Phantasmaphile

Trinie Dalton's Baby Geisha

I've waxed lyrical about my love for Trinie Dalton's writing before.  Her new book of short stories, Baby Geisha, was just released, and you should be reading it, too.  It's a bit more, ermmm adult, than her previous books, but still with her signature dose of mystic dust and uncanny details.  And, it must be said, the book itself is a beautiful object to hold and behold.  Small, deckle edged, with a satiny, prismatic cover.  Bravo to Two Dollar Radio for the lovely production.

Somnium by Steve Moore

Words cannot express how excited I am to read Steve Moore's Somnium, recently released by the always exceptional Strange Attractor Press.  I don't know much about it, besides the fact that it is a fictional and personal exploration of the Selene and Endymion myth through time.  But Steve Moore + lunar magic + art by John Coulthart + a ringing endorsement and afterword by Alan Moore = the perfect recipe to get my soul salivating.  Full details:

SOMNIUM

By Steve Moore
288pp, A5 HB, £20/£30
ISBN: 978-1-907222-06-1
Published by Somnium Press 

A masterpiece. – Alan Moore

A unique work by a unique genius. Moore has an understanding of the occult peculiar to a very few and it always gives me the shivers; the shivers which say ‘authenticity’. Get this book while you’re part of the minority who know about it.
– Michael Moorcock

A visionary decrypting of one of fringe-London’s most potent downriver sites. Steve Moore’s voyage through plural strands of time echoes the high craft of his namesake, Alan, and the honourable tradition of Michael Moorcock’s Gloriana.
– Iain Sinclair

Somnium is a high quality hardback available in a numbered edition of 250, signed by Steve Moore and Alan Moore, priced £30, and a standard edition of 250, priced £20.

The special edition comes with a litho print of John Coulthart’s beautiful cover art. 

The hardback is available only from Strange Attractor Press. Copies ordered now will be delivered in the first second week of November 2011.

Read the full Press Release here

ABOUT THE BOOK
Written in the early years of the 21st century, when the author was engaged in dream-explorations and mystical practices centred on the Greek moon-goddess Selene, Somnium is an intensely personal and highly-embroidered fictional tapestry that weaves together numerous historical and stylistic variations on the enduring myth of Selene and Endymion. Ranging through the 16th to 21st centuries, it combines mediæval, Elizabethan, Gothic and Decadent elements in a fantastic romance of rare imagination.

With its delirious and heartbroken text spiralling out from the classical myth of Endymion and the Greek lunar goddess Selene, Somnium is an extraordinary odyssey through love and loss and lunacy, illuminated by the silvery moonlight of its exquisite language.

With an afterword by Alan Moore, whose biographical piece Unearthing details the life of his friend and mentor Steve Moore, and includes the circumstances surrounding the writing of  Somnium.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Steve Moore has written comic-books, novels and non-fiction, including Abslom Daak, Laser-Eraser & Pressbutton, Hercules and The Trigrams of Han. He also had a long-standing editorial connection with Fortean Studies and Fortean Times, to which he has been a frequent contributor since its inception. He lives in London.

Alan Moore is the internationally famous author of such graphic classics as Lost Girls, Promethea, From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Alan’s biography of Steve Moore, Unearthing, is available as an audio-recording and a forthcoming book from Lex Records, and will shortly be released in app form, illustrated by noted photographer Mitch Jenkins.

You can order yours here.  Absolutely can't wait til mine arrives.

Ron Regé, Jr. Custom Art!

Frequent readers of Phantasmaphile know that I am a huge fan of Ron Regé, Jr.'s work.  I had six pieces of his in my last show, ALCHEMICALLY YOURS, and fell so in love with them I ended up buying several myself.  His comics are a perfect blend of mysticism, sincerity, and just plain coolness.  They explores the great mysteries of life via obsessive bedoodled panels and bold, boxy text.  I'm beyond thrilled to hear that Fantagraphics will be publishing a book of his collected Cartoon Utopia strips in 2012. 

He's looking to raise some money to enable him to focus on the book - and get this:  anyone who donates $75 or more will get a custom 3 inch black and white drawing, based on any single word you'd like.  I am seriously considering getting a "WITCH" drawing done.  Or maybe "RUBEDO" or "REBIS" or "LUMEN" or or or....?!  Anyhow, you can donate to this extremely worthy cause here, and let him know what word you would like him to illustrate for you.

J.H. Williams III Interview!

J.H. Williams III   From "Promethea"

If you want to skip my preamble about how awesome Promethea is, you can just scroll down to my interview! with! J.H. Williams III !!!  OHMYGOD(DESS)!!!!!!!!

Long-time readers of this blog know by now that they must resign themselves to the fact that every few months I'm going to crow about my favorite comics series of all time, Promethea.  Written by story magus Alan Moore and illustrated by picture phenom J.H. Williams III, it is a perfect storm of inventiveness, beauty, and magic.  Plotwise, it's a bit difficult to describe, but it basically follows student Sophie Bangs who finds out that she is to become a vessel for imagination incarnate, in the form of Promethea, a caduceus-wielding, winged-helmet-wearing deity.  She's sort of an anthropomorphization of the spirit of art; the goddess of creativity; what have you. 

But the series transcends this plot, and unfurls into what I've often called the finest treatise about magic and creation I've ever encountered.  It's a dizzying mash-up of mythology, alchemy, hermeticism, and history.  It plays with ideas of consciousness and perception, apocalyptic theory, mysticism, and the mind.  I'd call it Moore's masterpiece, if he wasn't constantly making other masterpieces.  But it is, in my opinion, the most spiritually personal thing he's ever written, and the most brilliant. 

This warlock's brew of teachings and tales is only half of what makes it so marvelous, however.  Words are powerful, but without Williams' stunning visuals, the series wouldn't be anywhere near as great.  Using his full arsenal of styles and skill, he elevated the medium of comics, shattering previous notions of what a paneled strip could be, and expanding the page to a netherspace of grandeur and infinite possibility.  What do I mean by that exactly?  Well, here's an example:

That's right, you're looking at a double-page, 5-paneled spread, that's also a mobius strip, with word balloons rotating in time and orientation.  Killer.  The series is chock full of these breathtakers, and every image is lustrously colored and finely rendered with beauty and a vivid, visionary eye.

