Thursday, December 5, 2013

Reading Room: SNOW QUEEN "Little Robber Girl"

Kay, an innocent little boy, was affected by tiny shards of an evil mirror accidentally imbedded in his skin.
Now cruel and mean, the lad tormened his playmates, including his best friend Gerda, who, though confused by his actions, still loved Kay.
While involved in a snowball fight, Kay was swept away by the immortal Snow Queen, who took him to her ice palace.
Gerda, worried and despondent, decided to go in search of Kay, and, after meeting an old witch and young prince & princess, she encounters even more danger...
Tomorrow:
Written by Gaylord Du Bois and illustrated by Lea Bing, this never-reprinted tale from Dell's Fairy Tale Parade #9 (1943) is the only comic book adaptation of the Hand Christian Andersen fairy tale that serves as the (very loose) basis of the current Disney movie Frozen!

In the late 1990s, buoyed by the incredible success of their adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid, Disney started work on an adaptation of Snow Queen, but the project was scrapped completely in late 2002, despite the fact it was headed by Glen Keane, who had directed Little Mermaid!
The project was revived again around 2008 under the title of Anna and the Snow Queen, and was planned to be traditional cel animation.
Less than two years later, the project was abandoned when the writers and artists failed to find a way to make the story and the Snow Queen character "work" for a modern audience.
More tomorrow...

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Reading Room: SNOW QUEEN "Prince and the Princess"

Kay, an innocent little boy, is affected by tiny shards of an evil mirror accidentally imbedded in his skin.
Now cruel and mean, the lad torments his playmates, including his best friend Gerda, who, though confused by his actions, still loves Kay.
While involved in a snowball fight, Kay is swept away by the immortal Snow Queen, who takes him to her ice palace.
Gerda, worried and despondent, decides to go in search of Kay, and encounters a witch who wants to keep the girl in her enchanted garden, forever.
But, the resourceful child escapes and encounters a talking crow who knows of a little boy who sounds like Gerda's missing friend...
Tomorrow:
The Little Robber Girl
Written by Gaylord Du Bois and illustrated by Lea Bing, this never-reprinted tale from Dell's Fairy Tale Parade #9 (1943) is the only comic book adaptation of the Hand Christian Andersen fairy tale that serves as the (very loose) basis of the current Disney movie Frozen!

In fact, you may be wondering what the heck is going on since none of this plotline is in Frozen!

In 1943, Walt Disney and Samuel Goldwyn had considered the possibility of collaborating to produce a film biography film Hans Christian Andersen, where Goldwyn's studio would shoot the live-action sequences of Andersen's life and Disney would create the animated sequences.
But, due to creative differences, the project was cancelled.
Goldwyn went on to produce his own live-action film version in 1952, entitled Hans Christian Andersen, with Danny Kaye as Andersen.
But, the Disney studio didn't give up on adapting Andersen's stories into animation, as we will see tomorrow...

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Reading Room: SNOW QUEEN "Flower Garden of the Woman Who Knew Magic"

We Have Already Seen...
Kay, an innocent little boy, is affected by tiny shards of an evil mirror accidentally imbedded in his skin.
Now cruel and mean, the lad torments his playmates, including his best friend Gerda, who, though confused by his actions, still loves Kay.
While involved in a snowball fight, Kay is swept away by the immortal Snow Queen, who takes him to her ice palace.
Gerda, worried and despondent, decides to go in search of Kay...
Tomorrow:
Written by Gaylord Du Bois and illustrated by Lea Bing, this never-reprinted tale from Dell's Fairy Tale Parade #9 (1943) is the only comic book adaptation of the Hand Christian Andersen fairy tale that serves as the (very loose) basis of the current Disney movie Frozen!

Monday, December 2, 2013

Reading Room: SNOW QUEEN "About the Mirror and Its Pieces" and "A Little Boy and a Little Girl"

Disney has once more pillaged Hans Christian Andersen's legacy...
...for a radical retelling of one of his fairy tales in the new animated film, Frozen!
Tomorrow:
Written by Gaylord Du Bois and illustrated by Lea Bing, this never-reprinted tale from Dell's Fairy Tale Parade #9 (1943) is the only comic book adaptation of the Hand Christian Andersen fairy tale!

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Design of the Week: SANTA'S SURPRISE!

Each week, we post a limited-edition design, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another.
This week,we take a look at a Santa Claus who's been naughty, not nice, in this vintage saucy 1930s comic cover!
Available on mugs, blankets, t-shirts, and other goodies!