Dante's Heart

The Zombie Bible

2011-10-19T21:32:00.000-07:00

New from Dante's Heart: the Zombie Bible. The official launch of this series is December 3, 2011 -- but if you've been following and reading Dante's Heart for a while, you can get an early look by visiting the Zombie Bible website or by ordering the e-book edition of the first volume, Death Has Come Up into Our Windows (at Amazon or Smashwords).

Stant Litore's new series sets out to retell biblical tales as tales of wrestling with the unquiet dead; in so doing, the novels and novellas in the Zombie Bible seek to recover the sense of horror and wonder that these tales once evoked...

Take a look. Death Has Come Up into Our Windows is an evocative and chilling read, with scenes both violent and sweet. If you do not own an e-reader, you can download a PDF from Smashwords. The books will also be out in paperback a little later.

From one of Dante's Heart's fiction editors:

"The Zombie Bible isn't just another zombie-story knockoff intended to make sure we turn on all our lights at 2am and keep an axe handy just in case one of the dead happens to break through our deadbolt. The Zombie Bible also wrestles with profound issues: the meaning of life, the meaning of death, the profound inadequacies and desperate triumphs of the human condition, the experience of terrible loss and the possibility of wonders gained beyond all expectation. It is a meditation on history and human nature, on justice and one man's struggle with his God. Like all good literature, it is about you and me and the past as a window into the present. It is a mirror in which we can see something of ourselves, and if we see something of our own ravenous hunger there or the sound of our own occasional cry despair (or hope), it is only because The Zombie Bible is saying something true to us. Shall we listen? I would not have thought zombie stories could be this good, or this profound."

And an early comment on Amazon from a reader:

"It grabs you from the first line and doesn't let go. And the line 'God wept behind her veil in the Temple while the dead ate the city' is right up there with classic horror movie lines such as 'Death has come to your little town, sheriff' and 'They're coming to get you, Barbara.'"

This read is not for the faint-hearted, but also not to be missed. The second volume in the series, What Our Eyes Have Witnessed, will be available in December.

"Like the Finest Wine"

2011-07-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

Some of you have probably read Christine Emmert's novella Lilith (available on Amazon Kindle), the haunting tale of a woman to whom the primeval demon/goddess Lilith appears in the form of an owl, laying claim to the life of her infant as the price of knowledge and the completion of her work.

Lilith strikes sweet wounds to the heart of any mother who has ever wakened in the middle of the night fearing for her child's safety, or any artist who has labored to complete a long work and felt the weight of unexpected sacrifices.

We were so taken with this story that we turned to author and playwright Christine Emmert this week to learn more about the creator of Lilith.

Christine, what made you want to write Lilith?

It was an odd crossroads of buying a book on Medieval Mythology and a barn owl that was living in our open-air garage when we moved to the country. Lilith has many sides. She is the woman who would not bow down to a patriarchal universe. All women have that wish not to defer born into them as little girls. We suppress it as we grow up and evolve into members of a society, but freedom still tastes like the finest wine to us.

Could you tell us -- what is your own favorite moment in Lilith? The moment that sits with you most deeply when you close your eyes?

When her husband tells her to paint Lilith. My husband is a visual artist, and he can often depict visually what I cannot say in words. The depth of the visual is stunning and scary at the same time.

I couldn't agree more. What writers do you admire?

I love Katherine Harrison. I think her novel POISON is one of the finest pieces of writing I ever read. I also admire Steven Saylor for his historical fiction -- especially THE VENUS THROW which seems to understand the weaving of good and evil in us on a level that is heart rending.

My friend, Stephanie Cowell, who also writes historical fiction is a big inspiration to me in the depth at which she looks at the lives of famous people. Of course I love Shakespeare who could make us sympathize with the blackest heart or make us laugh at our own foolishness. Erica Jung's poetry as well leaves me speechless before her honesty.

What else inspires you as a writer -- what gives you energy?

I have always found myth as a great source of inspiration. Myth expresses what is behind the great curtain in simple ways we can understand, even if we can't verbalize it. My animals too help me since I must always try harder to see what they want than what people want. To be really syrupy I have to say love inspires me. I could not do what I do without the support of my husband. Before I met him I drowned in my dreams rather than swam through them to the far shore.

What is next for you after Lilith?

I write plays...and just finished one on Mary Magdalene that I would love to see produced. It is a very different take on what has become an overly familiar story. In addition I want to write more on the mythology of the East. Buddha and the heritage from his teachings has given me new ways of looking at the world. I began a novel, THE DAKINI IN THE CAVE, that braids many myths together.

Thank you, Christine. And thank you, our readers, for listening. We hope that you will each make it to the far shore in the pursuit of your own visions. Please check out Lilith, and watch for future titles from Dante's Heart.

Daniel Fusch, Ph.D
Senior Editor, Dante's Heart Publications
Author, Zombie Bible
Father, Dances with Grownups
editors@dantesheart.com

Mythology of the West

2011-07-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

American mythology is often focused on the wild west and the westward expansion. The west is still considered the frontier where known hits unknown. Tales of the wild west fill books and the movie screen. However, with many modern re-telling's of mythological stories, there is also a re-spinning to add a bit of flair. This is were wild west meets just plain weird. Weird-west tales have found their own niche. One of the best examples being Robert Rodriguez's "From Dusk Til Dawn."

The first half the film reads like any other western. There is your upstanding sheriff, innocent bystanders, and highway robbers. As to be expected the aforementioned robbers attempt to rob a bank, take hostages, and try to get away from the law. Rodriguez follows the mythological pattern to a T, until (Spoilers!) the vampires decide to show up. There is no longer a good-guy bad-guy dynamic. It is man verses monster. The vampire tropes are as you would expect: crosses, holy water, blood drinking, etc. As separate pieces the two genres are typical and common. The genius is in the blending.

Just like America is the melting pot, our modern mythologies are melting pots as well. It is not enough to be a vampire tale or a western. It is the combination that makes the weird-west worth looking into.

Celebrating the Forth,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Lilith (Christine Emmert): A Dante's Heart Publication

2011-04-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Lilith: The Night Owl

Christine Emmert

Dante's Heart, 2011

The enemy of every hearth, Lilith visits homes and devours children. When a graduate student writing a thesis on Lilith meets the demoness in the shape of a barn owl, she sees the perfect research opportunity ... until she learns Lilith is hungry for her child! Will Evelyn be able to protect her son from the owl's tearing beak and dark heart? Will she be able to keep her husband from falling to Lilith's wiles? Will she be able to learn who -- and what -- Lilith is in time to save her child, her marriage, and her mind?

Price: $1.99
Availability: Amazon Kindle; if you don't own a Kindle, download Amazon's free app for your PC (apps are also available for smartphones, android, iPad, etc.)
Print Length: 25 pages

***

The editors of Dante's Heart are pleased to announce the first in a line of Dante's Heart e-books. Check it out! It's a haunting tale that has been on my mind frequently since I read it. If you read it, too, let us know what you think!

Daniel Fusch, Ph.D
Senior Editor, Dante's Heart
www.dantesheart.com
editors@dantesheart.com

Yuri's Night

2011-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

So much of mythology is told using the night sky. The sun was pushed across the sky by a scarab beetle in one culture, and the moon was brought up with a Chariot in another Our stars tell stories, a picture book for a time before books . Our heroes danced over our heads and guided us. Our Messiahs were born under auspicious skies. We dreamed of gods and demons above us. Then we looked deeper still.

Early telescopes led to the belief of channels on Mars and the myth of the Martian. Venus with it cloud held a hidden womb of fertile jungle paradise. Then fifty years ago, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to be launched into outer space. This cosmonaut was the first man to enter the realm of our mythological gods. He is honored with his own night, "Yuri's Night", which celebrates space exploration and the desire to reach higher and farther. Yuri Gargarin was the first in a new set of mythology, Space Walker. He and others like him are our new Shamans bringing new gods and lore for us to enjoy.

So take the opportunity tonight to look up into the never-ending sky and feel the magic of it.

Star Watching,
J.R. West the Raccoon

For more information go to http://yurisnight.net/

Post-Apocalyptic Mythology Part 1: What is worth holding onto in the vast wasteland?

2010-10-03T15:20:00.000-07:00

When the world ends our trash will become treasures. Things that seem so important to daily life will no longer be of value, and things that we forgot or threw away will be gold. So when the world is over what is important? The film "The book of Eli" attempts to answer that question. The main character has a pack that he refuses to part with, and perhaps on the surface level that pack is important because of the titular book it holds. However, that pack is important for many more reasons beyond the book. Eli's livelihood is within that pack. Every character has objects that are of extreme importance in this post-apocalyptic world. So what would you need?

Of the three characters who remember the world before their needs vary greatly. The villain needs weapons, of all types. He is a collector of gasoline, armored cars, and fast vehicles. He has his own army well equip with bullets which are exceedingly rare, and has a town at his disposable trapped by his hidden water cache (which is what is most desired by all people). But despite all this power and wealth, he is desperately looking for the one weapon which he needs most. The female from the before times only needs her daughter's safety. Finally, Eli has a few possessions which he treats with religious devotion. First is his iPod, which seems to be the only way he sleeps at night. Second, his machete which is cleaned and sharpened with the same care one gives a lover. And lastly, of course, is his book, the sole reason for his existence.

This is a culture stores that puts the highest price on things like soaps, lip balm, and shampoo. Lighters are a dime a dozen, but nice clothing is hard to get. Guns are carried without bullets and most people travel by foot as gas is only for the powerful. Everything is hoarded with the hopes of a good trade, if for nothing else, for water. However, the two main characters who were not from the before time require less tangible things. The main henchman just wants a woman, and the main girl desires anything more than she has. It is not things she needs but ideas. Her hopeless world is too empty for her.

This post-apocalyptic world is complex and interesting. It shows the human interactions in the trade, theft, and gifting of possessions, which may not be necessary for life, but are for living.

I give the entire tale a 4 out of 5.

Holding tightly onto her beloved book,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Those Dead Sure Do Get Around

2010-09-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

The Dead, or living dead, or animated corpses, or unconsecrated, or zombies, or whatever the kids are calling them these days, sure do get around. Zombies are everywhere you look these days. There are nazi zombies, female man-hating zombies, and you have zombies in America, England, etc. With so many zombies how does one find the stories that are worth while, not the ones that have gratuitous violence with a sprinkling of naked chicks? I have luckily found two comics which are both based on novels and both wonderful. The first is a graphic novel version of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" and the second is a companion graphic novel to the "World War Z" universe, "The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks". I have read "Pride and Prejudice", seen the movie, and read a graphic novel version; however, the comic "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" is by far my favorite version to date. Unfortunately, I have yet to read the book "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" (which I can only assume to be equally as good). "World War Z" is also on my list of books to read, but until then "The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks" will have to do. If you are looking for fun with Zombies and comics, these are the way to go.

The "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" graphic novel is adapted by Tony Lee and illustrated by Cliff Richards. Originally written by Jane Austin and Seth Grahame-Smith, I cannot comment on how well the story translated from text to comic, but I can comment on the final comic product. The graphic novel is hilarious. Imagine that ever slow part of “Pride and Prejudice” is changed by adding zombies. The whole Collins-Charlotte episode is improved by the minister’s wife is slowly decaying into the undead. Instead of a stuffy battle of words between Lady Catherine and Lizzy, it is a battle to the death with swords. There is never a moment that I wished there were not zombie hordes roaming England. The Bennet sisters are greatly improved with their newfound zombie fighting skills. The excessive violence is what Jane Austin needed in her original. The art was well done, with unique shading that reflected the darkness of the world and the characters in this new version. I must say that overall "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" is a vast improvement.

"The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks" is written by Max Brooks, the zombie expert who brought the world "World War Z" and "The Zombie Survival Guide." “The Recorded Attacks" is a well thought out addition to the mythos that Max Brooks had created. Spanning from prehistory to modern day and the outbreak that caused World War Z, the presence of Zombie’s in the world is clear. The story telling is fresh and a nice blend of myth, plausible history, and zombie-tastic fun. Avatar Press takes care of the illustrations, which are plenty gruesome and just realistic enough that at times I want to turn my head away. The story telling and images work well together to create an interesting tale.

So, if Zombie is on the menu, instead of a hack and slash Zombie IV film, try one of these comics. They will not disappoint.

Sharpening her Machete to fight undead hordes,
J.R. West the Raccoon

American Mythology

2010-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

For the special 4th of July post, I want to wish my fellow Americans Happy "Independence Day” (Happy "Forth of July" to everybody else). This day is one of my top holidays, it's no Halloween, but it's a good one. I love my country, and I am proud to say I'm a patriot. I believe in the core doctrine of the land and salute my flag. I am not an "'Amurka' is spelled F-R-E-E-D-O-M" patriot, but we can't all be. I want to take this moment to look at what America has given the world in terms of mythology. As a ridiculously young country, most of our mythology is stolen, borrowed or adapted. As such, purely American myths are few and far between, but as the years go by they grow in number. Our oldest myths belong to the west and the spirit of exploration. In fact these myths are so a part of our culture that they are typically forgotten. I'm talking about Tall Tales.

Elementary students hear about the exploits of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox, John Henry, Johnny Appleseed, and Pecos Bill. Unfortunately, when asked about these figures later without a small bit of prompting they typically forget many of them. The region that you are from does influence which of these tall tale heroes you are most familiar with. In the Midwest Paul Bunyan is all the rage, his statue is all over Wisconsin. The Michigan vs. Michigan state football game winner gets a Paul Bunyan trophy. The Wisconsin vs. Minnesota game winner gets Paul Bunyan’s axe. As a Lumberjack his story is intertwined with the history of the region. Pecos Bill is a cowboy through and through and is the reason for the Lone Star of Texas. John Henry proved that the American dream is stronger than any machine as he drove steel for the railroads. Johnny Appleseed is so ingrained in the American mind that even the Girl Scouts have a song about him that they sing before meals from time to time. Johnny also has the distinction of being a real man whose life has been remember through myth. There are many other American men (and women) of legend. They continue to shape our modern mythology (e.g. “Steel” of DC comics is a modern take on John Henry).

So on this 4th of July, this day of Independence in America, take a moment to think of those mythic heroes who embody the ideals of this country.

Enjoying the holiday,
J.R. West the Raccoon

September Issue: Calling for Art

2010-06-10T14:13:00.000-07:00

Announcement:

Dante's Heart (www.dantesheart.com) will release its long-awaited fourth issue in early September, 2010. There will be a section devoted to trickster figures, as well as a richness of other work.

We are currently seeking art -- all media are welcome, but we will publish digitally online -- both for the issue's cover and interior. Art focused on trickster figures is welcome, but we will also consider anything relevant to fairytale, myth, folklore, fantasy, or the moment of wonder.

Please spread the word! Interested artists should contact me or submit work at editors@dantesheart.com.

