In the Labyrinth

Comments From the Dream World

I woke from an early (really early!) morning dream where Max Fleischer-style cats were on a fence, saying, "I woke up too early, too late. "I can't decide if it was meant for my untimely rising, a description of my whole life, or the character I am writing in a new novel—all three fit.

Night Time Writing

Sometimes it's the best. Almost like dreaming and surprisingly effortless.

I think it's time, however, based on this lovely illustration by Italian artist Frank Matticchio, to update the alternate animal taxonomy taken from the ancient Chinese encyclopædia entitled the Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge (and offered by Jorges Borges...which presents us with all kinds of intellectual dilemmas about its authenticity as a document or a charming piece of fiction.) Perhaps there should be a new listing for "Those who tell midnight tales."

• Those that belong to the Emperor,
• Embalmed ones,
• Those that are trained,
• Suckling pigs,
• Mermaids,
• fabulous ones,
• Stray dogs,
• Those included in the present classification,
• Those that tremble as if they were mad,
• The innumerable ones,
• Those drawn with a very fine camelhair brush,
• Others,
• Those that have just broken a flower vase,
• Those that from a long way off look like flies.

Or maybe this cheeky listing:  "Those that love the camera"

I would also recommend stopping by to visit Laura Ottina's Animalarium blog --  which is filled with amazing animal illustrations and art from around the world. 

A Chorus of Clowns Redux

I spent the morning revising a bit and adding more art to "A Chorus of Clowns and Masked Comic Theater," an article I wrote long ago for the "Folkroots Column" in Realms of Fantasy and then republished the Journal of Mythic Arts. I had almost forgotten how interesting it was (well...to me at least) reaching back to see the long lineage of theatrical clowns from the Greek Satyr plays, to the Roman Atellan Farces, to the Italian Commedia dell' Arte, and finally to the Marx Brothers who remain unparalleled in our culture for that fast cracking wit and hilarity. Here's a bit from the end:

"The chorus of clowns rips apart polite society and in that act exposes our true feelings. In this joyful disorder, we remember primal emotions: we lust, we become envious and jealous, we are starved for affection and fame, and we long for an illusive, trouble–free happiness. We would rather sleep than work; we are clever and undeniably foolish at times. We are complicated, conflicted, and no single character can carry the weight of so many inconsistencies. We need a chorus of clowns to speak for us. Despite their secular natures, the clowns are still mythic to me. Humor is an old response to fear of the unknown and contempt for the familiar. For 3,000 years, somewhere a chorus of clowns has misbehaved, and in their audacity, called down gods, heroes, and legends for a face to face meeting with humanity, offering laughter as a form of reverence."

Art: "Pulcinella in Love" Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727–1804)

Virgil Partch's Wild, Wild Women

Here are some of the cartoons from 1950's artist Virgil Partch's book Wild Wild Women. These hilarious, whimsical and wonderfully naughty cartoons remind me of an edgier James Thurber.

 

The ASIFA- Hollwood says this about Virgil's work: "Throughout the 50s, he published small collections of his cartoons, grouped by themes. "Bottle Fatigue" dealt with the spell of alcohol, "Here We Go Again" was a collection of cartoons dealing with Army life, and "Wild, Wild Women" and "Man The Beast" dealt with the battle between the sexes. Partch's cartoons are absurd, visually delightful and wicked. Most of all, they are unique."