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CASD 1717 – Fall 2024

Alice All Over

On the last page, you saw some of the various film and dance versions of Alice, and you’ve previously seen some illustrations from other artists.

Alice Inspired Music

Jefferson Airplane’s 1967 “White Rabbit” is one of the most famous (and reused) songs inspired by Alice. You’ll see here that the song/video reflects the 1960s interpretations of Alice as about drugs.

Avril Lavigne – “Alice” 2010 Music Video

Opera

Just get a taste – you do NOT need to watch the entirety.

Theatre

You already saw a clip of Alice being musicalized on the last page, but it has been done so repeatedly with several On and Off-Broadway productions. 

This production is available to watch via the Brooklyn College Library.

Immersive Theatrical Experience – Then She Fell

Ice Skating

Alice in Theme Parks

Dark Alices

Alice has taken a dark turn in video games, as in American McGee’s two titles, which make Wonderland a “Psychological Abyss.”

Cosplay of American McGee’s Alice.

A dark haired woman leans on the ground with one hand and leg in a black and white tights, boots a blue puffed dress sleeve dress with a bloody white apron over it and a pocket with a black symbol.
Concours cosplay du 6 novembre 2022. Kyonie présente Alice (Alice: Madness Returns). Photo: Stéphane Gallay, sous licence Creative Commons (CC-BY)
Dark haired older Alice stands holding a chalice wearing a tattered blue dress, white apron, black and white tights and black fingerless gloves outside of a blurred grey brick building with lanterns
miz-inthesky “Dark Alice” 2010, via deviantart, CC-BY-ND 3.0
Alice in a blue dress and black and white tights with long black hair creeps through an open door, a strange dark rabbit eared creature rises above her a blurred image of a man in a tophat and a clock
TheArtistDarkLady, “Dark Alice”, via deviantart, CC-BY-ND 3.0

Alice in Merchandise and Advertising

Unseen person holding a pair of slip on Disney Alice in Wonderland Van shoes
Alice in Wonderland/Van Shoe collaboration, via Unsplash
photo of two neclkaces on top of a page from Alice in Wonderland. One has alice and blue beads on a ke. The other a black figure with red hearts
Ayumi Design, Alice in Wonderland Key Jewelry, via deviantart, CC-BY-ND 3.0
bib neclace of multicolored mushrooms
Stéphanie Kilgast, Alice in Wonderland Mushroom Necklace, via flickr, CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0

More Alice in Wonderland Jewelry on Etsy

Magazine advertisement with text Welcome to the Wonderland of good drinking! Illlustrations based on Tenniel's below, a large image of an Alice in Wonderland mug pouring tomato soup to another mug and a can below
Advertisement for Libby’s Tomato Juice in the Ladies Home Journal, January 1948, Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons

Alice and Tea

Alice in Wonderland-themed events are very common.

Explore a collection of Teapots

Shelves filled with Disney Alice themed tea merchandise including mugs, teapots, and tea
Disney Alice Tea merchandise, Loren Javier, 2019, via flickr, CC-BY-ND 3.0

Modern Alice Retellings

Read (Optional)

A Blade So Black – L.L. McKinney

Alice in Wonderland meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Book Excerpt

 (click on the link at the bottom of the book cover to read the excerpt)

Like the many fairy tales we’ve looked at, Alice has also served as a literary inspiration for many, many variations. Why do you think artists and crafters have been so inspired by Alice, or a desire to revisit the Alice story? Do you think Alice is a fairy tale?

Go Back to Blue Caterpillars
Go on to vocal exercises

Comments

17 responses to “Alice All Over”

  1. Sofia Buttaro Avatar
    Sofia Buttaro

    Because of its ageless, inventive qualities and the depth of its topics, Alice’s narrative has spawned innumerable versions adaptations. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland allows countless reinterpretations with its distinctive fusion of fantasy and profound philosophical themes. Its universe is dreamlike and surreal, with strange people and situations that artists and crafters can alter to represent various feelings, ideas, or social issues. The story is a rich source of inspiration because of its flawed logic, which permits limitless inventiveness.
    Regarding Alice’s status as a fairy tale, it both resembles and deviates from classic fairy tales. Similar to fairy tales, it frequently has symbolic meaning and follows a youthful protagonist as they navigate a fantasy world full of odd creatures. Carroll’s story, however, is devoid of certain traditional fairy tale components, such unambiguous moral messages or a conventional conclusion.