Anyhow, I've mentioned before that Promethea has been released in Absolute editions, and they are MUST BUYS.  Large and gorgeous, they are worth it for Williams' art alone, glowing and vibrant in all its glory.  But each is filled with loads of extra bonus juicy bits to boot.  Absolute Promethea 3 is coming out in September, and is available via heavily discounted pre-order now.

So, without further ado, my Q&A with illustration blackbelt J3:

 

Phantasmaphile: There's a lot of information online about your drawing and inking techniques -- I'm curious about your creative process.  Obviously much of your work is heavily deadline driven.  How do you keep your creative juices flowing?  Do you have any rituals (certain music/beverage/time of day, etc) that get you in the right frame of mind?

J.H. Williams III:  Yeah deadlines are the toughest thing for me because I just can't draw very fast.  I'm sure a lot of fans think because it takes so long for a project of mine to see the light of day that I'm not working diligently.  But I assure that is not the case.  I pretty much work everyday except weekends, unless needed.  But my speed only allows me to be able to draw roughly 2 1/2 to 3 pages a week of fully finished inked and rendered pages.  But there have been plenty of occasions where a two page spread has easily taken me a week or more.  It really depends on the level of rendered details or compositional tricks involved.  Part of my speed issues have to do with a tremor that I have in my hands, so it takes a lot of concentration.  The tremor is something inherited, many people on my mother's side of the family suffer from it.

As for any ritual, when I first get up in the morning I check the news, or work on script writing, or concept development, or write a blog, while waking up from grogginess.  I get started with actual drawing work around 11am, then break for something to eat around 12 or 12:30 for a half hour.  Then return to work until at least 7pm to 8pm, sometimes later.  Then try to answer email or deal with any other things that need attention.  Quite often though my day can be interrupted with business calls of various lengths or errands.  I like to listen to music while working whenever the mood strikes me.  But other times I like it quiet.  Also, I can't live without having my daily coffee, at least 2 cups worth throughout the day.  Obviously nothing exciting really.


Ph: What inspires or influences you as an artist?

J3:  Oh all kinds of things.  I never know when something is going to grab me in a creative way.  Music can really have an impact but so can Film, or Novels.  Even looking at various types of art that has nothing to do with comics.  Sometimes just the way things look in real life when talking with people, the light on their face, the shadows or colors, can get locked into my memory.  Architecture against an open sky.  Sometimes its just the enjoyment of a cool breeze when sitting out in the garden.  So I guess the best answer is "everything" at one time or another.


Ph:  Someone with your exceptional talent could be successful in any number of art arenas.  What is it about comics that appeals to you?

J3: Thanks for the kind comment.  I think it's the aspect of telling stories that gets me, but in the way that only Comics can tell them.  Sure a story can be told in Film or Prose, but not in the same way.  I find that comics can be, at their height of potential, much more expressive, a lingering expressiveness from the style that something is drawn in can have a powerful emotional resonance beyond just capturing the same basic images using Photography or Film.  With Prose you have to paint with words and hope that a descriptive creative emotion translates, but with Comics you can get right to it if properly done.  The words and the images with good Comics work in tandem to grasp deeper meanings in an immediate way.  Especially because much of the reader invests in the participation of multiple concepts being displayed within one frame via words and art.  With Film, the story is sort of presented to you and you passively watch it.  Yes it can be emotionally riveting if done well, but it doesn't make you interact with it like Comics can.

However, I certainly do have an interest in exploring film making, photography, and prose for myself.  To see what I can do or say withose mediums.


Ph:  You've made mention of your interest in metaphysics and the occult, and this is evidenced by a lot of the visual tropes you use in your work.  Can you elaborate a bit more about this fascination of yours?

J3:  This is a big question because you could easily go on about this all day and still not answer it properly.  I think what is inherent in metaphysics that interests me is that there are certain energies than be tapped into or presented in the form of ideas that go beyond the basic human understanding of the universe.  Some of this can be shown using iconography or symbolism within the context of story.  Thinking of a story and creating it, is very much a thing of magic, just as it is also when experiencing that story as a reader or viewer.  The fact that we can so easily be immersed into other realities that exist on a page or screen, believe in them so readily, gives way to the notion the reality is somewhat intangible or transformational.  We can immerse ourselves in a fictional character's dealings with such ease that we mix up ourselves in it, until we decide to look up at something else.  It's something that can be shaped by ideas. 

As an example, the creation of Superman, has actual impact.  The world we live in is a very different place purely because this idea of Superman and what he, that idea, means as an ideal.  The basic thing that Superman can stand for, or our understanding of what he represents, which can be different things to different people at different times, has impact on the physical world view.  Can you imagine a world where we live without a Superman comicbook character or the equivalent thereof?  Once an idea is exposed to the world it's very difficult to comprehend not being exposed to it, giving it power, therefore it becomes "real", and its meaning can affect us, changing our behaviors. 

The entire modern world of mankind is basically this building and building of ideas.  Layers upon layers of thoughts, and patterns of thoughts, forming ever tightening complexities.  We could never have an Empire State Building in New York if there never was language.  Defining our reality is language, but the notion of giving meaning to a set of sounds that come from vibrating flesh forms in our throats defies logic when you really examine it.  By logical thinking this is an irrational event, language, it is illogical to exist, but yet it does.  Language or any form communication is the way the deeper soul energies are trying to express themselves.  Metaphysics steps in where logic can fail.  I'm not sure if this is clear, but this is only a fraction of what this subject provides.

 

Ph: As my readers and now you know, Promethea is quite simply one of my very favorite works of all time.  I almost hit my head on the ceiling from jumping with excitement when I found out the series was being rereleased in Absolute edition form.  What was it like for you to revisit one of your works ten years later?

