Tales from Outer Suburbia

I just finished Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book last night. I have been reading it really slowly (which is unusual for me) as I didn't want it to end. When my husband was a little boy he spent the first few years of his life living in a little cottage beside a round tower in the grounds of a graveyard. His mum tells stories of his older sister playing around the gravestones, with her bucket and spade.
This illustration above is by Shaun Tan, if you haven't come across his work I urge you to visit his website. CBI are bringing Shaun Tan over for the Summer School this year which is brilliant, he is one of my favourite illustrators.

Coraline

I was so lucky to be at the screening of CORALINE on Sunday night as part of the Dublin Film Festival. In case you don't know it is a 3D animation based on Neil Gaiman's fantastic book of the same title. Neil was there on the night and introduced the film and did a question and answer session afterwards. Neil Jordan was also there on Sunday night. The two talked about their collaboration on Gaiman's The Graveyard Book. Neil Jordan is going to direct the movie version. You can read about it on Neil's blog here.

The movie was stunning, I was mesmerised. And all the more so as it was totally made by hand. Althea Crome a micro knitter knit all the little tiny jumpers that the characters wear, including the glow in the dark star jumper.
The 3D experience had a delicate touch, not heavy handed whatsoever. It was akin to falling through the rabbit's hole in Alice and Wonderland. The movie is directed by Henry Selick, whom Gaiman explained was actually the director of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Shane Prigmore was one of the artist's involved in the final character development. He says on his blog 'The team Henry compiled was not to be believed , and I was honored to be a part of it. Shannon Tindle , Dan Krall, and Myself , would be responsible for the FINAL CHARACTER DESIGN in the film.'

Go have a look at the amazing work, very inspirational!