Daniel Fusch, Ph.D
Editor, Dante's Heart
editors@dantesheart.com

Music and Fantasy

2010-05-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

Nightfall
Quietly it crept in
And changed us all
-Blind Guardian

When contemplating fantasy music it is often the instrumental pieces, like those heard in the new Lord of the Rings Trilogy that come to mind. However fantasy has had a long and comfortable home in Heavy Metal. Many Metal artists are nerds, the coolest nerds ever, but never-the-less nerds. The Metallica song "Things That Should Not Be" was inspired by H.P. Lovecraft's "Old Ones". Led Zeppelin also gave a fantasy twist to much of their music, with a number of songs based on the Lord of The Rings (i.e. "Over the Hills and Far Away", "Misty Mountain Hop", "The Battle of Evermore," and "Ramble On"). While many thrash metal, heavy metal, and general metal artists will have a song here or there about the fantasy world, there is one type of metal that is based primarily on fantasy. Power metal is inspired by the world of the fantastic.

According to metal-archives.com, there are over 5000 power metal bands in the world. Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that combines traditional and speed metal elements, and is often more symphonic in nature. Along with a similar music style, power metal songs tend to share the same theme, fantasy and magic. Elvenking takes not only their name from the fantastic, but their songs include those same elements. Elves, dragons, kingdoms, and magic all appear in power metal songs. For example Evenking's “The Perpetual Knot” uses language reminiscent of highly magical days of Viking days of yore:
"Walking the trails of the perpetual knot
Search for the fibres,
the dwelling light net of Wyrd
Roaming souls on branch of Mother Earth"
Dragonland, while also conjuring old English settings, delves right into fantasy in their song “Majesty of the Mithril Mountains”:
"The time of wonders has come
The Dragons soaring high."

If Viking movies and novels are up your alley, or you just want something which brings you back to the magic of old, Power metal is the way to go.

Rocking it out with Elves,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Post-Apocalyptic Mythology: A Brief Introduction

2010-04-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a whimper.
—T.S. Eliot, "The Hollow Men" (1925)

Humanity has long had an obsession with death, from stories of the undead to quests for immortality. The only seemingly sure thing, death, has plagued the human consciousness. However, the death of the individual is not the only death that Humans worry about. Like creation myth, many cultures have their own end of the world mythology. The Christian faith has revelations which speak of devastating war and destruction, where as the Mayans have the world ending in different cycles with different methods. Story tellers have imagined into existence millions of ways to end the world. But the world's end is not the end of the story.

With the world over, the logical question is “what's next?” The issue of the post-apocalyptic world has its’ own set of mythologies. Some myths are quite old belonging to ancient cultures. For example, Christian Revelations puts the post apocalyptic world in a paradise. Modern writers, more often than not, do not share that cheery end of the world. As varied as the ways the world dies, are the ways humans handle what's left. They can escape to space or underground, evolve to fit the new world or an imagination’s worth of other possibilities. These myths are in some ways more compelling than the end of the world scenario that spawned them.

If this is the way the world ends, then what happens next?

Looking beyond the end,
J.R West the Raccoon

A Cure for Exhaustion

2010-03-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

Tonight the editor of Dante's Heart is rummaging the house to find a cure for exhaustion. He remembers having seen it before, a tiny little quartz bottle with a cork stopper, an heirloom from his great-grandmother. He remembers the liquid inside sounds like the humming of bees when you shake up the bottle.

Long Ago Far Away

2010-03-08T22:17:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,

I have been delighted to find a few clips on youtube (here is one below) of a television series I grew up with, Long Ago Far Away. This series of animated fairytales (using every medium from line drawing to stop animation) was often introduced or narrated by James Earl Jones of Darth Vader fame.

This wonderful series of fairy tales was a delight of my childhood. Definitely take a look at this clip of "Janko Raven" - you will be enchanted!

Does anyone know, by any chance, where recordings of "Long Ago Far Away" can be located/purchased? My machete-hunting through the wild ferns of Ebay has not turned up much....

Daniel
Editor, Dante's Heart

The Other Side of the Mirror

2010-02-22T12:16:00.000-08:00

Hatter M: The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor with Liz Cavalier and art by Ben Templesmith is a graphic novel based on a series of books with the same name. It is a reversal of the standard Alice in Wonderland. This Alice is a Wonderland princess lost in our mundane world. The characterization of the titular Hatter is spectacular as a royal guard of Wonderland appearing to be the definition of mad in our linear world. However, with his narration as a guide, he is easy to relate to. Additionally, the use of the art style and color in Templesmith's illustrations adds a new depth to the story, particularly to the characters. Beddor takes a familiar story and creates an intriguing and witty reversal.

The role of the hatter is much expanded from the original story. Instead of running a mad tea party this Hatter is Princess Alice's personal guard, trying to find her in a world that is far from the fantastic world he is used to. He replaces Alice as the focus and proves to be a brilliant character. His remarks at times are completely non-sequitur but appropriate in tone. Even his hat is more than a decoration; but instead is a bladed weapon he is well trained in using. It is a thrill to take the adventure with him.

The comic takes care to show visually the difference between those characters with ties to Wonderland and those who are terribly mundane. The hatter is draped in blue tones, colorful, but melancholy. Children who still imagine Wonderland are wrapped in bright colors and fanciful shapes. Adults not trapped by the lackluster of the normal world are colored while the rest are blue-gray, dull and lifeless. Very rarely are hard lines drawn; fuzzy curves dominate the art. Crisp definite boundaries are avoided; making the world feel dreamlike, as if the Hatter cannot accept our world as reality.

Hatter M: The Looking Glass War is a refreshing take on the classical tale. The artistic choices are brilliant and reversing Alice's role makes an interesting variation. Finally, the use of the Hatter as the protagonist caps this lovely comic. I give it a 4 out of 5.

On the wrong side of the Rabbit Hole,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Congratulations to our Art Editor and Editor-in-Chief

2010-02-02T08:46:00.000-08:00

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate two of the staff members on the addition to their family. I wish them all the happiness in the world and send all my love to their new little girl, River.

With Love,
J.R. West

Anita Blake: Excelling in multiple forms

2009-12-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter's Guilty Pleasures and Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. Hamilton convert cleanly from book to graphic novel. This is due to the conversational nature of the story which matches the common comic book style. Additionally, the comic illustrator Brett Booth took care to match Hamilton's colorful description. The Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series is possibly the most accurate translation from comic to novel.

In both novels, Guilty Pleasures and Laughing Corpse Anita Blake narrates, her voice is a casual inner monologue which doesn't edit for the reader. This style almost exactly matches the style in the square narration boxes of comics. Her interior thought are highly reminiscent of Spiderman and Deadpool. They cleanly translate into the narration of a comic. It was almost as if Hamilton knew her novel was going to become a comic. In addition, to the voice of the narrator, Hamilton gives ample description of her world. Her illustrative description is almost enough for a sketch artist. The exact skin tone, hair type and color, body shape and size, and over all body language is covered in high detail. The illustrator is given a clear guide for each character. Booth takes the description and flawless converts it into images.

It was a thrill to both read the comic and novel version of the two stories, Guilty Pleasures and Laughing Corpse. I would recommend reading one version if you like the other.

Always looking for good comics
JR West the Raccoon

Petsalad: The art of coin cutting

2009-12-02T03:37:00.000-08:00

Time flies.... For weeks I have wanted to share with you all my latest discoveries in the wonderful world of art, but work has kept me up lately as we all prepare ourselves for the Christmas period. I still just have a little time but I had to share with you this shop named: Petsalad.
I must admit it was, at first, not the work which caught my eye, but a small description of the shop showing at the top of the page. It said: "What Rob does when he's not playing banjo". Well, you can understand this made me very curious.

When I took a better look at Rob's shop I realized that the pendants I saw were actually coins. It was the first time in my life I came in contact with the art of cutting coins and I was absolutley blown away by the detail and beauty of these little pieces of art.
Though all these coins are beauties, the coin featuring St. George is the most stunning of all. It is hard to belief that these pendants are made with nothing more then a jewelers saw. No electricity or whatsoever is used during the process.

So, now you know what Rob does when he is not playing banjo....

Images of Beowulf Part 2: Animation Creation

2009-11-16T16:55:00.000-08:00

The 2007 Beowulf movie directed by Robert Zemeckis is a computer generated animation film. The film endeavored to be different in both story and animation style. It takes liberty with the plot of the original Beowulf legend under the guise of portraying the "truth" behind the epic; assuming that the old English version is an oral tale that was distorted with time. The film is built on the idea that no man is perfect and the "real" Beowulf was flawed. This premise proves interesting, since literary the Beowulf was nearly perfect. I think that this assumption improves the story greatly, since the traditional tales of how Kings are remembered are rarely synonymous with not how they truly were. Furthermore, many of the side characters give the movie an unexpected depth, especially the Queen, who survived three corrupt rulers. She was one of the only genuinely good characters and a true pleasure to watch.

However, even though the story was enjoyable, the animation was not. In an attempt at realism, the 3D computer animation mimics real people, using actors as models and then animating over. This tactic failed. The main characters felt fake, with the stress on realism becoming a distraction. Instead of falling into the world of the film, every flaw in the recreation of the actors kept the view at arm's length. Moreover, the side characters are caricatures of people that barely fit in the world created. While the animation failed in its portrayal of people, the monsters were fantastic. Both Grendel's and the dragon's forms were a blend of the expected and the creative. Grendel is a humanoid with a unique physical feature that clearly explains his hatred for humans, in contrast with Grendel's mother who is a modern portrait of the perfect feminine form. She is curvaceous with gentle and delicate hands. Her monstrous feet and tail are reminiscent of a Judeo-Christian demon. She is clearly a Lilith type creature, as referenced in the original tale, beautiful and deadly. If only the majority of the film could have focused on the monsters, it might have been spectacular.

Since it did not, I give the animation a 2 out of 5 and the story a 3.5 out of 5.

Still waiting to be impressed by Beowulf,
J.R. West the Raccoon

The Best Holiday Ever!

2009-11-01T19:12:00.000-08:00

With Halloween just past, I thought now would be perfect time to hit on a common figure currently saturating our culture: The Vampire. Therefore, I took a moment on this lovely holiday to assess the vampire overload in my own life.

Example 1:
Midnight Opera by Hans Steinbach is a OEL (original English language) manga. The main character is a guitar playing vampire with a nemesis for an older brother. The first manga in the series was decent enough, but I have not gone through the trouble of finding the next.

Example 2:
Vampire Wars is a facebook application which doubles as a game. You create a gothic vampire avatar who then completes missions for his or her clan. You can fight other vampires in an old world based gaming style. It is a basic game, but I do love collecting pieces for my avatar.

Example 3:
Foxtrot had a brilliant comment on Twilight's destruction of the traditional vampire last Sunday. And as much as I love Twilight, I agree with Jason. Nothing beats the traditional Nosferatu.

Example 4:
The Vampire Diaries is a CW television show for teenagers. It is a cliché story of girl lover’s vampire, but he thinks he is wrong for her. There is even a nemesis brother; it really is just another Twilight. The only saving grace is that the vampire looks far more vampire-like than the guy that plays Edward in the Twilight movies.

This is just a quick guide to my recent encounters with vampires. It does not include the wide number of book, movie, and comics surrounding vampires, or even the White Wolf role-playing game. Take a moment and count the number of vampire inspired things in your life, you will be amazed.

Loved the Recent Holiday,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Luonnotar

2009-10-26T18:21:00.001-07:00

Dear readers,

This is very worth a look -- a setting of Sibelius' tone poem Luonnotar to some beautiful video photography of northern Finland and the Arctic:

Those of you new to this particular piece can read more about Luonnotar here. I had quite forgotten how beautiful this composition was, and the video above reminded me.... Watching the end of it particularly, those towering mountains of ice in the sea, while listening to Sibelius' music, one feels in the presence of an old and terrible beauty.

Few traditions have spoken (or sung) of the beauty of singing and the power of song as the Scandinavians have:

The old man said from the stove:
'Here there has been heard
either heard or seen
ever in this world
no better singing
no more careful cunning man
than when I cooed, I
carolled as a younger man
sang upon the bay's waters
and echoed upon the heaths
cuckoo-called in the spruces
recited in the backwoods.
My voice was great and graceful
my tone very fair:
as a river then it ran
as a stream it flashed
travelled like a ski on snow
a sailing ship on the waves.
But now I cannot recite
nor this can I rightly tell--
what has stifled my great voice
laid my sweet voice low: now it
does not as a river run
nor as waves ripple, but it
is like a harrow among
treestumps, a pine on hard snow
like a sledge on seashore sands
a boat on dry rocks.'

(From the twenty-first book of the Finnish Kalevala, Keith Bosley's translation.)

Such of a love of song shines in modern singers from that region of the world, no less; ABBA's Thank You For the Music comes to mind.

Not that I want to sound superlative -- one might praise the American blues or a number of other traditions for their celebration of the way 'that nothing can capture the heart / as a melody can' as well as the Swedish or the Finnish. But something in me today longs for the subarctic.

Dante's Heart Art Contest - And Tricksters

2009-10-12T17:57:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

There are a lot of new plans for the first half of 2010 that I wanted to share with you! We have grown our team of editors, which means that we have also grown our ability to run new calls for submissions, contests, and other opportunities to invite fresh work. Here's what's coming:

Trickster Works

One of our fiction editors, Ashley Argyle, has this to say about tricksters in literature, art, and lore: "Tricksters live in a world of ambiguity and chaos. They know no boundaries--with nowhere they can't go and nothing they can't do, they are oftentimes the world's ultimate creators and destroyers."

Dante's Heart invites you to explore the unruliness of the trickster and is calling for submissions featuring trickster works in all media -- literary or artistic, fiction or drama, photography or mixed media. Check here for more details; entries are due May 1, 2010 and the most compelling entries will be considered for a special edition of Dante's Heart.

(The artwork shown above is an interpretation of Wagner's Loki from the never-forgotten Arthur Rackham.)

Urban Fantasy Art Contest

As our first issue began with a range of mythopoeia and fairytale work, this year our art editor is interested in something (potentially) a bit grittier. Send us your best urban fantasy -- whether photography, drawing, painting, or other -- we are open to all visual art forms. Submissions must be digital, though the original medium need not be. Previously unpublished work only.

Check for the contest rules here. Entries are due April 30, 2010, and will be judged by Jessica Fusch, Dante's Heart art editor and owner of Seaelven Studios.

(The image pictured above is Sandow Birk's Inferno, an urban interpretation of Dante's Divine Comedy.)

Spread the word -- and we look forward to seeing what appears in our inbox!

With great joy and a sense of play,

The Editors,
Dante's Heart
www.dantesheart.com

Faye Stories Part 5: Spinning Spider Stories

2009-09-12T14:06:00.000-07:00

There is nothing like telling old fairy tales with a new twist. My father used to tell me a story where the Big Bad Wolf was a man named Abdul from Cleveland. Marvel has done the same thing, but instead of naming a wolf after a Basketball player, they have put Peter Parker into famous fairy tales from around the world.