J3:  Well now that Absolute Promethea is to be completed this fall with the release of volume 3, it has been a strange journey.  Looking back on it gave me a sense of gratification, but also it made me look at how I would have approached some things differently today.  The new editions definitely give it that extra sparkle, but from a creative growth process, I can see the flaws too.  But there are moments in the work that still reach some lofty heights, things to constantly strive for in current works. I think we did some daring things, but in other areas could see pushing it further.

It also shows that as a body of work, it is conceptually executed beyond todays standards to some degree.  When I say this I don't mean in terms of how good it is, but rather in its ambitions.  I find it difficult in today's market to believe that a book like Promethea would have found life among a major publisher for as long as we did back then.  I seems to me that the major publishers are showing themselves to be in less of a position to take risks in the same way that we were able to when producing this work.  The financial equation for publishers has gotten tougher, and therefore making them less willing to push boundaries in the same way in terms of thought-provoking content.  Content that makes you think differently about the world around you. 

My fear is that it will cause a breakdown, or a visceral homogenized aspect to mainstream comics beyond what we are already seeing.  Things have become more about the sizzle and less about what causes the sizzle, if that makes sense.  I think the saving grace will be found in the alternative publishers.  You can see that there is willingness to take risk there, and they're finding that it can pay off, when done well.  Even though I currently work for a major publisher, what is taking place outside of that is what I have my eye on.


Ph:  Promethea is a real love letter to the imagination, and posits that art and magic are essentially one and the same.  Does this jive with your own beliefs?

J3:  Yes it does, which is what I tried to convey in another answer above.  As an example, you can always look at how science fiction quite often predicts future technologies.  Such as Jules Verne, with the Nautilus, essentially showing us a nuclear powered submarine well before they truly existed.  It is imagination that fuels the possibilities of our world.  If it can be thought of, it can happen if the circumstances are viable.  Does it occur in the ways that one might dream up?  Certainly not always, but intention of possibility remains, because of imagination.  Imagination applied to ingenuity creates progress, progress designs our world, and huge portions of this design is informed by what is imagined in art and story.

Ph:  Are you superstitious?

J3: I can be.  I do get irrational thoughts of unfounded fears or embedded impractical ideas.  I think everyone does to some degree.  The trick when being overwhelmed by some thought that has no solid basis, is to try to see why you're feeling what you feel.  Is there some unseen truth or meaning that can apply realistically to whatever the situation may be?  I think sometimes superstition feelings can be attributed to the subconscious id trying to tell you something is off, to pay more attention and glean what the environmental energies are telling you.  I do my best to live by my "gut", it usually is correct.

 

Ph:  Alan is unabashedly impressed with himself regarding the writing of issue 12 - the tarot issue (and rightly so).  Are there some sections of the series where you are particularly proud of something you pulled off visually? 

J3:  Yeah issue 12 was a good one.  I only wish we had the budget to have printed that as a long fold out in Absolute Promethea volume 1.  I really pushed for it, but the publisher was concerned over cost of doing that.  And wanted to make they sure could budget in issue 32 as a poster for volume 3.  It's really too bad because I think it would've just been perfect for people to see that issue 12 scroll out of the book.

As for something that is a favorite of mine, I'd say it must be issue 32.  This was a piece of work that defies logic.  In its stapled page reading form it is a comic, but take it apart and reassemble it according to the presented numbers, and it forms two impressionistic pop art posters, that you now can read the contents in a different order, creating deeper connections.  Also in its poster form, if you follow the little trails that we placed in, they begin to draw connections to things in other ways.  Something said at the top, can trail downward connecting to other thoughts that eventually lead back to a notion referenced at the top.  It's almost as of if it functions like the human brain, or maps an example of the unsuspecting patterns of the mind.  What I mean by this is that it sort of represents the same notion that, say in a conversation, something can be said by one individual that suddenly calls up a seemingly unrelated shift in subject by another, but there was something in there that triggered a trail of thought.  Issue 32 in poster form shows this through example by following the trails. 

The other thing I love about it is that it is a comic that becomes a poster, but still is a comic as a poster.  It's like a physical paradox in front of you, a comic that takes itself outside of being a comic, but somehow remains a comic.  Then the mash art fusions taking place, the line art presented psychedelically over the pop impressionism of these two surreal portraits, really adds to how the thing works and the emotional resonance of it. I try my best to affect the reader in emotional ways, but am never sure about it, because I usually don't react that way to my own work when I view it.  But the first time I saw issue 32 completed, the energy it gave off brought me to tears.


Ph:  I've heard rumors that Alan is a bit of a happy luddite.  Was it challenging collaborating with him without email, say?  What was the logistical process like working with him?

J3:  Yeah, that is a little bit true.  No email for Alan, not sure if he still does that.  But at the time, he sent script material to us a lot of the time via fax.  That was certainly troublesome on a occasion.  Especially if we didn't have access to a fax machine here at the house.  Also sometimes we would only get 2 pages worth of story at a time because that's all that was written when I was ready to draw.


Ph:  From what I've read, it sounds like your creative partnership was very 50/50.  Can you talk a bit about how that affected your work, both on the series, and as an artist thereafter?

J3:  Yes, you are correct.  It definitely was about 50/50 in terms how the visual art direction affected things.  Things I wanted to do as an artist affected how he would write scenes.  My inescapable obsession with 2 page spreads really got him thinking differently about comics compositions and how we could make something function.  Being partnered with Alan was a perfect union for me at the time.  Being with a writer so willing to think outside the norms of what people think of for comics, came at a time when I was eager to see what I could do to stretch myself.  I'm always looking for ways to grow and experiment, and Promethea was the perfect vehicle for that.


Ph:  You've mentioned that in the next Absolute editions, there will be quite a few goodies and extras included.  Can you give us a hint as to what they might be?

