The 12 Days of Christmas - My Fantasy Way 4

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me:

Four mountain trolls

Three phoenixes

Two forest fauns
And a unicorn as white as the snow!

The 12 Days of Christmas - My Fantasy Way 3

On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: 

Three phoenixes

Two forest fauns

And a unicorn as white as the snow!

Mel's Inktober 19 - Aurora Entranced

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I'm scheduled for a long shift at work and then I'm going to a church Halloween party with my family, so I'm posting my next Inktober entry early.

A little homage to a classic Disney scene that still gives me the creeps. Can't say I'm entirely happy with how it looks, but oh well.

Mel's Inktober 6 - Sorcerer Mickey

These days, whenever someone mentions Fantasia, people tend to think of Chernabog or Sorcerer Mickey first. 

Which isn't a huge surprise, given this is one of Mickey Mouse's most famous roles and that's saying a lot. I even have a Christmas ornament of him in his Sorcerer's Apprentice form, and another of Minnie as a ballerina. 

As a little kid, I couldn't get enough of him, so this was by far my most favorite segment, until I gained a deeper love for The Pastoral Symphony and (of course) Night on Bald Mountain. 

(Image property of its respective owner.)

BMM 25 - Impossible

 

Impossible

For a plain yellow pumpkin

To become a golden carriage 

Impossible

For a plain country bumpkin

And a prince to join in marriage

 

And four white mice

Will never be four white horses

 Such fol-de-rol and fiddle-dee-dee

Of course is

Impossible! 

 

But the world is full of zanies and fools 

Who don't believe in sensible rules

 And won't believe what sensible people say 

And because these daft and dewy-eyed dopes

Keep building up impossible hopes 

Impossible things are happening every day!

 

Impossible! (Impossible!)

Impossible! (Impossible!)

 

Impossible

For a plain yellow pumpkin

To become a golden carriage

Impossible

For a plain country bumpkin

And a prince to join in marriage

 

And four white mice

Will never be four white horses

(They will!)

Such fol-de-rol and fiddle-dee-dee

Of course is

Impossible!

 

But the world is full of zanies and fools

Who don't believe in sensible rules

 And won't believe what sensible people say

And because these daft and dewy-eyed dopes

Keep building up impossible hopes

Impossible things are happening every day!

 

Look!

 

It's possible

For a plain yellow pumpkin

To become a golden carriage

It's possible

For a plain country bumpkin

And a prince to join in marriage

 

And four white mice

Are easily turned to horses

Such fol-de-rol and fiddle-dee-dee 

Of course is 

Quite possible!

It's possible!

 

For the world is full of zanies and fools

Who don't believe in sensible rules 

And won't believe what sensible people say

And because these daft and dewy-eyed dopes

Keep building up impossible hopes

Impossible things are happening every day!

 

It's possible! (It's possible!)

It's possible! (It's possible!)

It's possible! (It's possible!)

It's possible!

 

It's possible! 

 

Not really seeing anything on Wikipedia about this song in particular, so I'll just give you my own thoughts and keep them nice and short.

 

Cinderella is probably the only Rodgers and Hammerstein musical I not only like but can actually sit all the way through...sort of. Either way, it's safe to say this one tops my list.

 

 

Not only do I love the songs and listen to them fairly often, but I got a lot of inspiration for Kaylee's story from both this version and the Disney version. Although "Impossible" is not quite my favorite song, it's a lot of fun to sing and it seemed one of the easiest to illustrate for Musical May. I'm a bit more partial to "In My Own Little Corner," "The Prince is Giving a Ball," "Ten Minutes Ago," and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful."

 

BMM 13 - Pure Imagination

Hold your breath
Make a wish
Count to three

 Come with me
And you'll be
In a world of pure imagination
Take a look
And you'll see
Into your imagination 

We'll begin
With a spin
Traveling in the world of my creation
What we'll see will defy
Explanation

 If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Want to change the world?
There's nothing to it 

There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there
You'll be free
If you truly wish to be 

If you want to view paradise
Simply look around and view it
Anything you want to, do it
Want to change the world?
There's nothing to it 

There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there
You'll be free
If you truly wish to be

From Wikipedia: "Pure Imagination" is a song from the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It was written by British composers Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the movie. It was sung by Gene Wilder who played the character of Willy Wonka. Bricusse has stated that the song was written over the phone in one day. 

In the week following Wilder's death in 2016, the song rose in streams and sales by more than 1000%. The song was featured in television, radio, and social media tributes to Wilder. While it was not at all used for the 2005 film adaptation Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the song was featured in the 2023 prequel film Wonka, both in its promotional materials and the film itself, sung by Timothée Chalamet as Wonka.

