New preview of the Disney film, which, I’m hearing, is pretty darned good. The preview looks a lot like one imagines from reading the Edgar Rice Burroughs books, and seeing old illustrations. I never expected anyone to make a film of this, frankly. Thought it was too dated. Then again, Disney managed to update Tarzan in a cartoon, and that was entertaining.
Of course, The Princess of Mars does not go about naked in the film, even though she is starkers but for jewelry in the novels.
I long thought it would have to be in animation because of all the various creatures. But it looks like technology has caught up.
I have the SF Book Club editions of the books, with the wonderful Frazetta illustrations (except for the last volume). To me, Frazetta was the perfect illustrator for Barsoom. (Huh. Now, I’ll have to drag them all out to look at, even re-read!
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Yeah, this is looking pretty Frazetta, tho- a friend of mine groked me on to a conceptual designer who did some work on this years ago. And his work has made it, uncredited, into the film. Ah, the curse of the concept artist!
I’m in the same position. Did primary character design and BG design for a new property, my work made it into the final production, and I got no credit. Against my contract BTW, but don’t want to pursue.
Anyway, amazing how CGI brings things to life. Never thought I’d see some of these things walking and talking outside of my imagination!
Awww, no naked princess?
Bruce Boxleitner tweeted that he attended the premiere and it was amazing. I asked if the movie was true to the books and he said “Yes, very much!” I gather that he’s a major Burroughs fan so this is encouraging. I’d been concerned when they dropped “of Mars” from the title and I haven’t heard a whisper about Barsoom. Really looking forward to it based on the previews I’ve seen.
Frazetta’s illustrations, of course, were incomparable but the closest I thought I would ever see John Carter come to life was the Gil Kane -Rudy Nebres combo in the Marvel comic.
The preview looks awesome – this is on my must see list.
There’s a Fuss about the (still non-naked) Princess in the comics. The family seem to think that depicting her wearing only jewelry (well, Art DID add two sequins to her outfit) is somehow degrading to their copyright. Defending Dejah
Yeah, I thought that was funny. They’re really going to have to scrub up those Frazetta pics.
Frazetta liked cheeky women.
(Sorry, couldn’t resist the line!)
There’s a lushness to Frazetta’s work that others just don’t capture. I think part of it was that he liked flesh – in the sense that it had substance to him. Other artists seem to just focus on the structure underneath. But you always could tell when contact was being made in a Frazetta painting – the sense of the compression of the surface, all done with the slightest brush of paint.
Sorry….. off topic. My Frazetta addiction surfacing – I really need to haul out the Barsoom books, and my Frazetta books.
Frazetta’s people – men and women – had some meat on them.