#Karrie Fransman

[laurellynnleake]

Over under sideways down: A comic book story of a refugee fleeing conflict 

[ID: Over under sideways down: A comic book story of a refugee fleeing conflict. Ebrahim, an Iranian teenager, falls through an endless teal inkwashed haze, his ID card and other paper scraps flying off into the void. Text reads: "little did Ebrahim realize/that as his ID vanished, so did proof of his identity" as he tumbles down the page and drops into the back of a truck. He tucks himself into a tiny huddle, crammed between boxes and other terrified refugees.]

A comic by Karrie Fransman based on Ebrahim Esmail’s flight from Iran to England as a teen. Originally made to mark Refugee Week in 2013, the comic can still be accessed on the Internet Archive.

[downthetubes]

PostiveNegatives partners on London event spotlighting comics role in amplifying research

London-based and interested in finding more out about PositiveNegatives.org’s work using comics and animation to amplify research? They have a free event coming up at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green soon – with free drink and food!

London-based and interested in finding more out about PositiveNegatives.org’s work using comics and animation to amplify research? They have a free event coming up at Rich Mix in Bethnal Green soon – with free drink and food! At Humanising Narratives Around Migration, taking place at the Rich Mix in Bethnal Green on Wednesday 18th September, you’ll be able to enjoy the short films and discuss…

[adarkrainbow]

Thank you so much for doing this breakdown! This book is only available to me in bookshops, but I had refused myself to buy it because from what I could see it just looked like someone had taken the exact text of the stories and just changed the pronouns - and even with pretty pictures added to this, I wasn't going to pay as big a sum of money as they asked me for something I could type on my own X)

So it is very useful to have someone else's thorough notes and experience to be able to better judge the book

Gender Swapped Fairy Tales

by Karrie Fransman & Jonathan Plackett (2020)

My mother-in-law got this book and for obvious reasons she lent it to me. I have far more thoughts about it than I expected, so I thought I'd do a little ramble review for those of you that are interested in looking at fairy tales from a gender perspective:

Firstly: I think this is a very interesting, well introduced project

Fransman and Plackett, who are married, explain in the introduction that they didn't want to retell fairy tales but specifically chose to simply swap out all relevant gendered words (with a computer program created by Plackett) in an attempt to "illuminate and disrupt the gender stereotypes woven into the stories we've been told since childhood". This is also the reason, they explain, why they've stuck to a very binary approach to gender, not just changing "princess" to "prince" etc, but also changing "dress" to "suit" and so on. They used the text from the Langs' Fairy Books and tried to change as little as possible, to show how different it would be to have Cinderella's actions attributed to a man and Hansel's to a girl. It's a solid concept and I appreciate the effort they put into it.

Second: It's a beautiful book with gorgeous illustrations

Just look at these takes on Rapunzel and Beauty and the Beast, delightful!

So, if this looks like something that's your thing, I encourage you to check it out!

But of course I also have many nitpicky folklore feelings about this, so for anyone who is interested I will put those under the cut~

So, folklore feelings and ruffled fairy tale feathers:

This is a project with a very specific concept (complete binary gender swap, but edit as little as possible besides) and it's unfair to fault it for sticking to it, but I do think that not every fairy tale is equally well suited for such a treatment. I also think that the authors cheat a little here and there and if you start cheating then why not do it to make things a little more elegant?

Here are my thoughts on the gender swapped fairy tales this book contains:

Handsome and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast)

This one works very well, I think. Having a female merchant be the protagonist of the first half of the story and a male romatic hero the willing captive of a female beast changes the feel of the story completely while leaving all its main elements intact. It's interesting to see a female character lose her monstrous characteristics through the dutiful devotion of a man and it also highlights the uncomfortable parts of the story by recontextualizing them. I like it!