"Spider-Man Fairy Tales", written by C.B. Cebulski, is a collection of four stories: "Off the Beaten Path", "The Spirit of Friendship", "Eclipse", and "What You Wish For". These are retellings of "Little Red Riding Hood", "Anansi the Spider God", "Tsuchigumo the Japanese Spider Spirit," and "Cinderella". The stories chosen to be retold says a lot about the character of Spider-Man. Spider-Man, who was destined to be the Totem of the Spider, flawlessly translates into the role of Anansi and Tsuchigumo,they are both totems in their own culture. The spider and the spider-man is not unique to marvel or western culture. The animal exists around the world and has continually captivated imaginations, and therefore, it was right and proper to include tales from around the world.

With the more western tales of "Little Red Riding Hood" and "Cinderella", the comic has its own flare. With Mary Jane as a strong Riding Hood and Peter as a timid woodsmen they work together to save the day. Their teamwork reflects some of their better relationship moments in the comics. Peter then takes on the role of Cinderella to the Osborne family, with Mary Jane as his helper in making it to the ball. Following the Spider-man mythos, the Princess dies while Mary Jane pines for Peter. While keeping the main elements of the Cinderella tale, the comic is loyal to the Spider-man Mythos.

"Spider-Man Fairy Tales" is a creative collection of known stories with a marvel twist. While the graphic novel is a fairly quick read it is worth picking up. Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5.

Watching for Spiders,
J.R. West the Raccoon

The Myth of the Dark Knight

2009-09-04T19:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight while channel flipping I found “Batman Unmasked: Psychology” on Hist-1 at 8pm EST. The nerd in me had to watch. The episode had psychology experts, DC editors and writers, literary experts and other professionals. They gave their opinions of the mythology behind the Batman.

I found that some of the experts offered interesting insights into Batman. There of course was the main question, who is the real man: Batman or Bruce Wayne. The creators of the batman comics, as well as, the psychologists could not agree. As a general trend the creators claim he is Batman, which I agree with, however the psychologists felt that Bruce Wayne’s past and humanity was of more importance.

Additionally, they give insight on Batman’s villains (the rogue’s gallery). His enemies are sociopaths, narcissist, and the worst of humanity. The experts showed how his enemies are his opposites, with their personality flaws causing villainous habits. Each villain is compared to real-live villains and their form of psychosis. The villain that gets the most focus is of course the Joker. A villain with a completely evil nature whose main goal is the corruption of others. He is a Batman without any morals, causing mayhem for his own twisted amusement. His every desire plays out without care. He lives to entertain himself with suffering. The villains are the darkest, most vile traits of humanity.

Batman is a hero to us because his lives in a world built out of the most horrible parts of our reality. His world may be a dark reflection of our own, but it only makes him shine so might brighter. The mythology of Batman differs from other superheroes because he is a hero dwelling in a world where only monsters can thrive. We cheer for a man that in reality would horrify us if we ever actually encountered him. His world puts him in a hero’s cowl not a murder’s ski mask.

Reading my Batman comics again,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Madame Aradia

2009-08-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

Madame Aradia is a wonderful artist I discovered only recently. Her work depicts the most dark, haunted and fabulous scenes. Some of her works are illustrated folktales, others are inspired by the world of fairies and fairytales and then there are those which come from her own imaginination. But all of them are simply beautiful and make us long to hear the story behind it. Luckily, Madame Aradia tells us about the tales behind her work at her DeviantArt page, so we can not only enjoy her works of art but also read about the characters depicted in her work.

(story can be found here)

Besides making art Madame Aradia spends her time as a garden-witch. At her website you can find articles on magic, folklore and symbolism connected with plants and flowers accompanied by photographs of her own garden.

It is a true pleasure reading her articles and watching her art works. I am certain most of you will love it!

Well, that is unfortunate.

2009-08-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

Today an interesting new report came out on the website http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8206280.stm. A British mathematician has published research on zombie outbreaks, and it does not look good for humanity. However, it is not the results that interest me as much as the research itself.

As a fellow researcher and theorist, I often have to defend the use of my research. However, when scientists look into the likelihood of humanity surviving a zombie attack, the news makes sure to report it. Zombies, while scary as all get out, are not the most pressing concern of humanity, and I wonder the usefulness at this research (as I have yet to see a zombie). It does not have initially apparent uses; however as a culture, zombie-ism is an important issue. It is a fear that has been in western culture for centuries. The dead walking is a basic human horror and it is possible that the research could help. Except of course, that this study shows that the zombies could easily win. Nevertheless, even this seemingly useless study relates to outbreaks of rapidly spreading diseases that could infect large numbers of people. The algorithms used to track the spread of zombies, could also be used to track the spread of flues.

Power to the researchers who got funding for zombie research; I hope that the information does more than just amuse the masses.

Researching something other than Zombies,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Myths Attending the Total Solar Eclipse of July 22, 2009

2009-07-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

CNN's coverage of the total solar eclipse visible from many parts of Asia included this item: "In Chinese tradition, there is a story about a heavenly dog eating the sun. As the story goes, people would make noise to scare off the dog and rescue the sun, said Bill Yeung, president of the Hong Kong Astronomical Society." This prompted me to try to find out a little more about this ancient story, and I ended up at iLearn, which provided the historical response of communities to this astronomical event viewed as a manifestation of a mythical tale:

"In ancient China it was a heavenly dog that ate the Sun. Whilst the heavenly dog is devouring the Sun (or moon during Lunar eclipse), people would set firecrackers, beat the drums and shout to chase the dog away.

"Of course, that was the past and people no longer believed in the heavenly dog. However, the term 天狗食日 ‘Heavenly Dog Devours Sun’ is still commonly used, retaining a romanticized sense of mystery in this rare astronomic spectacle."

Like many people, I'm all for the "romanticized sense of mystery" and only wish I could be there to witness it!

The enchanted art of Susan Schroder

2009-07-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Have you always dreamed about being a fairy for a day? Well, it is not as impossible at it seems. Susan Schroder, a wonderful photographer and artist, can actually make your dream come true!

I greatly admire her work for quite some time now. Her eye for detail, her talent to create the most enchanting scenes and her endless imagination catches you in a moment visiting her gallery.
The images she creates are made with the utmost care and she has a great knowledge of the materials she works with. I think especially the later deserves much attention as Susan Schroder does all the photography herself. Backgrounds, models and even animals showing on the pictures are her own work. All fantasy elements are digitally painted and the most stunning of all; even most of the costumes are designed and made by her!

I don't think it is possible to put more love in your work then Susan Schroder does.

Magic of Comics

2009-07-20T18:34:00.000-07:00

f it is cliché to say, I believe a good story takes one into another world. Comic books have their own unique magic, and if a picture is worth a thousand words, then comics are the longest books out there. However the magic is not always in the comic book its self. Many collectors and fans of comics can remember how and where they received their first comic. It is a treasured memory for those who keep their comics wrapped in plastic. Comics can even remind us of our childhood and that is a magical awareness.

I had a rare opportunity recently. In order to thank a dear friend who has helped me over the years I decided to get her an Anita Blake comic. I knew she had read the books and thought she might enjoy the comic. Little did I realize, but the two comics I gave her were the first she had ever owned. This grown woman had such a smile on her face when I handed her the two comics, and explained their proper storage and the point of having the plastic wrapper. It was like watching a child on Christmas in a way. It was magic. More than the stories I review, I saw something special.

If you ever get the chance share your favorite comics, books, or stories with someone who has never seen them before, remember to spread the magic.

Enjoying simple pleasures,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Enjoying simple pleasures,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Celebrating Little Golden Books

2009-07-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

In her celebratory article "Picture Perfect," Claudia Anderson recaptures the joy of the Little Golden Books I remember so well from childhood. Then, I loved the pictures and the marvelous stories the illustrators transformed into paint and ink. So many of the ancient folk and fairy tales found their way into these lovely books. We always had The Saggy Baggy Elephant and Little Red Riding Hood for quiet moments. The exhibition, Original Art from 65 Years of Golden Books, will travel the U.S. through 2011.

Saints in Art

2009-06-04T12:02:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to France and while I was staying at the abbey of Sainte Odile I encountered many beautiful artworks; murals, sculptures and stained glass windows, depicting the lives of saints.These icons intrigued me so much I decided to do a feature on this subject once I arrived home.
We all know the traditional, Medieval & Byzantine style in which these religious works of art are made but how much do we know about religious art made by artists today?

It was quite a task, as I did not know any artists who 'specialize' in these matters, but eventually I managed to find a couple of artists who gave their interpretation.
So, here is a selection of all these great artworks I came across during my research.

(top) Left to (bottom) right;
Unexpected joy? , By Allie Hartley
Bittersweet, By Izabella Pierce
Carmelite nun, By Lord Theophilus Shadowblade
St. Charalambos, By Theodoros Patrinos
Saint Bernard de Clairvaux, By Benoît Billion

Bruno's Art and Sculpture Garden

2009-05-11T10:24:00.000-07:00

Some time ago, a friend sent me a slideshow of Bruno's Art and Sculpture Garden in Marysville, Victoria, Australia. Full of wonders, I knew I had to share it with you. What I did not then know was that the Marysville area was devastated by fire February 9, 2009, and Bruno's home and gallery were destroyed, along with much of the forest that was the site of the sculpture garden. There is a universal and needful message for us all in the lingering impact of the event and the response of Bruno and his friends: "We experienced a range of emotions upon making the discovery and some of these feelings can only be described as contradictory and unexpected. Despite the obvious personal impact of the carnage, we all agreed that there was still an undeniable beauty amongst it all. Seeing the sculptures standing bare and scorched against the stark landscape, somehow amplified the characters that Bruno captured in them. The sad ones seemed sadder. The contemplative ones appeared to be deeper in thought and carried heavier burdens. The characters that smiled at us from amongst the ashes, asked the hardest and most compelling question of all, ‘If we can smile whilst standing here burnt and battered, why can’t you?’" Please visit the website and its poignant "Rebuilding" page for your own experience.

Ledger of the Year's Dead

2009-05-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

In a rare gore read I stumbled upon the graphic novel "Dead High Yearbook." It is a collect of eight stories by variety of authors with two editors, Mark McVeigh and Ivan Velez. The authors portray the darker side of human nature at its worse, with each short focusing on both the problems and deaths of high school students. The narrators Zombie Boy and Zombie Girl delve into the lives of teenagers. The story takes common themes and presents them in an entirely new and unique way.

The earliest story focuses on outcasts and the pressure to fit in. The desire to be normal can ruin the goodness of a person. However the outcasts were not blameless either, they suffered from the same shallow desire to outcast others. Homophobia, pride and vanity, gang violence, romantic jealousy, familial obligations and academic stress are all issues addressed. In this story, death does not onlygo after those who need to be punished, but is indiscriminate and sends the dead to both heaven and hell. In the entire graphic novel, the most interesting twist is the back stories of Zombie Boy and Zombie Girl.

Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5 to this collection of interesting stories.

Not ready to be in that year book,
J.R. West the Raccoo

Magical Marionettes

2009-05-07T11:22:00.000-07:00

I have always loved dolls and puppets, small visions of fancy inviting our imaginations to invigorate them. Several years ago, I became acquainted with the Czech tradition of marionette-making and never fail to be enchanted by new creations based on folklore and old fairy stories. The Large Wizard from the Riki collection at Czech Marionettes in the Czech Republic just mesmerizes with his fantastic eyes!

Kundry's Inner World

2009-05-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

From all the 'worlds' I have visited, Kundry's Inner World must be one of the warmest and enchanted places I have ever been.
Fairies, mythical beasts, witches and sea gods are just a few of the things you can find when you are taking a trip through the marvellous landscapes of Kundry's Inner World.

Besides scenes which have been derived from the artists own imagination you can also find a large selection of illustrated fairy tales and myths, such as the stories of Odin, Baba Yaga and the Sandman which is shown below.

I don't know if it is because of the characters which are depicted, the bright colors used, the romantic scenes or if it is just her style which I so much adore, but these works are truly magical. I couldn't help dreaming away while looking at her work, stories simply arose in my mind and constantly I felt myself surrounded by a calm and warm feeling which didn't leave until I left Kundry's Inner World.

It is a world you must visit, though keep in mind it is hard to leave......

Faye Stories Part 4: What makes a Monster a Man?

2009-05-02T14:39:00.000-07:00

Alex Flinn's novel "Beastly" is a fresh new telling of the Beauty and the Beast story, that focuses on the Beast and his path to redemption. Even though it keeps some of the basic motifs; a mystical woman, the beast’s flowers, and the proverbial beauty, these traditional aspects are employed in unique way. This original story is well worth the read.

Kyle is your typical neglected rich kid, vain and showy. Except, he showed one bit of human kindness the night of his transformation. Due to that, the mystical woman who transformed him gave him the opportunity for redemption. While he was physical transformed, Kyle, now calling himself Adrian, goes through an internal transformation as well. Adrian the Beast goes through the typical change in view, and it is Adrian whom the reader comes to love. The story makes the Adrian into a worth while man, and deserving of a story that bears his name. Don't read this expecting Beauty's story.

Additionally, Flinn adds interludes that make references to other fairy tale stories. Adrian joins a chat room for transformed humans and interacts with The Little Mermaid, The Frog Prince, and The Bear Prince from 'Snow White and Rose Red'. This small side plot adds a bit more flavor to a good story. Overall, I give the story a 4 out of 5.

Enjoying Beauty and the Beast in a technological age,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Little wonders

2009-05-01T10:41:00.000-07:00

As a camera-person, I watch the world with a photographer's eye, but I don't always have a camera with me. This means that so many pictures never materialize, except in my memory. My magical day yesterday was a day of animal wonders. I never expected that, having driven my mother to the airport, I would see on the return to the city a whole herd of dear grazing among the trees near the highway. The meadow with the mist-covered mountains behind seemed transformed by the presence of these beautiful, peaceful creatures, making a picture I can never show but only tell of. Later that day, I had to go take care of an errand in one of those suburban office parks with man-made lakes and benches for the workers to commune with grass and trees during a break. As I always do in a place like that, I parked my car facing the little lake. When I came out from the building an hour later, a large grey Canadian goose was contentedly sitting in front of my car, close to a pile of pine cones I had not noticed before that looked like a pile of treasure, tempting me to imagine the goose collecting them, as surely he might have done in a story I haven't read yet.

The Little People of Flores

2009-04-28T10:19:00.000-07:00

The New York Times ran a fascinating article yesterday with an update on current research and debate into the origins and nature of hobbits...

Not the hobbits that crawled into the wastes of Mordor with a magic ring; no, this article is about homo floriensis, a cousin-race to humans whose fossils and tools were discovered on a South Pacific island (Flores) a few years back. For those not in the know, this is a species of tool-users who stood less than three feet high and who went extinct on that isolated island about 17,000 years ago. The scientific community -- or the media (I'm not entirely sure which) -- has dubbed this lost species "hobbits." A hobbit skull is little larger than a grapefruit, yet they were adept tool-users.

The wonder of the extinct hobbits is that no one knows where they came from or how exactly they are related to us. Were their ancestors the seven-foot tall Erectus, the giants out of the west? Or did the Little People come first? Where is the common ancestor? A number of theories have been advanced, and the New York Times gives an admirably summary, very worth a read. Paleontologists share something in common with readers of fairy tales -- they operate in a state of wonder, and love riddles.

