Jim Henson's Tale Of Sand. Una Storia Di Sabbia (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
Jim Henson's brilliance shines through in this beautifully conceived imagining of his script, in a way that is both anticipated and also somewhat unexpected. Every page blows you away as you "read," experience, immerse yourself in Mac's journey. I know only a small portion of Henson's vast work (some of my greatest memories involve watching The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock as a kid--I identified with the quirkiness and appreciated the unique vibes of the shows; they were unlike any others I had seen), so I was excited to learn more. Henson's humor, wit, originality and underlying appreciation for humanity ring true to this day. He was a master, no question. Truly one of a kind. In reading this work, and revisiting his imagination, I am left with a feeling of nostalgia; I wish he were still here to grace the world not only with his talent, but with his incredible presence. (Though, I suppose, in some form, he is.)Juhl, an equally talented partner, gives the story such vibrance. Though I am less familiar with his work, the combined projects they worked on show just how much Juhl was an equally integral part of the process, and I am intrigued by his work. These men have such extraordinary talent...it's transformative.And then there's Ramon Perez. WOW. He is an amazing artist. I love how he merges various elements of the form to capture every important aspect of this story--from the characters to the sounds to the environment surrounding them, he nails every frame. His inclusion of the actual script only adds to the feel of it, as he takes us on a fantastic adventure of imagination. Perez GETS it, bringing to life Henson and Juhl's vision with such accuracy and precision that you wish they would have worked together from the start.This story takes you on a wild, fun and interesting ride...and I love that it combines the various genres and layers of experience so effortlessly. Reminiscient of everything from spaghetti westerns to gangster noir to Indiana Jones-type adventures, it's absoultely fascinating.And yet, beneath the visuals and the experience lies the most important piece: Mac's journey itself. Mirroring Henson's own creative quest, Mac is as individual as he is "everyman," giving the reader several opportunities to sit with each experience and grapple with the same external and internal questions we face as human beings. Yes, there's humor and action and excitement throughout, but there's also heart and poignance and meaning. In its essence, that's the gem of this story...and rightly so.In thinking about this as a film, I'm not quite sure how it would play out today. Were it produced in the 70's as orinigally hoped, I would imagine it would have a completely different feel. Today, in the land of CGI effects where many filmmakers go for the glitz and glamour and big money, I almost wonder if Tale of Sand would lose a bit of its beauty, its heart possibly getting lost in translation. Although, it could be the exact opposite, in the hands of an artist (like Perez) who completely understands the nuances of the piece. It would certainly need to be in the right hands to pull it off in a way that stays true to Henson and Juhl's vision. Regardless, I'm glad they unearthed the script and had the foresight to turn it into a GN; it's absolutely fantastic. Bonuses: the introduction, which gives you further insight into the man Henson was both professionally and personally; the afterword and bios at the end, which remind you of the brilliance of these men; and the original Perez sketches, which allow you a brief and wonderful glimpse into the mind of a true artist.I loved this book. Its complexity stays with you and its unique snapshot into the world in which we live allows you to experience such a range of emotion and thought that you can't help but flip back through and read it again. The fact that Henson, Juhl and Perez can do so while still threading in humor throughout (which is as necessary to life as breathing) exemplifies why they embody the definition of genius. Incredible. Okay, so I was already predisposed to love this book because I'm a Jim Henson nut, but that didn't prepare me for what a beautifully-illustrated stream-of-consciousness trip this book is. It actually feels more like a film than a book, recalling the work of Alejandro Jodorowsky in its tale of a protagonist whose hero's journey is constantly being surrealistically interrupted and redefined by an unseen hand. It's funny, and dark, but not without hope, and ultimately my only regret was that it was over so soon...
What do You think about Jim Henson's Tale Of Sand. Una Storia Di Sabbia (2013)?
Beautiful surreal book. Potential genius from the early days of the now long-deceased Jim Henson.
—kcbauer
This was beautifully illustrated, but I just didn't really *get* it.
—nc1390
