Tag Archives: Victorian
Related Posts: Planning for London! and Planning for Blake’s London!
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Firstly, I just wanted to thank all the awesome bloggers who have given me very helpful advice for this trip!
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Note: This post is really just for me to try to jot down and organize all the information/recommendations/advice I’ve received about London so far. AND MORE ADVICE IS MORE THAN WELCOMED!
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Here, I’ve narrowed down the Blake historical sites to only the ones I want to see most:
- St. James’s Church: (10) Where Blake was baptized. The font still survives.
- Westminster Abbey: (10) Where Blake practiced drawing. Monument to Blake in the Abbey’s Poet’s Corner.Will probably end up here on a bus tour!
- Royal Academy, New Somerset House: (9) Where Blake studied and occasionally exhibited his work. Original building.
- 13 Hercules Buildings: (7) Where Blake produced the Songs of Experience. House demolished in 1918.
- 17 South Moulton Street: (10) Will be here on Tuesday!
- St. Mary’s, Battersea: (10) Where Blake married Kate. Original building.
- Bunhill Fields: (9) Where Blake is buried.
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Important: Buy an Oyster card!
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Harrods Vintage Bus Tour of London with Champagne Tea at Harrods
Okay, this might be really silly/crazy/touristy, but a tour in a vintage bus plus tea time? That just sounds so ridiculous (in a good way, I think)!
Won’t have time for this on Monday or Tuesday, so will have to do either Wednesday or Thursday.
Location: Starts at Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge.
Time: Starts at 1 p.m, for 5 hours.
Price: £49
Includes: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column, Hyde Park, the Houses of Parliament, The Royal Albert Hall, a cruise on the River Thames, and tea/scones at Harrods.
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Jack the Ripper Tour
Might have time for this on Monday, or otherwise on Wednesday.
Option #1: Every night at 7 p.m. Outside exit 4 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 2 hours.
Option #2: Every night at 7 p.m. Outside exit 4 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 2 hours.
Option #3: Every night at 7:30 p.m. Outside exit 3 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 1 hour, 45 minutes.
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Tate Britain
At the very top of my list!!!
Tentatively, I think I might go to the Tate and V&A on Tuesday, the bus tour and possibly Jack the Ripper on Wednesday, and then the British Museum and Blake historic sites on Thursday.
Location: Millbank.
Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: Free (except for special exhibitions).
Taking photos not allowed.
- Need to find out more about the renovated Blake rooms!
- Need to figure out what else I’d like to see at the Tate!
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Victoria and Albert Museum
Location: Cromwell Road.
Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
Price: Free (except for special exhibitions).
May take photos, unless otherwise noted.
- Ask information desk about the “…four of Blake’s ‘fresco’ paintings on display permanently.”
- David Bowie is: £14.00 (+£1.40 booking fee per ticket). Already bought my ticket!!
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British Museum
Location: Great Russell Street.
Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: Free.
Photography permitted in most galleries.
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National Gallery
Not sure if I’ll have time for this.
Location: Trafalgar Square.
Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: Free.
Taking photos not allowed.
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National Portrait Gallery
Not sure if I’ll have time for this. May go if nothing else to do on Thursday evening.
Location: St.Martin’s Place.
Time: Open Sat.-Wed. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thurs.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Price: Free (except for special exhibitions).
Taking photos not allowed.
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The Princess Louise
A restored Victorian pub. Recommended pint: Timothy Landlord’s.
Location: 208 High Holborn, Holborn. Between Covent Garden and the British Museum.
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
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Tea and Tattle
“Fresh leaf tea in a pot and bone china, scones with clotted cream and jam, finger sandwiches and tasty cakes… could anything be more British than afternoon tea in London.”
Location: 41 Great Russell Street (opposite the British Museum).
Time: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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The London Review Cake Shop
“…the traditional with a twist.”
Location: 14 Bury Place Bloomsbury (near the British Museum).
Time: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
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Coach and Horses, Soho
Very shabby, but landmark.
Location: 29 Greek Street, Soho
Time: 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
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French House
Location: 49 Dean Street
Time: 12 to 11 p.m. (Food served until 4 p.m.)
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Seven Stars
Something quieter.
Location: 53-54 Carey Street (behind the Royal Courts of Justice, near some of the Blake sites around the Strand/Fleet Street).
Time: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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The Angel
Something quieter.
Location: 61-62 St Giles High Street (a bit of a no-man’s-land between Covent Garden and Bloomsbury that’s central yet tourist-free).
Time: 12 to 11 p.m.
