Greetings, Everybody.

Since I'm fighting off a cold which is preventing me to get moving on Shikata Ga Nai's prequel, even if it is temporally, I had noticed a recurrent detail was taking place, when a sickness of some kind was slowing me down into any other task I had in process.

Disney's The Black Cauldron, my all-time favourite animated feature, ever since I was a child. I remember to have taken part to a petition to get it released on video, back at the end of the 90's (nineteen ninety-eight), which turned out to make the difference, for indeed, after fifteen years or so shelved away, it got released, before to be released on DVD again in 2004. I've both editions.

I've also read all the books by Llyod Alexander, The Prydain Chronicles, consequently. Some say it's situated in Britain, or the Whales. I've to disagree, because of Princess Eilonwy's parentage: the mythical family of Llyr take its roots in Eire, not Scotland or Great-Britain. Taran, however, can be assumed as being scottish, since a guard at the Horned King's castle, referred to him as "You, little Scot!". A Highlander, so to speak. Probably because of his hair, that would be make Ron Weasley looks like a carot, freshly gathered at The Burrow (at least for the animated version, which is the one I like best). Therein, Eilonwy is not Welsh but Irish, Taran is Scottish, Gurgi has all of a smoother version of the korrigan, the wandering troubadour (either old or young, depending of the version, animated or written) has everything to get you for a laugh, while Old Dalben reminds very much of Merlin in some way, considering how wise he is, and the price he had paid to earn it.

Most unfortunately, amongst nowadays' Disney's merchandising, no trace of any of these endearing characters is available. Eilonwy is taking no part into the so pinkish Princess Collection (although amongst them, my favourites are Belle, Jasmine and Ariel), from where I got long ago an autograph book, a sterling silver pendant (Jasmine), and a English inspired cup that I brought back from London (Belle). Taran's costume is unexisting; Gurgi, no matter how cute he is, is still missing into the countless plushies produced by the house (I prefer ten times hugging him than Stitch!); and Eilonwy's doll can't never be found into the souless Princess dolls collections created by Disney. Those are a few examples, but what would have made me very happy, would have been to see release a commerative watch, featuring Taran and Eilonwy; and why not a mug, since I'm collecting those. This would have been so cool!

Instead, Disney prefers to waste its money by producing sequels to sequels to, according to their eyes, their own Masterpieces Collection, than acknowledge that The Black Cauldron has been recognized as such by most of the audience at the time of its release, which is in total contradiction with the box-office's results alike. Seriously, that's what I'm thinking. Don't be mistaking, Disney is for me the sweet taste of childhood's memories, it had produced many other clothes or mugs I still have today, mostly with Mickey and friends, so it makes me sad to see how such great house of animation, can't admit it had been mistaken regarding the tastes of its audience, and grab the perch to fix it. I mean, we got skeletons into Pirates Of The Caraibes, and there are skeletons into The Black Cauldron also. If our kids didn't get scared by the first, do you think they would be with the second? I don't think so.

Who's Holywater's Witch? Well, as a matter of fact, this very little Witch takes her roots into a childhood friend I never heard of again, named Sandra. You may say than Holywater is her Witch's name, since I can't refer her to you by her family's name into this time. What's connecting Holywater to The Black Cauldron? I'm perhaps about to rediscover it, by taking my pen to write, and my pencil to draw her story out...

With Love,

Sam.

I introduced my kids to Lloyd Alexander at the beginning of the year with a story called The Stone :D We had fun. Did you think I've bought 83 dolls btw? Because I was talking about how I bought a doll made in the 1983 : )

Cheers,

Nami

Hey Sam! I feel like I've been locked away in a cave somewhere...a difficult couple of months where my productivity was almost nill. It did give me a chance to map out the plot of this book with more substance so it wasn't an entire loss. Anyway, hope all is well with you, my friend. You know, the next three weeks are ideal for magical workings and manifesting...or so "they" say...lol. Later, Sam.