A further wonder, to my mind, is the thought that there once were Little People, quite literally. Are the stories in so many cultures throughout the Old World and parts of the New descended from some species-memory of Homo floriensis, some encounter thousands of years back? Or did our ancestors ever meet the hobbits?

Faye Stories Part 3: A Knitting Hero

2009-04-24T11:00:00.000-07:00

essica Day George re-spins the fairy tale "Twelve Dancing Princesses" in her novel "Princess of the Midnight Ball". All aspects of the original Grimm tale are kept in her well written adaptation. The twelve princesses dance every night at midnight and are saved by a native soldier home from war. But unlike the original story, this soldier chooses the eldest daughter instead of the youngest (who has yet to reach puberty). However George's version takes that basic premise and creates a lovely novel full of details missing from the short tale.

The girls dance not for their own sins, but those of their mother who made deals with a devil figure. Sweet and bound by enchantment they hope for rescue, but cannot ask for it, since anyone who tries to help dies horribly. The soldier is a young man, who lost everything to war, save his intelligence and self worth. His kindness leads a special stranger to gift him with an invisibility cloak and two enchanted balls of yarn. He is valiant and makes a great hero.

The most unique aspect of the story is the soldier's unusual talent of knitting, cultivated by a need for warm clothing during the harsh months of war. His knitting is a major plot point. If he is sitting, it is mentioned that his hands are always busy knitting. In giving away a cloak he knitted, he was given the tools, including magic yarn, needed to help him save the princesses. Without being able to knit a strong black chain from the same yarn he would not have been able to save the princesses from their dancing curse. While the characters in the novel view knitting as a feminine activity, the soldier makes it a way of life. This extra detail adds depth to the story.

"Princess of the Midnight Ball" is a lovely, well crafted and intriguing story. Though, it follows the Grimm tale almost exactly, the magic is in the details and embellishments. Overall, I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Wishing to be saved by a knitting hero,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Technology is not Always a Good Thing

2009-04-18T14:00:00.000-07:00

Scott Christian Sava wrote and illustrated "The Dreamland Chronicles," a comic book created using 3D computer imaging software. The plot slowly develops in the first volume around a college student named Alex, who has not dreamed in years. His first dream since childhood however is more real than he expects. When his heart flat lines during REM and his wounds from “Dreamland” cross over into reality, Alex has to question where he really goes when he sleeps. With a group of friends in the real world and another group in Dreamland, Alex tries to understand what is happening to him in both worlds. "The Dreamland Chronicles" is an interesting story, but has a major flaw.

The illustration style in this comic was a poor choice. The 3D computer graphics give the comic amazing texture and consistency from frame to frame. However, it feels artificial. Traditional comic illustration had more life than the 3D computer imitation. The inconsistency of the art in traditional comics give the story life and energy. The 3D rendering of “The Dreamland Chronicles” is far too perfect and static to be real. It has all of the life of a clear still pond. I recommend the story, but not the illustration style.

There are a three volumes in print currently. There are a total of 13 chapters online, and each Monday another page is posted at http://www.thedreamlandchronicles.com/. Overall I give it a 3 out 5.

Unsure if poor illustration can ruin a good story,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Faun Fables - Songtelling

2009-04-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

Who can not fall in love with the beautiful songs of Faun Fables....
Faun Fables, created by Dawn McCarthy, is the most wonderful combination ever made between theater, music and storytelling.

It is hard to discribe the songs as the experience is one which has to be experienced. Thus I advice you to visit the website of Faun Fables and hear for yourself.

Cosmic Hand or...?

2009-04-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

CNN just published this amazing image by NASA's Chandra Observatory. I agree that on first sight the nebula resembles a hand with its fingers reaching for a starry halo. But then I started thinking about what it might look like from a direction other than Earth. From a location opposite to ours, it might appear as the figure of a luminous person with a spirit-glow at its head standing on a vibrant disk (or a skateboard?). So many possibilities--

CNN Caption: NASA's Chandra Observatory captured this hand-shaped image of an X-ray nebula.

Two Sides of a Coin

2009-04-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

Manhattan is a special city and in Avi's story "City of Light, City of Dark", Manhattan is not the city we think it is. The island which the People believe they own belongs to the Kurbs, a dark species. The Island is loaned only as long as a very specific ritual is performed. The energy that keeps the city warm comes from the Kurbs' Power. The People, as people usual do, put the entire responsibility of performing the yearly ritual to a line of women and forgot the loan from the Kurbs. The story takes this premise, and shows the greed of modern man as he fights the scared woman to get the Power and prevent the ritual. The comic-book novel is an interesting story told in an interesting manner.

Avi creates and intriguing story of a group of people entwined with the secret world of the island. Additionally, the illustrator, Brian Floca, creates a familiar city with an unfamiliar air. The story has an interesting feel as it is a novel wrapped in images. While it is a unique idea to put a novel in a form closer to a pure comic, it does not work well enough. The story might have been better suited as a novel with the occasional picture. The comic setting at times is a distracting. The Kurbs would be more powerful as a mental image than a physical image. Brian Floca does a fine job, but it was not the place for images.

The story had a lot of potential, but the reliance of images to tell the story hurt the overall prose. The role of women as heroines and men as villains is interesting, as it is men who are traditionally builders and women nurturers and protectors. The women protect the entire island while the villain wants the power to prove his supremacy. Without much depth of the story, the message is superficial and just a repetition of stories that do it better.

"City of Light, City of Dark" had potential, but was buried in images. While I am a fan of comic books, the medium is not right for all stories. Sometimes a novel should be a novel.

Overall, I give it a 2.5 out of 5.

A bit disappointed at a waste of potential,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Interview with Aaron Paquette

2009-04-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

Visit the Dante's Heart journal for a new interview with Canadian artist Aaron Paquette. You can also see the color and raw vitality of Paquette's art on his blog.

The painting to the left is A Fearless Heart (2008).

Here is an excerpt from the interview:

I think we are drawn to birds first and most simply because they can fly. The story of Icarus daring to reach for the sun is locked in our collective subconscious. The air is a place for men to go in dreams, not reality! Modern technology has broken those barriers, but I think the instinctive fear and wonder of flight remains. After all, our worst dreams are still those of falling. What birds represent for us is the bridge - or intermediary - between our world and the world of the heavens, the world of dreams. They are portents of change and the fact that they come from a seed, break through the walls of one world and into the next when they are born, and then break the bonds of gravity itself! It's not hard to imagine why we have built up myths around them.

Read the rest here.

Faye Stories Part 2: She's not your Ordinary Golden Hair Damsel

2009-04-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale is not your mother's Rapunzel tale. As my dear cousin said, "What's up with the Cowboy Rapunzel with snake hair?" Rapunzel's Revenge starts ordinarily enough, but she is no damsel in distress. This western version of Rapunzel mixes the Wild West with old fairy tales and mysticism. Additionally, Nathan Hale paints her world with vibrant colors to make the personality of the girl. He creates a vivacious redhead to replace the wilting golden haired would be princess. Both the story telling and the images give life to this new Rapunzel.

Rapunzel starts her life living in a lovely garden with her mother a growth witch. She find out her life is a lie supported by the work of slaves and her "mother" sucks the life out of the land using her magic. As Rapunzel rebels against her adoptive mother, she is locked in a tree tower that was magically grown. While the beginning starts out normal it is at the tower that things change. With magically grown hair Rapunzel learns to use her hair as rope and whips. With her own strength she escapes planning to end her evil "mother's" reign while saving her birth mother. The girl name after a leafy green joins forces with Jack (of Beanstalk fame) and his goose (Goldy, guess why). She makes a name for herself by saving the oppressed. Rapunzel quickly becomes a cowgirl with whip braids faster than most guns. The stereotypical hero is a fool and out smarted by Rapunzel who needs no rescuing by plans to do some herself.

Nathan Hale makes an interesting choice with her red hair and pale skin. She is as lovely as any princess but with plenty of spunk. Jack is a smaller guy in comparison to the other men in the story. He is clearly from a poorer class with sun tanned skin and cunning sense of the world. His dress blends in with the environment which is colorful despite the desolate background. Nathan Hale gives vibrant moving images to go with the plot.

The story is enjoyable and takes a clever twist to Rapunzel's story. Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5.

Wishing that her hair could be used as weapons,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Fairy Houses.

2009-03-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

Today I would like to share with you the work of Debbie Schramer. She creates the most beautiful fairy houses you have ever seen.
I'll bet fairies would love to inhabit these wonderful creations and I am quite sure that many of you would like to live inside these houses yourself.

These houses are literally dream houses, 'otherworldly' is probably the best way to describe them. I can only imagine how wonderful it must be to see them for real, as most details are not visible in these photographs.

Besides these fairy houses Debbie Schramer also makes poetic photo collages, short films and paintings. All very much worth a look.

Tread Softly for you Tread on my Dreams

2009-03-27T20:11:00.000-07:00

Queenie Chan’s “The Dreaming” is a dark comic set in the bush of Australia. The use of images and the plot are beautifully combined to create a gripping and creepy tale. The main character Jeanie navigates the reader through the confusing world of haunting, superstition and missing girls. She is the hero trying to protect the school and her sister. But at the same time, she only half believes the mysterious aspects of the school. Her sister Amber is positive that the school is wrong and evil. The tale is intriguing and a page turner.

A horror story plays out for Jeanie as she follows painted images that reflect the disappearances of the girls at her school. The images are well done, cryptic and lovely. The paintings mesh so well into the plot it seems not a detail, but a reality of the world the girls live in. In addition to the incredible paintings are the characters themselves. They are realistic and vibrant causing a reader to care what happens to the girls trapped in the bush. As the story progresses fairy tale and Aborigine mythology elements are added. The story is layered and complex though the manga is only three volumes.

Overall I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

Afraid to sleep,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Magical Girls

2009-03-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

So, the other night I was watching Sailor Moon. Hey no wisecracks, I loved Sailor Moon as a child, and I hate grading lab reports in total silence. Anyway, while watching Sailor Moon, I started to think about magical girls. Sailor Moon (which came to America long after it was out in Japan) is a fine example of a magical girl story. Japanese cartoons and comics are filled with the magical girl stories—stories of young girls who find they have magic powers and save the world. America has far less magic that Japan in this area. Before Sailor Moon, there were no popular magical girl teams. Until, Joss Whedon brought, our ultimate magical girl, Buffy the Vampire Slayer to America. Buffy produced a mythos and a history. The line of the Slayer is described in “Tales of the Slayers” by Joss Whedon. These magical girls protected through the ages and belong to the American mythology.

The “Tales of the Slayers” follows the stories of eight girls, none of which are Buffy. From the first nameless slayer to last girl Fray, each girl has her story. The first tale is the tale of the first. It is a sad short piece showing the loneliness of the Slayer. The second tale is of a middle ages Slayer, burned for being a powerful young woman who could protect her from, for being a witch. The third is a tale of evil not of Vampire but of the Slayer’s watcher in revolutionary France. The forth tale shows the hardship of the female form in the Victorian age. The Wild West and bond of sisters comes out in the fifth. The Slayer in Nazi Germany fights many evils in the sixth tale. The seventh shows a slayer not far ahead of Buffy, Niki the New York Slayer. Finally, the last story is of the last Slayer, a lone girl, Fray, of the future disconnected from the full history of the Slayers. Each story is a quick read, but shows these girls lives fully. The life of the slayer is complex. Not just because of the gift/curse they bare, but the times they live in. Whedon shows pieces of history through the eyes of exceptional girls.

The comic brought up good ideas and in an easy to understand form. Overall, I give it a 4 out of 5.

Rooting for girl power,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Who Watches the Watchmen? If You've Read the Comic You Should

2009-03-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

I had the great joy of watching the movie "Watchmen". As a huge fan of the comic, my anticipation was quite high. Would Rorschach still be an absolutist who saw interesting things in ink blots? Would Ozymandias still be like his namesake? Would Manhattan be larger than life? The previews were interesting, but not enough to tell if Alan Moore's vision would be preserved by director Zack Snyder. Luckily, I was not disappointed.

In the previews Nite Owl II looked young and hip, however I was pleasantly surprised when his human ego did not stand out, and was still impotent (a symbol of his life without being the Nite Owl. his actor pulled over the emotion needed for his character. Ozymandias was less like his namesake, and more of Alexander the Great. But that did not hurt the movie. Dr. Manhattan was as aloof and amazing as I hoped. His clock on Mars was cg masterpiece. Rorschach was brilliantly insane, he was who I expected. Gritty and passionate. I loved watching the scenes when he did not have his face on. Of course, reading the comic I knew who he was, but it was a thrill anyway. Even seeing the newsstand guy with the boy reading the comic was perfect. Though their subplot was not included in the movie, it was a friendly reminder that the comic book is out there.

The ending surprised me. It is where the major deviation occurred. I will not spoil it for those who have and haven't read the comic. I would like to say that the deviation did not bother me. The heart of the comic was kept. Actually, most of the movie was the comic frame for frame. I was able to compare what I saw on the screen to what I read. Even Dr. Manhattan's habit for not wearing clothing (some friends have complained about the presence of his large blue manhood). Many of the characters looked like their counterparts, even the President copied his comic caricature instead of a realistic Nixon. Overall the look was persevered.

The movie itself was a visual joy. The transition from paper to movie kept the grizzly images juxtaposed with the bright colors. The current technology allowed for the world of "Watchmen" to be what fans expected. Dr. Manhattan was the god the comic made him. The fight scenes were incredible and Ozymandias was the perfect human by the grace of movie magic.

I was very please and cannot wait to own the movie. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Watching Watchmen,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Sparky, the seriously paranoid robot.

2009-03-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I came across this adorable little shop I found through Etsy, called; Reclaim2Fame. My visit turned into a great adventure when I got introduced to all these wonderful creatures which inhabit the shop.

Big Hug Harry, Alien Queen and Woof the almost mechanical steampunk trusty terrier robot are just a couple of the curious figures which you can find at Reclaim2Fame.

But my personal favorite is Sparky, just look at that little fellow....

All of the creations are made of at least 80% recycled materials and some of the pieces are composed of more than 80% reused material.
Reclaim2Fame gives you an altogheter new view on 'garbage' and what it can become.
It leaves you wondering what bits of it have been and in wonderment of what is created from it. Luckily the creator of Sparky and his friends eases your curiosity by giving you a good discription of the creatures previous life.
More then worth a visit!

Review of X/1999 Part 1: It’s the End of the World as We Know It

2009-03-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

The Clamp mangaka team (comic writing team in Japan) created the manga series X/1999. It has spawned a movie and a television series. It is a related to Tokyo Babylon and Clamp School Detectives (both take place before X/1999). It can be analyzed on so many levels, so I have decided to look at it in a series of posts. Starting with an overall review of the series, with a focus on the first seven mangas.