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The Queen’s Arms
Location: 30 Queen’s Gate Mews (near the V&A).
Time: 12 to 11 p.m.
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The Sherlock Holmes
Has a very authentic English feel. Fish & chips.
Location: 10-11 Northumberland Street
Time: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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The Old Shades
Great fish & chips.
Location: 37 Whitehall (Trafalgar Square).
Time: 10/11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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Lighthouse Fish Bar
Fish & chips of mammoth proportions.
Location: 8 Tooting Bec Road (1/2 block from Tooting Bec Tube Station).
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
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Curry/Indian: Any suggestions?
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The Gay Hussar
Fabulous Hungarian food and a very interesting past illustrated by the political cartoons on its walls.
Location: 2 Greek Street, Soho.
Time: 12:15 to 2:30 p.m., 5:30 to 10:45 p.m.
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on facebook, tumblr and/or twitter.
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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
39 comments | tags: Culture, History, Research, Graphic Novel, Comics, William Blake, The Ghost of a Flea, Dante, The Poet and the Flea, Illustration, Drawing, Comic book, Art, Help, London, Lambeth, 18th Century, Poetry, Photograph, Artist, Writer, Illustrator, Crazy, Death, The Blake Society, Engraving, Excited, UK, England, Sherlock Holmes, Tourism, Touristy, Collection, Silly, Victorian, Exhibit, Museum, Artwork, Drawings, Paintings, Photographs, Famous, Exciting, Followers, Church, English, Fly, Marriage, Poet, Soho, Watercolor, Travel, Special, Historical, Idea, Important, Schedule, Enthusiastic, Short, Font, Advice, Helpful, Practice, Invitation, Comic, Trip, Grave, Museums, Works, Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Pre-Raphaelites, Exhibition, Online Comic, British, Figure Out, Friday, Web Comic, Please Help, Plan, Upcoming, Webcomic, Perfect, House, Tour, Basic, Appreciated, Appreciate, Cannes, Morning, Display, Fame, Disappointment, City, Energy, Best, Map, Everything, Portraits, Painter, Delighted, Tea, Wednesday, School, Food, Monday, Delight, Delightful, Authentic, France, Nice, May, Cannes Film Festival, Adventure, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Chunk, Months, Incredibly, Secret, Readers, Building, Absolutely, Success, Divine Comedy, Planning, Print Room, Tourist, Fresco, Appointment, Hotel, Pen and Ink, Brainstorm, Original, David Bowie, Tate, Watercolour, Historic, Historic Sites, Arrive, Arrival, Airplane, Transportation, Public Transit, Heathrow, Situated, Exhausted, Tired, Late, Bus Tour, Relax, Basics, Amount, Feel, Afternoon, Jack the Ripper, Jack the Ripper Tour, Ripper Tour, Tuesday, Thursday, London Eye, Covent Garden, Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens, Nap, Event, Invited, Speak, Talk, Galore, Renovation, Renovated, Rooms, Open, Perfect Timing, British Museum, Pieces, Tim Heath, Hands, Illuminated Books, Priceless, Secrets, Victoria & Albert Museum, V&A, Naomi, On Display, Permanent, Permanently, David Bowie is, Adventuring, Recommended, Recommendation, Resource, Resources, Easiest, Easy, Born, Birth, Houses, Old, Baptized, Baptism, Demolished, Regency, Inn, Apprentice, Engraver, Westminster Abbey, Practiced, Tombs, Edward, King Edward, Edward I, Monument, Monuments, Poet's Corner, Mural, Knowledge, Royal Academy, Location, Move, Moved, Rebuilt, Married, Wedding, Poverty, Paranoia, Fountain, Produce, Battersea, Buried, Newton, Statue, Depart, Departure, Manageable, Underground, Subway, Vintage, Indian, Curry, The Gay Hussar, Hungarian, Fish and Chips, Lighthouse Fish Bar, Mammoth, Proportions, Tube, Station, Trafalgar Square, The Old Shades, The Sherlock Holmes, The Queen's Arms, Tourist Free, The Angel, Quieter, Quiet, Seven Stars, Pub, Royal Courts of Justice, French House, Coach and Horses, Landmark, Shabby, The London Review Cake Shop, Tea and Tattle, The Princess Louise, Clotted Cream, Jam, Sandwich, Cakes, Pint, Tudor, Masquerade, Van Gogh, Arnolfini Portrait, National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, Harrods, Champagne, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Eye, Downing Street, Nelson's Column, Hyde Park, Houses of Parliament, The Royal Albert Hall, Cruise, River Thames, Scones, Oyster Card | posted in Research, Brainstorming, Travel

Yesterday, I posted the 20th page of The Poet and the Flea… What!? Wow!!