J3:  Well, I'm sure many people have already seen volume 2 by this point.  But with volume 3 to be released before too long, you can expect more of what you saw with volume 2.  But in addition to some of those types of extras (sketches or unpublished images), volume 3 will feature a new introduction by Eric Shanower, as well as the Little Margie Promethea stories he illustrated, excerpts from Promethea's various appearances in other America's Best Comics titles giving greater context to the Promethea story.  There will be previously unseen process materials as well, a partially illustrated script book as a separate volume within the slipcase, more of those newly designed chapter head images by me, and last but not least, a new poster version of Issue 32 folded into the volume.  Overall it's a really nice complete package, that features the same gold and white slipcase theme as 1 and 2 with a new spot varnished wrap image for the book cover.


Ph:  I imagine you don't get much downtime, but when you're not working, what else do you enjoy doing?

J3: Yeah, downtime can be hard to acquire, especially because even if I'm not drawing or writing, things creep into my mind anyway on the subjects.  But I like to watch films, or read, wanting to stay home and keep things quiet most of the time.  But whatever it is, I spend that that time with my wife, and we do those things together.  But we also like to travel to see friends, or take a drive up into the mountains, or go to the ocean.  My wife enjoys the mountains greatly, I do too, but my favorite places are by the ocean.  Although I'm not a beachy guy, at least not where where it's populated with lots of sunbathers.  I like the more isolated areas.  Here at home, we have a garden area that we enjoy a lot, with outdoor seating, rocking chairs and such, where we like to read or just "be."  Other times we like to go to concerts, but haven't had much time for that lately.

 
Ph:  What other projects or news of yours would you like Phantasmaphile readers to know about?

J3: Well, my continued work on Batwoman for DC Comics will be released soon.  So I hope people will check that out.  I've taken over writing duties on that with my writing partner Haden Blackman, and we're quite proud of what we're building over there.  That arrives around the same time as Absolute Promethea volume 3.  I've got other creations going on a side-burner too, but nothing that can really be talked about just yet.

Ph:  What advice, if any, would you impart to people who are trying to get success in their own creative pursuits?

J3: Just never give up!  It's hard work that a lot of times doesn't pay the best, but it pays in personal satisfaction, usually.  It takes a lot of perseverance and sacrifice.  Unfortunately we live in a world that doesn't fully embrace the power of creative arts, making it difficult to make a living doing it. But if it's your passion, then you have to see it through to feel whole.

 

(THANKS SO MUCH, J3!  You reign.)

Our Tragic Universe

 

I just finished reading Our Tragic Universe by Scarlett Thomas, and literally hugged the book after I closed it.  Loved it so much, inhaled every word, could not put it down.  I've always found the notion of summer reading to be odd, but I suppose this falls nicely under that category in that it is fiction and absolutely addictive, but it's definitely literary and off-kilter as well.

The protagonist is a writer named Meg who is trying to cobble together work via genre series writing, book reviewing, and workshop teaching, all the while putting off (well, more like compulsively deleting) her more personal novel, and feeling conflicted about her depressive live-in boyfriend, Christopher.  When a book called The Science of Living Forever mysteriously appears in her mail, she's launched into an inner journey that explores such heady topics as the meaning of life, consciousness, science vs. magic, and the idea of life as a story.  A bit meta, maybe, but deliciously so.  What makes the book so enjoyable is how deftly Thomas weaves together philosophy, jokes, parables, scientific anecdotes, and other, well, stories, within the story - all the while dissecting the idea of storytelling.  If I've lost you, have no fear, as the book is highly readable thanks to its colorful and endearing cast of characters (including one delightfully zen dog, Bess), and elements of myth, tarot, Jungian archetypes, physics, sci-fi, anthropology, sock-knitting, jam-making, wine-drinking, Russian novels, trickster tales, Titanic trivia, fairies and beasts, friendship, and of course, love.

Oh, I can't describe it well enough, but you'll just have to trust me.  It's incredibly smart, wry, and wonderful.  Just do yourself a favor and read it now.

Lolly Willowes

It's official.  Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner has been added to my pantheon of all-time favorite books.  Originally published in 1926, it's a story about an aging spinster named Laura (called "Lolly" by her relatives) who longs to escape her suffocating, dull life as a family caretaker in the uppercrust rungs of England.  Eventually, she finds her way to the countryside village of Great Mop, where she begins a potent personal renaissance.  She lives on her own, communes with nature, and finds herself turning toward the way of the witch. 

To say anything more would give too much away I think, so I'll just share a few extra thoughts.  First of all this book is a true work of feminism.  The idea of a woman leaving behind her domestic and gendered obligations would have been revolutionary at the time, and the novel underscores Laura's longing for - and eventual revelry in - liberation.  Of course, I absolutely love the magical underpinnings of the tale as well, particularly as her powers give her both identity and agency, while still being literal in the pagan sense (and which is, I would argue, true of the archetype of the witch at large).  Some reviewers bemoan the slow pace of the beginning of the novel, but I must say I rather enjoyed it.  It builds up an initial confining psychological sphere that feels all the more delicious when Laura finally breaks away.  The book is definitely a slow burn, but proves in the end to be truly incandescent. 

Albert von Keller

Albert von Keller  "Spiritualist Telekinesis of a Bracelet"  1887

I've recently become infatuated with the work of Swiss-born fin de siècle painter, Albert von Keller.  He was fascinated by the interstices of the spirit world and psychology, and regularly attended séances and occult gatherings in Germany, where he lived.  The subjects of his paintings are often women in a state of trance or rapture, and are charged with a decadent sensuality and female power.  Mediums, mystics, and ecstatic dancers populate his oeuvre, and are painted in darkly glowing shades that suggest liminality.

I wish I could have seen the retrospective of his work up at the Frye Art Museum earlier this year.  Thankfully, the exhibition catalog, Séance: Albert von Keller and the Occult, is a gem, and well worth the investment thanks to its insightful writing and many stunning, full-color plates.

(And now that I've gotten you in the right frame of mind, remember that tonight I'm hosting the event Mediumship: In History and Today with Paul Selig and Mitch Horowitz at Observatory.  8pm/$9.  See you there.)