The world of X/1999 is full of magic, priestesses, monks, wind summoners, and fire summoners, with a hint of technology surrounding the mystical world. The characters by and large are superhuman. The story focuses on Kamui, "The one who represents God's will" or "The one who hunts God's will" the only character who can choose his own fate. Kamui must choose between joining the Dragons of Heaven and saving humanity or the Dragons of Earth and saving the planet by killing humanity. There are six Dragons of the Earth and six Dragons of Heaven. The seventh member to either team is Kamui. The tale begins with his choice which up to volume seven has not happened. Kamui has lived through a lot of hardship and seems to not care about anything but himself. Until you see his interaction with Fuma and Katori, his childhood friends. However, they along with powerful magic user in the two sets of dragons are sucked into the fate of the 1999, which only Kamui can choose.

The character play in the first few books is interesting. The Dragons are not easily noticed when they are not using magic. They are children, mild-mannered adult or people kept away from everyday life. The intrigue of how the end of the world will occur with two conflicting predictions of the future keeps the story interesting. How the characters deal with the knowledge that their lives are planned in interesting.

Overall, it is a great read and I would recommend it to End of the World fans. I give it a 5 out of 5.

Enjoying 1999 all over again,
J.R West the Raccoon

Faye Stories Part 1: Extending Fairy Tales

2009-03-05T15:24:00.000-08:00

Donna Jo Napoli has a gift. She is an accomplished youth writer who specializes in a very unique genre. Napoli writes fairy tales. However, do not expect the old school Grimm or Anderson. Napoli takes stories, some that are familiar and some that aren't, and expends them into full novels that answer all of the questions that short stories leave.

Donna Jo Napoli's possibly most famous piece is "Zel", a retelling of Repunzel. Instead of a story about a girl locked in a tower, we get a story of a girl. Zel, who like the original tale is raised in a tower by a witch who owned a garden, is a strong willed girl who is curious. It is not the story of a witch stealing a child, but a witch holding onto childhood. Zel is not trapped in the tower until she shows signs of maturing into a woman. Her "mother" so appalled by puberty and Zel's growing desire for men, that she is locked away. The witch stole a child, and then stole that child's ascent into womanhood. Napoli took a simple love story, and made it a deeply personal tale.

My favorite Napoli story is "Beast," a Beauty and the Beast story where Beauty only shows up in the last two chapters. How did the Beast fall from manhood? Where is he from? How long was he a Beast? Napoli answers all those tales, giving the man under the animal skin a real story. Additionally, "Bound" takes Cinderella into China drawing on ancient forms of the story from the Middle Kingdom. She spins a story about a girl not with fairy feet, but with large unbound feet. "Breath" makes the piped-piper story about those in the village. About their descent into madness and fear. "Sirena" gives us a look into the ancient Greek tale of Philotectes from the Trojan War and the Sirens from the Odyssey. The sirens have a turn to tell their story through Napoli.

Napoli takes stories that we have heard and expands them into epic tales about characters we might have overlooked. She has a gift to give voices to those long forgotten. If you get a chance pick up some of her work.

Rereading stories from her childhood,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Fuzzy Imps

2009-02-26T17:34:00.000-08:00

I live with a large number of fuzzy imps both lazy worshiped imps and hard working imps. When I drive home the working imps welcome me with the hope of attention and love. All the while, the indoor imps snubbed me. What are these imps? They are cats. I live with two indoor cats and about eight farm cats, mousers. Though, most cats are like the indoor cats, lazy and royal, the mousers are important to the health of the farm. Without the mousers killing on the farm everything falls apart. Yet, I see the mousers, and I want to lavish them with all the love possible. The indoor cats snub such love, unless they demand it. So why do I, and many other people, love these odd creatures. They love the stealing, snubbing, and typically lazy creatures. I bet when I mentioned working cats, there was a pause. Outside of farming communities, I cannot think of another place where cats work except T.V. And this is nothing new.

Ancient Egyptian worshiped cats, the Goddess Bast had a feline form. Ancient cats were no less snubbing back then. In fact, we have domesticated cats, long after the now obedient dogs, and it shows. Still, many houses give way to cats, and serve cats as if they were Kings and Queens. The Jade Emperor forbade cats from Heaven because of their lazy nature.

Why do we love these creatures so?

Questioning,
J.R. West the Raccoon

The art of Kelly Louise Judd

2009-02-14T12:18:00.000-08:00

Dear readers, today I would like to share with you the work of Kelly Louise Judd. An artist who stole my heart from the start and I am quite sure most of you will love her work as well.

This artist has a very recognizable style, which makes it hard to forget her work. In general it is a bit on the dark side.Paintings and drawings depicting surreal and haunted scenes which remind you of old, Victorian times. But the thing which really makes her work so interesting is the way she uses 'symbols' : owls, rabbits, crows, shadows and night views. Animals and scenes which have deeply rooted in our subconsciousness which call up feelings of the unknown and dark. Things which generally fright us but attract us as well. And, that the 'dark side' can also be very attractive is proven by the work of Kelly Louise Judd.

She makes the most beautiful dolls as well, which look as if they came walking out of one of her paintings. They are just as surreal, characters which are a bit excentric and leave you wondering about the story of their lives. And if this all is not enough for you, she also makes splendid jewelry.

I know I always praise the artists I write about in my column as I love all their creations and I love art. But this time I don't just like someone's work, or admire someone's work, I am litteraly deeply in love with her work.
I seem to fall in love with everything she lays her hands on. Her melancholy dolls, her surreal paintings and her jewellery which would make any person who wears it a walking, talking work of art, I love it all.

You might be wondering if this artist really is as special as Isabella claims her to be? Yes, she is and, yes she is even better then that.

But if you have any doubts please go visit her site and see for yourself....

Scientifically, there is no way to prove this could happen, but...

2009-02-12T17:25:00.000-08:00

The Man who Grew Young by Daniel Quinn and illustrated by Tim Eldred is a mythological adventure. Instead of a world were time moves forward, it is a place where we wake from the dead, grow young, and enter the womb. It gives the reader an opportunity to look at our own world and wonder if we did it right, when we went forward time.

The main character, Adam, is the first and last man. While every other human in his world finds their mother in time to enter the womb, Adam has no mother. He has wives that he pulls from the ground and lives with until their first (really last) meeting. The un-mine the ground, and remove factories. They leave America to go back to Europe. In this reverse world Adam is left to find his place, since he has no mother.

Adam, as possibly the first and definitely the last man, encounters many sages who give him wise words on why the world works. Interestingly, the sages are women, three each with an important message about life. One woman realizes the backward and forward nature of time. Another woman understand Adams origin, years before Adam come to understand. Finally, Adam meets Eve the first and last woman he ever knew.

The Man Who Grew Young is in fact about a tale of a man who never physically grew young, when everyone else did. He grew knowing with his place in the world--his importance as the observer of all that happened. He is guided the women who are surrogate mothers, filling the role of his silent mother Earth.

It is a good read, and a bit deep. Overall I give it 4 stars out of five.

Keep questioning the world,
J.R. West the Raccoon

"Arctic Unicorns"!

2009-02-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

Last year, my husband and I were fortunate to be in Vienna. We went to see the crown jewels at the Schatzkammer (Imperial Treasury) and happily found ourselves enchanted by the sight of the Hofburg Palace's "unicorn" horn. For centuries, these mysterious objects have been coveted and held by people of power. Most commonly, a horn identified as having come from a unicorn is actually the tusk (the front tooth) of the mystical narwhal. Now you can see a video of the narwhals' fantastic migration just released by the BBC.

Tree Spirits

2009-01-31T09:15:00.000-08:00

Last week I came a cross the work of Craig Harris; a wood carver from Cornwall, England.
Seeing his work simply made me happy. There is something playfull about his creations and it really shows they are made with a lot of love. All of it is so beautifully detailed and in balance with the used material; wood. It's almost like those faces have always been there.

I was touched when I read his biography in which he told, very openly, about his life and how he started to make these wood-carvings.
It was a memory from his childhood that drove him into the woods and as he said; "It wasn't long before my foot kicked against a long stick which I absently picked up and used as a walking stick for the rest of the journey. When I arrived home I looked at the stick and felt the urge to carve something on it. Having no idea how to carve I set about looking for a local carving course which I signed up for straight away."

Life can have it's own peculiar ways to show us what we are made for...
And for those who can't wait to make their own 'Tree Spirit', Craig Harris's book; 'How to carve a Tree Spirit' will soon be available at his shop.

Zombies Attack Texas!

2009-01-30T08:15:00.001-08:00

Just a quick story today -- I found this hilarious. Apparently a computer-savvy hacker replaced the messages on some Texas electronic road signs to read "Caution! Zombies! Ahead!!!" and "Nazi Zombies! Run!" You can read more about it here -- I can only imagine the shock of drivers on the road.... Having a lifelong and paralyzing phobia of zombies, I'm sure I would have hit the brakes.

To prepare yourself adequately for a zombie apocalypse and for survival amid hordes of the ravening and ravenous undead, you'll want to read Max Brooks' Zombie Survival Guide and catch the upcoming movie World War Z.

Dante's Heart Poetry Contest: Results

2009-01-19T07:38:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,

On behalf of our contest reader, Ever Saskya, and the other editors of Dante's Heart, I would like to congratulate the winners of the Dante's Heart fall poetry contest! Winning entries will be published in our next issue (forthcoming in late February).

1st Prize goes to Ian McCarty for a remarkable set of excerpts from I Woke Up Early the Morning After the End of the World, "a poetic investigation of all the world's natural processes unraveling and a single narrator-character re-raveling them using the leftover artificial flotsam and jetsam."

2nd Prize goes to Jenn Nunes for her poem "Protected."

3rd - Honorable Mention: Lori Romero, "The Care and Feeding of a Ruler-God."

Please join me in congratulating these three poets. We look forward to sharing our reader's comments on the winning piece, and to seeing all of these in our next issue.

Kudos also to our other entrants - there is always a significant amount of courage involved in sending one's work out, but this is especially so in the case of a competition.

Live Action Chess

2009-01-18T15:45:00.000-08:00

Tonight, my husband was thrilled. He was watching a live-action chess game that he follows closely. Of course most people may say that tonight's Cardinal vs Eagles game was hardly chess, but my husband and I would have to argue.

A set number of pieces are place on the board each with rules governing their movement. Each players round is carefully times, and full of complex planning. A careful look at the play books should moves not unlike chess. Wide Receivers are like rooks and bishops they came move to the end of the board (field). The Running Back is the queen which can run anywhere. The Quarterback is the King to be protected at all cost. Some plays are only to move a small distance like pawns on the field. The amount of thinking that must go into winning the game is high. One team downed the ball at the 1 yard line in order to run the time down and insure the win.

Football is not a game of brutal violence and little thought. It is a delicate game of chess played with living pieces.

Waiting for the Superbowl,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Sirens and Haunting eyes...

2009-01-18T02:03:00.000-08:00

As some of you might have noticed I have been absent for a little while because of a little trip I made to the Belgian woods. It has been a wonderful time but I am also happy with my return and can't wait to share all the artists I have spotted since.

It must have been two weeks ago when I came a cross the website of Nadia Turner, a very talented artist/illustrator from Australia. I remember when I saw her work I found it very 'catchy', as her style is so uniquely her own and it kinda stays with you once you have seen it.
I'm not sure why the images of her work leave such an impression. Of course her work is wonderfully made, but so are many other works .
The reason why the impression stays probably is the mysterious atmosphere surrounding the characters she depicts. All of them are women, who reminded me a lot of Indian gypsies filling their time with magic and music. The eyes of these woman have the most haunting expression which leave you a bit confused. And then there are also these sirene-like creatures constantly returning in most of her works.

I must say that it has been a long time ago that an artist left me so touched.....

There's No One As Irish as Barack Obama

2009-01-16T10:23:00.000-08:00

Wow. This is marginally off-topic, though very folksy. I'm posting it mostly in case a good many of our readers might need a good grin. I'm not even sure what to say about this, other than: it makes me want to dance, and: Go folklore!

The song and video are by the Corrigan Brothers. Enjoy!

Andrew Wyeth is no longer with us

2009-01-16T08:36:00.000-08:00

Andrew Wyeth, whose paintings and drawings had such impact on the developing mythology of America, has passed away at the age of 91 -- you can read more here. He died peacefully in his sleep.

No one else ever painted America with the keen insight and moodiness that Wyeth did. To share a quote from a family friend interviewed in the article I've linked to:

Andrew Wyeth is to me the most solidly American artist of the twentieth century. He continued steadfastly to invest his paintings with deep and metaphoric emotion even when it was completely unfashionable in the period of pop art and abstract expressionism, which was ironic, distant and cool.

Which is to say, he was an artist who never compromised.

Please join me in a moment of silence to recognize his achievement and that now that he has moved on, we are down one of our great artists.

The painting shown above is Christina's World.

Once upon a time there was an elephant and a dog...

2009-01-15T10:44:00.000-08:00

Perhaps the greatest wonder these days is when two very different creatures on this planet share a friendship of pure love and trust. Tara and Bella's story brought tears of joy to my eyes.

Lord Dunsany meets old time radio

2009-01-13T10:41:00.000-08:00

Stumbling through the Old Time Radio Catalog website, I happened upon the free episodes for the day (they are available for about three days, so you can get this one starting from January 13). Imagine my surprise to find an episode featured on the early Black Mass radio program titled "Lord Dunsany How the Enemy Came to Tlunrana"! One of Dante's Heart's favorite authors, Lord Dunsany wrote, among many other titles, The King of Elfland's Daughter, from which comes the famous line, "the fields we know" (recently invoked by Neil Gaiman in Stardust). You can listen to a very short radio rendering of "How the Enemy Came to Tlunrana" and perhaps consider our old forms of storytelling in the oral tradition and reading to family and friends in the evening on a cold winter's night such as we lately are enjoying.

Mystical Castles

2009-01-06T13:49:00.000-08:00

I just can't resist sharing this dazzling image from National Geographic. It is a castle in Mittenwald, Bavaria, and so inviting not only for those human creatures passing in the cold but for the many ice sprites that surely creep through its windows during the long dark nights. The descending glory seems a touch of the numinous.

Poetry Contest: Update

2009-01-05T09:30:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year! Here at Dante's Heart we are going to rock 2009.

Just a quick update on our poetry contest -- we have received many, many excellent entries, and so our reader is still reviewing them. We expect the contest results very soon. Please offer us your patience and keep checking in. We are excited for the results.

All the best,

Daniel Fusch, Ph.D.
Editor, Dante's Heart

Titania: The First Scene!

2008-12-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,

Those of you who have been reading us a while know that we have been following the work of writer and director Lisa Stock and her talented cast of actors as they have launched their project, Titania, the first in a trilogy of independent films addressing the journey of a woman through fairy tale and mythological motifs. The film weaves together elements of The Divine Comedy, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and the fairy tale of the "armless maiden."

So - some exciting news - the first scene has been filmed! There is an almost symphonic artistry to the colors, the light, the music, and the acting -- it is quite magical. Watch it here, and please leave comments and tell us what you think.

Other things you might like to check out:

* a behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of Titania, available in the May 2008 issue of Dante's Heart.

* you can also visit the official website for Titania.