The Flea premiered online November 28th, 2012 and has already received more than 10,000 views.
I have been honored to received a number of wonderful reviews thus far, such as those by Sarah Goode and Hannah Meiklejohn, as well as an incredible invitation to speak to The Blake Society in London this coming May.
Self-publishing The Flea online has been an incredible experience so far and I thank everyone for their enthusiasm and support!
Best wishes,
G. E.
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FYI, to receive information about The Flea on your Facebook news feed, please “like” me at facebook.com/gegallas!
For those of you who have yet to check out The Flea (and for those who wish to read the first 20 pages over again), I’ve included links below. Enjoy!
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Start from the beginning!
Cover
Title Page
Note
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on facebook, tumblr and/or twitter.
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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
21 comments | tags: Antagonist, Art, Artist, Author, Bizarre, Blake and White, Calligraphy, Cartoon, Character, Character Design, Characters, Comic, Comic book, Comic books, Concept, Costumes, Creative, Creativity, Creature, Creatures, Culture, Dante, Design, Doodle, Doodles, Drama, Drawing, Drawings, Edgar Allan Poe, Edward Gorey, Edwardian, England, Fiction, Figure, Figures, filmmaker, Fine art, Flea, Flimmaking, Geek, Georgian, Ghost, Gothic, Graphic Design, Graphic Novel, Gray, Grey, Grey Scale, Handmade, Hero, Hero's Quest, Historical, History, Illuminated, Illumination, Illustrated, Illustration, Illustrator, Imaginary, Imagination, Inferno, Ink, Interesting, Interview, Intriguing, Invitation, Joseph Campbell, Lambeth, Literary, Literature, London, Macabre, Manchester, Manga, Marker, May, Metaphor, Mixed Media, Monster, Monsters, Notebook, Paint, Painting, Paper, Paradise, Pen, Pen and Ink, Pencil, Period, Photograph, Photography, Picture Book, Plot, Poet, Poetry, Portrait, Print, Production, Protagonist, Publisher, Publishing, Purgatory, Review, Screenplay, Screenwriter, Script, Self-published, Sinister, Sketch, Sketches, Small Press, Soho, Sprit, Story, Storytelling, Supernatural, Surreal, Symbolism, Symbols, The Blake Society, The Divine Comedy, The Ghost of a Flea, The Poet and the Flea, Tim Burton, Typography, Victorian, Vintage, Web Comic, Webcomic, William Blake, Work in Progress, Writer, Writing, Zine, Zines | posted in Announcement, Links, Read "The Poet and the Flea", The Poet and the Flea
Related Post: Celebrating 1,000 Followers!
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Ladies & Gentlemen:
On behalf of my humble keeper Miss G. E. Gallas — I, Mr. Edgar Lawrence Fluffernutter™, would like to graciously thank you for your generous patronage.
Miss Gallas is flabbergasted that our supporters have doubled in a matter of two or three months, and is unwavering in her determination to sustain the quality of this enterprise.
Although I have little knowledge of these newfangled contraptions, it is to my understanding that there are additional entities (thepoetandtheflea.wordpress.com) where one might extend one’s support, and I would be much obliged if you were to kindly do so.
Your modest nocturnal mammal,
E. L. Fluffernutter™
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on facebook, tumblr and/or twitter.
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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
26 comments | tags: 2000, Additional, Animal, Art, Artist, Artwork, Author, Bat, Bizarre, Black and White, Blog, Blogger, Cartoon, Celebrate, Celebrating, Celebration, Character, Character Design, Comic, Comic book, Comic Strip, Contraptions, Costume, Costumes, Creative, Creativity, Cute, Design, Determination, Doodle, Doodles, Doubled, Drawing, Drawings, Edgar Allan Poe, Edward Gorey, Edwardian, Enterprise, Entities, Extend, Fiction, Figure, Figures, Flabbergasted, Fluffernutter, Followers, Following, Generous, Gentlemen, Goal, Gothic, Gracious, Graciously, Graphic Design, Graphic Novel, Historical, History, Humble, Illustrated, Illustration, Image, Imagination, Ink, Kawaii, Keeper, Kindly, Knowledge, Ladies, Mammal, March, Mixed Media, Modest, Month, Months, Mr., Newfangled, Nocturnal, Obliged, Patronage, Pen, Pen and Ink, Pencil, Portrait, Project, Quality, Sketch, Sketchbook, Sketches, Strange, Support, Supporters, Sustain, Symbols, Thank You, The Poet and the Flea, Tim Burton, Understanding, Unwavering, Victorian, Web Comic, Webcomic, William Blake, Wordpress, Work in Progress, Writer, Zine, Zines | posted in Announcement, Illustration/Design, Update
Related Posts: First Zine and Future Shop and First Zine Progress and Contest!!
