Sleeping Beauty's Mother-In-Law

Another one from the Modern Grimmoire book - it even shows up on one of the "Look Inside" pages on Amazon!

The illustration comes from an older version of Sleeping Beauty, by Charles Perrault. In most current versions, it's all happily-ever-after once the Prince kisses her. In Perrault, once she wakes up her troubles are only beginning. The Prince's stepmother is an ogre, who wants to eat her own step-grandchildren, along with Sleeping Beauty as well! And, were it not for the kindness of the cook, she would have succeeded. Then the ogre tries to kill them all with snakes and poison toads… but why give away the ending?

Hans My Hedgehog

An illustration that got into Indigo Press' "Modern Grimmoire." They're an independent publisher, but the book is available on Amazon.

I always like "Hans My Hedgehog" ever since I read it in Grimm's Fairy Tales, mainly because it's so surreal. He's a half-human, half-hedgehog who's parents want him to leave. He agrees, but only if they shoe his rooster and give him bagpipes. Only after I started drawing it did I realize what an unfortunate instrument a bagpipe is for an animal with sharp spines!