Cinder, or the Little Glass Slipper (Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper)

From a story perspective this one is as good as the previous one. It's fun to have an evil stepfather and stepbrothers obsessed with beauty, a fairy godfather, and a beautiful boy who longs for a ball. However, I really don't think "Cinder" has the same feel as "Cinderella" as a name. In the Langs' translation the protagonist is called both Cinderella and Cinderwench, which they swapped for Cinder and Cinderboy. This isn't quite right. "Wench" is a much nastier word than "boy" and "Cinder" is just the full noun not made into a name. If more editing was allowed, I would have taken inspiration from Norwegian fairy tales about Askeladden and called the protagonist "Ashlad".

How to Tell a True Prince (How to Tell a True Princess / The Princess on the Pea)

This one is silly, but so is the original. You can really tell that this is a literary fairy tale. But honestly the nonsense of it call is kind of the point and a princess looking for a dainty prince who bruises like a peach is a story worth telling.

Jacqueline and the Beanstalk (Jack and the Beanstalk)

There is nothing wrong with this one at all, but I don't like it much because there are plenty of trickster tales with women as the protagonists. Changing Jack into a girl doesn't really have much bearing on the story for me and it doesn't create a sort of story that's all that new. If I wanted to a girl defeating a giant I could also read Molly Whuppie. But I do see that Jack's characterisation of being silly and thoughtless, brave and brazen is unusual to see for a heroine, so there is that.

Gretel and Hansel (Hansel and Gretel)

Similar to the previous one I don't think this particularly benefits from a gender swap. Hansel and Gretel are both clever in their own way. There is a clear difference in Gretel being the one who cries more and has to do chores for the witch, but still. It does make me think though, because the male witch/wizard wanting to eat Gretel makes me more uncomfortable. One thing I find very funny in this one is that they didn't just change the duck they meet along the way into a drake (as in male duck, but now seems like a dragon), they also have the wizard call Hansel a "silly gander" instead of a "silly goose".

Mr Rapunzel (Rapunzel)

Now here I get very picky. I think "Mr Rapunzel" is a ridiculous way to solve for the fact that leaving it unchanged would make it seem like the same fairy tale. In fairy tales people are hardly ever addressed with titles like Mr or Mrs and it completely breaks the tone. I would have just kept it Rapunzel, as they do in the actual text of the story. What I do appreciate is the complete ambiguity in this version as to whether it is the husband or the wife who gives birth to the baby. But here is also the first moment of cheating: they have Rapunzel grow a long beard. That is a decided change. A boy could grow long hair just as well as a girl, it did not need to be altered. But it is an amazing image. I'm all for it. But if you make this change because it's cool, you can change more things. The dynamic between the Evil Wizard, Rapunzel and the Princess is very interesting with swapped genders though.

Snowdrop (Snow White)

I wanted to yell about unnecessarily changing the name again, but Andrew Lang was the one that changed the name from Snow White to Snowdrop, so my yelling is directed at him. In this story the gender language program comes up with some changes I just don't like the sound of. "My Lady Queen" turns into "My Gentleman King", while I think "My Lord King" would work a bit better, and "My noble King" a lot better. It also changes the Princess' bodice being laced up so tight it nearly kills her to the Prince's shirt. That's one hell of a shirt. The preoccupation with beauty is interesting with a king and prince though, and the female dwarves are fun.

Little Red Riding Hood (Little Red Riding Hood)

This certainly is interesting, because it's one of the versions where both Grandmama (so Grandpapa in this version) and Little Red Riding Hood get eaten and never rescued. I would have liked to see a brave female woodcutter, but having this story of straying off the path and getting preyed upon for it be centered around a boy is definitely impactful. The wolf is introduced as "Mistress Wolf", which I don't love but since the Langs' originally chose "Gaffer Wolf", I can't really argue with that. I do argue with the way the wolf is illustrated though. Because they gave her a head of blonde hair on top of her fur and a red lipstick mouth.