Looking for Snails on a Sunday Afternoon

Rudolf Kurz, whom I've posted about in the past, kindly sent me a copy of his exquisite book, Looking for Snails on a Sunday Afternoon.  It contains, as it says on the cover, thirty-six of his etchings and three of his stories.  What it does not say on the cover is that the book is a work of genius, and that both the etchings and the stories are brimming with a mad surrealist whimsy.  Some images you will find therein:  a woman in a horned mask riding a swan-snail; a domesticated dinosaur sleeping beneath a magnolia tree; an anteater taking a promenade in a land littered with bones and pea pods.  And that's just the tip of this irrational, irresistible iceburg.  The (very short) stories, titled "Monster on Broadway," "Little Secret," and "Fiver Naked Girls on a Mastedon," are written in an appealing, conversational tone that belies some truly strange goings-on.  Even the printing is wondrous, with rich ink on thick, toothy paper.  It's a truly exceptional book through and through. 

Thank you, Rudolf, for this wonderful gift!

3 Exciting News Items!

I've got so much exciting news to share today, I thought I'd just list it all out in one juicy post:

1. Mitch Horowitz will be coming back to Observatory on Fri, Feb 4th to present on the history of the Ouija Board!

The Secret History of the Ouija Board

A Talk and Visual Presentation by Mitch Horowitz

Where: Observatory (543 Union St, Brooklyn, NY.  Enter via alley off Nevins St through Proteus Gowanus Gallery.  R train to Union St or F/G trains to Carroll St)  Map

Date: Friday, February 4th
Time: 8pm
Admission: $5
Presented by: Phantasmaphile

Ouija! For some it evokes memories of late-night sleepover parties and shrieks of laughter as friends huddled with flashlights over the rectangular board. For others, Ouija Boards – known more generally as talking boards or spirit boards – have darker associations: Stories abound of fearsome entities making dire predictions, threats, and even physical assaults on innocent users after a night of Ouija experimentation. Yet Ouija has a history that goes beyond bumps in the night: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet James Merrill vowed until his death in 1995 that his most celebrated work was written with the use of a homemade Ouija board. Ouija has also helped inspire our most significant fright fiction, from The Exorcist to Paranormal Activity. Now, Mitch Horowitz, author of the acclaimed history book, Occult America, explores how Ouija boards emerged from America’s atmosphere of séances and spirit raps in the nineteenth century, to become the most recognizable – and oddly influential – occult object of all time.

Highlights include:

• How talking boards went from being a homemade sensation among nineteenth-century American occultists to become a staple of toy-cluttered basements and playrooms.
• How Ouija inspired one of the largest religions practiced today in the nation of Vietnam.
• How artists Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes, and James Merrill used the board – and the works of literature that have come through Ouija.
• A visual presentation that traces the strange beauty of talking boards across the generations.
• The weird mythology and urban legendary that have sprung up around Ouija.
• Who really “invented” the board and how Ouija forms an indelible link between today’s pop culture and the Spiritualist movement of the nineteenth century.

Mitch Horowitz is the editor-in-chief of Tarcher/Penguin and the author of Occult America (Bantam), which The Washington Post Book World called: “Fascinating…a serious, wide-ranging study of all the magical, mystical, and spiritual movements that have arisen and influenced American history in often-surprising ways.” The book received the 2010 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award for literary excellence. Time Out magazine has called his Occult New York Walking Tours – produced by Observatory / Phantasmaphile – a “can’t-miss event” featuring “seldom-told stories of New York’s mystical history.” He has written for U.S. News & World Report, The Washington Post, Big Think, and Boing Boing, and has appeared on CBS Sunday Morning, Dateline NBC, and All Things Considered. You can visit him online at www.MitchHorowitz.com.

 

2.  I will be throwing a Valentine Phantasia fundraiser / birthday party for and at Observatory on Saturday, Feb 12th!

Please join us for Observatory’s 2nd Anniversary Valentine Phantasia Fundraising Party!

Where: Observatory (543 Union St, Brooklyn, NY.  Enter via alley off Nevins St through Proteus Gowanus Gallery.  R train to Union St or F/G trains to Carroll St)  Map

Date: Saturday, February 12th
Time: 8pm
Admission: $20

There will be:

        Heart-quenching libations courtesy of Sixpoint Craft Ales!

        Heart-rending melodies from DJs Friese & Faulk!

        Heart-skipping dance by Desert Sin’s Cassandra Rosebeetle!

Heart-stopping Raffle Prizes of the odd & miraculous variety including:

- A Delectable meal for two from Palo Santo restaurant!
- Tickets for two to “Sex and Taboo: A Valentine’s Day Massacre” burlesque noir show at Le Poisson Rouge!
- Aural pleasures from Hachette!
- Glorious scentstuffs from Herbal Alchemy!
- Curious photographs from Morbid Anatomy’s Joanna Ebenstein!
- A cardiac-themed original drawing by artist Rebeca Olguín!

- An autographed copy of the marvelous tome Occult America by Mitch Horowitz!

            ….and So! Much! More!

 

3.  I have put together a little Phantasmaphile Shoppe replete with my favorite phantasmaphilic books, films, and musics.  Please check it out under my links section on the left, or by clicking here.  Purchasing something via the shoppe is a great way to support this site.  Thanks so much!

Crap Hound 5

Joy of joys, Crap Hound 5 is back in print, and available now from Reading Frenzy and Buy Olympia.  Crap Hound is a zine put out by Sean Tejaratchi that features painstakingly assembled clip art collages on unifying themes.  I've been wanting the "Hands Hearts & Eyes" issue for ages now - can't wait til it arrives!

The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington

Oftentimes, a wonderful painter does not a fine novelist make.  And so it was with a bit of hesitancy I started reading The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington, one of my all time favorite surrealist painters.  After coming to the end of the first page, however, my fears disappated, and I found myself quickly enchanted by both the story and Carrington's gifted way with words.