My own thoughts: While I've always liked both movies (though I've yet to make up my mind about the 2023 movie), I must confess I'm a bit partial to the Gene Wilder version. It's a bit warmer and more charming, it's extremely quotable, and the songs are most definitely singable.

It's kind of a tie between this song, "The Candy Man Can," and "I've Got a Golden Ticket" for my most favorite song, but I've also learned to love "Cheer Up, Charlie."

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds;
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,

With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

The 12 Days of Christmas of 2023 - Day 10

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: ten lords a-leaping!
Nine ladies dancing,
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

 

What the ten lords symbolize is a fairly simple symbol: the Ten Commandments. Even people who aren't particularly religious will no doubt have heard of them a few times in their lives:

 

1. God is the one true God we must worship.
2. Don't create idols, or "graven images," as they're called. The story of the Golden Calf from the book of Exodus is one not-so-fine example.
3. Don't take God's name in vain. God's name is sacred and must be kept so at all times.
4. Remember the Sabbath Day and observe it as such.
5. Honor your father and your mother.
6. Don't kill.
7. Don't commit adultery. Love and respect your spouse.
8. Don't steal.
9. Don't bear false witness. Always tell the truth and refrain from malicious slander.
10. Don't covet.

 

My fantasy version:

 

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: ten flimsy fairies!
Nine mystic mermaids,
Eight hearty hobbits,
Seven dwarves a-mining,
Six flying horses,
Five magic rings,
Four mountain trolls,
Three phoenixes,
Two forest fauns,
And a unicorn as white as the snow!

 

The interesting thing about fairies is that there are so many different ways to depict them. In some versions, they're cute and harmless, sometimes downright silly, and they represent love, magic, and springtime.

 

In other versions, they're more nasty and malicious, representing immorality, sexual depravity, abduction, cruel humor, and even death.

 

Disney's Tinker Bell in particular kind of skirts the line between good and bad fairies. She has plenty of traits that are not so ideal, but on the other hand, she does learn her lesson, even if she must learn it the hard way. I appreciate very much how, like Peter Pan, she becomes a lot more likable in Return to Never Land, so I definitely consider Return to Never Land one of the better Disney sequels.

 

The 12 Days of Christmas of 2023 - Day 9

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: nine ladies dancing!
Eight maids a-milking,
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
Four calling birds,
Three French hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree!

 

There are many theories about what the nine ladies are supposed to represent.

 

One such theory is that they represent the Nine Fruits of the Holy Spirit, as explained in the Book of Galatians. These fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

 

My fantasy version:

 

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: nine mystic mermaids!
Eight hearty hobbits,
Seven dwarves a-mining,
Six flying horses,
Five magic rings,
Four mountain trolls,
Three phoenixes,
Two forest fauns,
And a unicorn as white as the snow!

 

In some cultures, mermaids are seen as protectors and guides of the ocean and its creatures, representing the power of nature to nurture and sustain life.

 

In my world, merfolk are fiercely protective of their territory. They won't hesitate to attack anyone who harms their environment or any of the undersea creatures living in it. Then again, they'll handsomely reward anyone who helps them.

 

As much as I love Disney's The Little Mermaid, I do make a few corrections here and there.

 

Happy Birthday, Terence

The wind is moving
But I am standing still
A life of pages
Waiting to be filled
A heart that's hopeful
A head that's full of dreams
But this becoming
Is harder than it seems
Feels like

I'm looking for a reason
Roaming through the night to find
My place in this world
My place in this world
Not a lot to lean on
I need your light to help me find
My place in this world
My place in this world

If there are millions
Down on their knees,
Among the many,
Can you still hear me?
Hear me asking
Where do I belong?
Is there a vision
That I can call my own?
Show me

I'm looking for a reason
Roaming through the night to find
My place in this world
My place in this world
Not a lot to lean on
I need your light to help me find
My place in this world
My place in this world

Looking for a reason
Roaming through the night to find
My place in this world
My place in this world
Not a lot to lean on
I need your light to help me find
My place in this world
My place in this world

Looking for a reason
Roaming through the night to find
My place in this world
My place in this world 

If I could pick any song for Terence's anthem, it would most likely be this one. He starts out questioning his place in the world, what he can do or what he's even good for. He represents me when high school graduation was just around the corner.