The Sleeping Handsome in the Wood (The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood)

This is very interesting with the genders swapped. (Again could be read as the King giving birth, fun.) I'm all for armoured princesses climbing towers and falling to their knees at the sight of slumbering princes. This is also the Perrault version with the second plot where the in-laws want to eat the new spouse and the royal children, which adds the dynamic of the young Queen going to war while the beautiful King stays home and is endangered. The title irks me though. While I fully supported the use of "Handsome" as a name in the Beauty and the Beast story, I do not like it here. I'm sure there is something patriarchal about the way "beauty" can be used as a noun describing a person, while "handsome" cannot, but "the handsome in the woods" just sounds very jumbled to me.

Frau Rumpelstiltzkin (Rumpelstiltzkin)

Again with the unnecessary name change. "Frau" is an interesting pick, perhaps they were inspired by Frau Holle, but it's really not needed and it looks very forced. I don't like this story as much as most of the others, but mostly because it's not a very nice fairy tale to begin with. The romance isn't romantic, the kindness isn't kind, and changing the genders doesn't change that. The young king fighting to save his baby daughter is very charming though.

Mistress Puss in Boots (Puss in Boots)

Listen. If you insist on having a different title for it, go all the way with the old-fashioned language for animals and make it Pussy in Boots. Or go with the "Madame Puss" that is used in the story since the Langs' decided to use "Monsieur Puss" (hilarious). But the gender changes are fun in this. The Prince falling head over heels for the freshly-fished-from-a-ditch miller's daughter is very good.

Thumbelin (Thumbelina)

Another one by H.C. Andersen and very clearly a literary fairy tale. I really like the name change to Thumbelin and having a single (?) man wishing for a child and finding one in a flower is very lovely. I've always liked Thumbelina's aesthetic but rather disliked the story, everyone is forever trying to marry her against her will. I don't like the story more with a boy in the same position, but the change does hit hard because it.

If I had to pick a favourite from this book, I think it's Handsome and the Beast, but Cinder is also very fun with the genders reversed. I like this book very much as an experiment, but while I agree with the choice not to make it actual retellings, I wish a few more tweaks were allowed to make some parts flow more smoothly.

[adarkrainbow]

I want to briefly talk about this book called "Gender-swapped fairy tales", by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett

I first saw it in several libraries translated in French as "Le Bel au Bois Dormant"

And I was quite interested by the idea. Take the classical fairytales, but change the genders, have heroic she-knights and princesses save men in towers and asleep princes. It is always a fun concept - and the illustrations looked weird and cool enough, with their Rapunzel-bears and drag-queen-looking wolves.

But I took a glimpse inside at a bookshop earlier and... Now please tell me if I am wrong but... it is just the fairytales retold with the pronouns changed, right? I mean I excepted a bit more of a rewrite than just copy-paste the tale by changing the pronouns, and yes there's slight changes like Rapunzel's hair being a beard and whatnot but ultimately... I can just take the original text, change myself the pronouns, and I have the content of this book. Right? Its just that?

Which is the whole point, I totally get it, it proves that fairytales in our modern world can exist beyond gender... But I don't think I am willing to spend that much money just to have a retelling I can literaly type at home on my computer.

(And they also did a gender-swapped Greek myths book apparently? And as a Greek mythology fan I can't help but ask... what's the point, beyond cashing on the trend set by this first book?)

At least the pictures are nice... But I think people are over-hyping way too much this book. They are selling it as like "the ultimate answer to fairytale misoginy" and I am like... Again, I can type this on my computer in two minutes. I just copy-paste the text and change the pronouns. Bam! Misoginy solved apparently? But please tell me if I am wrong, I just quickly went though the book...

[princepestilence]

NYReading: April in review

Most of April has been reading things for the thesis, which I’m not counting as part of this list. Maybe after the thesis I’ll share the full works cited list, though. In the meantime...

Nonfiction.

The Modern Bestiary: A Curated Collection of Wondrous Wildlife, by Joanna Bagniewska.

Haunted Nature: Entanglements of the Human and the Nonhuman, edited by Sladja Blazan.

Nature’ Palette: A Colour Reference System from the Natural World, by Davidson, Charwat, Simonini, & Karliczek.

Songspirals: Sharing women’s wisdom of Country through songlines, by Gay’wu Group of Women.

