Fairy Tale Illustrators: Arthur Rackham on AbeBooks

AbeBooks.com recently posted an article on one of the most popular fairy tale illustrators of all time, Arthur Rackham. First, here's the link to The Magical Illustration of Arthur Rackham. This article is of particular interest to fans because ABE provides cover images from some of Rackham's more obscure titles, a resource I would have loved 10 years ago!

Arthur Rackham manages to incorporate the romantic and the menacing, the sweet and the grotesque into his work, usually finding the perfect balance of all elements to perfectly capture the essence of the tales he illustrates. Of course, he wasn't strictly an illustrator of fairy tales, but his name is still synonymous with them. I could prattle on for days about him, but in the interest of a short entry, I'm almost finished.

Obviously, Rackham is one of my favorite illustrators. I've spent many hours studying and scanning his work to post on SurLaLune over the years from books I've collected. Many of the images appear in the Rackham Illustration Gallery. I have links to book collections of Rackham's illustrations on the right column of the gallery page.

I've also devoted an entire Arthur Rackham Shop to his out-of-copyright work in the SurLaLune CafePress store.

Still, I have to admit, my favorite item I've created has been a pair of shoes on Zazzle. The illustration is for a much more obscure tale, The Old Woman in the Woods. Here's a link to the shoes: No lace and with laces. I don't own these myself yet, but about five pairs have been purchased in the year since I designed them making them a bestseller.

Suburban Fairy Tales

Francis Bonnet is a web comic artist who has recently resumed the web comic, Suburban Fairy Tales, a strip using well-known fairy tale characters such as Frog Prince, Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Three Little Pigs and others.

The characters are teenagers and while much of the humor is more teen oriented and less directly fairy tale related at times, the characters are fun. I enjoyed my journey through the archives and found a few gems along the way. If you're looking for a few minutes of fairy tale related diversions today, this might do the trick.

Watch This: AT&T Hansel and Gretel Commercial

One of the most frequently discussed subjects on the SurLaLune Discussion Boards is the usage of fairy tales in advertising. Over the years since I launched SurLaLune, I've noticed and watched many advertisements using fairy tales. Tonight I saw one of my favorites to date. It must be recent although I admit I don't watch much television and when I do, I usually fast forward the commercials, so it was fun to catch this one in quick motion and then rewind to watch it slowly.

I think one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much is that it uses a popular fairy tale which for some reason isn't used in advertising very much. Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Frog Prince and the Three Bears are used much more often. I have a hard time remembering any Hansel and Gretel usages and this one fit the bill perfectly.

I'll embed a version I found on YouTube, but I'll still explain that it is for AT&T and they used the Hansel and Gretel story wonderfully. I had to watch it twice and I smiled both times.

And, no, I don't mind the usage of fairy tales in advertising. I find it rather satisfying to see that fairy tales remain a viable part of pop culture.

Fairy Tale Wrecks

Oh, the pressure! I have a growing list of items to share on the blog, but choosing the first one has been a true challenge. I ended up using the reliable eeny, meeny, miny, moe method and came up with a link to Cake Wrecks.

I know just about everyone has discovered Cake Wrecks already, but earlier this year the blog featured beautifully decorated Castles and Fairies cakes. I can’t pick a favorite but I’ve imagined one of these appeared at the imaginary SurLaLune anniversary party last winter. That’s the best way to have one of these cakes because I don’t think I would have the heart to actually cut into one and eat it.

Of course, Cake Wrecks actually specializes in cake decorating disasters. My favorite fairy tale-themed post so far is So What Happens If You EAT the Frog?, an entry devoted to the Princess and the Frog, i.e. The Frog Prince, cake wrecks.

Once upon a time...

SurLaLune turned 10-years-old at the end of 2008, right smack dab in the middle of the holidays, with little fanfare or celebration. Except for additions of new publications and other releases, the site remains mostly static since I'm not adding newly annotated tales, etexts or illustrations on a regular basis these days for various reasons. In other words, I keep it updated but don't keep growing it the way I have in years past.

However, SurLaLune is on my mind daily. Fairy tales surround me, color my perceptions and my life. It's rare that I don't find something related to fairy tales and folklore in my casual living, from reading to shopping to conversation to, well, you get the idea. Fairy tales are everywhere.

Over the last few weeks, I've developed a greater urge to share these experiences on SurLaLune, adding a more personalized element to the site. I considered the SurLaLune Discussion Forum, but realized I wanted a blog format instead.

And so here is the newly hatched SurLaLune Fairy Tales blog, devoted entirely to fairy tales and folklore wherever they may appear. I plan for the blog to be updated daily except on weekends since everyone needs time off, even me. There will be book announcements and some reviews, fairy tale sightings, questions answered and more as the blog grows into itself.

If you have questions or things to share, please email me and I will consider them for a future post.

On Monday, the blog will really begin. My other goal is to keep each post short and not too time consuming for writer or reader. This one is quite long enough…

Interview in Good Manner

Hello Friends. Here are some tips for facing the Interview in Good Manner -

• Dress appropriately in simple - comfortable clothes that reflect your personality.
• Avoid wearing new shoes (squeaking noises) and do practice wearing your tie.
• Be punctual - don't be late or even too early.
• Read up about the company - what business they are into, growth trends, diversification etc
• Read your own resume - be sure that you don't have to look into your resume to recall details during the interview.


• Carry extra copies of your resume and testimonials - you never know when you may need them.
• Make sure you know the full name and designation of the person interviewing you.
• Keep your references ready.
• Remember to make a note of your previous or current salary with all its components.
• Make a good first impression.
• Wish the interviewer(s) cheerfully and with a smile.
• A firm handshake is an indicator of how you are feeling. If you are a lady, then some male employers might not make the first move, but go ahead and initiate the handshake.
• Wait till you are asked to sit down.
• Look the person in the eye.
• Do not appear too nervous or overconfident - Your body language usually conveys more than what you are saying. Don't slouch or lean forward too much.
• Try to curb nervous mannerisms [eg. fidgeting or biting your finger.]
• Appear comfortable, confident and interested in securing the job.

During the interview

• Start the interview with a pleasant smile.
• Always remember to give a firm handshake. If there are women in your interview panel, wait for the other person to extend the hand while shaking hands.
• Listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying.
• Stress on what you can contribute to the organisation.
• Remember that the employer is in control of the interview.
• Don't be too long-winded, say what you want to convey in crisp sentences and use terms that would convey your job & achievements.
• Complete your sentences - don't answer just yes or no.
• What you don't know can be learned, tell them if you don't know something. But give instances of how quick a learner you are.
• Do not boast. People on the other side are shrewd and can generally see through you. At the same time talk about achievements giving due credit to others.
• When talking about yourself and your aspirations, do not sound vague or do not say that you don't know something. You should be very clear and precise about what you want to do, where you want to go etc.
• If you don't understand a question, ask for clarification, don't answer vaguely.
• Don't talk about your personal problems, why you need the job etc.
• Don't get personal, even if you know the interviewer personally.
• Don't be overconfident or too nervous.
• Don't badmouth your previous employer - you could do the same in the case of the prospective customer.
• Don't complain about politics, a bad boss or a poor salary - your reasons for change should be higher responsibilities, location etc.
• If the interviewer is interrupted during the course of the interview, don't pick up papers on his/her desk and read them.
• Don't ask about salary before the offer is made.
• Strike a balance between what you actually are and what you want to be, don't paint a picture of yourself as somebody who is not concerned about money, social status etc.
• Don't be in a hurry to complete the interview.
• Ask questions at the end of the interview, it could be about the company, the job or the next stage of the interview process. It will be an indicator of your interest in the position.
• Send a thank-you letter, outlining your interest in the job and why you are qualified for it.
• Be Positive and Confident - And the Job is yours. Best of Luck!

Little Roby

Little Roby's Test

A first-grade teacher was having trouble with one of her students.
The teacher asked, "Roby what is your problem?" Roby answered, "I'm too smart for the first-grade. My sister is in the third -grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the third-grade too!"
The teacher had had enough.
Read more after the break...

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