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A few weeks ago, I finished the pen work for my first zine. I’ve been very busy recently, but hope that sometime soon I’ll be able to get this zine scanned, printed, and watercolored. Then, once The Flea plush toy is ready, I’m planning on opening my online store!
Here are a few closeups of some pen work for the zine:



As I mentioned before, my first zine is an illustrated Pre-Raphaelite poem. The poem will remain a secret until closer to the zine’s release. But I’ll give one free copy to the first person who can correctly guess which poem it is.
I’ve realized that I made this contest a little bit too hard. Thusly, I added a few more hints (#4 and #5). Also, be sure to check the comments of my post First Zine Progress and Contest!! for even more hints. I will be shocked if no one produces the correct answer this time!
Hint #1: The Seven Deadly Sins.
Hint #2: The poem is not “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti.
Hint #3: More specifically than Hint #1 — The Seven Princes of Hell.
Hint #4: More specifically than Hint #3 — Mammon.
Hint #5: The poem was written by ONE of the three original Pre-Raphaelites — either William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, or Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
For a chance to win, either leave a comment below or (if you’d like to keep your guess secret from other contestants) shoot me an e-mail at gegallas@hotmail.com — subject “First Zine Contest.”
Best of luck!!
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
20 comments | tags: 19th Century, Abstract, Abstraction, Alternative, Alternative Press, Appearance, Art, Artwork, Author, Bizarre, Black and White, Blog, Book, Booklet, Cats, Christina Rossetti, Classical, Collaborate, Collaboration, Comic book, Comics, Comment, Concept, Contest, Creative, Creativity, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Demons, Depiction, Design, Devils, Doodle, Doodles, Drawing, Drawings, E-mail, Edward Burne-Jones, Endeavor, English, Etsy, Fiction, First, Frederic George Stephens, Free, Freelance, Fun, Goblin Market, Graphic, Graphic Design, Graphic Novel, Handmade, Historical, History, Idea, Illustrate, Illustration, Illustrator, Image, Imagination, Ink, John Everett Millais, Killed, Literary, Literature, London, Luck, Lyrics, Mixed Media, Mythology, Notebook, Notion, Paint, Painters, Pamphlet, Paper, Paper Art, Pen, Pen and Ink, Pencil, Period, Photo, Photograph, Photography, Picture, Picture Book, Pictures, Poem, Poet, Poetry, Poets, Project, Ring, Romantic, Rome, Secret, Self-published, Shop, Sketch, Sketchbook, Sketches, Small Press, Snake, Store, Storenvy, Strange, Surprise, Surreal, Symbol, Symbols, The First Reich, The Poet and the Flea, The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, The Pre-Raphaelites, The Seven Deadly Sins, The Seven Princes of Hell, Thmoas Woolner, Time, Verses, Victorian, Victorian Period, Vision, Visual, Watercolor, Watercolour, Wilhelm Reich, William Blake, William Holman Hunt, William Michael Roessetti, William Morris, Win, Wing, Wings, Words, Writer, Zine, Zines | posted in Announcement, Contest, Illustration/Design, Shop, Zines
Related Post: First Zine and Future Shop
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For the past month or so, in between working on Elias & the City of Cats and The First Reich, I’ve been sneaking in progress on my first zine.
Here are a few closeups of some pencil work for the zine:



As I mentioned before, my first zine is an illustrated Pre-Raphaelite poem. The poem will remain a secret until closer to the zine’s release. But I’ll give one free copy to the first person who can correctly guess which poem it is.
Hint #1: The Seven Deadly Sins.
Hint #2: The poem is not “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti.
Hint #3: More specifically than Hint #1 — The Seven Princes of Hell.
For a chance to win, either leave a comment below or (if you’d like to keep your guess secret from other contestants) shoot me an e-mail at gegallas@hotmail.com — subject “First Zine Contest.”
Best of luck!!
