Thomas remembered my anger about it, and when he saw an updated Anne of Green Gables cover on Pinterest, he sent it to me immediately to see if it was more to my liking. It is. I think it captures the spirit of Anne.
Some fun information about this Anne of Green Gables cover: it was illustrated by Claire Keane.
Claire Keane's name might sound familiar to you. Her grandfather was Bil Keane, creator of The Family Circus, and her father is Glen Keane, who has worked with Disney on little films like Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Tangled.
Bil Keane held a special place in my family's heart because he lived in Arizona, and often featured The Sugar Bowl (which has the best ice cream in Scottsdale) in his comics - it was like having a small piece of home in their newspaper after they moved to Florida.
I remember my grandfather cutting out The Family Circus comics when I was little, and hanging them on the refrigerator. Occasionally he would take a pen to them, changing the name of the comic child to whichever grandchild best matched the scene, or adding a small commentary.
With Claire's father working on my favorite Disney movies (hello, Beauty and the Beast!), and her grandfather creating a comic that was special to my whole family, it is no surprise to me that I would be drawn to the art she is creating.
What do you think? Is this cover art an update that retains the spirit of Anne?
I like it a lot. I think she looks like a modern Anne -- still ginger, still flush-cheeked but modern. I just wish she had a little more meat on her bones.
ReplyDeleteI grew up with Family Circus on my grandmother's frig, as well.
:-)
Traci
She really is super skinny! But she was also an underfed orphan, so I'm going to forgive that in light of all the things that are very right about it.
DeleteI love that you had Family Circus on the fridge, too.
I love it!!! She's so cute!! :)
ReplyDeleteI think so, too!
DeleteWith five siblings, there was always something in Family Circus that applied to our home! "Not Me" was a huge favorite. ;)
ReplyDeleteYes, indeed, this cover is MUCH better. First thing I thought when I saw the photo was that the creator had some Disney-esque background - it's the eyes. :) Kudos to Thomas for finding it for you (us)!
We have a Not Me at our place.
DeleteThomas finds the best stuff. He is way better at Pinterest than I am.
Oh that other cover was TERRIBLE!! What were they thinking?? I think for me, Anne will forever look like that actress from the PBS series from the 80s.
ReplyDeleteIt was so so bad!!
DeleteMegan Follows was an amazing Anne.
I agree, the eyes remind me of the Disney pixies but I do think it's a very pretty picture. It's much better than the other cover.
ReplyDeleteMuch better!! :)
DeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE the new cover...and we LOVED Family Circus!--The Dose Girls
ReplyDeleteFamily Circus was the best.
DeleteBetter...I still think of Anne as depicted on the cover art of my copy purchased at the Prince Edward Island home of Lucy Maud Montgomery. I'd never heard of the author or the books until a family trip to the Maritime provinces of Canada took me to this magical place. I've read many, but not all, of the Anne Shirley adventures. Such a strong, admirable character. She should not be objectified, turned into a Disney Princess.
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to visit Prince Edward Island. What a great way to discover Anne for the first time.
DeleteSO much better!!
ReplyDeleteI agree! :-)
DeleteA childhood favorite of mine. I like it. Love the trivia!
ReplyDeleteYay!
DeleteAnne was always one of my favorites, too.
Oh how I adore that movie, the cover is nice..but I didn't see the original.
ReplyDeleteI like the movie, too.
DeleteThe books I had are the same as the ones I bought for my daughter and are very pastoral looking. This one looks like a Normal Rockwell painting, but yes - it matches Anne. The other one was very disturbing.
ReplyDeleteI have the books with the pastoral looking cover too.
DeleteLOVE this! It really does match Anne and her descriptions in the books perfectly--the carrot hair, the "skinny" build, the pointy chin, and the cute nose (her one vanity) Awesome, and yes--SO much better than the blonde!!
ReplyDelete