Paul Di Filippo ([info]pgdf) wrote in [info]theinferior4,
2009-06-23 10:13:00
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Leiber in Comics

The premise of the FABLES comic is that characters from fairy tales, myths and legends all exist and live among us mundanes.

http://tinyurl.com/9vyzdx

The cast of characters derives generally from the common stock of folk tales, although Gepetto and Pinocchio, literary creations, figure in the series.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinocchio


But for the most part, the creators steer clear of the Alan Moore magpie approach used in Moore's THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN, where literature is ransacked for protagonists.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_League_of_Extraordinary_Gentlemen

That's why I was a little surprised to see Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser show up--as zombies, moreover--in issue 81.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fafhrd_and_the_Gray_Mouser

Click to enlarge, and then click again.



Posted by Paul DiFi.

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  • 14 comments

[info]bbe

June 23 2009, 15:56:33 UTC 2 years ago

I grinned big & silly when they first appeared, and was hoping something cool would be done with them. Normally I like Fables, but giving Fafhrd & Mouser a cameo only to serve as fodder to prove how bigbad the wizard is didn't do it for me. Two of the best and most influential (plagiarized) characters in fantasy lit deserve better.

[info]pgdf

June 23 2009, 16:02:32 UTC 2 years ago

I have not yet read any issues beyond #81. Thanks for the further info, tho it disappoints!

[info]sheerkhan

June 23 2009, 17:43:58 UTC 2 years ago

I think the idea is that all fictional characters exist somewhere across a myriad of worlds, but the more famous a character is--the more remembered by mundanes--the harder to kill he or she is. That's why Jack of the Tales had blockbuster movies made about his adventures so that he could become the most powerful Fable alive. What that says about Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser is unclear, but I liked their appearance and reasoned that Willingham couldn't keep them around for long for copyright reasons or whatever.

[info]pgdf

June 23 2009, 17:45:02 UTC 2 years ago

Excellent reasoning!

[info]sheerkhan

June 23 2009, 17:49:02 UTC 2 years ago

why, thank you, sir. I've been a die-hard Fables fan from the start.

[info]mlamprey

June 23 2009, 17:53:57 UTC 2 years ago

Where the hell did the Grey Mouser get that Monkees hairdo?

Also, affectionate parodies/tributes aside, Fritz didn't much like anyone fooling with his characters so maybe there were rights concerns. I wonder where things stand now, when it comes to the estate's control of the characters. I dread hearing that someone has acquired the rights to continue the series. When I asked him about it (c. 1975) he said he didn't want anyone messing with them except for him and Harry Fischer.

[info]pgdf

June 23 2009, 17:56:40 UTC 2 years ago

I've always been curious about the presumably authorized sequel by Bailey. And now it looks like another one is coming!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Wayne_Bailey

[info]mlamprey

June 23 2009, 18:29:18 UTC 2 years ago

Somehow I missed that, and will probably continue to do so.

[info]mikeblake

June 24 2009, 01:04:50 UTC 2 years ago

"...affectionate parodies/tributes aside, Fritz didn't much like anyone fooling with his characters so maybe there were rights concerns."

Incidentally, as you probably know, this wouldn't be the first time DC used the pair -- remember their appearance in Wonder Woman during that character's Diana Rigg phase? They teamed up with the depowered Wonder Woman (with Kung-Fu grip!) and Catwoman. It was written by Samuel R. Delany, and leading into their own short-lived Sword of Sorcery title.

[info]mlamprey

June 24 2009, 05:28:27 UTC 2 years ago

Whoa! Someone must ask Chip Delany about that one! Need details! Maybe I'll bug him.

[info]pgdf

June 24 2009, 14:41:52 UTC 2 years ago

Great reference, Mike!

[info]mikeblake

June 24 2009, 06:26:25 UTC 2 years ago

More on Delany's Wonder Woman

You can go to this site, and scroll down for a little bit more in the paragraph (with the comics panel referenced reproduced below it) that starts:

"But then Delany wrote a "Special Women's Lib"
issue that is so bad..."

http://www.fanzing.com/mag/fanzing37/feature7.shtml

Maybe you DON'T want to ask him about it, from some of what I've read.

[info]scs_11

June 25 2009, 02:41:31 UTC 2 years ago

I adore "Fables." That Willingham has managed the balancing trick for so long just amazes me. Gotta agree with the poster who pointed out copyright issues with F&GM; the little cameo was probably all they could get away with. Within those limits, it was nicely done.

[info]pgdf

June 25 2009, 15:23:37 UTC 2 years ago

Yes, a neat Easter Egg.
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