Looney Tunes Beanstalks

Courtesy of the husband who was inspired by today's earlier post about Jack's Magic Beans, I give you Looney Tunes:

Beanstalk Bunny



and

Jack Wabbit and the Beanstalk

Using Fairy Tales to Sell Vegetables

Okay, so I am all behind this one.  Since we see fairy tales used to sell just about everything else, I am happy to see Jack and the Beanstalk used to sell green beans and carrots to kids (and adults).  I admit that if I saw these on my produce shelf, I would be very tempted to buy them.

From Fairy tale helps Hanline sell green bean packs by Doug Ohlemeier:

Hanline Farms is telling a fairy tale to help encourage children to eat more green beans.

R.S. Hanline & Co., Shelby, Ohio, is also launching a line of diced, sliced and chopped fresh vegetables.

Hanline’s Jack’s Magic Beans are steam bags designed to appeal to children and adults by linking the Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale to how children can experience a new world of discovery and become a hero like Jack by eating the magic beans, according to a news release.

The triple-washed beans, packaged in anti-fog breathable bags, come in snipped green beans, green beans and red potatoes, and green beans and petite carrots varieties.

Tom Browning, Hanline’s director of sales and marketing, said consumers prefer fresh green beans over canned or frozen but said bagged fresh green beans represent just 3% of green bean sales.

And really, with how obvious a sell this is, why hasn't it been used more often? Where's Don Draper when you need him?  (Sorry, couldn't resist the Mad Men reference on this one.)  The real question is how aware are kids of Jack and the Beanstalk these days?  Most kids I know are actually.  Besides--it says magic!  Who doesn't want magic beans?

Will they use Goldilocks and Little Bear to sell oatmeal next?

Happy Birthday, Little Mermaid (Statue)

Just barely got it in under the wire for my local time. Today is The Little Mermaid statue's birthday.

From Mermaid's birthday abroad by Yu Ran (China Daily):

Sculptor Edvard Eriksen's statue of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale The Little Mermaid was first unveiled on Aug 23, 1913, when it was placed beside Copenhagen harbor in Langelinie.

A Danish national symbol, The Little Mermaid was on display there until it was moved to the Denmark Pavilion in May for Shanghai Expo 2010, where it will remain for the duration of the event.

To celebrate the festive occasion, a series of commemorative activities were held over the weekend.

"We will give The Little Mermaid a big party on her first birthday away from home. This is a great opportunity to celebrate The Little Mermaid's presence in China and give our visitors the chance to have fun experiencing some of the best of Danish culture," Christopher Bo Bramsen, Commissioner General of the Denmark Pavilion, said as the celebrations began on Saturday.

The Tivoli Boys Guard, a group of boys aged 9 to 16, marched through the pavilion dressed in red coats, white trousers and bear skins hats while playing flutes and drums for visitors.

Theatre Madam Bach, led by Pernille Bach and Christian Schroder, presented a play for children called The Four Seasons, which took the audience through the four Danish seasons.

As paper cutting was a favorite hobby of the children's author who created The Little Mermaid, there was also a paper-cutting workshop jointly taught by Lu Xue, from China, and Soren Thaae, from Denmark.

Among the other activities, there was a reading of fairytales written by the author and a mermaid stone where visitors could pose for photos in which they look like the fabled sea creature.

The festivities will culminate with a great splash on The Little Mermaid's actual birthday on Monday, when a round of happy birthday is sung to the statue, followed by a water show.

"It is a Danish tradition to celebrate The Little Mermaid's birthday with girls of all ages jumping into the water by her spot in Copenhagen harbor," said Bramsen.

Three female Danish synchronized swimmers, headed by Mette Markussen, and male dancer/choreographer Tore Munch will present a performance about mermaids, love and fairytales in the harbor pool at the centre of the pavilion.

The show deals with the classic theme of a love divided by two different worlds - the kind of love that the Little Mermaid suffers in the fairytale.

A specially designed Mermaid Stamp will also be launched on Monday only for visitors to have placed in their Expo passports.

Zhang Keying, a 4-year-old Chinese girl who shares the same birthday as The Little Mermaid, will present the statue with a flower and be the first guest to receive the Mermaid Stamp on her special day.