* a trailer for another project of Lisa Stock's - Brother and Sister - a short film adaptation of a haunting poem by Terri Windling:

do you remember, brother
those days in the wood
when you ran with the deer
falling bloody on my doorstep at dusk
stepping from the skin
grateful to be a man . . .

(You can read the rest of the poem here, in the archives of the Endicott Studio.)

Paper-Cut Art

2008-12-28T12:44:00.000-08:00

Dear readers, I hope you all had a very nice Christmas and 2009 will be a wonderful year! These days have been very busy but I just had to share the works of this very talented artist; Elsa Mora with you all.
She does not really qualify as an 'emerging artist', as she is already very succesful, nevertheless she might not be known to most of you.

A little while ago I came a cross the shop she runs at etsy where I found the most beautiful paper sculptures as shown below:

Elsa Mora's paper-cut works are so incredible attractive because she has managed somehow to give a traditional art form a modern twist in a very respectful way. Most modern paper-cut art I find, and of course this is a matter of taste, too modern. Some of them do not even show any connection with the old art form, but Elsa Mora is an exception to this rule.
Looking at her work you will find yourself in a modern fairytale kind of world, surrounded by characters which all tell you their own tale.

I really would like to recommend you all to visit her gallery as you will not only find more of her paper cut works but also paintings, dolls, photographs and so on. Name it and she has done it! This multi talented artist really makes you very enthusiastic and an instant addict, as I am sure once you have visited her site you will return for more.

The Spirit: Yay for movies coming out on Christmas

2008-12-27T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hitting the theaters on Christmas Day was The Spirit by Frank Miller. Based on Will Eisner's comic, The Spirit followed a long trend of comic book movies. Like its predecessors, The Spirit takes basic ideas from many of the comics and tries to make a single cohesive story. In The Spirit's case, the idea is success. However, the plot is a basic film noir, who did what and why story. It is not exceptional, and not worth the price to see it in the theaters. However, The Spirit is not just a film noir. It's not even mostly a film noir. It is a neo noir comedy. It is held together by great lines and absurd situations.

At first glance The Spirit is a Sin City copy. A comic book style done in a semi-black and white, with color accents. However, The Spirit does not try to nor does it feel at all like Sin City. They may share a conceptual cinematography, but that is all. The Spirit takes the 40's feel, the decade in which the comic first appeared in newspapers. The character the Spirit is a skirt chaser that uses it to his advantage and it is endearing. He is not greasy or scheming when he does it. He is just a masked man in his decade. The look and feel reminds me of classic Batman, dark and beautiful. The costumes are beautiful, reminding me of a golden age. Frank Miller takes the time period and his unique style and gives the movie a classic noir feel that works in this decade.

The Spirit is not for the serious. The villain is so over the top he is beyond the moon. Samuel L. Jackson is the only person who could play a psychotic genius with such results. He is hilariously crazy with some great lines. The one liners from most of the characters makes the movie side splitting. Do not expect the serious scenes to dominate. This mixed genre movie is carried by the humor.

I'd recommend seeing it, if you are a fan of movies that do not follow conventional genre rules.

Overall I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Merry Christmas (or just happy December if you do not celebrate the holiday),
J.R West the Raccoon

Father Christmas - Around the World

2008-12-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

With the holidays nearly here, I thought some of our readers might appreciate this site, called Saint Nicholas: Around the World. It offers a wondrous compendium of Christmas folk traditions and global variants (primarily Catholic ones) on Father Christmas -- just click on one of the national flags to read about how the old Gift-Giver appears in the traditions of that country.

A more diverse list of Christmas traditions can be found here.

From Russia:
Babushka is a traditional Christmas figure who distributes presents to children. Her name means Grandmother and the legend is told that she declined to go with the wise men to see Jesus because of the cold weather. However, she regretted not going and set off to try and catch up, filling her basket with presents. She never found Jesus, and that is why she visits each house, leaving toys for good children.

From Wales:
Caroling is called eisteddfodde and is often accompanied by a harp. In some rural areas a villager is chosen to be the Mari Ilwyd. This person travels around the town draped in white and carrying a horse's skull on a long pole. Anyone given a 'bite' by the horse's jaws must pay a fine.

Enjoy the reading, and have a beautiful holiday season --

Daniel

Into the Rabbit Hole: "Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment"

2008-12-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

Alice in Sunderland: An Entertainment was written and drawn by Bryan Talbot. This creative graphic novel takes a while to read, but is completely worth it. Talbot connects Sunderland, England with Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. His use of nonsense and reality intermixed perfectly. He tells of Carroll's life as a native to Sunderland, connecting it with the history of the area. Pieces of his famous Alice story come from life in Sunderland. The overall effect is amazing.

Talbot utilizes a wide range of artistic styles throughout the comic. The use of traditional comic layout and modern comic flow is blended expertly. Cartoon-like characters are intermixed with realistic characters as perfectly natural if not normal. The use of varying styles adds to the nonsensical story line. Talbot borrows heavily from the original Alice images, so that the original Alice is scattered throughout the text, constantly reminding the reader of the overall purpose of the comic.

Talbot is quick to the emphasize that while Carroll is Oxford's golden boy, he lived in other places. He was not born in Oxford, in fact he was born in Sunderland. The history and culture of that place influenced Carroll deeply...according to Talbot. Sunderland's history and future along with Carroll's are blended together in a cohesive (if not coherent) story.

The plot itself is surreal, a story within a play within a dream of a comic writer. Of course the story told on stage is "real." Talbot is mixed deeply within the story. He is the dreaming audience member, the playwright/stagesmith, the actor in the "real" world, and the comic book writer in our world. He is also our white rabbit leading us deeper into Sunderland(wonderland).

Talbot leads us deeply into the myth, magic, and "reality" surrounding Alice in Wonderland. He is an expert wordsmith and illustrator. His use of the absurd would make Carroll proud.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 5.

Jump into the Rabbit Hole with Me,

J.R. West the Raccoon

Encased in Amber

2008-12-16T14:41:00.000-08:00

How can one not be transported by the image of the world's oldest spiderweb? This most ephemeral creation has been preserved in a drop of tree's blood for our wondering eyes. Oxford University paleobiologist Martin Brasier has confirmed the web-in-amber found on the south coast of England is approximately 140 million years old. Imagine the circumstances that have given this precious piece of that ancient past to us!

A Surreal, Snow Globe Moment

2008-12-15T10:19:00.001-08:00

This is not a substantive post for today, just a quick sharing of a moment of wonder. Driving yesterday morning in my little blue kia, I tried to turn the heater on - I think the vent must have been blocked by the snow (it is very cold this weekend in Colorado). A moment or two into my drive, I felt little tiny dust-flakes of snow cold on my eyebrows and arms. Then I saw tiny bits of snow swirling around inside the car. It was snowing inside the car! I assume the blocked vent must have blown snow through into the cab. I was driving to church while sitting inside a snowglobe.

It was beautiful and magical, but very, very cold.

Daniel

Tonight, and the Rest of My Life

2008-12-11T18:17:00.000-08:00

I have recently become enamored of (or addicted to) the art form known as the AMV, or "anime music video" -- in which visual artists, music lovers, and movie fans create music videos by setting video clips (often, though no longer exclusively, anime) to the lyrics of a favorite song. The pairing of lyrics and images are sometimes incongruous, sometimes ironic, and sometimes deeply poignant. Recently our blog featured a mainstream film trailer (for Watchmen) that actually works as a beautifully rendered AMV:

You can read the original feature on Watchmen here.

The AMV is a remarkable medium, and I look forward to discovering more of it. Our art editor, Jessica Fusch, has been trying her hand, and has granted me permission to share some of her beautiful experimentation with our readers. Here is her take on the film Advent Children, set to Nina Gordon's song Tonight:

I was startled by the choice of song, but how hauntingly the words and the images dance together, until the lyrics take on quite a new meaning. I found especially haunting the sight of the broken landscape of the planet set to these lines,

And the sky might catch on fire
And burn the axis of the world
That's why I prefer a sunless sky
To the glittering and stinging in my eyes

Having Gordon's haunting lyrics set to an equally haunting visual of a world beneath a sunless sky (in a film about a hero who wishes at first to turn away from saving that world so as not to feel the glittering and stinging in his eyes) sends shivers through me.

Post a comment -- our art editor would welcome either praise or feedback, I am certain. In most other hours of the day, she is a gifted photographer -- you can see her camera-work here.

You can also read an earlier feature on Advent Children, and a few other films, here.

Daniel

Avocado Art

2008-12-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

Today I will feature the work of Marcus; a very talented sculpturist from Germany who runns a little gallery and shop named Avocado-Art. Here he shows and sells incredible, little sculptures made from avocado pits.

When I first saw his work I was completly flabbergasted, mainly because I didn't know that you could make such beautiful things of these pits. Just imagine the size of an avocado pit and then look at his work.

Marcus must be a very patient artist, as I can imagine how much time it costs to bring such detail in such small object.
All of his sculptures depict mythical scenes. Though most of his work is based on Celtic lore, you can also find lovely sculptures such as The Arabian nights and the Egyptian, Isis and Osiris. And I have heard that he is currently studying the Arabic language and is teaching himself how to carve in Arab as well. Thus his current range of subjects is very broad and a lot of fantastic creations are to be expected in the future.

Estonia: Coins in the Ground

2008-12-10T15:31:00.000-08:00

Craving an authentic national faith, Estonians have been drawn to the animistic religions that preceded Christianity: Taarausk, whose god was worshiped in forest groves, and Maausk, which translates as “faith of the earth.”

Ancient beliefs have survived in the form of folk tales. In stories, the sins of humans reverberate in nature — lakes fly away to punish greedy villagers, or forests wander off in the night, never to return. Trees demand the respect of a tipped hat, and holes in the ground must be fed with coins.

That quotation is from a feature in Monday's New York Times that another writer shared on the Sur La Lune message board. The article, entitled "A Hole in the Ground Erupts, to Estonia's Delight," details folk traditions around the geyser known as the Witch's Well of Tuhala:

According to legend, the witches of Tuhala were taking a sauna underground, beating each other vigorously with birch branches, oblivious to the commotion they were creating on the surface.

The article is very well worth the read - both detailed and deeply respectful of its subject. There is also an elegaic note, as the article notes how a local project to build a limestone quarry may drain the waters, making this year's eruption of the Witch's Well the last.

For a little more Baltic lore -- or in this case Scandinavian -- read our post on the stromkarl, the talented though dangerous spirit of springs and waterfalls, or you can read Isabella's compelling translation of The Fossegrim in a previous issue of Dante's Heart.

You can also read here the tale of a Canadian storyteller who rejected a $40,000 scholarship so that she could instead travel to Norway and live with the Sami reindeer herders, to rediscover the stories and language of her ancestors. Now, wearing boots of reindeer fur, she brings to children rhyming tales from the far north, recited from memory.

Does anyone know more folklore from that part of the world (beyond the Finnish Kalevala and of course the mythologies and sagas of Norway and Iceland)? What stories would you turn our attention toward, and what folk traditions? Such tales as those of the fossegrim and the traditions around the Witch's Well alert us that there is a beautiful and very ancient tradition of tales and lookings-at-the-world in that northern place, but surprisingly little of it has reached the attention of the West.

Daniel

Mythology in Wall-E

2008-12-04T12:36:00.000-08:00

Disney Pixar's Wall-E clearly falls within the realm of science fiction. It is in Earth's future with robots and space ships. There are both humorous and even villainous AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the form of both computers and robots. Yet, mythology is deeply entrenched into the film.

In the beginning there are only two "people" on Earth. They are responsible for populating the Earth. They are the EVE and Adam (Wall-E) of the future Earth. EVE is the mother of the new Earth. She finds and protects Earth's signs of life in her robotic womb. It is her actions that put humans on the planet.

Additionally, the humans are men in the cave. The Captain of the ship can only see the Shadows of Earth life on the wall screen. However, even his Shadows are far more complex than what the rest of humanity sees. They have just the screens on their chairs, that give them Shadows of their cave, which they don't even know about. It is Wall-E who leads them from the cave, who lets them see the 3-D world, not Shadows on the screen.

In another sense, the robots are Gods, powerful beings who watch over humans. Not all are viewed as benevolent (just as not all gods are), but they all work to keep humans alive. They bring Knowledge and farming skills to the nearly Earthbound humans (as seen during the credits). They are the creators of the world.

Wall-E, like most science fiction, uses mythology to tell a futuristic story. And the future and the past are not so different in this film.

Looking for Mythology around every corner,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Twilight: The Movie

2008-12-04T11:30:00.001-08:00

Until a few days ago I didn't know any of Stephenie Meyer's novels, so I have not read them, and have not even noticed that much the raging tides of fandom around them. But my wife and I watched Twilight in the theater a few nights ago, and I have to admit, I'm impressed. It's a romantic and delightfully moody film, with beautiful cinematography and visual poetry. While the plot can be quite predictable (with all the expected motifs of the teen romance), there are innovative and often breathtaking touches that I have not seen before. I was almost tired of vampires, actually, and am delighted to see them back with some refreshing newness. There was a vampire baseball game that was especially thrilling -- baseball becomes a more...vigorous...sport when played by supernatural predators who move faster than Nascar champions.

For me, the movie held a special nostalgia, as it was set in western Washington where I grew up. (If you are not from that part of the world, think Snow Falling On Cedars.) Ah, the greenery and the fog and the twilight rain and the moody land and the moody sea, and the moody people. I think I knew just about everyone in the movie. That part of the world mildews itself into your body and your blood and never leaves.

And Twilight even had me nostalgic for the Mariners.

So I definitely recommend the film - it was beautifully made, and makes me want to go get a copy of the book.

Fairy tale Art by Stephanie Holmes

2008-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

It is hard to choose another artist every time, when there are so many wonderful artists out there. I can watch for hours at my lists with names and change my mind a hundred times before actually picking one of them.

After going through this little 'ritual' I finally made up my mind and decided I would like to show you the work of a very young and talented artist named Stephanie Holmes. I think most of you would adore her work, as her style is very similar to those wonderful, old fairy tale book illustrations. Yet, her work is a bit more modern, the colours she uses are brighter, and there is a very loose and dreamy feel to it.

In the picture shown below the artist has given her version of the tale 'Golden Bird' by the brothers Grimm. For those who are not familiar with this fairy tale you can read the complete story here.

I always enjoy to look at how artists translate fairy tales and myths into artwork. Though I must say that I am always surprised to see how the fairy tales of Grimm are most of the time painted and drawn so lightly, happy and carefree, while these stories have a very dark undertone and can even be sinister at times. Also Germany itself, with its dark almost haunted woods and its rough landscape, is hard to compare with these sweet interpretations given to us by these artists.

That being said, I do love these kind of works. And Stephanie Holmes has managed to create a world in which most of us would gladly wander around, something we can not say about most of the original stories collected by the brothers Grimm.

Art is a wonderful way to pass on these stories and I hope there will always be artists like Stephanie Holmes to keep re-telling them and to amuse us with their wonderful art, giving us a glimpse of long forgotten times.

