a previous blog post, artist David Delamare is running a Kickstarter campaign to fund the printing of his private, deluxe edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. We received the following note to remind us that today is the LAST chance to support his campaign and take advantage of supporter perks. While you can show your support at a number of levels, for a $60 pledge you can still secure a standard deluxe copy of this book chock full of David’s amazing illustrations, and have it signed by him, as well. And now they have added more incentives for book purchasers:
“The Kickstarter campaign to create a deluxe “Alice in Wonderland” book, illustrated by David Delamare is ending Sunday at midnight Pacific Standard Time. There are only a few hours left in which to take advantage of the many stretch rewards that will only be available to campaign backers.
Each book package pre-ordered during the campaign will now include (at no extra charge) four 9″x12″ artist-signed posters plus four new Carroll-inspired greeting cards and, if we reach 800 backers we’ll add a fifth poster. Finally, if we reach $75,000 in pledges, we’ll add a slip case to every book.
These will be gorgeous, clothbound, Smythsewn, artist-signed, heavily illustrated books with ribbon bookmarks. They will dramatically enhance any Alice collection. Backers (even at the one dollar level) will have access to the entire book creation process as well as first look at original artwork releases. Sign up today at <http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1954507197/alice-in-wonderland-book-illustrated-by-david-dela>.
If you’re already a campaign backer, please share this link so that we can reach those final goals! Thanks so much for your support! —Wendy Ice (Publisher) & David Delamare (Illustrator)”
NY Theatre Ballet to Reprise Alice in Wonderland Follies for Two Performances
According to Broadway World online, NY Theatre Ballet will offer two encore performances of their extremely popular family ballet, The Alice in Wonderland Follies. The piece retells Carroll’s classic tale within the framework of a 1915 Vaudeville performance. This clever ballet has proven to be a consistent hit with critics and audiences alike. If you haven’t already seen it, NY Theatre Ballet is giving you another two chances in 2014: January 25th and January 26th in Manhattan.
Alice Pantomime Plays to Sellout Crowds in New Jersey
LCSNA member C.M. Rubin interviewed producer/writer Gareth Jones about Wotcha! Gotcha! A Very British Pantomime that played last week to sellout crowds in Maplewood, NJ. Billed as “A Ridiculous Romp Through Victorian London,” the family-oriented show combined a host of favorite Victorian-era characters both real and fictional, served up in the tradition of classic (and highly interactive) British pantomime performances. Given the show’s popularity, perhaps they will bring it back again for next year’s holiday season!
Web Comic Namesake Enters Wonderland in its Third Year Online
If you’re a fan of web comics and graphic novels, and you’re not already aware of the web comic Namesake, then this post is for you!
Created by Isabelle Melançon and Megan Lavey-Heaton, Namesake is a clever, serialized riff on popular tales including The Wizard of Oz, and the Alice books. We posted when the project went live back in October of 2010, but as Namesake has recently passed its third anniversary (congratulations!), it seemed like a good time to mention it again. The storytelling makes free with many characters you know and love, along with introducing a boatload of memorable original characters. I will note that there is occasionally some web comic violence, so it is not for the very young. (What happens to Edith Liddell is even more unpleasant than what happened to her in real life, as just one example.)
While elements of our favorite tales are everywhere, the storytelling and images are entirely new. Megan and Isabelle make a formidable (and entertaining) storytelling team. The first couple of years focused primarily on an Oz-themed storyline, with only the occasional teasing reference to the world of Lewis Carroll. But now we are seeing more of a certain Alice character, and starting to hear about her unique background in this alternate universe. And yes, there is more than one Cheshire Cat. To find out why, you’ll need to read Namesake.
Since the story is serialized and somewhat complex over time, I would strongly suggest that if you’re new to Namesake, you should follow the King of Hearts’ advice: Begin at the beginning. (You can also buy the first part of the story as a published book in their online store, if you prefer.)
Festival of Animated Films for Children Includes An Alice-Themed Entry
If you’re going to be in New York City between December 25th and January second, and you enjoy animated films with a Carrollian flavor, here’s a news item from one of our mimsy minions:
“An Animated World, a film festival in NYC this week, will be presenting the theatrical premier of Eleanor’s Secret, a 2009 French film that brings literary characters, including Alice, to life. It was released in English in 2011 on DVD in England (not playable on U.S. players), or you can see it on YouTube (in Spanish under the title Kerity, la casa de los cuentos), or read about it on IMDB or Wiki.”
Carroll’s Christmas Greetings Scored for Musicians and Singer
Here’s a special holiday treat from composer and Lewis Carroll fan Carson Braun, in Germany. He has set Carroll’s Christmas Greetings From a Fairy to a Child to music, and created a lovely video. Singer Bastian Korff has a beautiful pop voice, and Braun himself provides the instrumentation and backing vocals. Enjoy, and Happy Holidays! (If the video does not appear below, try reloading the page. Or, you can view it by clicking here. It is a large file, so it may take a few moments to load fully. It’s worth the wait.)
If you read German, you can learn more about these artists on their web sites:
Another Musical Setting for Jabberwocky
We recently posted about Daniel Hales and the Frost Heaves, and their new Contrariwise album, which includes a musical setting of the poem “Jabberwocky.” We have just received a link to another musical setting of the famous poem, this time for piano and voice:
“Listen to JABBERWOCKY, a musical setting by New Mexico composer Joanne Forman, with bass-baritone Christopher Wyndham and pianist Martha Grossman.
For further information about the music of Joanne Forman, e-mail: jofo@kitcarson.net.
With special thanks to Cultural Energy, a non-profit organization in Taos, New Mexico, creating media voices, with over 3000 audio archives.”
To listen to Ms. Forman’s version of “Jabberwocky,” click me.