Scary things in the Sunday comics!
I was reading the funnies this past weekend, and my eyes happened to scan something really frightening. And I'm not talking about the fact that a good 90% of the comics in any given newspaper aren't funny, either. This was a strip devoted to teaching children about interesting things around the world. This week's installment featured ... well, check it out:
It's a strip about Roald Dahl, which is, I suppose, a decent subject. Dahl's children's books are quite good and should be required reading for kids, because they're fantastical and exciting and funny but teach some decent lessons. I'm still astonished that no one has made a movie of Danny the Champion of the World, because I love the book and think it would be a great kid's movie that wouldn't be animated by Pixar or be about talking animals (although there is a stage show, so that's something). But that's not what's scary about this strip. Check out Dahl himself:
Yeah, I'm not trusting Crazy Chocolate-Clutching Man to write books for my children! Couldn't they have made him look less menacing? I know he's smiling, but it's kind of a freaky smile.
It gets worse, if you recall the original strip. They have another drawing of Dahl above the main one. Here it is, in more detail:
You know, if some old guy wearing "red trousers and cardigans that invariably had holes in the elbows" and those crappy sandals came near me holding out a big bag of onions like some kind of sacrificial offering, I think I'd run for the hills! Especially with that expression on his face!
Poor Roald Dahl. He deserves better than this, doesn't he?
It's a strip about Roald Dahl, which is, I suppose, a decent subject. Dahl's children's books are quite good and should be required reading for kids, because they're fantastical and exciting and funny but teach some decent lessons. I'm still astonished that no one has made a movie of Danny the Champion of the World, because I love the book and think it would be a great kid's movie that wouldn't be animated by Pixar or be about talking animals (although there is a stage show, so that's something). But that's not what's scary about this strip. Check out Dahl himself:
Yeah, I'm not trusting Crazy Chocolate-Clutching Man to write books for my children! Couldn't they have made him look less menacing? I know he's smiling, but it's kind of a freaky smile.
It gets worse, if you recall the original strip. They have another drawing of Dahl above the main one. Here it is, in more detail:
You know, if some old guy wearing "red trousers and cardigans that invariably had holes in the elbows" and those crappy sandals came near me holding out a big bag of onions like some kind of sacrificial offering, I think I'd run for the hills! Especially with that expression on his face!
Poor Roald Dahl. He deserves better than this, doesn't he?
Labels: Americana, Comics, Culture, Roald Dahl
posted by Greg | 12:42 PM
4 Comments:
It's also weird that in the 'match the author' Dahl isn't in there.
You'd think the artist for this might have tried to ape the style of Quentin Blake, who illustrated so many of Dahl's books.
I'm almost done reading BFG to my daughter for the second time. They appreciate the jokes more as they get older.
I guess they figure they gave away all the titles to his main books, so it would be unfair to use him again!
Using the style of his books would make sense. Maybe that's why they didn't use it.
I haven't read any Dahl books to the kids yet, but he's on the list. Very good stuff that doesn't go all Disney at crucial moments.
In fairness to the illustrator, look at the guy and see how close it is. Not that he couldn't have been made cuter... but his books really aren't "cute."
Ever read some of his adult stuff? He is every bit as creepy as that drawing, and then some.
I haven't read his adult stuff, but I know it's a bit ... odd. That's a pretty good likeness in the drawing, actually. For a kids' comic strip, I just wonder why they didn't make him look a little less scary!
Post a Comment
<< Home