When A Prince Of A Fella Meets A Cinderella

When A Prince Of A Fella Meets A Cinderella by The Andrews Sisters is a fun little gem if you enjoy music from that era--I do!  I was browsing through my 1940s era music and remembered this little forgotten one.  I would love to hear one of the new harmony singing groups cover this one.

It's not surprising that I have quite a collection of Cinderella songs in my MP3 library. It doesn't hurt that I have Cinderella: Songs From The Classic Fairy Tale (1998 Studio Compilation) as well as the soundtracks for a few movies.  I prefer the Julie Andrews version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical myself even if the sound quality isn't as strong as the other versions.  If you are going to listen to a musical, there aren't many women who have done it better than her.  (And I admit that as much as I adore Audrey Hepburn, I wish Andrews had gotten to play Eliza Doolittle in the movie version of My Fairy Lady!) 

All that and I also confess that I much prefer Slipper and the Rose to the R & H musical.  It was one of my earliest exposures to Cinderella and the first I ever loved.  The Sherman Brothers were brilliant when they hit the right projects, like Mary Poppins, P. L. Travers' opinions be ignored. (She hated it, you know.)

And, yes, I, too, like Suzy Bogguss' Hey Cinderella! I might be a born and bred Nashvillian but country is one of my least favorite genres of music.  Bogguss has always overcome my inclinations though and I own most of her music.  (Her CD Aces is still a favorite when I am in the mood.) This is a strong one from her.

Fairy Tale Influenced Fiction 2011

Quick update:

I have started the list for Fairy Tale Influenced Fiction 2011 on Amazon.  There are eight titles on it already and I'm sure many more to come.  If you know of any titles I should add to it, please let me know.  I haven't started the nonfiction or picture book lists yet, but I am working on them, too.

One novel, A True Princess by Diane Zahler looks to be a Princess and the Pea retelling.

We also have a Little Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakley-Cartwright.

Then there's yet another Twelve Dancing Princesses, this one titled Entwined by Heather Dixon.  I think Twelve Dancing wins the award for most novel interpretations over the last few years, even beating Cinderella.  Did the Barbie movie really inspire that much interpretation?  There's not even that much scholarship devoted to the tale...  The title is pretty perfect as a one word title.

That's just a few of the titles, but I am especially excited that some fairy tales that aren't made into novels very often are getting some print time.  Considering just how popular Little Red Riding Hood is, it's amazing there aren't more novels with the character.  And Princess and the Pea is so ripe with possibilities, too. 

That said, I also updated the 2010 list with some titles--that has a feed to the left of the blog. I'll be highlighting the yet to be released ones closer to their release dates.

Twelve Dancing Princess' by The Morrows

In all of my researching of the fairy tale for the upcoming book, I recently discovered a folksong inspired by the fairy tale, a rare occurence for this tale.  (It's rather rare for any fairy tale considering the easy relationship between folk stories and folk music.) So I share the Twelve dancing princess'by the Morrows, also known as Patrick and Wendy Morrow.

I didn't find a website for The Morrows. Apparently they have been performing for years but this is their first release just out for a few months, so this is new.  If you follow the Amazon link, you can hear a snippet of the song.  I downloaded it to hear all of it but didn't find the entire song online anywhere.  If you like folk music and the fairy tale, this should be a pretty good fit for you.

And, no, I don't understand the way the track is titled with the apostrophe.  And it isn't a typo on my part...

New Book: A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James

A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James was a big romance release this summer that uses Cinderella as inspiration. 

Book description from the publisher:

Miss Kate Daltry doesn't believe in fairy tales . . . or happily ever after.

Forced by her stepmother to attend a ball, Kate meets a prince . . . and decides he's anything but charming. A clash of wits and wills ensues, but they both know their irresistible attraction will lead nowhere. For Gabriel is promised to another woman—a princess whose hand in marriage will fulfill his ruthless ambitions.

Gabriel likes his fiancee, which is a welcome turn of events, but he doesn't love her. Obviously, he should be wooing his bride-to-be, not the witty, impoverished beauty who refuses to fawn over him.

Godmothers and glass slippers notwithstanding, this is one fairy tale in which destiny conspires to destroy any chance that Kate and Gabriel might have a happily ever after.