Reading Like an Australian Writer, edited by Belinda Castles.

Imagining Decolonisation, edited by Bianca Elkington.

Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands, by Michael Chabon.

In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction, edited by Lee Gutkind.

Fiction.

This All Come Back Now: An anthology of First Nations speculative fiction, edited by Mykaela Saunders.

Unnatural Order, edited by Alis Franklin & Liss Wickramasinghe.

After The Storm, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

Learning The Ropes, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

The Art of Boytoy Maintenance, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

Cross My Heart, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

The Witness for the Dead, by Katherine Addison.

The Grief of Stones, by Katherine Addison.

Dirt Town, by Hayley Scrivener.

Bitter Greens, by Kate Forsyth.

Daughter of the Empire, by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts.

Brumby Stories, by Elyne Mitchell.

The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean M. Auel.

Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee.

White is for Witching, by Helen Oyeyemi.

A Magic Steeped in Poison, by Judy I. Lin.

Mamo, by Sas Milledge.

Poetry.

Whereas, by Layli Long Soldier.

Killernova, by Omar Musa.

Icaros, by Tamryn Bennett.

Other.

The Singing Bones, by Shaun Tan.

Gender Swapped Fairy Tales, by Karrie Fransman & Jonathan Plackett.

Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book, by Brian Froud & Terry Jones.

[cosbrarian]

What if Rapunzel was a boy locked in a tower? And if the witch was a warlock with a green thumb who just wanted a child? And what if a princess saved him? Thanks to Faber & Faber, Karrie Fransman, and Jonathan Plackett for giving me permission to share a selection from their delightful work GENDER-SWAPPED FAIRY TALES. --- Hi, I'm Liz, aka the Cosbrarian.  I'm primarily known for "F*cked Up Fairy Tales", a series I popularized on TikTok, celebrating the funny, dark, twisted, and saucy side of folk and fairy tales. ~* More About Liz*~ On the Web: https://ift.tt/6GqPWrO Tiktok: https://ift.tt/2eO9fpA Instagram: https://ift.tt/hnIv6G4 Twitter: https://twitter.com/cosbrarian ~* Support My Work *~ Patreon: https://ift.tt/FhUD9ST Ko-fi or Paypal: @cosbrarian ~* Production Info *~ Adapted and performed by: Liz aka Cosbrarian Theme orchestrated by Danny K. Bernstein Logo by MarvelRevision #effedupfairytales #cosbrarian #rapunzel #andrewlang #fairytales #folktales by Cosbrarian (F*cked Up Fairy Tales)

[queerographies]

[Fiabe d’altro genere][Karrie Fransman][Jonathan Plackett]

Immagina un mondo in cui patrigni malvagi scagliano incantesimi contro neonati principini, dove il lupo cattivo è femmina e le principesse superano una sfida dopo l'altra per andare a salvare bei principi addormentati…

Da secoli raccontiamo ai nostri figli le fiabe della tradizione, e da sempre qualcuno ha provato a riscriverle, perché i bambini potessero immaginare un mondo in cui gli eroi fossero loro. Anche Karrie e Jonathan leggevano le fiabe alla loro bambina, quando si sono trovati di fronte a un dilemma: mancava qualcosa di fondamentale in quelle storie, e così hanno deciso di fare qualche cambiamento……

[darkmatterzine]

Gender-swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett

Gender-swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett: a #review of Andrew Lang's fairy tales gender-swapped for a new generation

A review by Nalini Haynes A husband-and-wife/wife-and-husband team created Gender-swapped Fairy Tales. Plackett wrote an algorithm to change male pronouns to female and vice versa. They plugged this algorithm in to some of Andrew Lang’s fairy tales then fixed some of the linguistic problems that arose. However, according to their Author’s Note, they did not fix any of the other issues even though…

[uwmspeccoll]

Staff Pick of the Week

My staff pick is The House that Groaned by Karrie Fransman. This graphic novel tells the stories of six inhabitants living in the same apartment building. What stands out the most about this novel is how unconventional the storytelling is. The characters in this book have personalities and habits that represent the dark and strange sides of our individual natures. I think almost everyone can find a little bit of themselves represented in each character, even if those characters have quirks that are bizarre and exaggerated. What also stands out is the color palette, consisting of just black, white, and shades of blue- I was surprised how many emotions can be conveyed in a scene that is entirely in blue hues. As the story went on,  I found myself becoming more disturbed but thrilled. I haven’t read something so grotesque, sexual, and very, very strange in a long time-but those elements are what makes this graphic novel an excellent read. 

