well, jules, first, happy new year. second, as my patron saint eyeore would say, thanks for noticing me. onward.
i had to hold myself back when i was giving my 2 cents worth on mommy? a few posts back because i was afraid of throwing gas on a possible flame war. the simple fact is that, while dear mr. sendak owes us nothing more, he needs to stop coasting if he's going to produce new works.
yes, coasting.
look, i understand that he's earned the right to rest on his laurels, but somehow i also always expected that the man who brough us max and jennie and rosie and those goofy chefs in the night kitchen would go out with a bang and not a whimper. mommy? and brundibar were huge dissapointments to me, and to many i have talked to.
again, he owes the world nothing, and nothing more. but a part of me is already mourning his passing with each new book.
that's just how i feel. but if there's a chance putting him on notice will force out one last triumph, then i'm going for it!
Okay, I see. However, as Roger Sutton put it, he did seem to have a great deal of fun with Mommy? (as compared to the amount of "fun" that was probably involved in Brundibar).
I must ask (and not snarkily at all, which I feel I just must say, since it's hard to read tone online): What could he do next that would make you pleased? I mean, in what direction could he head?
Now, sorry to go on, but if you explained the Rosemary Wells one, that would make me happy, too.
re: what maurice could do, i'd say he could give us something completely his own, text and words, body and soul. i'm not saying he has to reinvent the wheel (he already did that) but i'm sure he's got oodles of ideas just as playful as his earlier work. i know it hurt him to lose his jennie, but (dare i say it) a sequel to higgelty piggelty pop, would that be asking too much?.
or am i just imposing the woody allen effect onto him, insisting he be like he was instead of how he is?
however that is.
as for rosemary wells... first, the woman is everywhere i look and i've never been a fan to begin with. but what gets her put on notice is her colorization of garth williams drawings in the "signiture" edition of charlotte's web that just came out. the handling of the color ranges from garish to badly handled.
now, if harpercollins is going to jump on the marketing bandwagon with the movie and insist that they can't sell the book with black and white drawings, there's nothing stopping them. and if rosemary wells (or her agent) is comfortable tampering with someone else's work, the least she can do is be somewhat respectful. and by that i mean keeping things within the palate from williams' original color cover of the book. but there are purples and reds and some truly badly handled washes that just don't do the artist or the book justice.
i guess they knew they'd get enough flack for the paperback cover being replced by the movie photo that they decided not to offer rosemary the opportunity to do her own drawings.
i hope that helps. and while i'm here let me explain that harry potter's on notice because everyone has high expectations for him (latest rumor is 07/07/07, though i think that's wishful thinking) and curious george is there because, well, he's just a naughty little monkey.
i may one day finish my rant about graphic novels. i am not anti- but i think book publishers haven't a clue and are blowing chances right and left to make them huge-r then they could ever dream.
I can respect your thoughts on Sendak's most recent titles (though I have enjoyed them), but to revive the beloved Jennie in a book? Aw, poor guy. Might be too hard on him.
I have not seen this new signature edition of CW. Oh my. I don't know if I want to. I'm just thrilled that, because of all the movie hype, The Annotated Charlotte's Web is now out again -- and in paperback. I finally now own a copy (though I'd already read a library copy years ago). As I understood it, it was out of print, but I could be wrong about that.
I enjoy your posts always (particularly the Lake Wobegon Effect one).
5 comments:
Oh oh you must (okay, asking humbly: pleeeease) explain "Maurice Sendak" . . .
well, jules, first, happy new year. second, as my patron saint eyeore would say, thanks for noticing me. onward.
i had to hold myself back when i was giving my 2 cents worth on mommy? a few posts back because i was afraid of throwing gas on a possible flame war. the simple fact is that, while dear mr. sendak owes us nothing more, he needs to stop coasting if he's going to produce new works.
yes, coasting.
look, i understand that he's earned the right to rest on his laurels, but somehow i also always expected that the man who brough us max and jennie and rosie and those goofy chefs in the night kitchen would go out with a bang and not a whimper. mommy? and brundibar were huge dissapointments to me, and to many i have talked to.
again, he owes the world nothing, and nothing more. but a part of me is already mourning his passing with each new book.
that's just how i feel. but if there's a chance putting him on notice will force out one last triumph, then i'm going for it!
Okay, I see. However, as Roger Sutton put it, he did seem to have a great deal of fun with Mommy? (as compared to the amount of "fun" that was probably involved in Brundibar).
I must ask (and not snarkily at all, which I feel I just must say, since it's hard to read tone online): What could he do next that would make you pleased? I mean, in what direction could he head?
Now, sorry to go on, but if you explained the Rosemary Wells one, that would make me happy, too.
re: what maurice could do, i'd say he could give us something completely his own, text and words, body and soul. i'm not saying he has to reinvent the wheel (he already did that) but i'm sure he's got oodles of ideas just as playful as his earlier work. i know it hurt him to lose his jennie, but (dare i say it) a sequel to higgelty piggelty pop, would that be asking too much?.
or am i just imposing the woody allen effect onto him, insisting he be like he was instead of how he is?
however that is.
as for rosemary wells... first, the woman is everywhere i look and i've never been a fan to begin with. but what gets her put on notice is her colorization of garth williams drawings in the "signiture" edition of charlotte's web that just came out. the handling of the color ranges from garish to badly handled.
now, if harpercollins is going to jump on the marketing bandwagon with the movie and insist that they can't sell the book with black and white drawings, there's nothing stopping them. and if rosemary wells (or her agent) is comfortable tampering with someone else's work, the least she can do is be somewhat respectful. and by that i mean keeping things within the palate from williams' original color cover of the book. but there are purples and reds and some truly badly handled washes that just don't do the artist or the book justice.
i guess they knew they'd get enough flack for the paperback cover being replced by the movie photo that they decided not to offer rosemary the opportunity to do her own drawings.
i hope that helps. and while i'm here let me explain that harry potter's on notice because everyone has high expectations for him (latest rumor is 07/07/07, though i think that's wishful thinking) and curious george is there because, well, he's just a naughty little monkey.
i may one day finish my rant about graphic novels. i am not anti- but i think book publishers haven't a clue and are blowing chances right and left to make them huge-r then they could ever dream.
yes, i mean huge-r.
I can respect your thoughts on Sendak's most recent titles (though I have enjoyed them), but to revive the beloved Jennie in a book? Aw, poor guy. Might be too hard on him.
I have not seen this new signature edition of CW. Oh my. I don't know if I want to. I'm just thrilled that, because of all the movie hype, The Annotated Charlotte's Web is now out again -- and in paperback. I finally now own a copy (though I'd already read a library copy years ago). As I understood it, it was out of print, but I could be wrong about that.
I enjoy your posts always (particularly the Lake Wobegon Effect one).
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