Saturday, August 29, 2009

Weekly Geeks: Collecting a Single Book

Today's assignment on the Weekly Geeks assignment is to discuss collecting a single book, and I think among the best books to consider with this topic might be Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Of course, I MIGHT be a little biased. On Amazon alone a search for "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" brings up 6,347 different listings.


Here's a copy of this book that I own. I've read Alice several times, but I did not read this particular copy. I love how it has color plates and also that it was obviously printed with moveable type on a letter press. All the letters and pictures are actually pressed into the paper. It's a subtle thing, but for some reason it seems so lush and textural to me. I tried researching this edition because it doesn't have a copyright page or date on it. The best I could find was that it was probably published in the 1920s or '30s. (If someone reading this knows better, please leave a note in the comments!)

 

Here's a photo of the interior with one of the illustrations. This edition features illustrations by John Tenniel and Elenore Abbott. The Tenniel illustrations are black and white and are the illustrations that most people think of when talking about this book.

Getting back to editions of Alice's Adventures, it looks like a person could very easily spend a lot of money collecting copies. The most expensive copy on Amazon is this 1866 edition, which the seller is offering for $25,000 US.

Also among the most expensive copies is a limited edition published in 2005 that was Illustrated by artist Anne Bachelier. Here is more of Bachelier's work.

Here are some editions that won't exactly put you in the poor house:

This 2003 Edition illustrated by Iassen Ghiuselev.

 
My favorite Alice illustrator is Arthur Rackham. Here is a recently published edition with the Rackham illustrations and a page (in Spanish, sorry) with nice scans of the illustrations and cover of the 1907 edition.

Martin Gardner's Annotated Alice - The Definitive Edition.

The amazingly cool Ralph Steadman (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) illustrated edition.

 Robert Sabuda's fabulous Pop-Up Adaptation.

Well, I could do this all day, but I don't want to. I'm going to leave you with a very nice (but kind of slow) site which has an A to Z illustrated encyclopedia of artists who have illustrated Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

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Friday, August 28, 2009

Fast Day is Slow

What we have here is a lack of news about Alice 2010. However, it seems like the sun never sets on Alice in Wonderland. Here are a few new items:




Can we hear a big "Yowsa!" for J. Scott Campbell's Alice in Wonderland cartoon illustration? Here is more by the same artist.



Notes on planning an Alice in Wonderland themed birthday party. Looks good!

I'm not sure if I already linked to this. Sorry if it's a repeat. More information about Alice Returns - the sequel to American McGee's Alice video game.

Speaking of American McGee's Alice Returns, here is more concept art for Alice Returns on SuperPunch.

Last - this is oh so YESTERDAY but it seems that Alice in Wonderland style hairbands are making a comeback.

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Thursday, August 27, 2009

Alice in One Minute, Twelve Seconds


You're a year early! In an online Micro Movie competition, writer/director Mark Lediard won a contest held by the Regional Screen Agency, Northern Film & Media in the UK with a one-minute long film Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland. I managed to find it. In case you have a full four minutes to watch movies, check out the rest.

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Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Happy Late Birthday Tim Burton Plus News

A big OOPS from me for missing Tim Burton's birthday yesterday. His birthday is August 25. Here's a nice bio on the LA Times Entertainment Blog on Burton.

Plans are continuing to build a Lewis Carroll visitor center in Daresbury, UK. The design commission was won by Purcell Miller Tritton. The center (or centre, as the British call them) will be built at the Cheshire church where the Alice in Wonderland author was born.

More Alice in Wonderland inspired parties here and here.

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Tuesday, August 25, 2009

News From the Looking Glass


Helena Bonham Carter will play English author Enid Blyton in a new BBC4 biopic. Blyton was the author of children's books. Among them are "Noddy", The Famous Five Series and The Secret Seven Series.

Here is a really nice Alice in Wonderland-style tea party. Looking Good!

I don't even want to think about Halloween yet, but here is a page of ideas for Alice in Wonderland inspired costumes.

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Monday, August 24, 2009

Alice 2010 is #1 Most Anticipated Film

IMDB published results of a MOVIEmeter user poll for the 10 Most Anticipated Movies of 2010. Via. Here is the list:
1) Alice in Wonderland
2) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (part 1)
3) Iron Man 2
4) The Last Airbender
5) A Nightmare on Elm Street 4
6) The Expendables
7) Green Hornet
8) Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
9) Remember Me
10) The Book of Eli

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