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
29 comments | tags: 19th Century, Abstract, Abstraction, Alternative, Alternative Press, Appearance, Art, Artwork, Author, Bizarre, Black and White, Blog, Book, Booklet, Cats, Christina Rossetti, Classical, Collaborate, Collaboration, Comic book, Comics, Comment, Concept, Contest, Creative, Creativity, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Demons, Depiction, Design, Devils, Doodle, Doodles, Drawing, Drawings, E-mail, Edward Burne-Jones, Endeavor, English, Etsy, Fiction, First, Frederic George Stephens, Free, Freelance, Fun, Goblin Market, Graphic, Graphic Design, Graphic Novel, Handmade, Historical, History, Idea, Illustrate, Illustration, Illustrator, Image, Imagination, Ink, John Everett Millais, Killed, Literary, Literature, London, Luck, Lyrics, Mixed Media, Mythology, Notebook, Notion, Paint, Painters, Pamphlet, Paper, Paper Art, Pen, Pen and Ink, Pencil, Period, Photo, Photograph, Photography, Picture, Picture Book, Pictures, Poem, Poet, Poetry, Poets, Project, Ring, Romantic, Rome, Secret, Self-published, Shop, Sketch, Sketchbook, Sketches, Small Press, Snake, Store, Storenvy, Strange, Surprise, Surreal, Symbol, Symbols, The First Reich, The Poet and the Flea, The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, The Pre-Raphaelites, The Seven Deadly Sins, The Seven Princes of Hell, Thmoas Woolner, Time, Verses, Victorian, Victorian Period, Vision, Visual, Watercolor, Watercolour, Wilhelm Reich, William Blake, William Holman Hunt, William Michael Roessetti, William Morris, Win, Wing, Wings, Words, Writer, Zine, Zines | posted in Announcement, Contest, Illustration/Design, Shop, Zines
Who says comics can’t be educational and hilarious?
Today, I’d like to share a very special online comic I admire very much! Please, let me introduce you to…
Raine Szramski is the awesome (and, not to mention, super nice) artist/illustrator of Pre-Raphernalia as well as another amazing series called Heaven & the Dead City, which can be either read online here or purchased here.
Pre-Raphernalia centers around the Victorian avant-garde artists known as The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, including the likes of John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. These artists were quite eccentric, even by today’s standards, and lived oftentimes rowdy and scandalous lives.
What’s so wonderful about Pre-Raphernalia is that Raine takes the true historical events/relationships/facts and depicts them to the full extent of their eccentricity. When reading, I often find myself laughing out loud! Furthermore, she takes the time to write a full historically-accurate explanation of each comic, thoroughly detailing the backgrounds of each individual involved.
I highly recommend Pre-Raphernalia for anyone who wants to learn a little bit of history while having a fun time doing so.
Below are a number of my favorite images/pages from Pre-Raphernalia.
The following images belong to Raine Szramski.



For more Pre-Raphernalia and Raine Szramski, please check out the following websites…
preraphernalia.blogspot.com
thewatchertree.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/raine.szramski
rainesz.deviantart.com
www.co2comics.com/pages/co2_heaven_and_the_dead_city.html
www.lulu.com/spotlight/co2comics
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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
10 comments | tags: 19th Century, Accurate, Admiration, Admire, Amazing, Art History, Artist, Artists, Avant-Garde, Awesome, Background, Blog, Blogger, Blogging, Cartoon, Cartoons, Center, Centers, Comic book, Comics, Creative, Creativity, Critics, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Depiction, Depicts, Detailing, Details, Drawing, Eccentric, Eccentricity, Educational, Era, Events, Explaining, Explanation, Extent, Facts, Fun, Funny, Gentleman, Graphic Novel, Heaven & the Dead City, Hilarious, Historical, History, Illustration, Illustrator, Individual, Introduce, Introduction, Involved, John Everett Millais, John Ruskin, Laugh, Laughing, Learn, Life, Links, Lived, Lives, Museum, Nice, Oftentimes, Online, Period, Pre-Raph, Pre-Raphaelites, Pre-Raphernalia, Purchase, Raine Szramski, Read, Reccomend, Reccomendation, Relationships, Rowdy, Scandalous, Series, Sir, Sketch, Sketchbook, Special, Super, The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Very Special, Victorian, Victorian Era, Victorian Period, Website, William Holman Hunt, William Morris, Wonderful, Writer | posted in Graphic Novel, Illustration/Design, Links
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the following images!!