    Reply
  2. Brittany Giler Avatar
    Brittany Giler

    Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been an inspiration for artists and crafters and can be attributed to several factors such as a rich world of imagery, the story is filled with fantastical creatures, nonsensical language, and surreal landscapes, providing a fertile ground for creative exploration. Themes of of growing up, identity, and the challenges of navigating the unknown resonate with people of all ages. The story’s lack of a definitive ending allow for endless interpretations and re-imaginations. Alice in Wonderland has become a cultural icon, influencing various fields of art, literature, and popular culture. I think Alice in wonderland is a fairy tale because its very similar to other fairy tales because it has fantastical elements and a moral lesson. Ultimately, whether Alice in Wonderland is considered a fairy tale is a matter of interpretation.

    Reply
    1. Ariana Loyfman Avatar
      Ariana Loyfman

      I definitely agree that the story of Alice appeals to many artists all over the world because the imagery is very creative and unique in this story and in many aspects it allows for many details to be played around with as well as changed up to the artists liking. I think the story of Alice is in fact a fairytale as the factors of it do line up with the factors of a fairytale. Overall, the imagery adds to the adventures and messages within the story as well and all of these parts fall together beautifully and in a very special way.

      Reply
  3. Anthea longville Avatar
    Anthea longville

    Artist and crafters have been inspired by Alice because of its strange and imaginative nature and also the timeless themes like exploring curiosity, identity, growing up , freedom of interpretation like nonsensical parts, fantasy and dream like qualities of wonderland. I am not sure if Alice is considered a fairytale but it is often associated with them and it lacks certain things like morals, lessons, tone and styles and maybe more.

    Reply
  4. Alexa Mendez Avatar
    Alexa Mendez

    Alice’s adventure can be interpreted in many forms and ways. It is definitely a fairytale because of the fantasy like world she discovers however since its so popular many different artists can come up with different versions. Even a “dark Alice” can be seen. Like any other story and fairytale we read and watched, they all have their own history and inspirations that come of it.

    Reply
  5. Amy Khait Avatar
    Amy Khait

    I believe that Alice serves as an inspiration for many artists because it allows room for interpretation, imagination, and fun. You can come up with so many versions based on history, tradition, and your individual experience with the story. It has elements of fantasy, adventure, and exploration. I think whether Alice can be considered a Fairytale or not is based on personal opinion and interpretation. To me it is a fairytale because it has a bunch of fantasy and magic. Also, there are various lessons and morals throughout the story.

    Reply
  6. Mahnoor Avatar
    Mahnoor

    I think that artists and crafters are inspired and pulled to revisit the story Alice in Wonderland because of how magical and whimsical it is. There are so many elements that go beyond what we normally see in fictional texts that it seems almost absurd, which makes it great for inspiration as authors try to come up with fairytale-like stories. Additionally, because there are so many elements and so much symbolism in the book, it is easy to interpret and add new meaning to the story. I think Alice in Wonderland has characteristics that are commonly found within fairytales; however, the story does not have a straightforward plot like most fairytales do. I feel like stories like Alice in Wonderland and Coraline are their own sub genre, as they have a different vibe to them with fairytale-like elements.

    Reply
  7. Naurah Romulus Avatar
    Naurah Romulus

    Artists and crafters are inspired by Alice in Wonderland because of its weird and magical world, interesting characters, and themes like curiosity and growing up. The story’s mix of fun and deeper ideas makes it easy to reinterpret in different ways. Alice’s journey through a strange, unpredictable world connects with people and has lasted over time. While it’s not exactly a fairy tale, it has magic and lessons like one, but it doesn’t end with a typical “happily ever after” and focuses more on Alice’s personal growth.