Then he goes on to become something he never imagined he was. Old Beowulf admits Terence took even him by surprise, and Beowulf is not the kind of creature to be easily surprised (if at all) anymore.

Well, the ice cream and the berries are in the freezer now (bought them yesterday after work) and I'll watch a unicorn movie a little later. Most likely, it's going to be The Last Unicorn, although I have watched Legend a couple of times, too.

I definitely got strawberries, but I also got blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries. Terence likes just about any kind of fruit; next to berries, he'll eat pretty much anything involving apples. He'll eat meat on occasion, mostly fish, but he prefers fruit and vegetation. You could say he's a vegetarian who's not afraid to touch meat every so often.

The ice cream is Ben & Jerry's Phish Food, my favorite.

For now, it's time to post the artwork and wish my dear old mate, the one who started it all, a very happy birthday. 

Disney Musical May 1 - Wish Upon a Star

When you wish upon a star,
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

If your heart is in your dream,
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do

Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue,
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star,
Your dreams come true 

Yeppers, friends, it's Musical May once again. This year, I decided to do a Disney twist on this.

Simply put, I'll be illustrating classic Disney songs, of which there are plenty. And what better song to start with than Disney's official anthem?

Few movies in general have a bigger place in my heart than Pinocchio. So, for a time, I was tempted to check out the 2022 remake, also because I like Tom Hanks. Unfortunately, it didn't take long to change my mind and keep it changed. 

Most people agree that if there's any upside to the 2022 recycle, it makes the 1940 original look that much better. And, quite honestly, I feel the 1940 original is just right the way it is. Far from perfect, sure, but good enough to where there's no real need to mess with it.

Oh, well. As Jiminy Cricket says, you can't please everybody.

Reading and Critiquing - Part 1

Some writers (in the works) believe they don't need to read to know how to write good books of their own. Some go far as to say, "I just don't have the time."

Other people lose so many of their marbles over a certain story, their political correctness sensors going so completely haywire, that they take it upon themselves to rewrite the whole thing from scratch. 

I'm seeing such a thing happen right now with the books of Roald Dahl and R.L. Stine. Since neither author has entered the public domain, these "editors" are setting themselves up for one doozy of a lawsuit. 

I say all these people are full of baloney. 

It should go without saying that reading and writing go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other, and while I understand some books aging better than others, we must keep our history in mind, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us, if we have any hope in the world of not repeating it. 

So, I thought I'd do another critique of some of the books I'm checking out myself right now. 

One book I finished just today is James and the Giant Peach, by the one and only Roald Dahl. 

This one was a pretty easy read. The chapters are so short and the story moves along at an incredibly brisk pace. For me, it was a little too brisk, and in some ways, the movie was done much better. 

Which is not to bash the book by any means. 

I only mean to say that the characters, as fun and quirky as they are in the book, are a lot more fleshed out in the movie. There's a bit more variety to their adventures and perils, their personalities are more distinct, and we have a little more time to get to know them as individuals, whereas the book kind of lumps everybody together.

In the book, the only protagonists to really jump out at me were the Grasshopper and the Earthworm. The Earthworm is darkly funny with his perpetual gloom-and-doom mindset, finding something to whine about even when there's nothing to whine about at all. As for the Grasshopper, he has a moving paternal streak toward James, and I automatically like any character who's not only good with kids but also becomes a satisfactory parental substitute.

In this regard, the movie does a better job at answering the question, "What makes a family?"

Even the villains get more time and depth on the screen. While we never fully understand why Sponge and Spiker are such nasty people, the movie makes them less of a cardboard cutout.

So, while the book makes for a fun, fast, feel-good, slightly bizarre read, it's the movie that delivers the strongest messages. 

But, of course, you wouldn't have the movie in the first place without the book. 

In the book's favor, Roald Dahl is a master poet. His songs are impossibly catchy, and I'm very glad they included some of those quirky lyrics in the movie. Furthermore, the descriptions of the giant peach will always make your mouth water for an actual peach or some other peach-flavored treat.

Where both book and movie are concerned, speaking as a certified insectophobe, this is one of the very few stories involving insects that I actually like.

Which serves as a nice segue into the next story on my list: Charlotte's Web by E.B. White.

I absolutely despise spiders, and I think Charlotte A. Cavatica is the only spider, even if she is make-believe, that doesn't creep everybody out. 

The way E.B. White describes her friendly and loyal (if somewhat bossy) nature sure helps. It also helps that in the movies, they got such pleasant-sounding women to provide her voice. While I am partial to the cartoon Debbie Reynolds version, Julia Roberts did a fine job in the live-action. 

