Camille Rose Garcia’s Alice, With Fabulous Prizes
Here at Coilhouse, we spend a lot of time discussing our joint paper fetish. Ink this, paper stock that – we’ve found ourselves having many of these conversations well into the wee morning hours. At least two of us have been escorted out of book stores after hours of illicitly sniffing some shiny new release to a pulp. These things happen. And now, my newest object of forbidden love is It Books’ new edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, illustrated by Camille Rose Garcia.
If you’re not familiar with Garcia’s work, she does things like this. Though the brilliance of a Camille + Alice fusion had never occurred to me before, having now personally seen [and smelled] the book has me wondering why. Everything about this is perfect. PERFECT! From a wobbly, swan-necked, and overgrown Alice crying strings of ruby tears through mascara-caked lashes on page 20, to a rabbit that would make Freyagushi proud tea-dipping a defenseless Dormouse, these character designs are a macabre delight. Camille’s swirly psychedelic style allows the imagination run free, as Carroll, presumably, intended.
Let us go back to that paper fetish for a moment. As if the beautiful illustrations weren’t enough, this edition is Decked. Out. The dustcover has spot gloss, the capital “A” on hard cover is debossed and outfitted with pink foil, and there is gold ink throughout the book. Oh, and the pages are made to look aged. Mmyep, adoration in full effect. Just don’t ask me to replicate the sounds I made while leafing through the thing for the first time and we can stay friends.
Now for the really fun part! To commemorate this release, and because we love you, we’ve teamed up with It Books to give away three copies of this book, three Alice tote bags, and three limited edition signed and numbered lithographs by Camille Rose Garcia. All you have to do is comment, and be a resident of US or Canada. Though this will be a totally random drawing of numbers from hats, I encourage you to share your own Alice art and stories. This book has been a part of so many childhoods and we want to know how it warped your pliant kid-brains.
EDIT: The raffle is over and we are confirming winners’ locations before announcing their names
Click the jump to see the tote and lithograph artwork.
Alice tote bag by Camille Rose Garcia
Alice lithograph by Camille Rose Carcia
February 11th, 2010 at 3:24 pm
There is something truly remarkable about her style. For me it feels classic yet modern at the same time.
February 11th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
This tickles my fancy in a completely appropriate way. I want!
February 11th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Oh glory! What a perfect pairing… no one could be better than Camille Rose Garcia to re-imagine this story. I can’t wait to see the results!
I was obsessed with the book and Tenniel’s illustrations as a child (although Rackham’s are still my favorite…)- but what really intrigued me was reading The Annotated Alice, where all of the logic puzzles and mathematical secrets are picked apart and revealed… I was completely fascinated by the story behind the story.
Perhaps time for a re-read!
February 11th, 2010 at 5:09 pm
Ooh! I want!
February 11th, 2010 at 5:35 pm
But… I’m from the UK. D:
February 11th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
Alas, my own Alice illustration is in the possession of an ex. It was in black-and-white, except for the figures. The White Rabbit was racing down a hallway, trying to prevent Alice from entering the Psychiatrist’s Office… we see only Alice’s shoulder and dress as she enters, with the Cheshire Cat sitting on her shoulder and grinning back at us. Through the wavy glass of the door, we see the frightening shadow of the Mad Hat—er—Psychiatrist.
February 11th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
Oo! Oo! My invisible phallus became supremely erect upon inspection of this post! God, I love you, Coilhouse…
How much does dear old Alice influence me? Lets just say I have wedding plans in the works for a mad tea party reception, dressing up is obviously going to be encouraged!
These photos of a friend and I were taken last year before we left for an event called “The Cheshire Rock Opera” at Orbis Nex in Oakland:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/_medicated_/nl2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/_medicated_/lauren2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/_medicated_/lauren3.jpg
Me as the Cheshire and my friend as, obviously, the Mad Hatter.
But my obsession goes further than clothes… Secret fantasies swirled through my kinky child brain when I read of the allegations Caroll being a pedo. Writings of such fantasies still in the works, but they never cease to get me going… ANYWAY!
sorry for the TMI!!
February 11th, 2010 at 6:06 pm
oops that first link is wrong! here’s the right one!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v619/_medicated_/nl2.jpg
February 11th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
Wow, that is excellent. It’s odd how much Alice related whatnot is floating about of late, but this is a particularly intriguing piece.
February 11th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
very cool.
Here’s a link to a fashion set I made awhile back based on a punky androgynous girl Mad Hatter:
http://www.polyvore.com/mad_hatter/set?id=6264941
February 11th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Alice in Wonderland was the first book anyone ever told me NOT to read. (my mother said “Don’t read that. that book is weird. it will give you weird ideas” when I brought it home from the library in 3rd grade. )
February 11th, 2010 at 8:14 pm
Wow, just wow. Want!