“The Black Brunswicker” (1860) by John Everett Millais

“Isabella and the Pot of Basil” (1868) by William Holman Hunt

“Found” (1865–1869, unfinished) by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
One of my more recent obsessions is with the artists know as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, it’s most famous members being John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
Like many of my obsessions, the Pre-Raphaelites have been floating around the periphery of my awareness for some time, perhaps years. My interest was peaked only recently (this spring) by the Legion of Honor‘s stunning exhibit “The Cult of Beauty: The Victorian Avant-Garde 1860 – 1900,” featuring works by not only the Pre-Raphaelites but also their contemporaries, students, and successors (including William Morris, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley, etc.). This exhibit picked up the threads of some other interests of mine, such as Charles Dickens’s companion and fellow writer Wilkie Collins (The Moonstone, The Woman in White, etc.). The exhibit also inspired me to dig deeper into the lives of these eccentric Victorian “Renaissance” men!
An easy way to learn more about the Pre-Raphaelites is through the BBC six-part series Desperate Romantics (2009), featuring a cast of lovely men and women (Aidan Turner, Rafe Spall, and Amy Manson to name a few) and gorgeous period costumes. While at times exuding a contemporary (as in 21st century) feel in the vein of Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006), the series is very painstakingly researched yet thoroughly enjoyable to watch. It’s a series I’m just itching to re-watch and show to all my friends.

Aidan Turner as Dante Gabriel Rossetti
Another wonderful way to enjoy the Pre-Raphaelites is through the online comic Pre-Raphernalia: The Pre-Raph Sketchbook Cartoons of Raine Szramski (preraphernalia.blogspot.com). This series is another painstakingly researched yet thoroughly enjoyable journey into the bizarre history of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, with plenty of cameos by Rossetti’s pet wombat named “Top.”
My most recent encounter with the Pre-Raphaelites is surprisingly through the British footwear brand Dr. Martens. Dr. Martens has teamed up with Liberty of London to create shoes and purses featuring William Morris’s celebrated “Strawberry Thief” textile design. My birthday’s coming up, so I’m hoping to get my paws on one of these timeless purses!

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Copyright 2012 by G. E. Gallas
8 comments | tags: 1860, 1865, 1868, 1869, 1900, 2009, 21st Century, Aidan Turner, Amy Manson, Artist, Aubrey Beardsley, Awareness, BBC, Beardsley, Birthday, Bizarre, Brainstorming, Brand, British, Buy, Cameo, Celebrated, Charles Dickens, Comic book, Comics, Contemporaries, Contemporary, Costumes, Creativity, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Design, Desperate Romantics, Dr. Martens, Drama, DVD, Eccentric, England, Enjoyable, Exhibit, Exhibition, Famous, Footwear, Found, Friend, Gorgeous, Graphic Novel, History, Hunt, Interest, Interesting, Isabella and the Pot of Basil, James Abbott McNeil Whistler, John Everett Millais, Legion of Honor, Liberty, Liberty of London, London, Lovely, Maniac, Marie Antoinette, Members, Millais, Morris, Musuem, Novel, Novelist, Obsession, Online Comic, Oscar Wilde, Painstaking, Painting, Paws, Period, Period Drama, Pet, Poetry, Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, Pre-Raphaelites, Pre-Raphernalia, Purses, Rafe Spall, Raine Szramski, Re-Watch, Renaissance Man, Research, Rossetti, Series, Shoes, Sofia Coppola, Strawberry Thief, Students, Stunning, Successors, Textile, The Black Brunswicker, The Cult of Beauty: The Victorian Avant-Garde, The Moonstone, The Woman in White, Timeless, Top, Victorian, Victorian Era, Victorian Period, Whistler, Wilde, Wilkie Collins, William Holman Hunt, William Morris, Wombat, Writer | posted in Brainstorming, Research
This list was originally intended for web series ideas, but has gotten off track a bit. So it’s more of just a brainstorming list intended for various mediums.
(This is just a rough list of ideas for my personal use. In no particular order!)
- My short story entitled “Inside the Display Case,” about a Siberian pit viper named Peter.
- Crime/mystery/thriller genre: perhaps a modern version of “Bluebeard” or “How the Devil Married Three Sisters“…?
- Supernatural/Vampire/Werewolf: not my favorite topic in the universe, but I would like a chance to completely reinvent it.
- Perhaps a quirky series with a cynical heroine like Daria or Ghost World…?
- “The Chronic Argonauts” (1888), Tono-Bungay (1909), etc. by H. G. Wells.
- “The Modern Prometheus,” more widely known as Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.
- The Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe and/or The Poe Toaster.
- San Francisco history [Found SF].
- Cliff House and the Sutro Baths.
- Oscar Wilde in San Francisco.
- A story about a bored widow…?
