ShareThisBy ANDREW A. SMITH
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
"No more happily ever after."
That appeared on a wall, scrawled in blood, in the first issue of "Fables" in 2002, a monthly comic-book series starring characters from folklore. And it's a concept that continues with "Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall," one of the best graphic novels of the year.
"Snowfall" is based on "Fables," which is based on fairy tales. But not your mommy's fairy tales, as indicated by that bizarre graffiti.
"With blood on the wall, the readership (was) duly warned that this is not your Disney-type story," chuckled series writer/creator Bill Willingham in a telephone interview.
Although "Fables" might look like it at first blush. The series does star Snow White, Prince Charming, Bigby "Big Bad" Wolf and other familiar names. But these are fairy-tale characters written as if they actually lived through their famous stories, learning and changing as a result. They've also been forced to relocate by a mysterious Adversary, who drove them from their magical homelands to Earth, where we "mundies" _ mundanes _ live.
Such is the premise of the monthly "Fables," a breakout hit for Vertigo, the mature-reader line from DC Comics. And it's the launch point for "1001 Nights of Snowfall," a hardback anthology ($19.99).
The title is a reference to Snow White _ a much more assertive character in "Fables" than in the Disney movie _ who travels to the land of Arabian fables to forge an alliance with Ali Baba & Co. against the Adversary. Unfortunately, the sultan of that land intends to treat her as he does his own women _ by marrying her, having a one-night honeymoon and then executing her. But, as the title implies, Snow pulls a Scheherazade to forestall her doom.
"Snow White, when she's in dire straights, she's experiencing snowfall," Willingham said. "(It's) not quite a pun. ... '1001 Nights of Snowfall' is just 1001 nights in which Snow is in terrible jeopardy."
Nights during which she tells stories, 10 of which are included in this graphic novel. Written by Willingham and illustrated by an all-star cast of artists, many are origins of a sort, revealing the history of some of the major characters in "Fables." Not that you need to be a regular "Fables" reader to enjoy "Snowfall."
"This (graphic novel) was specifically designed to be a stand-alone," Willingham said. "There are more than 50 issues of 'Fables' out, all in collections now, so if you want to read all of those, that's great. But if you want to pick up just '1001 Nights of Snowfall,' it's a pretty self-contained story. ... You don't have homework to do before you can read and enjoy this."
Because the graphic novel isn't about the characters as they appear in the regular series, so much as backstories about how they became the characters in the regular stories. Most of which, Willingham says, he had rattling around in his head before the first issue of "Fables" hit the stands.
So we see how Frau Totenkinder _ the wicked witch of many, many tales _ got her taste for children. We discover how the Wolf got so big and so bad, and acquired the ability to blow down houses. And, yes, we find out the true story of Snow White and those mysterious dwarves.
Most of which is pretty grim reading, and definitely nor for the kiddies. Which isn't all that much of a remove, when you think about it, because fairy tales were originally pretty ghastly tales designed to frighten children into behaving.
"They were absolutely grim and they were ... lessons in behavior," Willingham said. "My favorite being Hansel & Gretel, with the implied threat there being 'You kids behave or we might become the kind of parents that drop our kids off in demon-haunted forests.' ... Even worse than that, it's like 'If you kids don't behave, this character is going to bake you up in a pie and serve you to your daddy when he gets home.' Which appears in so many different fairy tales that it was apparently just a standard thing."
And as for the expected squawk that fairy tales are the preserve of the young, Willingham dismisses the concept.
"Children's stories are kind of a new invention in our society and our culture," Willingham said, beginning around the Middle Ages. "(And) every 'Fables' issue is plainly marked for mature audiences. ... The intended audience is older, so the premise that these stories are for kids, I don't accept."
Which is evident in "1001 Nights of Snowfall," a collection of fairy tales for adults. There may not be a happily ever after any more, but that just makes it more interesting.
(Contact Andrew A. Smith of The Commercial Appeal in Memphis at capncomics(at)aol.com or www.captaincomics.us.)