You can find more of her works here and here.

Terri Windling's "Feline Folklore"

2008-11-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving to our readers in the U.S.! Just before the holiday, I thought I would give everyone a link to a wonderful, brief article I have found on Feline Folklore. The article is by Terri Windling, author of The Wood Wife and co-editor of the former Journal of Mythic Arts, which we miss. The article is a wonderful tracing of cat lore across cultures and centuries, from the early associations of the cat with the mother goddess to recent retellings of fairy tales by such luminaries as Jane Yolen and others. Someone had asked on Sur La Lune if anyone knew of a fairy tale in which a human princess gives birth to kittens, and that set me on the track.

I offer the first paragraph of Windling's essay here, and I hope you will read the whole article:

A friend of mine once dreamed that she was in the throes of giving birth — not an unusual dream for a woman to have, but in this case instead of a human child, she gave birth to a litter of kittens. "Were you frightened?" I asked. "Not at all," she replied. "In fact, strange as it sounds, it was quite a lovely experience." I thought of my friend when I read Laurie Kutchin's poem "Birthdream," published in The New Yorker: "This time I had given birth to a child with a remarkable tail. Part animal, part girl. . . . I held her briefly in my arms, stroked her tail before we parted, her eyes nursing the dark moons. . . ."

Also, if you know of other tales in which a human mother gives birth to kittens, please visit Sur La Lune and add your knowledge to their message board. The only other tale I have been able to find is an Indian folktale, Roshni's Feast, in which a child is exchanged for a kitten in the cradle.

If you don't know of Sur La Lune already, it is a wonderful site that includes both a thriving message board devoted to fairy tales, and an online encyclopedia of fairy tales. So very worth checking out.

The painting above is Gertrude Jekyll's nineteenth-century Puss in Boots.

Daniel
Editor, Dante's Heart

Teen Vampires, a story told over and over

2008-11-22T08:57:00.000-08:00

Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives by Ellen Schreiber and illustrated by REM is a manga sequel to Schreiber’s Vampire Kisses book series. It is as predictable as the genre demands. A goth high school student in a small town with a vampire fetish falls in love with a cheer, but night loving guy. Miracle of Miracles, he’s a vampire, all creaming on the inside and brooding on the outside. He’s Angel from Buffy, and Edward for Twilight, this time named Alexander from the vampire capital Romania. A nice twist is that Alexander, a night loving blood sucking guy ages. So as the main character, Raven, ages he does too. If you want fluff with little originality, and adequate images the story is okay.

The plot is typical too; bad vampires from Alexander’s past come and threaten Raven’s fairytale happiness. There is the stereotypical best friend and her boyfriend subplot. But other than that nothing really goes on.

I give it a 1.5 out of 5.

Looking for a good vampire tale,
J.R. The Raccoon

Time to Create a Mammoth?

2008-11-21T12:40:00.001-08:00

According to an issue of The New York Times from this week, geneticists have now decoded the genome for an extinct mammoth, and if given a $10 million grant, they now have the ability to recreate a mammoth:

There are talks on how to modify the DNA in an elephant’s egg so that after each round of changes it would progressively resemble the DNA in a mammoth egg. The final-stage egg could then be brought to term in an elephant mother, and mammoths might once again roam the Siberian steppes.

I post this here because this is wondrous, fascinating, and certainly shouldn't be ignored. The mammoth has long held a special place in the Western imagination. Larger than any living elephant, with tusks arcing toward an ice age sky, and reeking of pine and spruce.... The thought of these animals lumbering across a winterland brings to mind all of our past century's hero myths about the cave man triumphing over adverse nature in a world without city lights or roads.

But what would it mean, to engineer things so that an elephant mother birthed a mammoth infant? Would this be a beautiful thing? A horrific thing? Playing God? A gift to the earth, bringing back something it had lost? A means of restitution for our extermination of so many species, a potential key to turning back the clock on the demise of biodiversity? An ecological absurdity? A triumph? What are your thoughts?

Additional food for thought: according to The New York Times, the same genetic procedure is theoretically possible -- indeed imminently possible -- with the Neanderthal. As the Times columnist remarks dryly:

...but there would be several ethical issues in modifying modern human DNA to that of another human species.

No kidding.

That said, what would it mean, to be able to bring back another human species out of extinction? They are gone. Completely. Never did we or anyone we can remember have the chance to converse with one of them.

Suppose geneticists did bring back the Neanderthals. What kind of world would they have, to live in? What would it be like for a human mother to raise a neanderthal child?

This boggles the mind. My own thought is that it is far, far too big for us, and that some things -- such as extinctions -- cannot ever be truly undone, without causing greater wreck. But I may be entirely wrong. The thought of where genetics could take us in the 21st century is indeed too big for my mind to grasp. Someone else here must unriddle this mystery.

Beautiful Art Dolls by Alba Garcia

2008-11-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

Today I would like to share with you the work of a very talented doll-maker named, Alba Garcia.
I absolutely adore dolls and puppets and thus keep a close eye at doll artists all over the world. So, I am a bit a shamed to admit that I have only recently discovered the work of Alba Garcia.
When I first stumbled upon her work I was completely overwhelmed by all those little details captured in the faces of these dolls. The expression in their eyes and the attitude of the bodies are so lively and elegant.

Below you can see a picture of one of her dolls, a troll-like creature. To give you a good idea on how detailed these dolls are I have also added a close-up of it's face, so you can see for yourself
how stunning these dolls really are.

I think you would very much enjoy visiting her gallery, as her dolls are a real treat for people who love mythical and fairy-like creatures.

You can visit her website here.

Arnold Schwarzenegger does Hamlet

2008-11-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

While surfing YouTube recently I found a beautiful "tribute to Shakespeare in film" that I wanted to share:

The music, if a bit oddly chosen, is Patrick Doyle's setting of Non Nobis from Kenneth Branagh's film, Henry V. What I like about this tribute: its nostalgia, its passion, its equal-opportunity drawing upon scenes from Shakespearean adaptations in cinema from many decades of the past century. The only thing missing is perhaps Orson Welles' quirky grin in his portrayal of Falstaff in Chimes at Midnight. But ah, so many moments! The setting of the wild hat on the king's head in Ran, the Japanese Lear...that in particular made me sit up straight. What a remarkable century it has been, for both Shakespeare and cinema! And this YouTube clip is a moving testament to the enduring cultural power of the myth of the Bard.

And then, browsing the "related links," I happened to find this, something I had seen before with some glee. It is a scene from an otherwise unremarkable film, The Last Action Hero, in which a middle school child watching Olivier's Hamlet in class grows impatient with Hamlet's hesitation in the carrying out of his revenge, and begins to imagine what Hamlet would be like if only his own favorite actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, were given the title role. What follows is a fantastically over-the-top parody. I enjoy Douglas Lanier's analysis of the scene in his book, Shakespeare and Modern Popular Culture. Lanier points out that it is not entirely clear what is being parodied. Is this a parody of Hamlet? Or is it a parody of Shakespearean adaptations in film, of the studios' idea of an "action-packed" Hamlet? Or is the joke on us, the viewing audience, and the expectations that we bring to drama and cinema? In any case, as the voiceover starts to intone, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark...and Hamlet is taking out the trash!" it is great and horrible fun. Enjoy!

Mary Rose and the Woolly Rhino

2008-11-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

Although they may appear to share nothing in common, other than appearing on the BBC News, today's stories about Henry VIII's stalwart warship, the Mary Rose, and the ancient woolly rhino do both inhabit that niche of history captured by imagination and legend. In a very modern reading, it has been determined that the great warship's demise was "spun" by the monarchically-influenced news pathways of its day from a rather demoralizing end to something more palatable (if, indeed, the "Navy's supremacy" was more fully assured by its harboring of "an incompetent crew" rather than its destruction by the French):

Henry VIII's flagship Mary Rose was sunk by a French cannonball and this was covered up by political spin, according to a new academic study.

Until now it was believed a combination of wind and tide pressed Mary Rose over, causing her gun ports to flood in a 16th Century battle in the Solent.

But University of Portsmouth geographer Dominic Fontana said the truth was withheld to maintain the Navy's image.

Mary Rose sank with the loss of more than 400 lives on 19 July 1545.

By claiming the ship was toppled by wind and an incompetent crew, the Navy's supremacy was maintained, Henry VIII's pride remained intact and the French were unable to claim victory, said Dr Fontana.

Dr Fontana's research will be featured in What Really Sunk the Mary Rose on The History Channel on 24 November.

It just shows that today's spin may become tomorrow's "what really happened" tell-all.

Today's story of the woolly rhino discloses the amazing fact that

The 460,000-year-old skull of a woolly rhino, reconstructed from 53 fragments, is the oldest example of these mighty, ice age beasts ever found in Europe.

In addition, the wonder of this find is that the fragments, uncovered in Germany in 1900, survived not only the natural and man-made forces standing against them but the catastrophic 20th-century wars, to be reconstructed now. Surely, this ancient giant resides in our imagined menagerie of legendary creatures!

Images of Beowulf: Part 1

2008-11-17T16:22:00.000-08:00

I have decided to do a mini series on Beowulf. I’d almost like to think of it as a thank you to Daniel, the Editor in Chief, but then again maybe not. He was the first and only person to ever read me Beowulf in its’ original old English. The Beowulf to be the focus of this article is a story by Stefan Petrucha, illustrated by Kody Chamberlain. In this case, I will spend less on the story, which is a translation and comic-fication (I totally made that word up... oh well if Shakespeare can do it), and more on the illustrations.

Beowulf, “the world’s first—and greatest—hero,” boasts the cover of the comic book. Of course this is incorrect, since Beowulf is neither the first nor in my opinion the greatest hero in the World. Gilgamesh and Inanna (a heroine, so she may not count as evidence) are much older than Beowulf. The many heroes in the bible predate Beowulf, as the Beowulf story directly references Cain, son of Adam. Personally, I hate Beowulf, so “greatest” in my opinion is really debatable. I’d argue he is not even close to the greatest. However, Beowulf is one of the earliest English stories. It is a reflection of culture and a by-product of oral tradition. All of that I respect, if not personally enjoy. Petrucha and Chamberlain take Beowulf one-step farther and translate it into images.

The basic story is kept close to other translations. The new and unique component is the images, and the life to the story that each panel brings. The depictions of Grendel are predictable; green and slimy. Grendel’s Mother is no different really, just larger and more grotesque. There are no features on Grendel’s Mother that would make her appear feminine. An interesting choice, considering the tale has clearly given her a gender. Why would the artist choose to ignore her femininity? Do monsters lose gender? Of course, I am of the belief that Grendel’s Mother is not a monster, but a woman grieving over a lost child. The story allowed for a grieving mother, but the images do not.

Beowulf himself reminds me of the 2000’s animated “Justice League Unlimited.” He is built of the same artistic style as a few years earlier, and could have easily been the Green Arrow, Oliver Queen. Since the comic is copy-righted 2007, it surprises me. Styles do not stay the same very long. He is the only character with a lot of detail in the face. No other character of the human variety gets as much attention. Since it is his tale, it was a good choice.

Finally, Scott A. Keating, in charge of color, brilliantly adds tones of orange and brown. Green is expertly used to show the monsters and their home. The waters and swamps vary in shade, but are always green, dark and murky. They are ideally representing the unknown. The land around the humans is orange and yellow, desolate in a way. The terrorized people are painted in a lifeless shade. The sun is permanently setting it seems, leaving the story in a luminal place (though the story takes us into night, the images never really do).

While there are artist choices I disagree with, the overall comic is beautiful. And if you enjoy the story, I suggest reading this comic.

Overall rating 4 out of 5.

Keep Reading,
J.R West the Raccoon

Is this thought Sequitur?

2008-11-11T18:29:00.000-08:00

I often use Non Sequitur to brighten my day, but on one day, the ninth of November, I found this lovely tidbit. The magic turtle appears here and there throughout many myths. The turtle is old and wise. That fact is less myth considering the lifespan of sea turtles and even the Galapagos Turtles. Turtles are steady, turtles win the race. They are islands, and in Siam the world rests of the back of a turtle.

However Non Sequitur raises an interesting point. In stories where magical creatures need help, why do they need help? If a creature can grant wishes how do they get into such a predicament? How do magic fish get caught? All the legends tell us if we catch magical creatures we get wishes, but do we want the weakest of the magical group to grant wishes that could go haywire? Just a though.

By the way notice I leave the last panel alone. I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole on a blog. I know better than that.

Find Comic Here: http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2008/11/09/

That's all for now,
J.R. West the Raccoon

Basia Konczarek

2008-11-10T08:57:00.000-08:00

Today I will feature the work of a 25 year old Polish artist named Basia Konczarek. I am secretly admirering her work from a distance for quite some time now. So I thought it would be nice to introduce you all to her wonderful art. It must have been a couple of months ago when I first saw her work on Deviant Art, an online community for artists of all kind. I was immediately caught by the deep and intense colors and by the mystery which seemed to surround all of her work.

Below you can see one of her works, one of my own favorites, called; Amanita Muscaria.

Looking at her gallery you will get the feeling you are entering another world where fairy tales are no longer a story but become reality to the viewer. I'm quite sure that many of you will fall in love with her work. Most of her works are richly detailed, depicting enchanting scenes which really suggest a story to the mind.

And if you lose your heart, like I did, it might be nice knowing that she also takes commissions. Hopefully someday I will be the proud owner of one of her works as well....

You can pay a visit at her gallery here

Good-bye my dear Doctor

2008-11-08T06:34:00.000-08:00

David Tennant was the tenth Doctor on the British television show Doctor Who. The show is the longest running television show ever, with the immortal character of the Doctor. He lives forever by regenerating into a new incarnation with each death. The Doctor is a modern (alien) phoenix. Instead of rising from ashes and flame, he uses cosmic energy to regenerate. The tenth doctor (the doctor for the last three series) has announced that he is leaving the show, leaving a gap for the eleventh doctor. http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/s4/misc/news

Now while Doctor Who is often considered Sci-fi, the tenth doctor has also delved into the land of fantasy and myth. In his second episode as the Doctor ("Tooth and Claw"), he and his companion encounter werewolves in the Victorian age. In "The Impossible Planet and Satan Pit," the origins of the Devil mythos are explained and expanded. During his second season in "Shakespeare's Code," witches are explained with a scientific twist using Shakespeare's never written (or lost) play, "Love's Labors Won." In the third year of this Doctor, Agatha Christy's work is brought into play in "Unicorn and the Wasp."

The tenth Doctor also referenced Harry Potter, stating once that he cried while reading the seventh book (this was before the seventh book was out). He takes myth seriously and often finds in his time travels that it is mixed with truth. All three of his companions have viewed the world as we would see it. They marveled at myth made factual through history and science.

The Tenth Doctor was lighthearted and entertaining. He was my favorite doctor, and will be my true Doctor (as the fifth Doctor was David Tennant's, as he stated in the episode "Time Crash"). He will be missed, but hopefully the eleventh Doctor will live up to the title, and bring something new to the table.