    Reply
  8. Nitzan Naim Avatar
    Nitzan Naim

    I think what is inspiring about the story of Alice are the things I remembered about the story before this module. I did not really remember many details, but I did remember the theme of the story and what it represents. It represents imagination and a dream-like story where everything is possible. It is perfect for children because they sort of live in a pretend world and are so much more creative than adults (in my opinion). The different creatures Alice encounters in her journey can also represent many things, which makes it easy to vary the story in so many different directions.

    It is so interesting to think about it because I haven’t watched the animated movie everyone is more familiar with; I think I probably had a picture book when I was young, but this doesn’t explain why Alice represents something to me (even without knowing all the details I know after this module). Like we read in the module about The Frog Prince and its role in society, Alice and many fairy tales seem to become universal knowledge—they’re ingrained in our brains. That is why it has so many variations – the story speaks to something in society. I don’t know if I would define Alice as a fairytale, but it definitely has many fairytale qualities that artists and creators are drawn to explore and reinterpret endlessly.

    Reply
  9. Anifat Abumislimova Avatar
    Anifat Abumislimova

    I think Alice has also served as a literary inspiration for many variations for many artists and creators because it offers a world full of mystery, imagination, and endless possibilities. I believe Alice in Wonderland is a fairy tale because it’s very similar to other fairy tales as it has magical elements and creatures and that’s why it allows the artists to retell Alice in different ways such as in music, musicals, ice skating performances, etc.

    Reply
  10. Victoria Lucenti Avatar
    Victoria Lucenti

    I honestly think so many artists and crafters have been so inspired by Alice and have been attentive to a desire to revisit the Alice story because of its universal theme of identity, growth, transformation, and development overall. There are also aspiring aspects of imagination, its magical realm, and its characters that provide so much room for different variations and inspirations of this story. I do not think Alice is a fairytale, but it does definitely have traits to a fairytale due to its aspects of imagination and magic realm.

    Reply
  11. Selina Chen Avatar
    Selina Chen

    Alice’s story inspires many artists because it explores themes like curiosity, adventure, and identity, which resonate with people of all ages. Its whimsical and surreal elements allow for creative reinterpretations in different forms of art. While it has some fairy tale qualities, such as fantastical elements, it mainly focuses on personal growth and the absurdities of life, making it a unique story.

    Reply
  12. Kaylee Pontone Avatar
    Kaylee Pontone

    We love to come to Alice for inspiration as artists because in Wonderland anything is possible and everyone is “mad”, allowing the space for complete creative freedoms which we don’t have the chance for in the “real world”.

    Reply
  13. Michelle Cortes Rodriguez Avatar
    Michelle Cortes Rodriguez

    I think artists and crafters have been so inspired by Alice or resist Alice story because it has so much to take in and you could lets your creativity get to you especially the art. I think it’s 50/50 when it comes to it being a fairytale because it has similar traits of it.

    Reply
  14. Tory Sen Avatar
    Tory Sen

    Many elements and symbols in the whimsical and enchanting tale of Alice in Wonderland have motivated writers and artists. It has a clear narrative and an uncertain finale; hence, it reminds one of a fairy tale. The vivid images, unusual animals, unusual language, and unusual happenings of the narrative help one to consider creativity easily. Growing up, discovering oneself, and navigating the world are all fascinating topics for people of all ages. A significant component of civilization, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland influences numerous facets of popular culture, literature, and the arts.

    Reply
  15. Emma Avatar
    Emma

    Alice in Wonderland is such a unique story that it can be retold is so many different ways. Artists can take this story and turn it into their own version while still keeping it similar to what we may remember as children. It can be created for both the enjoyment for children and adults and allows for so much creative room to inspire a different story each time.

    Reply
  16. Jaylyn Calles Avatar
    Jaylyn Calles

    Like the many fairy tales we’ve looked at, Alice has also served as a literary inspiration for many, many variations. Why do you think artists and crafters have been so inspired by Alice, or a desire to revisit the Alice story? Do you think Alice is a fairy tale?
    Alice and wonderland is a very distinctive and creative story and it has many versions that played a part.The colors, the story plot, the theme is very playful. I do believe alice and wonderland is a fairytale.

    Reply

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