The book is about a ninety-two year-old woman named Marion Leatherby, who has, depending on your interpretation, either wild geriatric imaginings, or a perceptive sense of the otherworldly.  She lives with her adult son and his dreadful family, though is happy enough with her cats, her garden, and her friendship with the deliciously eccentric Carmella (who is based on Carrington's real-life friend, Remedios Varo).  Early on in the novel, Marion is put into an old folks home, where the cottages are designed in whimsical shapes such as a birthday cake and an igloo - but which is run by a cultish, regimented couple who follow the teachings of the Well of the Light Brotherhood.  It soon becomes clear that Marion and her new friends must revolt against their cruel keepers.  Carrington tells this tale by interweaving both classical- and her own invented mythology, often drawing upon images from fairytales and legends.  To say more would give too much away, though I will mention a nun obsessed with erotic mysticism, a bee pond, and the Holy Grail figure prominently.  Scrumptious.

In sum, The Hearing Trumpet is a small miracle with vast visions, an irresistable heroine, and plenty of satirical and wise observations about aging, womanhood, magic, and society at large.  I can't recommend it more highly.

The Book of Symbols

Every now and again, a book comes along which proves why print is irreplaceable.  Taschen's The Book Of Symbols: Reflections On Archetypal Images is such a tome.  Part symbol dictionary, part essay anthology, it's an exquisitely crafted, 5 pound, 810 page labor of love by ARAS, or The Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism - an organization beloved by Jungians, artists, and scholars alike.  

The book is divided into 5 subsections:  Creation & Cosmos, Plant World, Animal World, Human World, and Spirit World, and each with curved grooves cut out in the pages like a dictionary to help the reader find her place.  Each section is also given its own bookmark ribbon of a different color, which is an elegant and exceptional touch to an already beautiful object.  Furthermore, the entire book is full color, with approximately 800 images that span time and culture, to illustrate each symbol in question.  Breathtaking.

The entries are as accessible as they are fascinating, for the writers draw on a panoply of disciplines to cast rays of meaning onto the symbols.  The entry on rain, for example, includes a passage from Shakespeare, a poem by W. Somerset Maugham, allusions to Greek mythology, the Bible, African mysticism, and pictures of a Japanese wood-block print, a Navajo sandpainting, and a painted Hindu miniature.  All of this is interwoven with analysis that is both thoroughly researched and lyrically written.  They are associative riffs, if you will, which is appropriate given the richly nebulous topic at hand.  These are archetypes, after all, and so they are to be explored and experienced rather than defined.

A grimoire of imagery, a feast for the soul, The Book Of Symbols is a book to refer to, to dream with, to treasure for ages to come.     

Absolute Promethea Book 2

Yes my beautiful friends, Absolute Promethea Book Two has been out for a few weeks now, and I just received my copy in the mail.  It.  Is.  Stunning.  (If you've not read Promethea yet, read my gushing post about it here, and then go pick up a copy).  The advent of the "absolute" editions of comic books is pretty ingenius from a merchandising perspective I must say.  Do I own all of the individual graphic novels already?  Why yes I do.  Do I still buy the giant, hardcover, lavishly colored rereleased versions?  But of course.  With a masterpiece like Promethea, it's worth every penny, thanks to Alan Moore's brilliant storytelling, J.H. Williams III's mindblowingly gorgeous and inventive art, and some nice little extras added at the end.  These books are true illuminated manuscripts as far as I'm concerned.

The Weiser Field Guide to Witches

One of my favorite aspects of running the Occult NY Walking Tour with Mitch Horowitz is getting to meet the often fascinating people who partake in it.  One such person is Judika Illes, scholar and author of myriad books on magick.  She was kind enough to gift me with a copy of her newest book, The Weiser Field Guide to Witches: From Hexes to Hermione Granger, From Salem to the Land of Oz.  I devoured it with gusto, and recommend it as a handy reference guide and fun mini-pedia of various witchy characters and terms throughout the ages.  The tone of the tome is friendly and highly accessible, while still packing in a great deal of knowledge into the pages.  I loved reading it, both as a celebration of this beloved (and often misunderstood) archetype, and as a bearer of many marvelous facts which were new to me.  Pick up a copy - you'll be glad you did.

Samuli Heimonen monograph

Speaking of monographs, the wonderful Samuli Heimonen was kind enough to send me a copy of his recently published book.  Entitled "Armi kiittää" or Armi Thanks You, it is chock full of Heimonen's darkly emotional paintings of the mysterious connection between animals and humans.  Though the text is written in Finnish, you can read the English translation for free here.

Thank you, Samuli!

Limited Edition Art Monograph by Mon Petit Fantome

The unbelievably prolific and brilliant Chad Merritt of Mon Petit Fantome has just released a limited edition monograph of his work, and you should seriously buy it.  Entitled "Take My Hand and Follow Me," it collects his elegant shadowtale papercut works in one tome.  Those that order the limited edition book will also get a free print of their choice.  I can't wait to receive these treasures in the mail.  Ohhh exquisite anticipation!

But Who Will Bell the Cats?

I've raved about Cynthia von Buhler's beautiful artwork here before, so you can imagine how delighted I was to receive a review copy of her new children's book, But Who Will Bell the Cats?  The story is a response to Aesop's famous question, and follows two friends, Mouse and Brown Bat, who long to get out of their dank basement and enjoy a life of luxury in the castle upstairs.  Trouble is, that castle is populated by a herd of pampered cats.  Using determination and plenty of ingenuity, the two tiny schemers try to execute their grand plan toward grandeur.

It's a lovely story, but the real star of the show here is von Buhler's obsessively crafted visual world.  Each picture in the book is actually a photograph of a unique diorama-esque scene which she designed, built, and decorated, then populated with painted character cut-outs (you can actually see her incrediblly labor-intensive, behind-the-scenes process here).  The overall effect is unique and captivating, and this book will no doubt be adored by children and adults alike for many years to come.

This weekend: MoCCA Fest!