Forever a Who fan,
J.R West The Raccoon

Classic Fairy Tale Illustrations at Your Fingertips!

2008-11-07T12:20:00.000-08:00

Often lauded as a publisher of some of the least expensive classics around, Dover Publications has long been a friend to the mythology and folklore community. Now featuring a "Dover Sampler" where you can sign up for notifications about new books, Dover is again celebrating the great fairy tale illustrators of the golden age of children's book illustration. Its recent publication, Once Upon a Time...: A Treasury of Classic Fairy Tale Illustrations, features, among many, Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, Walter Crane, and Kay Nielsen, whose ethereal scenes and characters stamped a new look on the genre. I am always amazed at Dover's varied interests and the fine quality of these, by any standard, reasonably-priced gems. Enjoy!

Crimson Tide in McCain's Concession Speech

2008-11-05T14:16:00.001-08:00

First, my apologies in advance to any of our readers who may be allergic to politics. But this post is less about politics than about storytelling and mythmaking. I was fascinated by the choices of music for each candidate in the U.S. presidential election last night during the acceptance and concession speeches - particularly by McCain's. Each choice of music appeared chosen to reinforce the story of that candidate. President-elect Barack Obama's choice was fairly straightforward: he ended his speech to the theme from The Patriot. The theme is from a film scene that reaches its crescendo when an American steps into a crisis moment and lifts the flag and starts running toward victory, by his sheer energy and patriotism convincing many others to do so, changing the tide of events in a moment.

McCain's choice was more complicated. He stepped down from the podium to the battle hymn from Crimson Tide. On the one hand, the choice is obvious enough: McCain's campaign has been telling the story of an old, grizzled war hero returning for one last time of service to his country. In the same way, one of the protagonists from Crimson Tide is an old-school submarine captain (Gene Hackman) on his last tour of service who stops at nothing in the defense of his country. But here's where the choice gets complicated. Because Crimson Tide has 2 protagonists. One is the old, grizzled war hero (who happens to be white). The other is a younger officer on the submarine (who happens to be black, and is played by Denzel Washington), who lacks the years of experience of the old captain but has a clear head and the ability to cut through a difficult crisis to identify what needs to be done. In the film, these two confront a major crisis of national security and arrive at two very different responses. At the end after a bitterly fought battle between the two, the old white captain concedes to the young black officer, You were right, I was wrong, and they part on peaceable terms. Both are commended by the Navy for having pulled out all stops in their service to their country, in the finest tradition of American patriots.

So why music from Crimson Tide at McCain's concession speech? It seems almost to fit better with the story of the Obama campaign than with the story of the McCain campaign. Was this an honorable, bipartisan gesture? Or did someone on the campaign not think through the implications of the music they chose as a final salute to their candidate? What do you think?

One reason that this fascinates me is because I believe that elections are won or lost on the strength of the stories the candidates tell. This time around, Obama's story -- of change achieved together through clear reasoning and an understanding of history -- proved compelling to more voters than McCain's story of a man grown old in his country's service returning for one last stint. The skill with which each campaign told that story contributed to their victory or loss in the election -- and this disparity is visible in the critical choice of patriotic themes for the music of the acceptance and concession speeches.

Before anyone gets infuriated at this post, let me note that though I did not give him my vote, I have the highest respect for Senator John McCain. I agree with the president elect in commending this man who has sacrificed for his country in ways that "most of us cannot even imagine." Nor can I even begin to express the respect I have for a man who, when interred in a POW torture camp, refused to be released prior to soldiers who had been there longer.

So I invite thoughtful responses to this post and the questions it poises about the stories campaigns tell and how skillfully they tell them ... but if you are tempted to flame in the comments, please remember that many brave men and women have laid down their lives so that you and I would each have the right to vote based on our own conscience and our own assessment of who would be right for the job. This post is meant to invite comment not on political views but on the way that we tell the stories of our national leaders.

Daniel
Editor, Dante's Heart

Dante's Heart Poetry Contest: Dec 5

2008-11-03T12:30:00.000-08:00

Dear readers,

In the interest of gathering a larger pool of submissions (though we have received some exciting initial submissions), we are extending our deadline for the Dante's Heart Poetry Contest to Friday, Dec 5.

Please spread the word to any poets you may know - and we look forward to the final decision on the contest winners, which will now be announced at the New Year. You can read more about the contest rules, the judge, and the theme here.

Robin McKinley's Dragonhaven

2008-11-01T15:11:00.000-07:00

To my great joy, Robin McKinley's new novel Dragonhaven is in paperback and affordable; McKinley, author of Beauty, Spindle's End, and Sunshine, is one of the most skilled and crafty writers of fantasy on the market...and one of our finest retellers of fairy tales. If I were at home and had a copy of her Spindle's End handy, I would type in the first paragraph from it and you could see what I mean. I will have to do so later. In this post, though, I am celebrating my chance to read Dragonhaven, with the promise of a review when I have finished. Here is a bit of the back cover copy:

Jake lives with his scientist father at the Makepeace Institute of Integrated Dragon Studies in Smokehill National Park--home to about two hundred of the remaining Draco australiensis, which is extinct in the wild. But dragon conservation is controversial. Detractors say dragons are much too dangerous and should be destroyed. Supporters say there is no record of them doing anything more threatening than eating sheep and they must be protected.

Just when I thought it would be a while yet before another Anne McCaffrey or Elizabeth Kerner appeared on the scene to give us an altogether fresh take on the dragon, here is this book with its marvelous premise. Bless the finders of new ideas, of new directions for old tales. Whether this novel turns out to be ecological fable or epic tale or both or something different entirely, I am delighted to pluck it from the shelf and turn to the first page.

If you have read McKinley's novel (I am coming a bit late to it after all) and have a thought or two, post a comment here....

Winona Cookie, Steampunk at its Best

2008-11-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I came across this wonderful artwork called, 'Lady Godiva'. If the artwork itself would not have drawn my attention the title would have for sure. For those who don't know the story of Lady Godiva here's a small introduction.

"Lady Godiva was a noblewoman, married to Leofric Earl of Mercia. According to the legend she rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the taxations imposed by her husband on his tenants. Lady Godiva had asked her husband several times to have mercy on them, but without success. Tired of his wife's beggings, eventually he said to her that if she would ride naked through the streets he would grant her wishes. Of course he did not expect her to do just that, as she was a noblewoman, but he was wrong.....and so he reduced the taxation." source: Wikipedia

The lady Godiva was riding on a horse, which we know from the old paintings -- which is nothing like this steampunk lady made by Ramona Szczerba, also known as Winona Cookie, a very talented Californian artist and illustrator.

Her mixed media artworks are strongly influenced by the Victorian era. Combined with some industrial elements and a style that reminds you somewhat of old advertisements, she is one of the best steampunk artists I know.

Now, I have seen many versions of this legend but I have never seen anything like this, which is exactly why this artwork drew my attention. It is a true delight to see how old legends survive in new artforms, especially when they are so wonderfully made as the work of Winona Cookie. Her work is definitely worth taking a look and I think you will find it very intriguing to see how every artwork tells it's own fantastical story and keep you wondering for many hours.

You can view her illustrations as well as some mixed media artwork at her own website or visit her at Etsy, where you can find most of her mixed media artwork.

Also if you are not familiar with Steampunk and would like to know more about it please visit Wikipedia here.

A Small Introduction

2008-11-01T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, I am Isabella. Normally a full-time artist/shadow puppeteer, but for now your new guest columnist! I don't know if this makes you happy as well, but I am thrilled to have my own spot here on the Dante's Heart blog.

Once a week I will write a post in which I highlight emerging artists whose work relates to myth, fairy tale, folklore and fantasy. In my future posts you can expect to see many artists from around the world...featuring the work of impressive papercut artists, illustrators who preserve the old myths and legends, painters who will drag you into surrealistic wonderlands, fantastic stopmotion animators, doll artists whose work might cause you nightmares, and surprising new art forms.

No, it won't be boring at all and, as Peter Pan would say "that would be a great adventure!"

I hope you will all enjoy reading my posts as much as I enjoy writing them and for those who are interested in the girl behind the writings, please visit the Land of Dreamers in the links on your right.

Yours truly,
Isabella

Ps: English is not my first language, so please forgive any lapses in grammar.

Magic in the DC Universe

2008-10-31T11:18:00.000-07:00

On a completely off topic note: I love Halloween. No holiday is better! I hope everyone has a great Halloween.

So, on topic: Magic and fantasy are so deeply seeped into the DC universe that I would think more people would know of the connection. I guess with the science fiction aspects of "Superman" and "The Flash" so evident, who would think about the characters dripping with magic of old?

Neil Gaiman's "The Book of Magic" introduces a new character while calling upon famous magical characters. Timothy Hunter is your average kid (British, but average). Actually, he's a bit whiny and childish, which works well. He is also skeptical and unsure of what he is seeing. He is us, but cooler since he has the possibility to use magic. Of course he knows none of this; if he did I think the story would be quite useless. The "Trenchcoat Brigade" is a group of four wise sages sent to keep Timothy on track. They are familiar names in the DC universe: The Phantom Stranger, Doctor Occult, Mister E, and John Constantine (a way cooler comic book character than the movie made him). The Phantom Stranger guides Tim through the magic of the past. Merlin and Jason Blood (a man later bonded to a demon) meet him in their own time. The use of mythical history is brilliantly employed -- from the Big Bang expertly blended with Christianity's fall of Lucifer to the witch trials; Egyptian and Greek mythology are wound together into a cohesive human history. Constantine, snarky and a product of our time, shows Tim current magic.

The plot begins to pick up a bit, as the importance of Tim is uncovered. His four guardians are described nicely through tarot cards, which help Tim to understand that he "isn't in Kansas anymore." Here current DC magicians make an appearance: Jason Blood, Zatanna, and Tala. For someone entrenched in the DC mythos, this section is great for a different view on the characters. If you aren't all into the DC universe, then this section is just a bit of the story moving along. Doctor Occult takes Tim to Fairyland, where Queen Titania of Shakespeare fame plays a large role. The use of faerie laws is applied, causing Tim to be almost trapped. Finally, Mr. E takes Tim into the future. It is a jumble that connects the entire story through chaos. There is a nice side bit, if you know Gaiman's “Endless.” If not, it isn't too hard to figure out what is going on, for the story concludes its’ end as it began; a nice circle.

It's a great read if you know the DC world, and I think a good read if you don't (Of course I can only guess about that).

I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

Happy Halloween
J.R. West the Raccoon

Bits of News

2008-10-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

A couple quick snippets of news:

* Dante's Heart Issue 3: Snow White's Wedding (titled after a poem that will appear in the issue) will arrive early in February 2009. We'll be featuring a banquet of new art, fiction, and poetry - so mark your calendars!

* There's still time to submit to the Dante's Heart Poetry Contest.

* Our archive on wolves and werewolves will remain open to submissions on an ongoing basis. Halloween is tomorrow. If you haven't had a chance to come howl with us, stop by. And if you know someone who has a chilling or moving wolf story or artwork, please drop them a note about us.

* You may have noticed our new guest columnists here on the blog. Please drop them a comment to welcome them - and also watch for a new weekly column coming soon that will feature fairy tale and myth-related work by emerging artists.

Best,

Daniel

Daniel Fusch
Editor, Dante's Heart

Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle

2008-10-27T11:39:00.000-07:00

For some time I have been looking for the perfect story for my first posting to the blog, and today a perfect conjunction of events occurred. I serve on the Dante's Heart editorial board and as one of the fiction editors. Now I am delighted to join the Dante's Heart blog, sharing the many, many manifestations of wonder in our little world.

Years ago my grandmother sent me a magazine article about a wondrous fairy castle made on a miniature scale. The chandeliers were encrusted with real jewels, and the organ played music. The lights really lit, and the taps of the bath tub in the princess' suite could be turned on to fill the bathtub with water. I was just dazzled and kept the article through many years and many moves, but lately could not find it.

Today I spoke with a friend, enthusing about the Thorne Miniature Rooms at the Chicago Institute of Art, which include more than sixty tiny rooms devoted to recreating the architecture, furnishings, and decorations of European and American life over the past five centuries and including representative rooms from Japan and China. At this link you can see a gallery of the different rooms.

My friend, who grew up in Chicago, said, "Oh, but did you see the fairy castle?" And I at once knew that she was talking about the lost fairy castle that was my fond memory of my grandmother. Colleen Moore's Fairy Castle is now housed at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, and it is as dazzling as ever. Even if you cannot get to Chicago you can take a virtual tour and dream about the real thing, including the marvelous "Dining Room" pictured above with King Arthur's "round table." Now that I know where it is, I believe this Fairy Castle will not disappear again!

International Year of Astronomy

2008-10-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

This January (2009) is the beginning of the International Year of Astronomy (from here on out referred to as IYA because I am lazy). It is amazing to me how few people have heard about IYA. Within the Astrophysics community it is slowly getting talked about. However, I have heard no giant reference in the greater world. It is a disappointment really. Astronomy is part of the soul of humanity. I can think of no ancient or modern culture that has not spent considerable time looking at the sky.

The IYA is a joint project, with at least 129 different countries participating in an effort to increase knowledge about astronomy. It includes a 356 day astronomy pod cast, along with other more sporadic pod casts for various levels of science comprehension. I've heard a sample of the standard layman pod cast... it was hilarious. There are eleven corner stone projects at the heart of the year long event, and even a Second Life island has been dedicated to IYA. Furthermore, a big push is being made to increase knowledge affordably around the world, along with a global movement towards dark skies around the planet.

It seems like such a big deal to me, yet it is mostly being ignored. The Greeks, the Mayans, and many Native American tribes named the constellations and attached stories to them. This tradition oral story telling based on the stars spanned both cultures and time. In addition, the Incas Aztecs and Mayans are known for there insanely accurate calendars based on the movements of stars and planets, the Mayans even predicted many of the comets it took modern astronomers years to "discover." Werewolves are dependent on the moon's phases, and though vampires have problems with starlight from the sun they revel under the dim dots in the night sky. Science fiction writers have a field day with new science. And the movie "Event Horizon" placed hell on the other side of a black hole. Children look up at the night sky with wonder, and long lovers spin poetry of eyes shining like stars. Imagine if the next love poem compared you to the cosmic microwave background: "beautiful in the nearly hidden complexity, giving birth to the stars that shine in your lovers eyes." Or imagine cursing someone, "You're as volatile as a Red Super Giant Star, I'm just waiting for you to supernova."

Astronomy is poetry, so I urge you all look up information on IYA.

J.R West the Raccoon

A Troll in a Honda Commercial

2008-10-18T23:48:00.000-07:00

Dear readers,

Here's a little clip of a Honda pilot car commercial that I stumbled onto today while searching for things on trolls. I have to share it - it's too bizarre not to. It's actually pretty clever too:

Fairy tales are a favorite for product commercials - no doubt because if you can connect your product to either the romance or nostalgia of a fairy tale, you can make a good sell. This next commercial - one for cell phones - is actually poetic and beautiful:

Shamelessly, I have to admit that this second commercial really does make me want to go out and buy a Nokia phone.

Daniel