Comments on: Mary Blair's Alice in Wonderland http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 22 May 2013 05:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Anonymous http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-272906 Anonymous Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-272906 It might be a different project, but Disney once drafted in Aldous Huxley (Doors of Perception) to write a synopsis for Alice in Wonderland. Disney rejected it since he "could only understand every third word" of it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley It might be a different project, but Disney once drafted in Aldous Huxley (Doors of Perception) to write a synopsis for Alice in Wonderland.
Disney rejected it since he “could only understand every third word” of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldous_Huxley

]]> By: monstrinho_do_biscoito http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-272928 monstrinho_do_biscoito Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-272928 i agree with baldhead. it's not actually very good is it? but that could be my dislike of flat 1950's art talking i agree with baldhead. it’s not actually very good is it? but that could be my dislike of flat 1950′s art talking

]]> By: android http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-272933 android Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-272933 IMO abridging Carrol's text is disrespectful in itself, regardless how it's done, and calling it "*Walt Disney's* Alice In Wonderland" doesn't make the alteration of a classic any more palatable to me. I really hated "The Stinky Cheese Man," -- I guess I'm just an anachronism/curmudgeon/oldfart whose opinion probably isn't welcome here ;-) IMO abridging Carrol’s text is disrespectful in itself, regardless how it’s done, and calling it “*Walt Disney’s* Alice In Wonderland” doesn’t make the alteration of a classic any more palatable to me.

I really hated “The Stinky Cheese Man,” — I guess I’m just an anachronism/curmudgeon/oldfart whose opinion probably isn’t welcome here ;-)

]]> By: kip w http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-273445 kip w Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-273445 Mary Blair's got class, but my favorite non-Tenniel illustrations for Alice were by David Hall, also for Disney development. Some of them are in <i>Treasures of Disney Animation Art</i>, a super volume that catalogs a show I once stumbled onto at the Whitney when I was looking for something else. I should scan me some of that. There were other concepts as well. I have a 1949 10" LP of a Ginger Rogers version of Alice that boasts a bit of <a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/149/355777461_038d7af690_b.jpg" rel="nofollow">Disney art on the cover</a>. (Link goes to scanned version on my flickr page.) Mary Blair’s got class, but my favorite non-Tenniel illustrations for Alice were by David Hall, also for Disney development. Some of them are in Treasures of Disney Animation Art, a super volume that catalogs a show I once stumbled onto at the Whitney when I was looking for something else. I should scan me some of that.

There were other concepts as well. I have a 1949 10″ LP of a Ginger Rogers version of Alice that boasts a bit of Disney art on the cover. (Link goes to scanned version on my flickr page.)

]]> By: djmaxdare http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-273202 djmaxdare Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-273202 I didn't actually say anyone was grumpy for the reasons you state, Diamond Jim, nor did I mean to direct my comments solely at Android. I just thought two or three of the commenters seemed surprisingly negative about what is essentially a pretty art book featuring a couple of beloved children's story creators. And, for the record, Android didn't simply say he thought Alice didn't need retelling. He said "abridging Carrol's text is disrespectful in itself, regardless how it's done..." As I said in my own comment (which I'm guessing you skimmed rather than read), I don't agree. I sort of doubt Dodgson would have agreed, either, since the story was adapted for the stage in his lifetime, and he himself abridged it for a younger audience. In particular I would expect he'd have liked Scieszka, who's a fellow teacher and math-lover. But we can never know. I didn’t actually say anyone was grumpy for the reasons you state, Diamond Jim, nor did I mean to direct my comments solely at Android. I just thought two or three of the commenters seemed surprisingly negative about what is essentially a pretty art book featuring a couple of beloved children’s story creators.

And, for the record, Android didn’t simply say he thought Alice didn’t need retelling. He said “abridging Carrol’s text is disrespectful in itself, regardless how it’s done…” As I said in my own comment (which I’m guessing you skimmed rather than read), I don’t agree.

I sort of doubt Dodgson would have agreed, either, since the story was adapted for the stage in his lifetime, and he himself abridged it for a younger audience. In particular I would expect he’d have liked Scieszka, who’s a fellow teacher and math-lover. But we can never know.

]]> By: reberhart http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-272957 reberhart Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-272957 "Blair's art was never used, alas".... What? I'm pretty sure that is incorrect. Here is her concept for the queen: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pekochan/1315082928/in/set-72157600087571854/. That's pretty close to the final look in the film. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if her color palettes, if not her designs, were used elsewhere in the film. “Blair’s art was never used, alas”…. What? I’m pretty sure that is incorrect. Here is her concept for the queen: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pekochan/1315082928/in/set-72157600087571854/. That’s pretty close to the final look in the film. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if her color palettes, if not her designs, were used elsewhere in the film.

]]> By: djmaxdare http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-272961 djmaxdare Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-272961 Wow, there really are some grumpy people on BB. I thought I should post my deep appreciation for Jon Scieszka, Mary Blair, Carrol's original text, and this book. I've never understood arguments of the sort that claim that adaptations like this one are disrespectful, or a threat to the original. The original is ubiquitous, and in no danger of being usurped by this book. I'm confused by the claim that Blair's "art was never used." Her concept art for Alice seems to me to have had a pretty strong and obvious influence on the final film. And given that it WAS concept art or preproduction art, that was it's intended purpose–as influence and inspiration, not as finished animation. Wow, there really are some grumpy people on BB. I thought I should post my deep appreciation for Jon Scieszka, Mary Blair, Carrol’s original text, and this book. I’ve never understood arguments of the sort that claim that adaptations like this one are disrespectful, or a threat to the original. The original is ubiquitous, and in no danger of being usurped by this book.

I’m confused by the claim that Blair’s “art was never used.” Her concept art for Alice seems to me to have had a pretty strong and obvious influence on the final film. And given that it WAS concept art or preproduction art, that was it’s intended purpose–as influence and inspiration, not as finished animation.

]]> By: Diamond Jim http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-273084 Diamond Jim Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-273084 Android can speak for him- or herself, but I'm at a loss to understand why one has to be "grumpy" to dislike the work of Jon Scieszka, or to think that Lewis Carroll told Alice's story quite well enough that it stands in no need of retelling. (Though if you insist on a retelling, Dennis Potter did it right years ago, in his script for the criminally underrated <i>Dreamchild</i>. Android can speak for him- or herself, but I’m at a loss to understand why one has to be “grumpy” to dislike the work of Jon Scieszka, or to think that Lewis Carroll told Alice’s story quite well enough that it stands in no need of retelling. (Though if you insist on a retelling, Dennis Potter did it right years ago, in his script for the criminally underrated Dreamchild.

]]> By: Halloween Jack http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-272874 Halloween Jack Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-272874 Weird-ass, indeed. That rabbit hole looks almost... vaginal. Also, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Scieszka">the "retelling" author</a> is simply great. Weird-ass, indeed. That rabbit hole looks almost… vaginal. Also, the “retelling” author is simply great.

]]> By: bulletproofheeb http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-272875 bulletproofheeb Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-272875 It should also be noted that the retelling is done by none other than Jon Scieszka. He's the brilliant mind that wrote The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Stinky Cheese Man and the Time Warp Trio books. It should also be noted that the retelling is done by none other than Jon Scieszka. He’s the brilliant mind that wrote
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Stinky Cheese Man and the Time Warp Trio books.

]]> By: Baldhead http://boingboing.net/2008/09/02/-when-disney-conceiv.html#comment-272891 Baldhead Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 #comment-272891 i think i like the art they went with better. But that could just be my childhood talking. i think i like the art they went with better. But that could just be my childhood talking.

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