Summary:

“The House That Groaned is a graphic novel that explores bodies and the spaces they inhabit. It is set in an old Victorian tenement housing six lonely individuals who could only have stepped out of the pages of a comic book. There is the retoucher who cannot touch, a grandmother who literally blends into the background and a twenty-something bloke who’s sexually attracted to diseased women. Yet, as we learn the stories behind these extreme characters, it becomes apparent that we may share similar issues – as individuals and as a society.”

View more of our Staff Picks.

– Megan, Special Collections undergraduate assistant

[capegraphicnovels]

A couple of the Cape graphic novelists took part in a comics project for the Goethe Institute last year, which we thought you might like to see.

NOW DERELICT by William Goldsmith

This story reflects on an old community pool from Govanhill, Glasgow’s MOST MULTI-CULTURAL NEIGHBOURHOOD.

The pool is now derelict and awaiting renovation – the comic depicts a donation event at the pool, collecting clothes for refugees, and the xenophobia of one taxi driver.

LABELLING PEOPLE by Karrie Fransman

I was delighted to get the opportunity to create a comic that explores the growing nationalism and xenophobia in Europe.

Since Brexit the need to question this kind of racism is essential. My story explores this idea of labelling people as 'others' and forces us to examine more closely what it means to be nationalistic.

The Bind by William Goldsmith and The Death of the Artist by Karrie Fransman are both published by Jonathan Cape

[cheshirelibrary]

The Best Gender-Flipped Retellings 

[via Book Riot]

The beauty of retellings is the princess can do the rescuing and the swash-buckling pirate can be a woman setting out to save her kidnapped love. And we see all that and more in these twelve retellings of fairytales and classic novels.

Gender Swapped Fairy Tales by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett (Retelling: various fairytales)

Rogue Princess by B. R. Myers (Retelling: Cinderella)

The Princess Will Save You by Sarah Henning (Retelling: The Princess Bride)

Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu (Retelling: The Outsiders)

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim (Retelling: The Count of Monte Cristo)

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke (Retelling: Beowulf)

[downthetubes]

Comics Cultural Impact Collective report highlights creators concerns about UK comics scene

CCIC, the Comics Cultural Impact Collective have just launched their report on the state of comics in the UK, the result of consultation via a roundtable meeting involving stakeholders from every area of the industry

CCIC, the Comics Cultural Impact Collective have just launched their report on the state of comics in the UK, the result of consultation via a roundtable meeting involving stakeholders from every area of the industry. Comics creators, academics, and representatives from unions, publishers, museums and festivals were all invited to input on what they see as the biggest barriers to a thriving…

[jenjenphotography]

THE HOUSE THAT GROANED Karrie Fransman

© Jen-Jen Photography

[theselkiesea]

Mid Year Book Freak Out Tag - 2020

Once again this is a YouTube tag but I need a distraction so lets review the reading year so far and some plans (that I can guarantee I won’t stick to) for the rest of 2020. Take these questions and do your own!

1. Best books you’ve read so far in 2019.

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

The House that Groaned by Karrie Fransman

Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

2. Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2019.

I’ve only read one sequel technically and it is volume eight of Deadly Class. I’ve ignored a lot of series so far this year and I’ve no idea why. I think it’s because most of the series are fantasy that I find intimating and because of everything happening in the world I just wanted shorter, easy stuff to get through.

But I’m gonna try and change that now for the rest of the year.