Besides all that, White's simple narrative weaves a certain kind of magic, for all its realism. He makes you feel what it's like to live in a barn, with all its sights, sounds, and smells. He makes a spiderweb sound like something truly ethereal on a foggy morning. 

And without fail, he'll make you ravenously hungry with the elaborate descriptions of Wilbur's slops. 

Anna Sewell weaves a similar spell with her one and only book, Black Beauty. 

Besides mandatory reading for anyone who's nuts about horses, this book is a beautiful, heartbreaking reminder of the harsh realities of life and how far a little kindness can really go. 

Not only does Anna Sewell teach us that horses are made of flesh and blood, and thus they feel things as we do even if they can't express them as well, but she also shows the practicality of good treatment. Good treatment makes horses last longer and behave so much better. In the long run, a bit of humanity can save you a lot of time, money, and sheer hassle.

Thanks to Sewell and her literary gem, people have never looked at horses the same way again. 

I've read the story and heard the audio recordings enough times to have pretty much memorized the whole thing. Nevertheless, I'm always happy to give it another go, as I'm giving it this very moment.

Another story I've never grown tired of (and most likely never will) is The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle.

This one holds an extra special place in my heart, because it inspired my own unicorn story involving Terence, and Terence led to pretty much all the other characters I've got in my stockpile today.

Even if that weren't the case, this is great for anyone who likes unicorns in general. I can no longer count the number of times I've read the book or seen the movie, and I couldn't care less. These days, I often like to watch the movie after I've read the book. So, I see another full view of the movie on the horizon.

The graphic novel is awesome, too. I even bought a copy of Beagle's newest book, The Way Home, which features "Two Hearts" (which I also read and enjoyed) and the long-awaited sequel, "Sooz." 

I'm forcing myself to wait until I've finished the original book and "Two Hearts" before I jump into "Sooz." But I will mention that "Two Hearts" also had a terrific impact on my current story, The Wolf at the Door. Once again, Mr. Beagle, I am very much obliged to you.

Speaking of last things, the last book I'll mention tonight is considerably more controversial. 

If people think Roald Dahl is offensive, he's got nothing on Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone With the Wind. 

Yes, I'm still plowing through that book. I'll admit it's a pretty heavy read; if Dahl's story moves like a bicycle on a downward slope, Mitchell's story moves like a bicycle through a mud patch. 

Mitchell practically smothers us in background info while just managing to keep the characters fascinating. Most sensible authors wouldn't do this kind of thing today, but to be fair to Mitchell, people had more time and patience for super-wordy books in her day. Authors also got paid more if they wrote more, and like I said, Mitchell's characters are still interesting and her descriptions paint a lovely picture. 

So, if you have the time as well as the patience, you'll like what you read. I do, anyway.

But since this takes place in the Civil War South, readers should be forewarned of the descriptions of the black characters and how slavery is not only deemed normal, but fairly glamorized. 

Again, in Mitchell's defense, this was indeed the norm in that location at that period of time. You can tell she's done her research.

If anything, what's she's giving us is a very G-rated version. For those who bother with their history homework, the actual Civil War South was much worse, so there would have been fouler language and harder-to-stomach brutality if Mitchell told it like it really was. 

As awful as the life of a slave was, some slaves honestly didn't know any other way to live. Where else would they go? What else could they possibly be good for? 

Therefore, liberation was easier said than done. Some slaves didn't even want to be free. 

So, I think today's criticism of Abraham Lincoln is more than a little unfair. He was walking a super-fine line between wanting to keep slavery from spreading further and being prudent enough not to get rid of slavery all at once. Even when he was assassinated, plenty of Southerners felt John Wilkes Booth only made everything worse. 

Anyway, as I was saying, Gone With the Wind is a nice read for history buffs, once you get over the racist undertone. Mitchell makes you feel like you're actually there.

And while the characters are far from the most likable, there's an undeniable charm about them. They feel like real people, and regardless of the author or genre, that takes real talent. 

One way or another, Mitchell does a vastly better job than Stephenie Meyer does. Give me Scarlett O'Hara over Isabella Swann any day.

That's all for now, friends. 

Goodnight, sweet dreams, and don't be afraid to pick up a book every once in a blue moon. It's good nourishment for your brain, and you just might like what you see!

My Inktober 2022 - 16 - Unicorn Head

Not the most creative entry, but I still needed a break from elaborate detail. Unicorn heads are fun enough in their own way, especially the manes. 

For me, hair is the most fun (and sometimes the most aggravating) thing to draw.