February 11th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
Beautiful! Would look lovely hanging next to my jabberwocky!
February 11th, 2010 at 9:17 pm
i would love that! hope i win…
February 11th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Fantastic- a blue pinafore and the black mary janes have always seemed to me to be the uniform of adventures.
February 11th, 2010 at 11:51 pm
Twinkle twinkle little bat
Such a fearful grin on that charming cat
Does not matter how hard I try
Madness still is drawing nigh…
(alternate ending)
I’m a sucker for apple pie…
February 12th, 2010 at 12:08 am
Doooom lashes!
February 12th, 2010 at 12:15 am
Jam tomorrow, jam yesterday, but never ever today….
February 12th, 2010 at 1:50 am
Camille Rose Garcia was one of my favorite artists during high school; she still makes my brain hurt in a way. The museum near where I lived had this enormous exhibit dedicated to her for a while called the Tragic Kingdom and it was absolutely mindblowing. Alice and her are a totally perfect combination; it’s weird how it never occurred to me before.
I remember someone telling me once that the Cheshire Cat is actually a vampire. I don’t know why they told me that or how they came to conclude that, but it’s stuck with me all these years. I like goth!Alice as much as anybody else, but those versions have always seemed to lose the completely insane whimsy of the books.
This makes me so excited!
February 12th, 2010 at 4:27 am
The Alice books were my favorite as a kid. Now I’m getting a PhD in Children’s Literature and I still love Alice so much that I’m scared to write about the books.
February 12th, 2010 at 7:15 am
Pretty prettiest please?
February 12th, 2010 at 7:42 am
I love Camille Rose Garcia’s imagining of Alice. I am anxiously awaiting Manson’s Phantasmagoria.
February 12th, 2010 at 9:56 am
She is one of my all time favourites.
I have a poster framed and hanging in my loving room of headless bunnies and octopus falling from the sky.
Her Alice is dreamy. I am glad to see there is a new book to covet.
February 12th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
I’ve been a fan of Camille Rose Garcia, ever since I saw Zo’s post on ChinaShop. I too, would never have thought of pairing her with Lewis Carroll, but as soon as I thought about it I realized what a perfect fit it is. Excited for this. Like everyone else I was a big fan of Alice when I was a lad; it didn’t hurt having a British grandmother to read it aloud.
February 12th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Oooh, what an awesome edition! I kinda really need it, stat! <3<3
February 12th, 2010 at 11:43 pm
Two extremely influential and beloved parts of my life: the otherworldly magic that is Alice and the decidedly breath-taking works of CRG. Thanks for this Coilhausers!!! <333333333
February 13th, 2010 at 12:11 am
My great uncle & great aunt (a former children’s librarian) gave me my first copy of Alice for Christmas when I was 6. My mom read me a chapter a night before bed and I was hooked. I now collect copies of Alice with unique illustrations & have a tattoo based on John Tenniel’s original artwork.
February 13th, 2010 at 1:47 am
Wonderful. My favorite book from childhood until now. And just in time for own daughter’s birthday.
February 13th, 2010 at 4:20 am
Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass were constant companions throughout my childhood. Spent quite bit of time trying to walk through mirrors, too. Every so often, I still do. Just to be sure.
February 13th, 2010 at 10:57 am
Oh these are so lovely! And so true to the text, as well…
February 13th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I love the candy colors of this.
Alice in Wonderland has been my favorite book since second grade, and I was furious when my brother ripped all the pages out of it, thankfully after I finished reading it.
Now, at least, I’ve got a much nicer verson. I still miss the compactness of the old book, complete with my mom’s notes from college…
February 13th, 2010 at 6:07 pm
thats looks so awesome O.O
February 13th, 2010 at 6:42 pm
My favorite artist and favorite story. I credit this story with creating my strangeness.
February 13th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Ah! So freaking awesome!
February 14th, 2010 at 1:39 am
I need to be the winnnnnner. If not I’m going to be the whiner.
February 14th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
Dear lord, I am so desperately in love with that thing. I very much hope I either win this, or stumble across enough money with which to buy it myself.
February 14th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
Such a wonderful thing to add to my already glorious Alice collection!! I have my grandmother’s copy as well as an antique version illustrated by Rackham. I also have a short book containing all sorts of scribbles from Alice illustrators. I will have to acquire this one somehow… (squinting eyes and rubbing hands together)
February 14th, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Looks absolutely amazing!
February 14th, 2010 at 4:07 pm
I love camille rose garcia and i love alice in wonderland. A beautiful combination!
February 15th, 2010 at 12:58 am
I want!
If you ever want some amazing eye candy, search Mozart L’Opera Rock on youtube. You’re welcome in advance.
February 15th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Oh man! How did i only see this post now, Monday morning:( *cries*
AMAZING work though, truly awe inspiring!