Well, well, well.
As an old-school Neil Gaiman fan, I pride myself on having read just about everything he's written. Naturally, when Coraline, his children's book, came out a few years ago, I enthusiastically picked it up and then let it collect dust on my bookshelf for at least four months, distracted as I was with the demands of school and real life. When I did finally get around to reading it, I was sick and hung-over and bedridden (to the extent that I did not particularly feel like getting out of bed, anyway) and I consumed it in a sickly haze in about four hours then went to sleep. That was, what, five years ago? Anyway, I recently re-read it this past year while I was in China, English-language reading material being rare and difficult to obtain, upon my discovery that somehow my copy of Coraline had ended up on my brother's bookshelf across the hall from me. And of course, I enjoyed it all the more on the second read through, not being dizzy, stuffed-up and dehydrated.
As some of you may be aware, Coraline is being adapted to film by Henry Selick, the director of Nightmare Before Christmas, slated for release in February. This is interesting enough and I'm sure I'll see it, but what really sold me on it was that They Might Be Giants were doing the soundtrack for it.
Today I found out that none other than Stephin Merritt is writing the music for a Coraline stage play. Two of my favourite musical artists contributing to two completely seperate versions of the book... That's worth taking notice of, to say the least. And then of course you have the "Where's Neil When You Need Him?" tribute compilation, which frankly is a little ridiculous except for the Rasputina and Future Bible Heroes contributions, but boasts a full three tracks dedicated to Coraline, and you begin to realise that there is actually quite a bit of potentially worthwhile music inspired by this modest 163-page kid's book.
I've been planning on starting a podcast since I was in China, and this seems like the perfect theme for an upcoming episode. Obviously it's a while off (the stage play won't be out until May) but it's a reminder that I should really get started. I have a ton of ideas just waiting for some kind of appropriate venue.
As some of you may be aware, Coraline is being adapted to film by Henry Selick, the director of Nightmare Before Christmas, slated for release in February. This is interesting enough and I'm sure I'll see it, but what really sold me on it was that They Might Be Giants were doing the soundtrack for it.
Today I found out that none other than Stephin Merritt is writing the music for a Coraline stage play. Two of my favourite musical artists contributing to two completely seperate versions of the book... That's worth taking notice of, to say the least. And then of course you have the "Where's Neil When You Need Him?" tribute compilation, which frankly is a little ridiculous except for the Rasputina and Future Bible Heroes contributions, but boasts a full three tracks dedicated to Coraline, and you begin to realise that there is actually quite a bit of potentially worthwhile music inspired by this modest 163-page kid's book.
I've been planning on starting a podcast since I was in China, and this seems like the perfect theme for an upcoming episode. Obviously it's a while off (the stage play won't be out until May) but it's a reminder that I should really get started. I have a ton of ideas just waiting for some kind of appropriate venue.