graveyard graveyard graveyard

http://www.mousecircus.com/videotour.aspx

from the website… (I edited the blurb for succinctness)

“Watch Neil Gaiman read The Graveyard Book on a 9-city video tour. At each stop on the tour, Neil will read one chapter. By the end of the tour, you will be able to watch The Graveyard Book in its entirety right here.”

I find it pretty cool that this kind of stuff happens. I don’t know who gets what kind of kickbacks on this, but the day and age of Metallica-like ferver over rights and piracy seem to have died down. (With notable exception of Prince’s people who religiously take down Youtube audio of any of his stuff.) I do understand we live in what I like to call a “capitalist” society and that people tend to want to “make money” on products they uh produce. Crazy. But at the same time, you have people who figure out a way to make things readily available to those of us who dont really “make money” and are really quite thrilled to watch it stream live and “free” online.

So, Mr. Gaiman, I am still miffed at the movie formerly known as “Coraline” but I am in a forgiving mood today. This made me *almost* forgive you. Maybe by the interlude you will be completely pardoned.

it’s about time graphic novels get some respect!

From http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2009/03/new-york-times-adds-graphic-novel-best-seller-lists/

The New York Times debuted three new best-seller lists under the heading “Graphic Books”: hardcovers, softcovers and manga. The NYT article is here http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/introducing-the-new-york-times-graphic-books-best-seller-lists/

I’m kinda half-hearted about the whole thing really. Graphic novels are not up for debate as to their relevance and poignancy and their weighty and often gritty realism. Anyone who bothers to actually pick one up and look through it will soon discover that there are things you can talk about or just show in art that you simply cannot, at least in the same way, through “mere” written text. What may take paragraphs to explain can be drawn in one single panel.

This doesn’t in any way imply that comics are “better” than novels. I would never say that. Not in public any way. haha. But seriously, I find them to be separate but equal entities, which is more than what many many lit professors would give credit for.

Anyway, I know I wont make any converts to this, and it isn’t even close to my goal or interest to try. I’m just explaining my own respect and reverence for a format that often goes overlooked and belittled as “kids’ stuff.” Some of these stories are anything but for kids.

Oh, speaking of kids, if you haven’t aready, you should pick up The Graveyard Book which is really quite delightful reading for kids of all ages. Won the Newberry award if that kind of thing means anything to you. Starts out a little scary and has some bits throughout that may not make it the best choice for bedtime reading. Especially if your kid has an overactive imagination and is prone to nightmares.  But it is mostly very pleasant and each chapter can more or less be read as separate standalone stories.  No surprises here, it’s by Neil Gaiman. It’s not as great as Coraline (the book, not the movie) or Mr. Punch. But it’s up there.

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another quick word about Coraline

(G, talk about beating a dead horse!)

So I am apparently not the only one who has reacted somewhat strongly about the (arguable) misrepresentation of female characters in the movie version of Coraline. There are problems with the depiction of pretty much all the women – not to mention the main antagonist ”Other Mother” and what I found an ALARMING and misguided and torturous addition of a boy character.

http://www.locusmag.com/2009/Reviews_Coraline.html

http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2009/02/09/coraline/index.html

http://www.blogher.com/coraline-3d-real-gift-senses

The only other thing I want to point out about this is that i still think the book is beautiful and deserves to be read and if all the hoopla just boosts the sales of the book, then I guess I’m ok with that.

There are some lovely bits in the book that are left out, which is fine with me. But one of the scenes (which happens to be among my faves of all Mr. Gaiman’s writings) establishes a beautiful relationship btwn Coraline and her father which aided tremendously in setting a tone for the entire sequence of events as well as give one of the keys of the story: what it means to be brave. I will now tell you so SPOILER WARNING for those who have not yet, but want to read the book…

In the book, Coraline tells how her father seemed brave when they were out and about and there was a swarm of bees getting ready to attack them. The father told her to race up the hill, while he flailed about attracting the entire swarm allowing enough time for her to get away. In talking about it, she thanks him realizing he took the full brunt of the attack while she got away relatively scratch free, and then he tells her something quite lovely. He says that (and i’m paraphrasing from memory so probably not quite doing it justice) he didn’t feel it was really brave, because he wasn’t scared. All he could think of was her safety. It’s only being brave when you are scared, and that is a much more noble act. She then notes his true act of bravery when he went back some time later alone to where the beehive was and removed it. Then he was scared but did it anyway. This is the theme that carries our young heroine through the end, to do what needed to be done despite her fear.

So even if you didn’t read the book or see the movie, you could imagine that at the crucial parts of the story, fear and courage are of vital importance, and many of us were put out (read: pissed off) that the writer/director chose to alter the sequence of events significantly. Again, as I’ve said before, the movie is quite lovely and a work of art, deserving of all praises and awards it will undubitably garnish. If you don’t know the book you will get more of a kick out of it, and all in all the story holds up just fine.

But it still doesn’t feel right at the end of the day, and I really could be a lot sadder than I am if I let myself. But I’m going to be brave.