- Tchaikovsky’s Voice: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Julius Block, and Thomas Edison.
- “Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me.” — “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen.
- Exquisite corpse and other parlour games [Victorian Parlour Games]: Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai (百物語怪談会), Wink Murder (Vampire), Snap-dragon, etc.
- Kaidan (怪談) [Hyakumonogatari]: Yotsuya Kaidan, Botan Dōrō, etc.
- The Japanese Village in Knightsbridge, London.
- The Devil’s Trill Sonata by Giuseppe Tartini.
- “Victorian Funeral Customs and Superstitions”
- The ancient Greek goddess Melinoe.
- The Pied Piper of Hamelin.
- The Plague Doctor and his costume.
- 「…夢が現実の領域(りょういき)にまで溢れ出し、夢の氾濫(はんらん)が起ってしまったのだと。」” ‘…[My dream-world has] spilled over into reality. They’re a flood that’s sweeping me away.’ ” Quote from “Spring Snow” by Yukio Mishima.
- The Demon, an opera by Russian composer Anton Rubinstein.
- The works of Mikhail Lermontov, including Demon and “Death of the Poet.”
- “The Earl of Oxford, making of his low obeisance to Queen Elizabeth happened to let a Fart, at which he was so abashed and ashamed that he went to travel, seven years. On his return the Queen welcomed him home and said, ‘My Lord, I had forgot the Fart’” –Aubrey’s Brief Lives.
- “A Visit to the Haunted Chamber,” painting by William Frederick Yeames.
- …?
To be continued…
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
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Copyright 2012 by G. E. Gallas
Leave a comment | tags: A Visit to the Haunted Chamber, Alexander Pushkin, Ancient Greece, Anton Rubinstein, Artistic, Aubrey's Brief Lives, Beelzebub, Bluebeard, Bohemian Rhapsody, Borded, Botan Doro, Brainstorming, Cliff House, Costume, Creativity, Crime, Customs, Cynical, Daria, Death, Death of the Poet, Demon, Devils, Earl of Oxford, Edgar Allan Poe, Edward de Vere, Exquisite Corpse, Fairy Tales, Fart, Film, Frankenstein, Funeral, Genre, Ghost World, Giuseppe Tartini, Goddess, H. G. Wells, Haru no Yuki, Haunted, Heroine, History, How the Devil Married Three Sisters, Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai, Ideas, Inside the Display Case, Japanese Village in Knightsbridge, Kaidan, List, Literature, Mary Shelley, Mediums, Melinoe, Middle Ages, Mikhail Lermontov, Modern, Mysterious, Mystery, Myth, Oscar Wilde, Parlour Games, Peter, Pied Piper, Queen, Queen Elizabeth, Quirky, Reading, Reinvent, Research, Russia, San Francisco, Screenplay, Screenwriter, Sea of Fertility, Series, Short Story, Siberian pit viper, Snake, Snap-dragon, Spring Snow, Story, Supernatural, Superstitions, Sutro Baths, Tchaikovsky, The Chronic Argonauts, The Demon, The Devil's Trill Sonata, The Modern Prometheus, The Pied Piper of Hamelin, The Plague Doctor, The Poe Toaster, Thomas Edison, Thriller, Tono-Bungay, Topic, Travel, Universe, Vampire, Various, Version, Victorian, Visual, Voice, Web Series, Werewolf, Widow, William Frederick Yeames, Wink Murder, Writing, Yotsuya Kaidan, Yukio Mishima | posted in Brainstorming, Screenplays
Here is a brief update on my current creative projects and endeavors…!
- Had a wonderful weekend (May 31st – June 4th) in San Francisco with friends Ariel and Olivia!
- Visited the Legion of Honor to see The Cult of Beauty: The Victorian Avant-Garde 1860-1900. Quite an amazing exhibit. Featured the artwork of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, James Abbott McNeill Whistler, Aubrey Beardsley, etc. Also, very much enjoyed the Victorian Home Walk. I believe both experiences will help my writing.
- Robots Are a Girl’s Best Friend: Currently in progress!
- The Poet and the Flea: As of Thursday, 28 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 28 pages (1-6 completed, and 6-28 in progress) of illustrated work.
- Thinking of converting “The Ink Drinker” (short story) into a full-length screenplay…
- No word yet from Playground Pictures. Monday, sent e-mail in response to ghostwriter gig on Craigslist. Tuesday, sent e-mail in response to Japanese language tutor gig on Craigslist. Waiting for responses.
- Continuing research on various production companies to send query letters to.