Yes, dear hearts.  It's my favorite art/comix fair of the year, and it's happening this weekend.  Come to MoCCA Fest 2010.  You will want to bring cash and plenty of it, as there are always bagfuls of graphic treasures and other goodies to haul home afterwards.

Olaf Hajek's "Flowerhead" Monograph

The wonderful folks at Gestalten were kind enough to send me a review copy of Olaf Hajek's Flowerhead, and I could not be more charmed by it.  This came as no surprise, as I've been a longtime fan of Hajek's pieces, and count him amongst my very favorite illustrators working today.  Nonetheless, I was unprepared for the impeccable quality of the printing, as each page is as pigment saturated and vibrant as his work so richly deserves.

The monograph itself is fairly straightforward: one beautifully written yet succinct preface by Sonja Commentz, followed by 135 pages of Hajek's illustrations spanning from 2005-2009, and ending with a thumb-nailed index page with full details about each piece.  In Flowerhead's case, the simple layout is a wise choice, as Hajek's work is so complex and image-laden, that the fewer distractions the better.

What is most impressive to me is that while the book contains both commissioned illustrations and personal "fine art" works, the two categories are virtually impossible to differentiate upon first glance.  Hajek's style and vision are so vivid and one-of-a-kind that is doesn't matter if he's painting for the Ritz Carlton, Rolling Stone, or himself.  In his world, men grow beards of neon pink flowers, school boys wear octopi on their heads, insects are adorned with ruffled haute couture ballgowns.  And the color.  Oh, the color!  Riotous and royal, and drawn from all cultures, from the most primitive to the prettiest Parisian palettes.  His work is an exercise in exuberance and abundance, a true pageant of flowers and creatures and costumes, all flowing into each other in a seamless visual medley.  It's the kind of art one longs to lick.  Utterly, gob-smackingly, unabashedly scrumptious.

Bravo to Gestalten for allowing so many of us to bring Hajek's work into our homes and onto our bookshelves.  Our lives are all the brighter for it.

The Circus of Dr. Lao

I recently read The Circus of Dr. Lao by Charles G. Finney, and it became an instant favorite.  It's a little-known work of what I suppose would be called speculative fiction, written in 1935 about a mysterious traveling circus that takes a tiny Arizona town by storm.  But what's different about this circus (and, frankly, what made me fall head over heels in love with the story), is that rather than featuring the usual carny rapscallions and sideshow freaks, it contains delightfully incongruous mythic beasts and legendary characters, including a chimera, Medusa, a unicorn, Appolonius of Tyana, a mermaid, and so on. 

As with other circus stories (Bradbury's in particular come to mind), this one has its own ominous twists and decidedly adult themes, and plenty of sardonic societal commentary.  But this one surprised me by just how dark it got in places, especially considering when it was written.  I don't want to give anything away, but I will say I think it's awesome that Finney allowed himself to be so transgressive, and I'll bet that's why this book didn't get as much fanfare as it should have.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention two other points.  First of all, after reading this book, I did watch the 1964 film version, 7 Faces of Dr. Lao, hoping it would be if not as good, then at least enjoyable.  Hate to say it, but I was pretty disappointed.  It stars Tony Randall (truly hammy in seven different roles) and Barbara Eden (beautiful, boring), and while the special effects are impressive for the time, the story is extremely watered down -  not to mention a whole real estate plot is added which I found unnecessary and uninteresting.  They also excluded most of the best creatures, and altogether managed to make a unique story pretty banal, under the guise of trying to be "family-friendly." 

Secondly, the book also has in its favor some truly wonderful illustrations by the masterful Boris Artzybasheff.  I didn't realize this when I ordered the book, and when it arrived I was beside myself with glee. 

In sum, you should definitely give The Circus of Dr. Lao a read if you haven't already. You'll be glad you did.  As for the movie?  I say skip it.

Skinny Legs and All

As you probably know by now, I'm a huge Tom Robbins fan.  I'm tempted to wax poetic about why that is, but I think the following quote from this interview he did sums it up quite nicely:

"What I try to do, among other things, is to mix fantasy and spirituality, sexuality, humor and poetry in combinations that have never quite been seen before in literature. And I guess when a reader finishes one of my books -- provided the reader does finish the book -- I would like for him or her to be in the state that they would be in after a Fellini film or a Grateful Dead concert. Which is to say that they've encountered the lifeforce in a large, irrepressible and unpredictable way and as a result their sense of wonder has been awakened and all of their possibilities have been expanded.

At the same time, I don't think that a novel is supposed to be a guide book to happiness any more than it's supposed to be a journal of one's personal pain and frustration, which most novels are today, unfortunately. I think the novels that are most important are those that are more on the order of those coyotes that howl on the hills outside of town. Something mysterious and wild and hypnotic."

I've decided not to do a proper review of this book per se.  It's easy enough to find a million scholarly critiques and plot summaries of it online, as the novel is now 20 years old.  I thought, rather, I'd share my experience of the book itself with you, particularly as objects seemingly disappearing and reappearing is such a big theme of the story.

I had a copy of Skinny Legs and All sitting on a shelf in my childhood home since I was twelve or so.  But I confess it remained unread for years - for though I loved Still Life with Woodpecker and Jitterbug Perfume with a fierce passion, this particular tome always seemed a bit intimidating in both girth (it's 422 pages) and subject matter (it's about, well, the history of religion, conflict in the Middle East, the purpose of art, and the many veils of illusion that make up our so-called "reality."  In a nutshell).

Fast forward to last year, when the book was referenced in another book I was reading, and it struck me that it was high time I tackled the thing.  Next time I was home visiting my parents however (now in a different house), Skinny Legs and All was nowhere to be found.  Sure, I could have bought a new copy, but it irked me to buy something which I knew I already owned.  I promised myself that next time I visited I would look even harder, and go through the attic boxes and closet crates where surely the book must have ended up in the move.