Unless a prince throws away everything that makes him noble . . .

Unless a dowry of an unruly heart trumps a fortune . . .

Unless one kiss at the stroke of midnight changes everything.

And a review from Publishers Weekly:

Well-known for tales of dukes and duchesses, James (A Duke of Her Own) upgrades to the handsome prince in this delectable Regency reimagining of the Cinderella story. Miss Katherine Daltry, on the shelf at 23, manages the household of her ungrateful stepmother and silly stepsister, who inherited all of her father's estate. Kate is thrust from the cinders to the spotlight when her stepsister needs a stand-in for a betrothal ball at Pomeroy Castle. Gabriel, youngest princeling of the duchy of Warl-Marburg-Baalsfeld, needs a rich wife to support his archeology habit; Kate is, of course, manifestly unsuitable. Eccentric turns from Professor Biggitstiff, a pickle-eating dog, and an irrepressible godmother spin a candy floss comic romp around a core of heartache. James's deft touch allows the characters to shine through genuinely witty dialogue and an uncluttered plot.

So if you like romances and fairy tale adaptations, this may interest you.  I investigated and learned that yes, there is a glass slipper.  It's some kind of starched taffeta that makes the shoe almost translucent and thus dubbed "glass" in the novel.  Interesting take on the Cinderella footwear...

Twelve Dancing Princesses Project

Nope, not my Twelve Dancing Princesses project either.  (I have mentioned that's the next book that is nearly finished in the SurLaLune series, right?)

Anyway, I have found a few articles and references to an art project centered around The Twelve Dancing Princess. 

Two local artists are hoping the combination of bicycle frames and an obscure fairy tale will someday lead to the former Catamount Elementary School becoming an art center.

From the most informative article, Princesses project a boost to possible Catamount art center by Keith Whitcomb Jr. Great article, but alas, the single picture is almost worthless and I can't find any other pictures of the project.

Three summers ago Arla Foster and Paula LaPorte decided they wanted to work on a collaborative art project. "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," a story published by the Brothers Grimm in "Children's and Household Tales," is a favorite of LaPorte's and serves as the central theme of their project.

Foster said that while there are different versions of the tale, the basic story is that a king can't figure out why his daughters' shoes are worn out in the morning, as he thinks they have been sleeping all night. He offers his kingdom and one princess to anyone who can figure out the mystery within a certain time frame.

The idea to use bicycle frames came from a neighbor having a large collection of bike parts in a pile, which made for an impressive visual, said Foster. Seven of the 12 princesses are complete, with one hanging in the window of Roads & Trails shop on Main Street and two others hanging in the Putnam Hotel.

Even a person familiar with the story would be hard-pressed to recognize the princesses for what they are, said Foster, but that's fine. She said they are examples of abstract art, and some liberties have been taken with the story. The names and themes of each piece, for example, were made up by Foster and LaPorte.

The names "Celeste" and "Terra," given to the princesses that hang in the Putnam Hotel, were provided by the two artists, as was "Nalu" at the bike shop. Foster said the princesses weren't named in the original story and few details about them were given.

One thing Foster and LaPorte know about them is they liked to dance. According to the tale, the princesses were sneaking away at night to party, hence their worn-out shoes. "They're meant to be played with," said Foster. "They're dancers."

Each sculpture is designed to be hung and all have moving parts that are intended to be moved by those viewing them. LaPorte said they are all essentially wired together without the aid of any kind of glue. While colorful, none were painted.

And from the Bennington Arts Guild website:

Princess Terra with her long spike hair and Princess Celeste pouring forth heavenly bodies are now dancing in the windows of Bennington Arts Guild Gallery at 103 South St. In 2009 Arla Foster and Paula LaPorte decided to work on a project together and choose Grimms' Fairy Tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses." Each Princess starts with an old bicycle frame and then is adorned with whatever Paula and Arla take a fancy to from their vast collections of natural and man-made objects. Each Princess contains the elements of color, motion, and sound. Terra and Celeste are the first of the four Princesses created last summer.

Foster and LaPorte will be continuing their collaboration this summer and hope to have all twelve sisters dancing together in 2011.

This is in Bennington, Vermont, by the way.

Love the concept and hope to see images someday...

