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Wednesday, May 17, 2006

Roald Dahl's Gremlins


Link Gremlins on a Plane by Gustaf Tenggren.

A watercolor illustration (above) for “What Every Pilot Knows,” by Quentin Reynolds for Collier’s magazine (October 31, 1942).



The Gremlins is the story of Gus, a British World War II fighter pilot, who during the Battle of Britain turned to look out on the wing of his plane only to see an amazing sight: a little man, no more than six inches tall with horns growing from his head, drilling a hole in the plane's wing.

The Gremlins was first published in 1943 and has long been unavailable. Dark Horse Books is reprinting this landmark book from the author of such beloved tales as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, and Matilda.

Originally bought by Walt Disney to be produced as an animated motion picture (and considered to be the first story featuring the mythical airplane-sabotaging creatures known as Gremlins), the project was ultimately shelved and is reprinted here for the first time in over sixty years.

From the Cartoon Brew:
the cover of the original book was done by Mary Blair. The interiors were done by Bill Justice and Al Dempster, two longtime Disney artists. In fact, Bill was responsible for some of the gremlin designs and worked closely with Dahl.
Watch Bugs Bunny vs. The Gremlin in this 1943 Merry Melodie by Bob Clampett entitled "Falling Hare":