Fast forward again a few months later to Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn, where I found myself drawn to a tiny used bookshop I had never seen before, and felt compelled to enter.  And it was here where a) The book popped in my head and I searched for it on the shelf to no avail  b)  A group of college kids came in moments later, and I overheard them looking for another Tom Robbins book (Jitterbug Perfume), which struck me as uncannily synchronistic  and c) Just before leaving the shop, I walked over to the chaotic pile of unshelved books and, well, you know what happens next.  Yes, lo and behold, crammed in one of the teetering stacks on the floor was a beaten up version of this book with its original cover (not the fancy reprint they sell now), exactly like the one I'd had as a kid.  Feeling exhilarated, I paid my $4, and took the book back to my apartment.

Fast forward to last night, when I stayed up late to finish it, as I quite literally could not bring myself to put it down.  Because it is so entertaining, and truthful, and bizarre, and utterly important.  And way way way too much fun. 

And, yes, when it was over, I did feel exactly how Robbins hoped:  in a state of euphoria and bedazzlement.  And also, I experienced of that rare sense of belonging that one receives when one encounters a work of art that is at once inspiring and totally reaffirming.  I wish I could photocopy the last 15 pages or so, and make everyone on earth read them.  But then, perhaps not everyone is ready for that yet.  Perhaps it's best appearing right when one needs it and ready to receive its madcap wisdom and serious joy.

Trinie Dalton's Sweet Tomb!

There is much exciting news on the Trinie Dalton front:

-  She's got a new book out called Sweet Tomb.  I am reading it now and it is ridiculously great.  If you want to read a story jammed with candy, witches, vampires, and the tumult of young love, then this is the book for you.  It is also conveniently pocket-sized, and features cover art by the superb Matt Greene.

-  She is doing a reading from said book on Friday, December 11th at 8pm at Outpost as part of the Supermachine series.

-  She has a new web site and blog, where you can keep track of her comings, goings, musings, and revelations.

Yeah, Trinie!

Occult America

I just finished reading the fascinating book, Occult America: The Secret History of How Mysticism Shaped Our Nation, by Mitch Horowitz.  As the title implies, this is a non-fiction work which traces the influence of "magical" beliefs and ideas on the development of the U.S.  And it is every bit as interesting and thorough as one would hope for such a supremely juicy topic.

Perhaps surprisingly, Salem and its witches are not a primary focus here at all.  In fact, Horowitz uncovers the beginnings of the so-called occult movement a bit south of there, in the "Burned-over District" of New York state, and then down into Philly area.  From there, we're taken on a wild intellectual ride across the country and spanning decades.  Highlights include an in-depth look at the Theosophy movement (and its subsequent influence on Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr.); occult dabblings of various political figures including Abe and Mary Todd Lincoln, Vice President Henry A. Wallace, and Ronald Reagan; and the evolution of the Ouiji board from divinatory tool to pop sensation.

Besides being filled to the brim with interesting factoids and loads of well-researched anecdotes (including plenty of primary source excerpts), the book is a lively and accessible account of the history of such important American tenants as religious tolerance and positive thinking.  It's amazing to think that today's societal ideals such as equality and personal development are offshoots of the beliefs of various mystical subcultures and alternative thought leaders, but Horowitz's arguments are entirely convincing.

I can't recommend Occult America highly enough.  Anyone interested in history (be it magical or otherwise) will enjoy this revealing and informative book. 

***As an added bonus, I'm delighted to announce that Mitch Horowitz will be speaking at OBSERVATORY on December 4th at 8pm.  More info can be found here.

The Victorian Blood Book

from the "Victorian Blood Book"

My pal and Observatory cohort, Dylan, recently brought my attention to the astounding "Victorian Blood Book."  It was part of Evelyn Waugh's private collection, and is a large book filled with collages and embellished with scrawled commentary and blood drops made of India ink.  It was presumably created by a Victorian businessman, John Bingley Garland, and seems to be at once a work of art and a strange visual treatise on religion and spirituality.  Do watch the slide show, it is not to be missed.

Codex Seraphinianus

I was in the opulent Rizzoli bookshop on 57th street a few weeks back, where I encountered a most magnificent tome.  CODEX SERAPHINIANUS is a beautiful beast of a book.  It is giant and heavy and has all of the majesty of some sort of grimoire or encyclopedia of an alternative universe.  But I'm getting ahead of myself, and should tell you what it contains.

The book was written and illustrated by Luigi Serafini in the 1970s.  It is an imaginary record of a strange world written in an invented language, divvied up into 11 chapters, and organized thusly:

The first section appears to describe the natural world, dealing with flora, fauna, and physics. The second deals with the humanities, the various aspects of human life: clothing, history, cuisine, architecture and so on. Each chapter seems to treat a general encyclopedic topic. The topics of each separate chapter are as follows:

• The first chapter describes many alien types of flora: strange flowers, trees that uproot themselves and migrate, etc.
• The second chapter is devoted to the fauna of this alien world, depicting many animals that are surreal variations of the horse, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, birds, etc.
• The third chapter deals with what seems to be a separate kingdom of odd bipedal creatures, apparently engineered for various purposes.
• The fourth chapter deals with something that seems to be physics and chemistry, and is by far the most abstract and enigmatic.
• The fifth chapter deals with bizarre machines and vehicles.
• The sixth chapter explores the general humanities: biology, sexuality, various aboriginal peoples, and even shows examples of plant life and tools (such as pens and wrenches) grafted directly into the human body.
• The seventh chapter is historical. It shows many people (some only vaguely human) of unknown significance, giving their times of birth and death. It also depicts many scenes of historical (and possibly religious) significance. Also included are examples of burial and funereal customs.
• The eighth chapter depicts the history of the Codex's alien writing system.
• The ninth chapter deals with food, dining practices, and clothing.
• The tenth chapter describes bizarre games (including playing cards and board games) and athletic sports.
• The eleventh chapter is devoted entirely to architecture.

Thanks, wikipedia!  The drawings are every bit as surreal and riveting as one would hope.  Here are a few sample pages to wet your whistle: