Walking through *unnamed supermarket* today (buying single cream and a loaf of bread NB- not to be eaten together) when I saw this-
-and was overjoyed as I thought Oliver Jeffers had written another book... oh the sadness, when upon closer inspection my hopes were to be dashed by the realisation that his only input was the cover. However, clever publishing people can high five each other- this did prompt me to read the blurb. So the nub and the gist of all this was that I remembered how much I love Oliver Jeffers, and not just for the pictures. I used to read them to the children at work all the time! oh the good old days. Here are some more of his beautiful illustrations...
So I'm still feeling full of the gothic and macabre as I continue making Halloween goodies, which makes me want to talk like Vincent Price and quote Edgar Allan Poe. Whilst looking for something relevant to listen to, I remembered a video I watched at the Tim Burton exhibition at MoMA when we went to NYC in January- and was surprised when Google yielded the information almost immediately...
... Recognise the voice? Plus listen out for the Edgar Allan Poe references! I couldn't believe it! I suppose in the back of my mind I must have remembered and that's how I'd made the connection. Still, it was almost as exciting as the time I opened a bag of M&M's and they were all the same colour...
Unfortunately the only photo I was allowed to take at the exhibition was this one
All of this put me in mind of Edward Gorey- I love his alphabet, or 'The Gashlycrumb Tinies' as it's better known. My favourite being 'K', obviously.
His drawings are just beautiful and manage to combine a simple elegance with a lovely attention to detail. Dry, gothic humour has never looked so good.
Another video I found was this one (music by Ceri Frost)
Which sums it up nicely as it seems to be a kind of Burton-Gorey hybrid. The animation is by Giles Timms, not too sure if I like the song though so maybe watch with the volume down. But then that still leaves me in need of something to listen to...
..Or the graveyard shift. Or other Halloween related things.
Christmas is slowly seeping into our shop windows, and as much as I love it, Halloween comes first. So lets not miss it out- que this years Halloween stock!
The wicked witch of the East
Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!
Some people say the Wizard of Oz is just a film about two women fighting over a pair of shoes, and hey- if you've always fancied getting your hands on the ruby slippers, now's your chance! Just remember- there's no place like home!
Halloween cat
Halloween cat likes to make people jump by shouting 'BOO'. Admit it, a talking cat would FREAK you out.
Zombie cocktail recipe
Know someone who's terrified of the undead? Send them this.
See? Zombies aren't that bad after all! It should even steady the nerves.
Still feeling brave? See the rest at our online shop here.