- Tuesday, signed up with meetup.com. Joined a bunch of interesting groups. Hopefully, I’ll meet some new friends and learn the city!
To Do:
- Apply to the Bluecat Screenplay Competition
- Apply to The American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
***
Copyright 2012 by G. E. Gallas
Leave a comment | tags: 1900s, American Zoetrope Screenplay Contest, Artwork, Aubrey Beardsley, Avant-Garde, Bluecat Screenplay Competition, Competition, Contest, Craigslist, Creative, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Different, E-mail, Endeavors, Exhibit, Experience, Film, Friends, Full-length, Ghostwriter, Gig, Graphic Novel, Illustrated, Interesting, James Abbott McNeil Whistler, Japanese, Language Tutor, marilyn monroe, Meetup.com, Museum, Playground Pictures, Production Companies, Projects, Query Letter, Response, Robots Are a Girl's Best Friend, San Francisco, Screenplay, Screenwriting, Script, Short Story, Steam Punk, Strange, The Cult of Beauty, The Ink Drinker, the Legion of Honor, The Poet and the Flea, Unique, Update, Victorian, Weekend, William Blake, Work, Writing | posted in Graphic Novel, Screenplays, Travel, Update, Writing
First Zine Progress and Contest: Round Two!!
Related Posts: First Zine and Future Shop and First Zine Progress and Contest!!
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A few weeks ago, I finished the pen work for my first zine. I’ve been very busy recently, but hope that sometime soon I’ll be able to get this zine scanned, printed, and watercolored. Then, once The Flea plush toy is ready, I’m planning on opening my online store!
Here are a few closeups of some pen work for the zine:
As I mentioned before, my first zine is an illustrated Pre-Raphaelite poem. The poem will remain a secret until closer to the zine’s release. But I’ll give one free copy to the first person who can correctly guess which poem it is.
I’ve realized that I made this contest a little bit too hard. Thusly, I added a few more hints (#4 and #5). Also, be sure to check the comments of my post First Zine Progress and Contest!! for even more hints. I will be shocked if no one produces the correct answer this time!
Hint #1: The Seven Deadly Sins.
Hint #2: The poem is not “Goblin Market” by Christina Rossetti.
Hint #3: More specifically than Hint #1 — The Seven Princes of Hell.
Hint #4: More specifically than Hint #3 — Mammon.
Hint #5: The poem was written by ONE of the three original Pre-Raphaelites — either William Holman Hunt, John Everett Millais, or Dante Gabriel Rossetti.
For a chance to win, either leave a comment below or (if you’d like to keep your guess secret from other contestants) shoot me an e-mail at gegallas@hotmail.com — subject “First Zine Contest.”
Best of luck!!
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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.
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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas
20 comments | tags: 19th Century, Abstract, Abstraction, Alternative, Alternative Press, Appearance, Art, Artwork, Author, Bizarre, Black and White, Blog, Book, Booklet, Cats, Christina Rossetti, Classical, Collaborate, Collaboration, Comic book, Comics, Comment, Concept, Contest, Creative, Creativity, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Demons, Depiction, Design, Devils, Doodle, Doodles, Drawing, Drawings, E-mail, Edward Burne-Jones, Endeavor, English, Etsy, Fiction, First, Frederic George Stephens, Free, Freelance, Fun, Goblin Market, Graphic, Graphic Design, Graphic Novel, Handmade, Historical, History, Idea, Illustrate, Illustration, Illustrator, Image, Imagination, Ink, John Everett Millais, Killed, Literary, Literature, London, Luck, Lyrics, Mixed Media, Mythology, Notebook, Notion, Paint, Painters, Pamphlet, Paper, Paper Art, Pen, Pen and Ink, Pencil, Period, Photo, Photograph, Photography, Picture, Picture Book, Pictures, Poem, Poet, Poetry, Poets, Project, Ring, Romantic, Rome, Secret, Self-published, Shop, Sketch, Sketchbook, Sketches, Small Press, Snake, Store, Storenvy, Strange, Surprise, Surreal, Symbol, Symbols, The First Reich, The Poet and the Flea, The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, The Pre-Raphaelites, The Seven Deadly Sins, The Seven Princes of Hell, Thmoas Woolner, Time, Verses, Victorian, Victorian Period, Vision, Visual, Watercolor, Watercolour, Wilhelm Reich, William Blake, William Holman Hunt, William Michael Roessetti, William Morris, Win, Wing, Wings, Words, Writer, Zine, Zines | posted in Announcement, Contest, Illustration/Design, Shop, Zines