Lil' Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs

So, for the past several days, a week or more actually, I've had an annoying earworm going through my head.  It's Lil' Red Riding Hood by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs.  Today I looked it up in my music collection and was shocked, really, really shocked actually that I didn't have it in my library.  I even have a fairy tale music playlist which I must discuss someday.  So I had to download this one.  And while I was there, I also downloaded a more modern, rockier version by Bowling for Soup. Why have one when you can have two versions on rotation in your head?

This song has always been in my life--it used to play on the oldies stations my parents frequented--and I always liked it even before I connected it with Little Red Riding Hood.  Not that it is hard to connect, but I didn't consider it like that when I was a wee one. 

And thanks to the magic of YouTube, you can also see a "music video" of the song featuring Betty Boop. And, no, the two didn't go together originally. The Betty Boop footage is from "Dizzy Red Riding Hood" (1931).



And while we're here, Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs loved their fairy tales for they also recorded The Hair On My Chinny Chin Chin.  It was a follow-up attempt to get another hit.  It's fun, but not nearly as great as Riding Hood.




And, yes, you're welcome for the earworm.  If it helps, I've also been tortured by this one of late, too: Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag by Minnutes.  Love it, oldie lover that I am...but I love the new modern twist on it, too.

Faerie Escape: Charles Vess

 

 

  

I wouldn't forget Charles Vess--we ended up on two panels together, too.  But during the first one he drew as Ari Berk read some great passages about the fae.  It was hard not to get wrapped up in Charles's creation and forget about what was going on in the panel.  My favorite part was listening to people pick their favorite of the three panels Charles produced in that hour+ long panel.  All three got equal love for various reasons.

 

From the Faerie Escape program:

Charles was born in 1951 in Lynchburg, Virginia and has been drawing since he could hold a crayon. He drew his first full-length comic when he was 10 and called it “Atomic Man.” Minimalist in nature, it required no drawing of hands, feet or heads (“they just glowed”). Since then, he has painstakingly drawn thousands of hands, feet, and heads in great detail. Charles graduated with a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and worked in commercial animation for Candy Apple Productions in Richmond, Va., before moving to New York City in 1976. It was there that he became a freelance illustrator, working for many publications including Heavy Metal, Klutz Press, and National Lampoon. His award-winning work has graced the pages of numerous comic book, publishers such as Marvel, DC, Darkhorse and Epic. He has been featured in several gallery and museum exhibitions across the nation, including the first major exhibition of Science Fiction and Fantasy Art (New Britain Museum of American Art, 1980) and “Dreamweavers” (William King Regional Arts Center, 1994-95). In 1991, Charles shared the prestigious World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story with Neil Gaiman for their collaboration on Sandman #19(DC Comics) --- the first and only time a comic book has held this honor. In the summer of 1997, Charles won the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for Best Penciler/Inker for his work on The Book of Ballads and Sagas (which he self-publishes through his own Green Man Press) as well as Sandman #75. Soon after Charles finished the last of 175 paintings for Stardust, a novel written by Neil Gaiman, for which he was given the 1999 World Fantasy Award as Best Artist.

In 2002 Charles won a second Will Eisner award, this time as Best Painter for his work on Rose, a 130-page epic fantasy saga written by Cartoon Books’ Jeff Smith. The year continued to be busy for Charles with the publication of Seven Wild Sisters (Subterranean Press) and The Green Man, Tales from the Mythic Forest (Viking), both utilizing cover art and interior b/w illustrations by the artist, and both making the 2003 American Library Association’s list for Best Books for Young Adults! By the end of the year he had completed 28 paintings for his first children’s picture book, A Circle of Cats, done in collaboration with writer Charles de Lint (Viking). This cover art won the Gold Award for Best Book Art in the 10th annual “Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art” even before it was officially published. A new edition of Peter Pan (Tor/Starscape) featuring a cover as well as over 30 b/w interior illustrations by Vess was released this past Fall. Another collaboration with de Lint, Medicine Road (Subterranean Press) and the YA anthology, The Faery Reel (Viking ) will be arriving this Spring and he is currently hard at work producing drawings for several new books, including, A Storm of Swords (MeishaMerlin), the 25th anniversary edition of Moonheart (Subterranean Press) and a graphic novel collection of his ballads material for Tor.