Illustration &SpornFilms 18 Dec 2006 09:35 am
Snark!
– The Hunting of the Snark, by Lewis Carroll, is one of my favorite poems. It is also, among the films I’ve made, one of my favorites.
Two of my favorite illustrators, Ralph Steadman and Quentin Blake, have both illustrated versions of the Carroll poem.
I didn’t know either of these books when I made the film, and I’m pretty sure they weren’t familiar with each other’s adaptations of the poem.
Yet, it’s interesting how similarly some of the illustrated settings are given only Carroll’s poem.
I thought it might be entertaining to post some of the illustrations from the two books, both in B&W, along with some frame grabs of the similar sequences from my film.
The cover of Steadman’s book is to the left.
(Click on any image to enlarge.)
The original book was illustrated by Henry Holiday.
I was never particularly fond of his images and found little inspiration, there, in adapting the poem to film.
He was an English Pre-Raphaelite artist who didn’t seem to do more than illustrate the poem, despite the fact that he supposedly delighted in the project.
I don’t think Carroll found an equal to Tenniel in Holiday.
For those who would like to read the poem, in its entirety, you can find it here.
Quentin Blake’s title page.
The opening sequence to my film.
The Butcher and Beaver meet.
Blake’s landing of the crew.
Steadman’s landing.
Chasms and crags.
Blake’s hunting.
“They walked along shoulder to shoulder.”
Steadman’s Butcher & Beaver “walk along side by side.”
It was a “Boojum,” you see.
Blake’s Vanishing
Steadman’s Vanishing
The End
on 18 Dec 2006 at 8:30 pm 1.Rudy Agresta said …
Hi Michael,
Your HUNTING OF THE SNARK has always been one of my favorites. It’s pure genius!
Rudy
on 20 Dec 2006 at 1:04 am 2.Doug Howick said …
Thank you for posting these pix Michael. I have been privately researching The Hunting of the Snark for more than 30 years. I have these two books and like you, I am interested in the interpretation put upon the characters by various illustrators. I am really thrilled to have seen the illustrations from your film (of which I was unaware).
If you’d like to correspond on various aspects of the Snark, please feel free to Email me privately.
I have many different editions and the work of many illustrators.
Best wishes from Australia. Doug H
on 20 Dec 2006 at 5:48 pm 3.Nadia said …
I love Quentin Blake. I picked up the book by “The Witches” by Roald Dahl when I was little because of the illustrations. The next book that followed that I picked up was The Hungting of the Snark. Quentin Blake and now Brett Helquist are part of a long list of some of my favorite illustrators! On a small side note…Isa watched Abel’s Island and LOVED it!
on 16 Jan 2010 at 5:48 am 4.Goetz Kluge said …
Lewis Carroll’s, Henry Holiday’s and Joseph Swain’s “The Hunting of the Snark” is a popular and yet very underestimated work: http://holiday.snrk.de/BeCurious.htm