3. New release you haven’t read yet, but want to.

Honestly, too many for me to want to list cause I’ll get sad.

You are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Crescent City by Sarah J Maas

4. Most anticipated release for the second half of the year.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It  by K.J. Parker

Ruinsong by Julia Ember

5. Biggest disappointment.

The Furies by Katie Lowe

The Gigantic Beard that was Evil by Stephen Collins

Bluestar’s Prophecy by Erin Hunter

6. Biggest surprise.

The One by John Marrs

The Driftwood Girls by Mark Douglas-Home

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith

7. Favourite new author. (Debut or new to you)

Amy Engel

8. Newest fictional crush.

Same as last year, I just don’t get crushes on fictional characters anymore. I mean, I did reread one of my favourite books of all time earlier this year which has a character I just love with all my heart but he ain’t new. Billy, love yah always.

9. Newest favourite character.

Ok so, she was a real person but I read a Joan of Arc retelling and I just love this girl so that’s my pick.

10. Book that made you cry

A few made me teary but not full on sobbing yet. However, with my reread of The Diamond of Drury Lane, this was the first time I cried at it because one of the quotes really hit me hard. But here a couple that made ma eyes water.

Worlds of You: Poetry and Prose by Beau Taplin

The Language of Fire: Joan of Arc Reimagined by Stephanie Hemphill

11. Book that made you happy.

I’ve read a lot of dark stuff this year y’all and I really like dark humour. This was hard to pick out some!

The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding

Shutter, Vol 1: Wanderlost by Joe Keatinge

Och Wheesht and Get Oan Wae It by Lewis Dawson

12. Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received)

His Hideous Heart by Dahlia Adler but a bunch of folk have contributed to it. I first found out about this book from a booktuber I watch but then my friend read it so I had to purchase it!

13. What books do you need to read by the end of the year?

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

My Dark Vanessa by  Kate Elizabeth Russell

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

The Shadow Saint by Gareth Hanarahan 

Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames

[princepestilence]

NYReading: March in review

Didn’t read much (or anything at all, I think?) in February, but caught up in March. Keen to find time for more.

Strikethrough: read Single asterisk: started Double asterisk: reread Exclamation mark: intended next in line / high priority

Nonfiction.

The Modern Bestiary: A Curated Collection of Wondrous Wildlife, by Joanna Bagniewska.

Haunted Nature: Entanglements of the Human and the Nonhuman, edited by Sladja Blazan.

Songspirals: Sharing women’s wisdom of Country through songlines, by Gay’wu Group of Women.

Reading Like an Australian Writer, edited by Belinda Castles.

Imagining Decolonisation, edited by Bianca Elkington.

Maps and Legends: Reading and Writing Along the Borderlands, by Michael Chabon.

In Fact: The Best of Creative Nonfiction, edited by Lee Gutkind.

Fiction.

This All Come Back Now: An anthology of First Nations speculative fiction, edited by Mykaela Saunders.

After The Storm, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

Learning The Ropes, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

The Art of Boytoy Maintenance, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

Cross My Heart, by H. Birchwood, Key Dyson, & Raymond Roach

Dirt Town, by Hayley Scrivener.

Bitter Greens, by Kate Forsyth.

Daughter of the Empire, by Raymond E. Feist & Janny Wurts.

Brumby Stories, by Elyne Mitchell.

The Clan of the Cave Bear, by Jean M. Auel.

Ninefox Gambit, by Yoon Ha Lee.

White is for Witching, by Helen Oyeyemi.

Poetry.

Whereas, by Layli Long Soldier.

Killernova, by Omar Musa.

Icaros, by Tamryn Bennett.

Other.

The Singing Bones, by Shaun Tan.

Gender Swapped Fairy Tales, by Karrie Fransman & Jonathan Plackett.

Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book, by Brian Froud & Terry Jones.

[sparehed]

Ephemerist: North Star Fading zooms indefinitly Comics are about storytelling with images in sequence, which is translated traditionally in rows of images that are read side by side, one after the other.