Editorial: Thoughts on Pinocchio

Tim Burton, when explaining his decision to mess with the mythology of Alice in Wonderland, described the original story as having no emotional connection with him and how it seemed to be "just a series of random encounters". I personally love Alice in Wonderland and it bleeds, one way or another, into everything I write; that said, I find Burton's comments more interesting than anything else. I like to think every creator has a story -- a classic story -- that influences them more than any other. For TM, I'm guessing that story would have to be Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; the story of an outcast and a tormented creative. His early short film, Frankenweenie, being his most straight adaptation, but you can also see threads of Frankenstein running through Edward Scissorhands, Batman and, even, his adaptation of Sleepy Hollow. In all of these works, Shelley's grim story is subverted and the tormented, sensitive outcast wins over the hearts of the community and everyone they meet (although, in the case of Edward and Batman, this acceptance is somewhat chequered and they must eventually leave)

In my case, I freely admit Alice has inspired me more than anything (except perhaps, Kingdom Hearts)

I posit that if every creative has a story that deeply inspires them, and runs through their veins, and feeds everything they create -- there must be another story, a shadow, that haunts everything they write. If TM is haunted by the random and sporadic nature of Alice, and embraces Frankenstein, then I would have to say the story that haunts me the most, that I lack a especial emotional connection to, and that I would naturally avoid -- would have to be Pinocchio.

You see, I don't have a son -- so I can't identify with Gepetto. I also dislike the general authoritarian nature of the story. Go to school. Don't go to the show. Don't have fun. Don't enjoy yourself. Admittedly (don't lie).

In fact -- the body horror that occurs to Pinocchio, his nose growing, is the only interesting thing to me about the story. Otherwise, it seems a weird hodge-podge of authoritarian and biblical elements (being swallowed by the whale). When I think about Pinocchio, I think about every teacher and authority figure from my childhood wagging their finger in my face.

I will admit, though, my dreams are haunted by a vision of a Pleasure Island-style place in which there are rides and bars that I have to avoid. I see this as further inclination that Pinocchio is something with a negative influence on my life -- it warns me away from living life and having fun.